The intent of this letter is to provide important information to the users of the Greater Bayfield Waste Water Treatment Plant (GBWWTP) about a discussion regarding the boundary of the Pike’s Bay Sanitary District (PBSD). You are considered a user and benefactor to the GBWWTP if your sewer is connected directly to the Plant or if you have your waste hauled to the Plant.
The Town Board and the PBSD Commissioners would like your opinion on the size of the PBSD.
There are three boundaries to consider: the Town boundary, the PBSD boundary (approximately the area surrounded by County Hwy J), and the area surrounding connected users.
The PBSD boundary was created 20 years ago to help pay for the construction of the GBWWTP. The boundary was created to help spread out the costs of the construction loan to an area of property owners that could, in time, be connected directly to the GBWWTP. The loan for the plant is now paid off.
The question is: should all property owners in the PBSD, regardless if their sewers are directly connected or not, pay for equipment repairs and capital improvements of the GBWWTP? The thinking 20 years ago was that all of the PBSD’s residents benefitted from an updated and more advanced waste water treatment plant because it would protect the clean water of Lake Superior – a benefit for the entire Town.
There are three choices: keep the current PBSD boundary, expand the boundary to include the entire Town of Bayfield, or shrink the boundary to include only the users connected to the plant. The boundary chosen will define who is financially responsible for equipment and capital improvement costs.
In 2023 and prior years, the tax levy consisted of a plant loan payment, a deposit into a replacement fund required by the loan program, and a portion of the PBSD’s administrative costs. In 2023 the costs totaled $71,035.
In 2024 the loan payment for the plant was paid off. However, the GBWWTP requires periodic equipment replacement and capital improvements. The equipment costs and a portion of the PBSD’s administrative costs in 2024 were $113,143. The largest expense was for upcoming replacement of the plant’s System Control And Data Acquisition system (SCADA). It is the brains and communication system that controls the operation of the plant. The system is outdated, replacement parts can no longer be found, and there is the risk of system failure. This should not need to be replaced again for many years.
Looking ahead to 2025 and beyond, it is expected that the tax obligation will fluctuate on a yearly basis depending on the equipment replacement needed at the plant.
It is the financial philosophy of the PBSD that operation and maintenance costs for connected users are paid by them and never placed on the tax levy. The PBSD tax levy has only been used for the construction loan, and now for equipment replacement and capital improvements.
If the boundary is shrunk, only connected users will bear financial responsibility for equipment replacement and capital improvements. A recent analysis of the properties on the PBSD tax levy shows that the connected users pay approximately 34% of the levy cost.
More information about PBSD can be found at pbsdwi.com.
There will be a meeting at the Town of Bayfield Hall on April 15th, 2025, at 6:00 PM where your opinion about the size of the District can be heard.
If you are unable to attend in person, please send your comments to:
PBSD Clerk – Rose Lawyer – [email protected]
And Town of Bayfield Clerk – Kelly Faye – [email protected]