A state audit has uncovered an unusual arrangement with the Methow Valley Communications District, one that auditors are recommending changes to.
Our friends at the Methow Valley News report the decades-old district erected their own powerline, which extends from Methow three miles up to the top of McClure Mountain. Other users set up there, including radio and tv translators, the U.S. Forest Service, Okanogan County law enforcement and emergency operations, as well as several cell phone companies.
What auditors are concerned about is the arrangement for paying for the power.
The Okanogan County PUD bills the communications district for the power. When other users connected to power, they worked out an arrangement where the district pays the PUD the full amount and bills the other five users for their portion. The district’s portion is about 47%, and the others make up the remaining 53%. Site manager Paul Brown said there is no mark-up.
Auditors didn't find any financial wrong-doing. The atypical power arrangement caught the attention of state auditors, since it’s not specifically authorized in the law setting up Television Reception Improvement Districts.
But while TV districts can enter into contracts, there’s nothing in the law that resembles power provisions and allocation. The auditors recommended that the district devise a new approach for paying for power, but realize that may take some time, he said.
Brown said the district will figure out a new way of handling the PUD payments that’s in the public interest.
You can find out much more on this at methowvalleynews-dot-com.