07-08-1991 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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I ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING HELD JUNE 24, 1991 (#9)STUBBS BAY SEWER CONTINUED Mayor Peterson stated that an Oxford Road resident had contacted her indicating that they would like to be included in the project, but wished to review cost estimates.This paj^ticular resident is having difficulties due to clay soils. Callahan asked if it would in fact be necessary to get Metropolitan Council approval for a MUSA line extension if Christine Drive, Oxford Road, and Sussex Drive are to be included in the project. Bernhardson replied, "Technically, we would have to get approval of a MUSA line extension for the entire ^rea. We identified the five areas originally included in the feasibility study in the Comprehensive Plan as being areas the City intended to sewer. The two acre properties outside those areas were not identified in the Comprehensive Plan. Setting that issue aside, Sussex and Christine are not on the lake, and are in the Two-'ere Zone. At what point does the City draw the line on including twO""acre properties in the sewered area.Both Christine Drive and Sussex Drive are new developments." Callahan stated that the septic problems for the two-acre properties in the Stubbs Bay area should be treated no differently than the two-acre properties elsewhere in the City. He said, "We can say that the problem is worse in the Stubbs Bay area because of the lakeshore properties.It seems to me that all we need to do is require those properties that are having problems to go to their alternate systems.In my opinion, if there are two-acre lots in the Stubbs Bay aiea that have adequate alternate areas, that the City is justified in allowing them to opt-out of the project. The City would need to strictly enforce the septic standards and require the owners to change to alternate drainfields if that is necessary." Goetten noted that at some point, those properties will fully utilize the capacity of the alternate sites, and would then have to look for yet another alternative. Callahan responded that such is the case with every two-acre property within the City. Butler said, "It would seem to me that the properties that are being considered for exclusion from the project, should in fact be included. It is those properties that are picking up the unit charge, the "make-ready" charge. If those properties are included now, then in the future when the alternate septic site fails, there would be an option to merely hook up to the trunk line without the need to do another entire project. Can we not replicate the methods we used when municipal water v/as installed. When water was first installed, the City charged a ready-to-serve fee. Further, including those properties would drop the per unit -10 -