Palouse waterline dispute surfaces again

Palouse city council and would-be developer Nicole Wood clashed once more at a city council meeting Tuesday night, opening up a now two-year struggle over extending water lines to Wood’s property.

In a heated debate that lasted for the better part of an hour, Palouse real estate agent Patti Green-Kent, representing Wood, accused the city of Palouse of neglecting to write up a concise water and sewer plan. This is preventing Wood from having a clear direction for the proper guidelines needed for installing water and sewer service to Wood’s land in Breedings Addition.

“We can’t sell the land until we get water,” Green-Kent said.

Palouse mayor Michael Echanove and city staffers told Green-Kent that yes, the city needed a water plan but no, the city would not allow the group to only install a two-inch water main to serve a proposed 30-unit housing development.

“You guys argue with us even when we say, ‘Yes!’” Echanove told Green-Kent. “Take yes for an answer!”

Green-Kent and Wood were among about 10 people who attended the sesson. Jim Farr, a friend of Wood, who has represented Wood on the service line proposal earlier, did not attend.

The two relatively new council members, Randy Zehm and Cecil Floyd interjected at points to ask questions on either side of the debate.

Wood wants to develop housing lots in Breedings Addition on her land, a move that would require water and sewer lines for the lots to be marketable.

Breedings Addition is on the east side of Palouse.

Wood and Green-Kent argued they have proposed water plans to the city of Palouse only to be told the rules have changed and to please present a plan that conforms with the new rules.

Green-Kent said they have attempted to follow the Department of Health guidelines because Palouse lacks ordinances which address the subject.

“Palouse has no guidelines,” Green-Kent told the council.

Palouse resident Doug Willcox interjected to say the DOH does not have a state-wide list of sewer and water regulations, rather, they enforce the existing regulations of a town or county.

Echanove told Green-Kent that Wood would need a water main larger than two inches to provide water to the proposed lots.

“You cannot run willy nilly water lines through there,” he said.

Echanove pointed out that this issue of the water was hashed out last December when representatives from the state Department of Health visited Palouse.

He read to the audience a letter from John Eastburn, who was representing Farr at the time, in which Eastburn said he considered the matter put to rest.

The outcome of that December meeting was that the city would pay $2,000 for the engineering to install a major water main into the development if Eastburn would agree in writing he would follow through with installation of the main.

Echanove stated at this council meeting he had yet to see any paperwork from Eastburn or Farr saying they agreed to the condition.

“You’re going to have to have a main line. That’s just common sense,” said Bruce Beeson, who went through the same process with the city to sell some of his own land for housing development. Beeson is the husband of city treasurer Joyce Beeson.

One more result of the December meeting was the Department of Health urged the city to create their own water and sewer plan, including city policy on those matters.

Without such a plan, Green-Kent argued, how is anyone working with the city supposed to have a clear eye on development in town?