08-23-2010 Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING Monday, August 23, 2010 7:00 o'clock p.m. CITY ENGINEER'S REPORT *8. AWARD BID — LIFT STATION NO. 12 IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT Franchot moved, McMillan seconded, to award Lift Station 12 Improvements Project to Landwehr Construction, Inc., in the amount of $132,955.50. VOTE: Ayes 4, Nays 0. 9. NORTH FARM ROAD PETITIONS FOR SANITARY SEWER Kellogg stated last week on Thursday the City received a petition from some of the North Farm Road residents for the Council's consideration to install sanitary sewer to serve their neighborhood. A neighborhood meeting was held previously regarding the contemplated improvements. The petition process is what has been followed on previous sanitary sewer projects servicing the Myrtelwood, Farview, and Jamestown Road neighborhoods. In these previous projects, the sewer was constructed as a City project and the total project cost was assessed to the neighborhood on a per lot basis. The North Farm Road neighborhood has a total of nine buildable lots. Kellogg noted that typically these projects are fully funded and assessed to the neighborhood. Three property owners have indicated they are willing to sign the petition once they get clarification on when they would be required to hook up to City sewer and water. If those property owners sign the petition, there would then be seven properties interested in sanitary sewer. • Kellogg recommended the City follow up with the inspector to get clarification on his position regarding hookups. Gaffron stated there are four or five types of systems, such as compliant, noncompliant, and failing. Each one of those defmitions has a different trigger for when a hookup is required. A question mark is whether, when you do an addition to your house that increases the water use or perhaps doesn't increase the water use, if that property owner would be required at that time to connect to city sewer. Gaffron noted all of the houses in this neighborhood are within the shore land overlay district and if they have a system that does not meet the 3 -foot setback, they would have to upgrade by 2011. Gaffron stated he does not know the status of any of these particular systems as it relates to compliancy. Failing systems would need to connect immediately. Gaffron concurred that when systems are required to be hooked up should be clarified. White asked if any of the residents in attendance have replaced their systems recently Patty Bartholomew stated city sanitary sewer came up as an issue following the passing of her parents, Joe and Sue Offerman. As they were in the process of selling the property, prospective buyers have raised questions regarding the septic system. Three of the neighbors have installed new septic systems within the last few years and they are not interested in connecting up to city sanitary sewer. Those property owners would like some reassurance that they will not be forced to connect up in the near future. Gaffron indicated Staff would need to get clarification but that it is his belief they would not need to connect unless their system starts to fail or if the system does not have sufficient capacity. Page 7 of 18