Proposal #2
New $7 million bond
Mary Barton, Coos County Treasurer, provided me with estimates for a projected bond tax levy rate for a 15 year $15,000,000 bond which I have included as an attachment to this article (see attachment A4) that shows an estimated levy of $.29 per $1,000. Although there have been no official bids for the repair and refurbishment work, and we realize that costs for such work have increased over the last 15 years, we are confident that those costs will not exceed the amount of the original bond of $7 million. Meaning that with the increase in assessed property values and the ability to include the urban renewal excess value into the equation, the cost to residents for another $7 million bond would be approximately $.15 per $1,000 of assessed property value, based loosely on the information given to me by Mary Barton.
The ash trench at the Beaver Hill Disposal site is in the most immediate need of attention. An engineering firm that was involved in the #3 ash trench project in 1994, and which has considerable knowledge of the site, has estimated that the cost of lining and opening a fourth trench would be approximately $1.5 million. Other areas of the plant that need repair or refurbishment include the stack, the terceries, some re-skinning and refractory work on the burners and the coolers, and replacement of thinning walls on the heat exchanger and baghouse compartments. While all of the items identified other than the trench can be dealt with the same way they have been over the past 15 years by repairing and replacing as the operating budget allows, a bond of $7 million would allow us to plan the work, schedule when and how it should be done, and ensure the funds are available and dedicated to each project. This proposal would allow us to maintain the current operating status of the plant with no fee increases or schedule changes.
I believe that the Beaver Hill Disposal Site has provided value to the residents of the County and the State, and I am asking the Coos County Commissioners to endorse my request for public funding in the form of a $7 million bond to accomplish the opening of a fourth ash trench and the repair of equipment.
fmesserle@co.coos.or.us cparry@co.coos.or.us bmain@co.coos.or.us ourcountysite@charter.net
