Don’t fall for it!

Guest Editorial by Michael Armstrong

Another smear article has been written by Jessica L. Lloyd-Rogers.  She claims, that since the hiring of Ardith Lewis (Lakeside’s Wastewater Superintendent) the Wastewater plant has been out of compliance with its permit every single month.  This is totally and completely false!

I find no enforcement actions listed on DEQ’s Non-compliance Database, since Ms. Lewis was hired.  In fact, the last report of non-compliance by DEQ was directed to  (then City of Lakeside Mayor, Orville Nelson) on 06/24/2008 during the paid oversight of Bob Dillard and then plant Superintendent Phil Heley. However, there are no recorded non-compliant listings since the hiring of Ardith Lewis, on DEQ’s non-compliance database.

Also, the expert Lloyd-Rogers touts in her article, Bob Dillard, has himself had a number of recorded permit violations at the North Bend plant that he is superintendent of.  The most current violation was a, class 2 permit violation dated on 04/29/2010.  Something Lloyd-Rogers ignores.

Ardith Lewis is more than qualified to run Lakeside’s plant.  In fact, Ardith since her hiring has proven to be a respected professional, not to mention an extremely competent superintendent.  She and her dedicated staff have worked very hard towards saving the city thousands of dollars by cost cutting and efficiently running the plant; this is evident to me by all the reports I have researched or I have heard Lewis give at City Council meetings.

Lewis currently holds a DEQ Grade 3 certificate in Treatment and a DEQ Grade 2 certificate in Collections.  One would have extreme difficulty locating on the certification database any DEQ certificate for the last Lakeside superintendent, which Lloyd-Rogers attempts to canonize, in her article.

One of the other baseless charges that Ms. Lloyd-Rogers alleges in her smear article is cost for excessive sludge removal due to lack of water clarity. This again, is one of Ms.Lloyd-Rogers attempts to mislead and manipulate the citizens of Lakeside, with a total fabrication.

Historically speaking, during the wet months we have always had to haul away sludge, one need only check past billing records at City Hall to discover the truth of this.  We experienced an unusually wet month in June this year; bottom line is that until the roads at the spray site are dry enough to drive on, you have to pay to have the sludge hauled away. This is a process, which has gone on at the plant for decades and long before Ardith Lewis was hired.

In fact, Ms. Lewis was able to get an Out of Season Discharge Approval from DEQ, to extend the discharge of treated water into Ten Mile Creek due to unseasonably high water in the creek, saving the city money.  This can be verified in a letter from DEQ dated June 29, 2010.

It is pitiful that someone is consciously and consistently willing to spew to the citizens of Lakeside, such inaccurate, and in many cases fabricated information, in an orchestrated attempt to smear the reputation of a very dedicated and hard working city employee; Jessica L. Lloyd Rogers should be shunned for this alone.

Citizens of Lakeside, you should be extremely skeptical and cautious when reading Jessica L. Lloyd-Rogers’ personal attack articles.  Please take the time to research her information and “purported facts” that she is giving you; don’t let the fabrications, and prevarications of Ms.Lloyd-Rogers influence you or get in the way of discovering the truth.

Anyone wishing to know the truth can ask questions at City Hall.