Editor,

I was at the Oak Harbor City Council meeting Tuesday, April 21, at which time a number of citizens voiced their objections to the proposed location of the new wastewater treatment plant, or WWTP.

A number of people voiced objections to the plant being located on part of the Windjammer Park and crammed in behind many of the buildings along Pioneer Way. Good objections.

Attorney Chris Skinner spoke against a change in the location, citing the whole program was covered previously and any changes would be “extremely expensive.” I am somewhat confused by this phrase. From the figures I have seen published, the project was priced at $80 million.

The latest figure I see quoted is $116 million, a 45 percent increase over the original figure. To me, $36 million is “extremely expensive.” Maybe Mr. Skinner does not consider $36 million as expensive if it is just more tax money.

As an attorney, Mr. Skinner, I am sure, has been in many courtrooms when the jury said, “Guilty.” But that is not the end of the case. Attorneys on both sides start challenging many points of the trial.

Sometimes this goes on for years before a Superior Court rejects the finding of “guilty” and sends it back to the starting point.

The WWTP is like a person on death row — you must get the repeal before the needle is injected. Once injected, there is no correction.

Once WWTP construction starts, there is no correction.

Repeal, start over, get it right and keep the price as agreed. No more business as usual with a 45 percent price increase before any action has started.

Robert D. Brown

Oak Harbor