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MINUTES OF THE <br />ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING <br />Monday, March 11, 2019 <br />7:00 o’clock p.m. <br />_____________________________________________________________________________________ <br /> <br />Page 14 of 16 <br /> <br />Barnhart indicated it would be considered a service line and would be the responsibility of the City of <br />Mound and not the responsibility of Orono. There is no potential to subdivide Deering Island since it has <br />a 5-acre minimum lot size. <br /> <br />Printup stated Wildhurst was more of a neighborhood and not an island. <br /> <br />Johnson noted the applicant would be responsible for the expense of putting it in, and asked what happens <br />when the pipe experiences a problem. <br /> <br />Seals asked how they would know there is a problem since it will be under the lake. <br /> <br />Johnson stated the obligation is on Mound and that this is kind of like a private road where the property <br />owners on the road are responsible for it. <br /> <br />Scott Gates, Applicant, stated this is a b it of a unique situation and that they originally did not set out to <br />do this. The house is being rebuilt and over the years they have had a number of issues with flooding. In <br />a conversation with the City of Mound, it was suggested they consider running some sewer out there. <br /> <br />Gates indicated he researched it a little bit since he has not bored under a lake either. It is not unusual <br />these days to bore underground. It is more expensive, but then it is expensive to do a septic system on an <br />island. The existing septic system is old and will need to be replaced in the near future. If you start to <br />balance the costs, the upfront costs are more but it will have more long-term benefits. The thought is that <br />it might balance out cost-wise, but it will be more environmentally friendly. <br /> <br />Gates commented this is a bigger vision kind of thing and that the c ontractors he has spoken to feel it is <br />doable. The c ost would be approximately 40 percent more expensive. The ten feet is a requirement from <br />the DNR and his understanding is it is a fairly routine permit. The engineers have indicated it would be a <br />typical waste pressurized line. <br /> <br />Gates stated his understanding in conversations with Mound and the engineers is it would be treated as a <br />service to the house from the departure point in Mound. From the manhole out to the island, which would <br />be a gravity fee, would be treated as a residential service and it would be the homeowner’s responsibility <br />to build it and maintain it. It is p retty stable technology and the likelihood of it breaking is pretty small. <br />Given that it is waste, a person will likely know about it sooner or later if there was a leak. <br /> <br />Currently there is a small home on the island that has been there for many years. At the present time the <br />owner plans to use it as a family compound but at s ome day in the future that could change . Currently <br />some outbuildings could be built and possibly one more home , but it is not subdividable. Bringing sewer <br />to the island does not make a subdivision possible. <br /> <br />Walsh stated he does not see any downfall to it except if it fails, the sewage will go into the water. <br /> <br />Gates stated on the north side of the island there is some bluff approximately 12 to 18 feet above the <br />water level and the s outhwest corner is fairly low. If there is some type of failure in the septic field, it <br />will go laterally and ultimately into the lake . In addition, a good portion of the island is treed and it <br />would be necessary to remove a number of them in order to install a new septic field. <br /> <br />Walsh noted the City expanded the MUSA on Brown Road and on Wildhurst.