SID#1 News & Info -- Election Results
Following are the results of the 2018 Trustee Election, held September 11th:
NOTICE: Anyone planning to do any Spring remodels or additions, please contact and discuss your plans with Travis, our Operator, so it can be determined if a SID permit will be required, along with Central's and the County's building permits. Either email: SIDoptr@jlake.org or call: 308-746-3169 Your cooperation is
most appreciated. Thanks!!
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Please change your address file for SID#1 to:
42738 Road 748, Johnson
Lake, NE 68937
This address should now be used
for ALL shipping, billing, SID Payments and mail.
The 3 Olmstead Circle address is being eliminated immediately.
Thanks,
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Larry Ossenkop, Clerk SID#1
PH: 308-785-2353 --
Address Change:
42738 Road 748
Johnson Lake, NE 68937
NEW FAX: 720-262-7757
SID news at: http://jlake.org
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The Johnson Lake SID Board has been very pleased with the performance of the Central Sewer Collection and Treatment System. Following are several items of interest that are being repeated for the benefit of both our old and new customers.
A. In response to what many people have asked:
"Can we throw anything down the sewer???"
Regulatory agencies advise that the following items should not be introduced into any sewer and/or grinder pump, either directly or through a kitchen waste garbage disposal unit: Glass, Metal, Seafood shells, Goldfish stones, Diapers, socks, rags or cloth, Plastic Objects (toys, utensils, etc), Kitty litter, Sanitary napkins, tampons or condoms, Grease, gasoline, oil, paint and other such chemicals, Explosives, Fireworks and/or Flammable material
B. What should be done when I closed down my cabin.
It is suggested that you flush your stool several times to insure that your service line is clean. Also, be sure to fill all of your “P” traps with water or better yet, RV anti-freeze; including the air conditioner drain trap. If your home has a grinder pump, flushing should total about 70 gallons, to insure the holding tank is clean.
C. Who do I call if my sewer line appears to be plugged?
The home/cabin owner is responsible for maintaining the service connection line as well as access to all installed clean outs. A local plumber should be called if necessary to clean your service connection line.
D. The alarm is ringing on my grinder pump, now what?
Under the Alarm box, there is a rubber button to shut off the alarm which you can push to stop the ringing. Then you should immediately contact the SID Operator for further diagnosis and assistance by calling Travis at 308-746-3169. Do not change any of the switches in the box and immediately stop discharging water and waste into the system.
E. When do I pay the User Fee Bill and my Assessment?
The User Fee Bill is sent out annually on May 1st and is payable to the SID upon receipt. It becomes delinquent on June 15th. The Assessment is to be paid to your respective County Treasurer before August 12th each year and includes interest from the date of the last payment. Financial questions should be asked of Larry, the SID Clerk at 308-785-2353 or emailing: SIDclk@jlake.org
If you have any other questions, feel free to contact us at any time.
Travis Stithem, Operator Larry Ossenkop, Clerk
308-746-3169 or 785-2203 308-785-2353
SIDoptr@jlake.org SIDclk@jlake.org
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There has been some questions with regards to the "end of the SID payments" as a result of the Johnson Lake Lease Negotiations. To clarify, the Service Connection Assessment for those electing the 15 year option will end in 2023. However, the SID Tax Levy covering the General Obligation Loans and Bond Issue will not be paid off in full until approximately 2032.
Check out the recap of these costs at the top of the list of SID Documents. Please feel free to email SIDclerk@jlake.org if you have any questions.
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The Water Systems Council received a grant in 2015 from EPA to provide technical assistance, training, and educational programs to owners of private and small community water wells. A portion of the EPS grant monies was used to produce the new Well Owner's Manual. You can view or download a copy here:
https://www.watersystemscouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Well-Owners-Manual-Updated-3-3-16.pdf
Or, it is available in the SID Document folder on the left. A printed copy can be ordered by sending an email
to: egreenstreet@watersystemscouncil.org and more information is also available on-line at: www.wellcarehotline.org
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Just a refresher on the three components that are related to SID#1 charges to each property owner:
1. The first is the Annual User Fee, which covers the annual operational maintenance and repair expenses, billed on or about May 1st each year, currently $170.91 with sales tax and delinquent on June 15th, then drawing 12% interest on the balance due. Payments should be made payable and mailed to: Johnson Lake SID#1, 42738 Road 748, Johnson Lake, NE 68937. If still unpaid as of September 1st, a Lien will be filed against the property for the total amount then due including past interest and a service fee of $45. This lien will then draw 14% interest until it is paid in full. All lien payments must be made to your local county treasurer.
2. The Sewer Connection Assessment was levied on August 12th, 2009 for each properties share of the collection mains and the actual costs of abandoning the existing septic and cost of hooking up the property to the sewer collection main. If not paid in full at that time; this amount was due in 15 equal annual installments to be paid annually to your county treasurer before August 12th, plus 5% interest on the entire balance from the date of the last payment. If an annual installment is not paid before August 12th, it draws an additional 2% interest penalty. The remaining assessment may be paid to the county treasurer at any time in the amount of any number of annual payments plus the then due interest. If there are 3 or more annual payments past due, the full balance will be called and then draws 14% interest until such time that the property is foreclosed.
