Boynton's sewage system in danger

Boynton residents who rely on the towns wastewater collection and treatment lagoons could be left high and dry if town officials fail to bring the sewage system into compliance.

The town is operating the system pursuant to two consent orders issued by the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality. The state environmental agency also has issued two notices of violation which, along with the two consent orders, resulted from unpermitted discharges and other problems.

Skylar McElhaney, an ODEQ spokeswoman, said the town has been out of compliance with the consent orders for some time. The agency has allowed the town to continue providing services in the hope proposed improvements would be completed.

ODEQs goal was to get the first phase of the towns proposed multiphase project under way, McElhaney said. Once that occurred, ODEQ could then enter into a new consent order to incorporate all the outstanding issues and establish a new schedule for completion of all phases of the project.

Ongoing legal and financial problems, much of which was highlighted in an investigative report published in February by the Oklahoma State Auditor and Inspectors Office, dashed that plan. Because of what investigators described as poor record keeping and inadequate oversight by trustees, the town was unable to provide a clean financial audit needed to secure funding for improvements to the towns wastewater collection and lagoon treatment system.

Ernie Moore, executive director for Eastern Oklahoma Development District, said he began working with town officials about a year ago in an effort to help secure funding needed for the proposed improvements. Cooperation, however, was lacking.

We never could get enough cooperation to help them get anything set up, Moore said. Until the town, as a whole, decides to govern themselves in a responsible manner ... we wont be able to help we have pretty much exhausted all the avenues we had to help them.

State Auditor and Inspector Gary A. Jones said the town of Boynton has some obvious problems. He predicted those problems would continue until someone steps in and takes control.

That leadership wont come from former Mayor James Holt, who resigned March 7. Holt, in his letter of resignation, expressed a level of frustration with other town officials and residents.

As to the lack of interest of the people and the city council of the town of Boynton, I am unable to remain on the city council any longer, Holt wrote. No one has shown enough interest to even run for city council, and when someone does no one shows up to vote.

Read more here:
Boynton's sewage system in danger