Bishop City Council Approves Bishop Paiute Tribe’s Inclusion in Bishop Area Wastewater Authority

Bishop City Council Approves Bishop Paiute Tribe’s Inclusion in Bishop Area Wastewater Authority

Simple logic would lead one to conclude the delivery of services in a sparsely populated county would be a walk in the park. This week’s Bishop City Council blew that assumption out of the water. The crux of the issue was the economic status of the two adjoining entities pursuing a new wastewater treatment facility.

The background of the Council’s discussion focused on adding the Bishop Paiute Tribe to the Joint Powers Agreement between the City and the Eastern Sierra Community Service District to deal with wastewater treatment. The City and ESCSD had agreed a new facility would be needed and the JPA would be the best way to provide that facility. The Bishop Area Wastewater Authority was formed to achieve that goal. The treated wastewater has been used to irrigate pasture land.

The Bishop Paiute Tribe has been the biggest customer of BAWA and recently opted to look into providing its own treatment facility. Both the City and the Tribe applied for grant funding to replace their existing wastewater treatment facilities. Based on the fluency of each entity, the City’s application was rejected but the Tribe’s request was funded. One concern was the limitation of JPAs to “public agencies.” That roadblock was dismissed during the discussion: Tribes are, in fact, considered public agencies and as such can be included in a JPA.

Councilmember Jim Ellis got straight to the point. “The advantages outweigh any disadvantages. BAWA would have to up its rates [to build a new treatment facility].” Chair Jose Garcia noted the Bishop Paiute Tribe is growing economically and probably should have been included in the JPA earlier, noting “we should be working together.” Garcia then brought up some of the issues that would have to be worked out, including the addition of Tribal representatives on the BAWA board. The City’s attorney quickly suggested those details be worked through later, recommending the Council limit the vote to simply including the Tribe.

Councilmember Jim Ellis made that motion, Karen Schwartz seconded, and the motion passed 5-0.

Deb Murphy