05-13-1996 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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MEETING REQUEST FOR COUNCIL ACTION ^MY I3 1996 9.1996 ITEM No.- Department Approval: Name: Michael P. Gaffron Title: Asit. Planning & Zoning Administrator Administrator Reviewed:Agenda Section: Zoning Item Description; Municipal Code Amendment: On-Site Sewage Treatment Systems Ordinance List of Exhibits: Exhibit A - MPG Memo 4/18/96 (Included as information with 4/22/96 Council packet) Exhibit B - Ordinance Exhibit C - Steve Weekman Memo 5/9/96 Exhibit D - Abridged Version For Publication As noted in Exhibit A, the MPCA has revised the Minnesota On-Site System Rules, Chapter 7080. The attached ordinance amends Orono Code Section 12.30, "On-Site Sewage Treatment" to be con sistent with the State Regulations, and deletes Sections 5.37 and 5.38, since cities can no longer license septic installers and site evaluators. The Ordinance also clarifies w hen systems must be inspected, repaired, or alternate sites designated in relation to proposed property improvements. Further, it defines rdditional requirements for maintenance pumping, requiring pumpers to report on tank conformity. Because the State now considers non-sealed (leaky)septic tanks as non-confonning, their condition must be observed at the time they are being pumped out. This is most efficiently done by licen.sed pumpers when they are on the site. S'Year Repair Deadline for Non-Shoreland Areas Finally, the Ordinance establishes a period of 5 years for completion of repairs to non-Shoreland systems found to be non-conforming due only to lack of 3-foot separation. Council may recall that prior to 1993, Orono Code required all non-conforming systems to be upgraded within one year. In 1993, Council revised this to allow tw o years (two full construction seasons) for upgrade of systems not meeting the 3’ separation. This 2-year allowance fits w ithin general guidelines set by the DNR for Shoreland areas. During 1993-95 staff identified approximately 150-200 non-conforming systems within the Shoreland district, the majority of which are not in potential sewer areas, and which are subject to the 2-year repair deadline. Conformity inspections have not yet begun in the non-Shoreland areas. Given the staffing and contractor difficulties associated with accomplishing so many repairs in such a short time, it will likely take up to five years to finish upgrading the Shoreland systems. It could be argued, therefore, that Orono should delay identification of non-conforming systems outside the Shoreland areas, until all the Shoreland systems (which have a greater impact on water quality than non-Shoreland systems) have been upgraded. However, there are a number of factors which suggest this is not appropriate: