07-22-1996 Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES OF THE REGULAR ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING HELD ON JULY 22, 1996 ( #10 - Stormwater Management Plan - Continued) Kelley said he was concerned with the high cost of a comprehensive stormwater plan, and once it is completed, the need for still yet more detailed plans for each specific area. He voiced concern with identifying problems but offering no solutions. Goetten asked what the next step would be once the study was done. Cook noted that other cities use their plans daily, and he believes Orono Staff will do likewise. He said the plans give good information on what generally needs to be done. Cook said it won't solve all the details and policies would have to be set. Cook said the plan would not enable the Staff to understand requirements of each individual acre, but it would be able to take a larger tract of land, such as 20 acres, and know what is required. Callahan asked what else would need to be known citing Mooney Lake as an example. Gaffron said if the water was pumped from a high level, the City would need to know where it will flow and what new problems would occur for downstream properties. Callahan asked what would happen then. Gaffron said it would give the Watershed District or City Council a rational basis to decide on what to do and what physical and social impacts would be involved.. Gaffron said without such a plan, many hours of engineering time would have to be spent on each little project. Goetten asked if it would be cost effective. Gaffron said he believed it would be. Moorse added that it would also enable the City to have a stronger position when dealing with other cities. Callahan said • he was concerned that other cities may not take the plan at its word. Jabbour said the comprehensive plan would give the City the ability to deal with a problem, educate the City, and pro- actively identify the major ponding areas. It was noted that the City was fire- fighting problems as they occur. It was visualized that the plan would identify subwatershed ponding projects which could attract the MCWD to do projects to benefit the City. is Jabbour commented that he would not want to see the pending sewer projects delayed because the City does not have a stormwater management plan. Hurr asked to see a formula by which the City can recoup the costs involved. This would include not only new development but perhaps for an evaluation of existing problem areas. Hurr moved, Jabbour seconded, to approve the proposal as recommended. In discussing the cost of the plan, Moorse said the funds would be taken out of the funds designated toward stormwater management in the PIR Fund. $58,200 additional was required. 9