BOTTOM LINE:
– Was the city’s irrigation conservation program for commercial water users solely to petition the Dept. of Health to increase the number of single-family connections the city could hook into their water system?

– How can the city be serious about conserving water, when water-conservation savings will be used for building permits to connect 47 additional single-family homes?

– Will accepting more building permits and connecting them to the city’s water system reduce Yelm’s water consumption & get them within Ecology’s allocation in 2010, which they exceeded in 2009?

THE CITY’S STORY IN THE NEWSPAPER
“The City of Yelm has lifted the suspension on the processing of building permits.

Because the city created a mandatory irrigation budget, the water system is receiving an additional 47 connections from the state Department of Health.

Yelm officials were waiting to see if their conservation program would earn them additional connections on their water system…

The city has 47 connections above what they it currently allocated this year,” quoting the NVN.

TIMELINE:
– April 8, City Administrator Shelly Badger received a letter from the Dept. of Health stating that on April 23rd, the city’s number of water connections will be set “at capacity” based on the hook-ups that day.

– April 13, Mayor Harding tells Yelm Chamber of Commerce members water irrigation users will have a 50% mandatory cut this summer.

– April 13 evening, the Yelm City Council adopts resolution 509 to redeuce commercial irrigation by 50%, which the city says is required to reduce water consumption.
Yelm over-pumped their water allocation in 2009 & is under scrutiny to be within their Ecology allocation.

– April 26, Yelm enacts a moratorium on accepting any further building permits until Health responds to the city’s request for a higher number of water connections than the April 23rd figure, based on the water conservation program.

– May 4, Yelm lifts the building permit moratorium after Health grants the city 47 more connections. “Last year the city issued about 75 building permits and have issued 23 so far this year. The 47 connections should get them through the year, Badger said,” in the NVN.

HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE A COMMERCIAL WATER USER IN YELM & TOLD YOU HAVE A MANDATORY IRRIGATION REDUCTION SO YOUR WATER CAN BE USED TO ACCEPT MORE BUILDING PERMIT APPLICATIONS FOR NEW HOMES?

DON’T LIKE THAT, EH?
FOR ALL OF YOUR SILENCE, WHICH MEANS YOU CONDONE THE CITY’S ACTIONS, “PASS GO” AND COLLECT ANOTHER 16% MONTHLY WATER RATE INCREASE, NOW SHOWING UP IN MAY WATER BILLS!