Writing letters to the editor and attending extra meetings is time-consuming. With 106 acres of cranberries and four employees to manage, I’m busy enough. But, after reviewing what Pacific County PUD has been doing over the past 10 years, it makes me ask a lot of questions that don’t have satisfactory answers.
At the Sept. 12th meeting regarding Pacific County PUD plans to takeover providing electricity services in the Pacific County portions of Grayland, North Cove and Tokeland that are currently covered by Grays Harbor PUD, a person from the public questioned the PUD representatives about a comprehensive plan for the PUD. There was some stuttering, but no answers.
Currently, the PUD wants to go for another bond (loan) for $18 million to do essentially what they borrowed $10 million to do in May of 2001. They admit that costs were 2.5 times more than their estimates and, therefore, they spent less than $3 million of the $10 million on the projects for which they borrowed money, returning the balance to the bondholder.
What is the breakdown of how this new $18 million dollar bond will be spent? We only see the lump sum. When we inquired about the costs of buying the Grays Harbor PUD assets in the South Beach area, we were told it was included in the $18 million.
Besides this, there are about 10 miles of overhead power line to Tokeland and 10 miles of overhead power line from Tokeland to Grayland. We were told there would be some underground line also that costs $2 million dollars a mile. We were told overhead power costs $400,000 to 500,000/mile. What others costs are there?
It seems the PUD’s plans have changed over the past 10 years. The proposed cable across the bay from Tokeland to the Long Beach Peninsula to complete a countywide power loop (a pipe dream) has essentially been abandoned. Commissioner Thompson told me at the Sept. 12 meeting that those plans have been put off. She cited availability and cost of the cable as the reason. I would add that it would be going across some oyster grounds.
Why this power line?
Not putting in the cable across the bay takes away the primary reason for the Oysterville and Tokeland substations, which would have been the connection points on both sides of the bay. So why extend a power line to Tokeland and Grayland, an area that has gotten power from the Aberdeen/Westport area since the late 1930s – more than 70 years?
Prior to 1966-67 there was no road between Tokeland and Raymond, and it was necessary to serve Grayland from the Aberdeen/Westport power source. Grays Harbor PUD also serves the Queets area in the southwest corner of Jefferson Co. adjacent to the NW Grays Harbor County line.
A petition campaign is planned for the Grayland area starting Nov. 15 after cranberry harvest to prove that the Grayland, North Cove and Tokeland area ratepayers do not need or want Pacific County PUD in their community. Those proposing the petition give four primary reasons why:
1. Cranberry growers pay 75 cents/ horsepower for standby electricity with Grays Harbor PUD. Pacific County charges $1.25/horsepower for standby. In the Ilwaco area, I pay $600 per month just to have the power come to the pump, not to use it.
2. Grayland cranberry farmers and residents have a service crew that resides in their area and they get timely service. Pacific County has no plans to have a South Beach residential crew.
3. Pacific County PUD will have to pay Grays Harbor PUD for every pole, every foot of wire, the entire current infrastructure and build the Tokeland substation. The GH ratepayers in the Pacific County portion of the South Beach feel that they paid for that equipment once and want to know why they have to buy it again.
4. $18 million is a foolish waste of ratepayer dollars for an area that already has adequate power. Trying to get a lower interest rate on the bonds by getting them now is admirable, but not when the money will be used to pay for a poorly thought out project with a questionable purpose.
I support PUD Commissioner Swanson’s request for an advisory vote about the Tokeland/Grayland takeover after the public has all the information needed to make a wise decision.
This project needs to be put on hold. There are too many questions and not enough answers. Instead of adding another $18 million bond to start paying on after the payoff of the balance of what was used of the previous bond in May 2014, there could be a chance for a rate reduction for all of us ratepayers.
Malcolm McPhail
Ilwaco