Port approves installation of new Wilma sewer drainfield

Port of Whitman County commissioners approved building a new sewer drainfield at the Port of Wilma with an estimated cost of $75,000 to $80,000 at the port’s meeting on April 4.

Port Director Joe Poire told commissioners at the meeting the estimated cost was between $40,000 to $45,000 just to repair the Port of Wilma drainfield.

Poire said the Asotin County PUD will take over the drainfield after the new one is built. Since the port is not a municipality, it doesn’t have staff to monitor and maintain a drainfield, so the best option for the port is to let the PUD take it over. By eliminating the system, it will save the port the cost of hiring any staff and other maintenance costs. He said the current system is more than a decade old.

Port commissioners also signed an agreement for Port of Wilma fire protection with the city of Clarkston.

The cost will be $7,000 a year through 2014 and will be collected from Port of Wilma tenants.

The tenants will benefit because they should have a lower fire rating for insurance and they are guaranteed quicker response times. The closest Whitman County fire department is Uniontown.

The fire department will visit each tenant and check all hydrants as part of the agreement.

The port board also discussed zoning issues at the airport.

Because the port used a grant from the Federal Aviation Administration for airport improvements, zoning must be corrected, according to Debbie Snell, port properties and development manager. The airport is now in the county’s ag zone which would not meet requirement for future grant funding.

Snell also told commissioners there are security and access issues. She said the rezoning process is relatively inexpensive and the port will work with the county, starting in the next two to three weeks.