STEP is more costly to maintain, but cheaper from a project perspective, to install. Tanks would be decommissioned with either system as most tanks would need to be replaced for STEP. Many of us will either use the old tank for rainwater collection and dispersal, or just fill them in with gravel and leave them in place, and not actually remove them. STEP or gravity, the contents of the tanks will need to be removed.

It is unfair to quote statistics on gravity when pipes of every age and material are thrown into that average. Some pipes 20 years old don’t leak at all.

Problems that we don’t even know about may come up, but trying to identify each one and address it means no sewer for the next umpteen years. We are so close here – to make it cost more would really be a tragedy.

STEP is more costly to maintain, but cheaper from a project perspective, to install. Tanks would be decommissioned with either system as most tanks would need to be replaced for STEP. Many of us will either use the old tank for rainwater collection and dispersal, or just fill them in with gravel and leave them in place, and not actually remove them. STEP or gravity, the contents of the tanks will need to be removed.

It is unfair to quote statistics on gravity when pipes of every age and material are thrown into that average. Some pipes 20 years old don’t leak at all.

Problems that we don’t even know about may come up, but trying to identify each one and address it means no sewer for the next umpteen years. We are so close here – to make it cost more would really be a tragedy.

We don’t know if we’re going to get the full $80 million from the USDA, but any money we get is good. That’s not the problem. The problem is the five to ten-year outlook. The problem is down the road. I only mentioned the decommissioning of tanks because it’s an immediate out-of-pocket cost for the homeowner.

We’ll be saving money on the project components that the stimulus funds will address — and that’s great — but with a conventional gravity system, there will be a greater demand to increase the monthly costs to compensate for problems that will arise beyond what is already covered with stimulus funds.

Stimulus funding has been a powerful wedge issue here. It would be great to have the money, but at the same time, the focus is to remedy preexisting substantial issues with the permit. These issues must be remedied so that the project has fewer chances of causing problems that LO property owners will have to pay for in the long run. It’s definitely a catch-22.

The most logical step would be to petition Diodati to submit a request to extend the USDA’s projected deadline for stimulus funds due to special circumstances. We’re on the 2010 FY Agricultural Appropriations bill. We will get that money — and now that the bill is signed into law, that’s leverage for us to secure stimulus funds and negotiate with the USDA. Diodati knows this.

We don’t know if we’re going to get the full $80 million from the USDA, but any money we get is good. That’s not the problem. The problem is the five to ten-year outlook. The problem is down the road. I only mentioned the decommissioning of tanks because it’s an immediate out-of-pocket cost for the homeowner.

We’ll be saving money on the project components that the stimulus funds will address — and that’s great — but with a conventional gravity system, there will be a greater demand to increase the monthly costs to compensate for problems that will arise beyond what is already covered with stimulus funds.

Stimulus funding has been a powerful wedge issue here. It would be great to have the money, but at the same time, the focus is to remedy preexisting substantial issues with the permit. These issues must be remedied so that the project has fewer chances of causing problems that LO property owners will have to pay for in the long run. It’s definitely a catch-22.

The most logical step would be to petition Diodati to submit a request to extend the USDA’s projected deadline for stimulus funds due to special circumstances. We’re on the 2010 FY Agricultural Appropriations bill. We will get that money — and now that the bill is signed into law, that’s leverage for us to secure stimulus funds and negotiate with the USDA. Diodati knows this.

“meaning the stimulus funds will not cover additional costs such as costs for decommissioning septic tanks, operation and maintenance (O&M) costs, costs for repairing streets in the Prohibition Zone after deep trenching, sewer leaks, repairs etc”

I reply – well, so what if it doesn’t! We are not going back to STEP, which you imply would lower costs, so the costs that it does lower, given the project at hand, should be helpful, right?

O & M costs are part of the monthly sewer fee, so of course it wouldn’t cover that, that isn’t even what we are talking about! Street repair is part of the project costs and we are going to pay for it regardless, so how is that relevant? Sewer leaks – that is down the road and will be part of our utility bills – that would be true no matter what system we have – O & M is more expensive with STEP anyway. Decommissioning tanks is part of whatever project we got, so how does that count?

I mean, are you saying we should cut off our nose in spite of our faces because we didn’t get STEP?

How would ANY amount we get NOT be helpful?

“meaning the stimulus funds will not cover additional costs such as costs for decommissioning septic tanks, operation and maintenance (O&M) costs, costs for repairing streets in the Prohibition Zone after deep trenching, sewer leaks, repairs etc”

I reply – well, so what if it doesn’t! We are not going back to STEP, which you imply would lower costs, so the costs that it does lower, given the project at hand, should be helpful, right?

O & M costs are part of the monthly sewer fee, so of course it wouldn’t cover that, that isn’t even what we are talking about! Street repair is part of the project costs and we are going to pay for it regardless, so how is that relevant? Sewer leaks – that is down the road and will be part of our utility bills – that would be true no matter what system we have – O & M is more expensive with STEP anyway. Decommissioning tanks is part of whatever project we got, so how does that count?

I mean, are you saying we should cut off our nose in spite of our faces because we didn’t get STEP?

How would ANY amount we get NOT be helpful?

If you mean water savings down the road, how do you calculate that? Those things that they are asking for, while not delineated down to the gnats eyebrow, would be done in the project anyway. (Some of the things Wimer wanted – like new washing machines for all are just plain silly – they are portable and will vanish with the next move.)

Since I am not sure what we are talking about here, maybe I should simply ask, what specifics do you mean? Not doing XYZ as per the CCC now will be worse than loosing potentially $12,000 per property if we don’t get that money?

If you mean water savings down the road, how do you calculate that? Those things that they are asking for, while not delineated down to the gnats eyebrow, would be done in the project anyway. (Some of the things Wimer wanted – like new washing machines for all are just plain silly – they are portable and will vanish with the next move.)

Since I am not sure what we are talking about here, maybe I should simply ask, what specifics do you mean? Not doing XYZ as per the CCC now will be worse than loosing potentially $12,000 per property if we don’t get that money?