3. The annual SID#1 Property Tax Levy covers the SID's payments on the low interest CW-SRF loans and the Bond Issue that financed the costs of the eleven (11) pump stations, the force mains from each pump station to the next if required and the force mains going to the sewer treatment lagoons; the construction of the four cell wastewater treatment lagoons, the SID maintenance and operations center building, the formation cost and associated legal expense and the annual administrative, auditing and legal expense. Providing there are no later projects requested of the SID; this amount will drop substantially on or about 2030 to 2032 as these loans and bonds are paid off. This levy is paid as part of your total property tax annual amount payable to your county treasurer. The levy % is the same for all; but the dollar amount varies by valuations.
If you should have any questions about these bills, feel free to contact the SID Clerk @ 308-785-2353 or by email: SIDclerk@jlake.org
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ASSESSMENTS DUE BEFORE THE 12TH OF AUGUST!!
JUST A QUICK REMINDER THAT THE ANNUAL SEWER CONNECTION ASSESSMENT PAYMENTS BECOME DELINQUENT AFTER THE 12TH OF AUGUST; THEREAFTER DRAWING AN ADDITIONAL 2% INTEREST FEE ON THE NOW-DUE PAYMENT AMOUNT. INTEREST OF 5% IS CALCULATED ON THE FULL UNPAID BALANCE FROM THE DATE OF THE LAST PAYMENT.
PROPERTIES DELINQUENT FOR THREE (3) ANNUAL INSTALLMENTS WILL HAVE THE FULL UNPAID BALANCE CALLED; SUCH THAT IT THEN DRAWS 14% ON THE FULL UNPAID BALANCE AND SUBJECTS THE PROPERTY TO FORECLOSURE ACTION IN ACCORDANCE WITH NEBRASKA STATE STATUTES.
ALL ASSESSMENT PAYMENTS MUST BE MADE TO THE RESPECTIVE COUNTY TREASURER'S OFFICE; AS WELL AS ANY SEWER USER FEE UTILITY LIEN PAYMENTS; WHICH ALSO DRAWS 14% INTEREST UNTIL PAID.
ONLY THE CURRENT YEAR'S SEWER USER FEE; NOW PAST DUE IN THE AMOUNT OF $170.91 plus 12% Interest from May 1st, SHOULD BE MAILED TO THE JOHNSON LAKE SID#1, 3 OLMSTEAD CIRCLE, JOHNSON LAKE, NE. 68937.
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Johnson Lake Sanitary & Improvement Dist#1 of Gosper & Dawson Co's
[Be sure to click on the SID News and/or the SID Info links on the left navigation area for more postings]
History
When Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District (Central) initially built Johnson Lake and the related system of irrigation canals, no one could have imagined that the lake would one day become one of the most popular recreational sites in Nebraska. But in the late 1940s and early 1950s, houses began going up around the lake and soon there was a large community of private homes and businesses around its perimeter.
The majority of these homes and businesses around the shoreline are located on land owned by Central. All have their own individual septic tanks and drain fields to treat their wastewater. Drinking water is provided by 41 community wells and 35 private wells. These wells and septic tanks must all comply with the requirements of the State Department of Health and the State Department of Environmental Quality (NDEQ).
In March of 2000, NDEQ representatives met with JLDI officers and area presidents and explained that many of the properties at Johnson Lake would not be able to meet the setback requirements for septic tanks and drain fields from wells, buildings, lot lines, and shorelines as specified in the adopted State regulations for which they are responsible for enforcement. It has been estimated that 75 percent of the lots around Johnson Lake are too small to meet the new requirements and would not be able to obtain a permit to replace, repair, or expand their septic systems nor could they alter or change their existing buildings.
Routine sampling and testing by NDEQ, begun in 2001, has shown that Johnson Lake contains significant quantities of pathogenic bacteria. Although the source of these bacteria has not been determined, human indicators were identified and the results show that contamination of the lake is occurring and could have a negative impact on the recreational use of Johnson Lake in the future.
In September 2001, Central hired the engineering firm of Olmsted & Perry to assess these issues. In their report of April 2002, Olmsted & Perry reported that:
Wastewater quantities are increasing because of the continued trend of year-round usage of the homes
The soil around the lake is becoming saturated in some areas because of increased wastewater quantities
Many lots do not have sufficient space to replace failing septic systems
Johnson Lake residents would probably have to abandon the onsite septic tank treatment systems and replace them with a centralized wastewater collection and treatment system
The implications led the lot owners and leaseholders to decide to create some form of shared governance. By a margin of nearly two to one, with nearly 60 percent of eligible voters participating, they decided to create an SID.
In February 2005, the District Court granted the formation of the Johnson Lake SID and the first meeting of the five-member Board of Trustees took place.
Phase I (Completed in 2005)
As the project began, there was no single wastewater management method that was clearly the best choice for the lake community. Instead, the engineers and scientists began by studying a variety of options and approaches.
Choosing the Best-suited System for the Lake Community
For collection of wastewater, the alternative sanitary sewer systems considered were:
Gravity with lift stations,
Vacuum pump sewer, or
Low-pressure grinder pump.
For wastewater treatment alternatives, the team considered these options:
Complete retention lagoon
Controlled discharge lagoon, or
A mechanical plant.
Much of Phase I study time was spent gathering information about all these options. Then, the team applied a broad range of criteria to each option, including capital construction costs, life-cycle costs, system reliability, regulatory compliance, and public acceptability, in order to come up with their formal recommendation.
The JLET Engineering Team’s Recommendations
For collection: a gravity sanitary sewer system
For treatment: a complete retention lagoon--With future growth, this could be converted to a controlled discharge lagoon.
These are the primary reasons for this recommendation:
Proven reliability of the technologies
Most cost-effective systems
No permit or regulatory compliance needed
Minimal training requirements
Lowest life-cycle costs
Ease of operation