Re: request/delay/sewer connect - Laserfiche WebLink

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' � 2 " + MEMORANDUM To: Jessica Loftus, City Administrator From: Mike Gaffron, Asst. City Administrator Date: August 15, 2011 Subject: 3025 Sixth Ave.N. - Request from Property Owner to Delay Sewer Connection � The City is in receipt of a letter from Brent and Angela McKee, the property owners at 3025 Sixth Avenue North, requesting that they be allowed to construct a detached garage and paver driveway prior to replacement of their non-compliant septic system via connection to the available municipal sewer. Background The property owners have a non-compliant septic system and were issued orders as early as 1998 to repair or replace the system with a 2005 deadline. They didn't do so, but as a result of septic system issues throughout their neighborhood, the City extended municipal sewer to this area of Orono in 2006, and their deadline (now for connection to sewer rather than septic replacement) was extended to the end of 2007. The property is still not connected to sewer as of today. Each property served with sewer, including the McKee's, was assessed approximately $10,000 (payable over 15 years) which brought the sewer to the property boundary. The system is a pressurized sewer which requires that each home have an individual grinder station to connect to the system. The grinder station is an additional out-of-pocket expense of around $7,500 incurred by the property owner at the time of connection. Add to this the $2,230 MCES SAC charge and a$50 permit, and the resulting out-of-pocket connection cost is near$10,000. During the spring of 2011 the City has been following up on an exterior storage violation at the McKee property (as noted in the August 8 letter from the McKees). The McKee's have proposed to construct a detached garage, using some of the stored materials to build the garage, then using the garage to store the remainder of the materials that are in violation. The difficulty in City acceptance of the proposed solution is that Municipal Code Section 58- 47(b) (see code section attached) requires that the septic system must be upgraded or replaced at any time a building permit is required for any improvements on the property. The deadlines for upgrade/replacement established in 54-47(b) have passed. Because the proposed construction is not maintenance or upkeep of an existing building, it triggers the requirement for system upgrade replacement at this time. The property owners have indicated in various communications with City staff that they do not have the financial ability at this time to connect to the sewer concurrently with resolving the storage issue. They have verbally requested that the City consider specially assessing their costs to connect to the sewer. Special Assessment of Sewer Connection Costs In a majority of past similar sewer projects, the City has not been involved in financing the individual connection costs. In only two past projects has the City been involved in assisting in the cost of the individual grinder stations: 1) The North Long Lake and Long Lake Country Club