The Septic Solutions committee met Nov 8 at MacMurray Middle School.  Present were JGerstle, NDrawbridge, GWessel, BRoberts, SMerrell and Jarone Baker, R.S.
from the King County Dept. of Health.  Jarone is Recovery Manager for Quartermaster Harbor as well as the septic system inspector.

Jarone reported that King County has allocated $450,000 for low-interest loans for septic repairs. 
Priority will go to homes on the marine shoreline or on lakes.  Applicants for loans will not be restricted to low income.  This budget will not go through the King County Home Repair office.  A bank  (for Vashon as yet undesignated) will administer the loans for credit approval and collateral.  The interest rate will be 4 1/2 % or lower.  

Jarone is of the opinion that community drain fields are no longer an option because of the high cost of land on Vashon.  State law allows a private well limited to 5000 gpm to serve up to 6 homes.  In an instance in which there is space to drill 4 wells, each of which could serve 6 houses, 24 beachfront homes could, conceivably, be served.  Each well would constitute a Group B system which would be small enough to be overseen by the county.  Larger systems are under the Department of Ecology.

King County's immediate attention is going to the beach from Neill Poinnt to Magnolia Beach because the Indians who have shellfish harvesting rights there will sue the county if the beach doesn't support edible shellfish.