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TEHAMA COUNTY SANITATION DISTRICT NO. 1 - Interim Director Will Pike
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Requested Action(s)
recommendation
a) Review request for waiver of current and past due fees from USDA/USFS Lassen National Forest Tehama County for the site known as Battle Creek Campground and either:
1) Find that approval of the waiver will serve a greater public purpose than would be served collecting sewer fees for the Battle Creek Campground, and, as a result, approve and authorize the waiver;
OR
2) Deny the request for waiver and authorize the District to take any means necessary to enforce the collection of fees up to and including seeking collection of the fees through a court order
b) Request approval and authorization TCSD No.1 to require the site to meet the following conditions in order to be approved for removal from TCSD No.1 services:
1) Completely dismantle and remove the restroom structure from the site;
2) Cap the sewer lateral at both ends to ensure that no site facilities can be used;
3) Show that any future inflow and infiltration generated by site will not affect the Wastewater Treatment Plant;
4) Final inspection by appointment performed by TCSD staff (additional fee of $265 applies);
5) Documentation of the above conditions (Nos.1-4) supported by photo and invoice evidence, submitted to TCSD No.1
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Financial Impact:
Current fees due including late fee and interest from the site dating back to 1/1/22 are $14,154.92. Annual fees collected from US National Forest for the campground are $1,741.50 bi-annually, or $3,843.00 annually for the 2024 billing year (rate increases approved through 2026). This amount is billed at a 4.5 household equivalency (H.E. the measure used to qualify water discharged to the system by each user. One HE equals 200 gal/day), 1.9% of the District’s total revenue from invoiced households. The disconnection will decrease annual revenue to the District, at a minimum, by $3,843.00.
Background Information:
The USDA/ USFS representative has stated that since the COVID-19 mandatory and the recent Park Fire shutdowns, the campground has only been open two summers. Their representative also stated that they no longer offer restroom facilities at this location and do not intend to offer them again in the future. The state has deemed the area not acceptable for septic systems, hence the Wastewater Plant hookup. The USDA/USFS has requested fee waivers multiple times from TCSD due to the aforementioned closures, however, has never approached the Board to take action. Currently the campground’s toilets are connected to a shared muck pump with the Mt. Lassen Assemblies of God Church Camp and until such a time that proof of the toilet’s removal and lateral capping is received, TCSD cannot verify that campers or other personnel will not use the restroom facilities. Per Ordinance No. 2119, Section 1.8, TCSD invoices all laterals connected to the plant regardless of the amount of use. After the Board considers whether to (or in what amount to) approve a waiver, it will have to provide approval of a process to ensure that the campground will not be inadvertently using sewer service in order for the campground to be removed from the sewer district billing.