Not Everything has to be a Dumpster Fire

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Cave Junction needs a dependable water supply and a workable emergency plan. If contamination or equipment failure interrupts our river source, how will we continue supplying homes, businesses, and essential services?

I have been told that the Daisy Hill well supplies approximately 25% of the city’s needs. If that figure reflects its available capacity, it raises a serious question, where would the remaining water come from during an extended interruption?

The city received nearly $1.888 million in grant funding for the Rockydale well restoration. I understand that approximately $200,000 in city funds was also committed. Residents deserve a clear explanation of the final cost, what was accomplished, and whether those wells are now approved and delivering water into the city’s system.

The grant has been administratively closed. But closing out a grant does not, by itself, answer the question residents care about. Do we have a functioning, dependable additional water source?

We have confirmed that there is not one drop of water coming from the Rockydale Well. After spending over two million dollars to repair that system, residents deserve to know why it is not producing water, what remains to be done, who is responsible for resolving the problem, and when it will be operational.

My concern comes from firsthand experience delivering infrastructure. In Veneta, my team developed a 95-lot subdivision with water, sewer, power, cable, paved streets, curbs and gutters, and substantial stormwater detention ponds. Approximately $5 million in infrastructure work produced completed lots ready for construction.

These projects have different requirements, but the principle is the same, money invested should produce a usable result. If Rockydale is still not supplying water, residents deserve a full accounting of what prevented operation and how the city will ensure that this investment delivers the promised benefit.

 Fiscal year

Budgeted salary for the Recorder

• 2019–20                               $53,000
• 2020–21                               $58,000
• 2021–22                               $75,000
• 2022–23                               $87,241
• 2023–24                               $110,250
• 2025–26                               $146,144
• From 2021–22 to 2025–26, that is an increase of $71,144, or approximately 94.9% it nearly double over four years.
• From 2019–20 to 2025–26, the increase is $93,144, or approximately 175.7% over six years.
• The 2025–26 salary calculation shows how the city arrived at $146,144
• Current base pay: $135,000
• 3.1% cost of living adjustment: $4,185
• Step increase: $6,959

The city’s budget shows the recorder’s salary increasing from $75,000 in 2021–22 to $146,144 in 2025–26  nearly doubling in four years, before employer paid benefits. What justified that increase, and how did the council evaluate whether it was affordable?

Residents deserve accurate information and a practical maintenance plan.

Cave Junction’s wastewater system is essential infrastructure. Residents deserve to know its condition, what maintenance has been completed, and what work remains.

Correcting the record

Mayor Jesse Dugas told me that biosolids had been removed from the wastewater lagoon a couple of months earlier.

However, city workers told me that the solids recently removed and left to dry came from the drinking water treatment plant not the wastewater lagoon.

Workers also explained that the aerobic digester at the wastewater plant was cleaned out approximately eight years ago after it broke down and needed repairs.

These are different facilities and separate events. Removing solids from the drinking water plant, or cleaning the wastewater digester for repairs, does not establish that accumulated biosolids were removed from the wastewater storage lagoon.

The mayor’s statement needs clarification. Residents deserve to know exactly which work was completed and whether any biosolids were removed from the lagoon itself.

What the city’s report documented

The city’s published Water & Wastewater System report, prepared by Civil West Engineering, describes a biosolids storage lagoon constructed during the wastewater plant’s 1998 upgrades.

At the time of that report, it stated that the digester and lagoon had not been emptied since construction. It also reported an estimate that lagoon contents occupied approximately 67% of its total capacity, and identified biosolids disposal as regular plant maintenance.

Those are historical findings. The 67% estimate is not a verified current measurement, and the workers’ account indicates that subsequent digester work occurred. A current assessment is needed to establish the lagoon’s condition today.

What I will work toward as mayor

I will work with the council, qualified wastewater professionals, and regulatory agencies to:

1.  Establish current conditions: Obtain an updated assessment of biosolids accumulation, remaining lagoon capacity, and maintenance needs.
2. Set a clear schedule: Identify necessary work, estimated costs, responsible parties, and completion dates.
3. Evaluate funding: Pursue eligible grants and other funding opportunities, with clear explanations of any costs residents may face.
4.  Report progress publicly: Provide understandable updates that distinguish planned work from completed work.

Accurate information. Responsible maintenance.

Residents should not have to untangle conflicting explanations about essential services. City leadership should communicate accurately, correct mistakes, and document completed work.

My commitment is to bring clear information, practical planning, and accountability to the decisions affecting Cave Junction’s wastewater system.

Employee safety also deserves immediate attention. I have been told the city lacks a safety manual. That concern needs to be addressed by establishing what written safety programs, procedures, and training are actually in place and correcting any gaps.

Our employees deserve clear instructions, appropriate equipment, and training to perform their work safely. Protecting them must be a basic responsibility of city leadership.

As mayor, I would make reliable water service, project accountability, and employee safety priorities. Working with the council and staff, I would push for clear milestones, regular public progress reports, and follow through until outstanding problems are resolved.