OROVILLE – On Feb. 4 the Oroville City Council heard a request for water service by extending water past its current furthest connection on Eastlake Road.
“The Del Rosarios are here for approval of a water connection north of Veranda Beach to our extreme north and I’ll let Steve (Thompson) describe it. You all received this packet with maps and you’ve had a chance to look at that,” said Mayor Ed Naillon.
Tammy Del Rosario, with Northwestern Orchards LLC, made an appearance to request the water service connection to serve a house and a cabin at the orchard, which is locatedf just south of the Canadian border.
Naillon asked Oroville City Superintendent Thompson to weigh in on what he thought of the project.
“It starts about five feet from the deer fence and 50 feet from the cattle guard,” said Thompson. “So, they would have to put in an eight-inch pipe because we have to have water for fire now. I think we have plenty of water; it’s going to be an expensive project. On the map it shows the A and the B, I wouldn’t mind stopping the eight-inch right where the B starts and they could go four-inch from there on. We’d put the meter there and that way, they wouldn’t have to give us right of way into their orchard.”
Thompson said that the city needs right of way anywhere “city pipe” is placed.
“I’m just looking for an OK from you guys to go ahead. Of course, it would have to be engineered. At that time, they would probably have a cost, an estimate, so they could probably decide if they were going forward. I’d have to be involved with whoever they had putting it together to make sure it meets the city’s standards,” said Thompson, adding that it wouldn’t cost the city much.
Thompson said the city would end up inspecting the work and water tests would have to be done.
“We chlorinate it and test it to state standards. So, we take a test and send it,” said Thompson.
Mayor Naillon said he would entertain a motion to allow the Del Rosarios to proceed with planning the connection. Councilmember Walt Hart made the motion and there was a second from Councilmember Kolo Moser. The motion carried unanimously.
“Thank you,” said Del Rosario
Thompson told Del Rosario, “If you just want to call me anytime or if you want to meet to talk about anything. If you don’t need to and you just want to go to an engineer that’s fine too.”
The mayor said that under old business, the Aviation Committee had met to discuss engineering services for the Dorothy Scott Airport runway project. Naillon said Councilmembers Tasha Shaw and Mike Marthaller, who are on the committee, attended the meeting.
“We recommended JUB Engineering and that we accept their proposal,” said Shaw.
“I would call for a motion unless there are questions around that because they were our only applicant,” said the mayor. “They submitted a fine application and a beautiful brochure and they have a lot of experience with our airport. They been involved for how long now?” asked Naillon.
“Prior to 2014,” said JoAnn Denny, Oroville City Clerk.
“Over a decade so they have intimate knowledge of our runway, so I would entertain a motion approving them for airport consultant services,” said the mayor.
Shaw made the motion and it received a second from Hart and carried.
The Oroville City Council meets on the first and third Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. The next meeting is scheduled for Feb. 18 in the council chambers in the city council chambers at 1308 Ironwood St., Oroville.
For the full story, see the Feb. 13 issue of the Okanogan Valley Gazette-Tribune.
