Auditor debunks channeler?s claim.....
Posted: Fri Aug 28, 2009 8:33 am
Study wasn?t done to benefit development
By Megan Hansen
Nisqually Valley News
Published: Thursday, August 27, 2009 11:04 AM PDT
An investigation released this week by Washington State Auditor Brian Sonntag shows the City of Yelm did not misuse taxpayer money to fund a water study for the benefit of a private development.
Channeler JZ Knight and her spokesman, former Yelm mayoral candidate Steve Klein, repeatedly asserted that the city funded a $550,000 water study to benefit the Thurston Highlands development.
City officials maintained that the study was needed to update and improve the city?s water system plan.
Knight made her allegations in two full-page advertisements purchased in the Nisqually Valley News and the ?Shopper,? as well as a regional daily newspaper. She also posted the ad on her Web site, www.jzknight.com
Klein was also critical of the city?s handling of the Golder Water Study. In recent months, he sent a letter to Yelm City Administrator Shelly Badger, a copy of which he posted on an online blog.
?The Golder Water Study the city council authorized for Thurston Highlands had only one purpose, and that was to find water for a private developer to locate water on their private (not city owned/controlled) land and bring to the city with their three applications,? Klein asserted.
?Subterfuge continues to be the city?s policy of the day,? Klein charged.
?The fact that the city did not have a contract with a private developer and used taxpayer money for a water study on private land has been turned over to the Washington State Attorney General and auditor?s offices requesting an investigation into these and other city practices.?
In response to complaints made to the state auditor?s citizen hotline, an audit of the city?s handling of the Golder Water Study was conducted to determine whether or not the city was in compliance with the water study contract, and whether it was appropriate for the city to fund the study.
Klein said he has commented to the auditor?s office on several issues concerning Yelm, but does not know if he commented specifically on the Golder Water Study.
?I?m going to have egg on my face if I did,? Klein said.
Because he could not confirm if he sent a referral to the auditor?s office, Klein requested his name not appear in this article.
He did, however, acknowledge that he and Knight have made public comments regarding the Golder Water Study and the allegation the city used taxpayer money to fund the study, they allege was for a private development.
In a letter to Badger dated Aug. 12, the auditor?s office said it concluded that the study was in response to the Nisqually Watershed Management Plan, which was completed in October 2003.
?That study recommended that the city should consider moving its water supply to the southwest portion of Yelm to pull from a deeper aquifer with less effect on surface water levels,? concluded Angela Cady, audit manager.
?In addition, the city is required by the (state) Department of Health to submit a water system plan every six years that projects water needs 20 years into the future,? Cady said.
The audit findings also noted that the Golder Water Study was used for the city?s most current water system plan.
?We found it is reasonable that the city would pay for this water study, not the private developer,? Cady said. ?In addition, the city received $300,000 from the state Department of Ecology to help pay for the study.?
The state audit also found that the city had a valid contract for its water study.
Badger said she wasn?t surprised when she received the auditor?s request for information.
The request followed on the heels of Klein?s letter to Badger.
The city submitted all documents pertaining to the Golder Water Study and its approach to an Environmental Impact Statement and Water System Plan on June 29.
?I was comfortable in our submittal to the state auditor?s office because I felt confident in the material,? Badger said.
?It is very nice to have the auditor?s office review the material and agree with us.?
See this week's Nisqually Valley News publisher's column
http://www.yelmonline.com/articles/2009 ... 160353.txt
Yelm Online > Local News
http://www.yelmonline.com/articles/2009 ... 734302.txt
By Megan Hansen
Nisqually Valley News
Published: Thursday, August 27, 2009 11:04 AM PDT
An investigation released this week by Washington State Auditor Brian Sonntag shows the City of Yelm did not misuse taxpayer money to fund a water study for the benefit of a private development.
Channeler JZ Knight and her spokesman, former Yelm mayoral candidate Steve Klein, repeatedly asserted that the city funded a $550,000 water study to benefit the Thurston Highlands development.
City officials maintained that the study was needed to update and improve the city?s water system plan.
Knight made her allegations in two full-page advertisements purchased in the Nisqually Valley News and the ?Shopper,? as well as a regional daily newspaper. She also posted the ad on her Web site, www.jzknight.com
Klein was also critical of the city?s handling of the Golder Water Study. In recent months, he sent a letter to Yelm City Administrator Shelly Badger, a copy of which he posted on an online blog.
?The Golder Water Study the city council authorized for Thurston Highlands had only one purpose, and that was to find water for a private developer to locate water on their private (not city owned/controlled) land and bring to the city with their three applications,? Klein asserted.
?Subterfuge continues to be the city?s policy of the day,? Klein charged.
?The fact that the city did not have a contract with a private developer and used taxpayer money for a water study on private land has been turned over to the Washington State Attorney General and auditor?s offices requesting an investigation into these and other city practices.?
In response to complaints made to the state auditor?s citizen hotline, an audit of the city?s handling of the Golder Water Study was conducted to determine whether or not the city was in compliance with the water study contract, and whether it was appropriate for the city to fund the study.
Klein said he has commented to the auditor?s office on several issues concerning Yelm, but does not know if he commented specifically on the Golder Water Study.
?I?m going to have egg on my face if I did,? Klein said.
Because he could not confirm if he sent a referral to the auditor?s office, Klein requested his name not appear in this article.
He did, however, acknowledge that he and Knight have made public comments regarding the Golder Water Study and the allegation the city used taxpayer money to fund the study, they allege was for a private development.
In a letter to Badger dated Aug. 12, the auditor?s office said it concluded that the study was in response to the Nisqually Watershed Management Plan, which was completed in October 2003.
?That study recommended that the city should consider moving its water supply to the southwest portion of Yelm to pull from a deeper aquifer with less effect on surface water levels,? concluded Angela Cady, audit manager.
?In addition, the city is required by the (state) Department of Health to submit a water system plan every six years that projects water needs 20 years into the future,? Cady said.
The audit findings also noted that the Golder Water Study was used for the city?s most current water system plan.
?We found it is reasonable that the city would pay for this water study, not the private developer,? Cady said. ?In addition, the city received $300,000 from the state Department of Ecology to help pay for the study.?
The state audit also found that the city had a valid contract for its water study.
Badger said she wasn?t surprised when she received the auditor?s request for information.
The request followed on the heels of Klein?s letter to Badger.
The city submitted all documents pertaining to the Golder Water Study and its approach to an Environmental Impact Statement and Water System Plan on June 29.
?I was comfortable in our submittal to the state auditor?s office because I felt confident in the material,? Badger said.
?It is very nice to have the auditor?s office review the material and agree with us.?
See this week's Nisqually Valley News publisher's column
http://www.yelmonline.com/articles/2009 ... 160353.txt
Yelm Online > Local News
http://www.yelmonline.com/articles/2009 ... 734302.txt