PORT ANGELES — It was a lot more low key this time.
A new wholesale water supply contract with Clallam County Public Utility District was unanimously approved by the City Council at its Tuesday night meeting.
Now the contract goes to Clallam PUD’s Board of Commissioners for approval at its next meeting, set for 1:30 p.m. Monday at the district’s headquarters, 2431 E. U.S. Highway 101.
“Congratulations on a well-crafted agreement,” said Mayor Karen Rogers on Tuesday night.
The new contract, if approved by the PUD, replaces the two-year wholesale water supply contract for 2004-05 that was extended several times by both sides.
It runs for a minimum of 30 years with automatic 20-year extensions and 15 years notice for termination.
It includes shared maintenance costs for the water transmission line in the city’s eastern urban growth area and provisions to transfer Clallam PUD water facilities to the city when the urban areas are annexed sometime in the next decade.
New reservoir
It also includes that Clallam PUD will build a new reservoir east of Port Angeles within five years.
The contract indexes Clallam PUD’s rates to the city’s residential water rate, clarifies water rights and includes dispute resolution procedures.
Deputy Director of Power Systems Scott McLain said Clallam PUD wanted a long-term contract instead of the previous two-year agreements.
Indexing the rates to the city’s residential water rate also provides more predictability, he said.
