04-08-1991 Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING HELD APRIL 8, 1991 ( #18)STUBBS BAY SEWER CONTINUED without a majority consensus of residents. Callahan stated that he did not expect the consensus of the citizens committee to be that the residents are in favor of the project. He suggested that the committee.may be able to get the residents more focused on the issue, which will help to determine the size of the area that is to be included in the project. Goetten stated that the City has tried to be accommodating and not to push the project down anyone's throat. She said, "That is part of the problem. We are going to have to bite the bullet and make the decision. We owe that much to these people." Jabbour agreed w.-th comments m-ade earlier by Butler regarding the overall health, safety and welfare of the public. He said, "I bolieve, and it is only my personal observation, that quito a bit of leaking arid seepage is occurring fram those properties into Lake Minnetonka." In that regard, Butler added, "People who firid it more convenient to allow their septic tanks to seep into Lake Minnetonka, rather than having them pumped, may be interested in knowing that the City can institute condemnation proceedings against their dwelling because it does not have satisfactory sanitary sewer removal system. Then their home is worth nothing." Butler asked whether the City had surveyed the Stubbs Bay area residents to determine their position on the project. Gaffron replied, "We dial send out a survey. Fifty percent of the 100 property owne:-s that received the survey did not respond. Of the fifty percent that did respond, one -third indicated that they favored the project, the other two- thirds opposed it." Butler stated that the City could go through a committee process, which would make the residents feel more a part of the process. She added, however, that if the Council were to vote to order the project, and -someone subsequently sued the City in regard to the assessment, that the City would prevail due to the overwhelming need for sewer in that .area. The City would have the support of its Comprehensive Plan, Metropolitan Council, Metropolitan Waste Control, as well as the Lake protection agencies. She said, "You do not fool around with malfunctioning septic systems. If that is the case,-the City automatically has a health P. oblem. . Once it is determined that there a� -e properties with septic systems leeching into the Lake, the State will close them down, if the City does not Gaffron stated that may not always be the case, He said, - 24 -