12-10-1975 Special Council Meeting Minutes

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CITY OF ORON’J, MINNESOTA SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING HELD lECEMBER 10, 1975 ^feyo^ Robert L, Searles called to order a Special Meeting the Orono City Council on the above date \vith the fol lowing members present: Councilmembers Massengale, Butler, Paurus and Welsh. City Attorney, Bruce Malkerson and Clerk/Administrator, Walter R. Benson. (Councilmembers Butler and Welsh left early) All maii)ers of the Planning Commission, Park Coimiission and Bjman Rights Commission had been notified to attend including persons \dio were known to have an interest in ^e proceedings. The official City newspapers were also notified of this Special Council f>feeting. ATTENDANCE - 7:35 P.M. ORONO CITY HALL Mayor Searles addressed those in attendance requesting their guidance and comments concerning the Orono-Long Lake Sewer Interceptor proposal of the Metropolitan Waste Control Com mission. He explained that the proposal was for a gravity interceptor draining the Orono and Long Lake Treatment Plants, going through wetlands or around the perimeter of the wetlands, into Wayzata. The Mayor called attention to the report en titled "Environmental Assessment-Orono-Long Lake Interceptor", dated February 1974, by the National Biocentric, Inc. The City came into receipt of this report in November 1975, and alth^gh it*s contents would not be part of the evenings dis cussions, the Council had transmitted to the Metropolitan Waste Control Commission 115 objection or changes (attached herein) for incorporation into the transcript of the Public Ifearing held December 4, 1975. The Council explained their C^rplexity due to late receipt of the Report and because only ^OTight, at 7:30 P.M., just prior to the meeting, had the City received the Final Plans on the project. The project would have many implications, one of which was disrupting swamps that we have been protecting with Ordinance No. 125. There are alternatives to the present plan, such as a pres sure interceptor going along Fbx Street or Orono Orchard Road. The City would have to find it in the public interest to grant a variance to the Wetlands Ordinance. The Mayor noted that the Environmental Report flagged the environmental hazards of the proj^t and Massengale emphasized that the risks involved are irreversible. The Mayor introduced Gene Hickok, Hydrologist, of Hickok *1 Associates vho had come to die mating in m advisoi/ capacity at the request of the Council, ^fr. Hickok agreed with the Council»s statement read at the ^ii^ic Hearing that stated the basic policy of Orono and leader's in protecting marsh areas. He had not yet seen the Final Plan but had a sketch of the project. To him it looked like about 3 1/2 miles of pipe either in the flood plain or close to it. 3 1/2 miles is a major concem and alternate routes were not very detailed. The Mayor noted within the next coiple weeks 90% of tiie available Federal Funds would have to be put together, if the project was to get underway. Hickok felt the Pollution Control Agency coi^d possibly lay over funds for another year. Searles felt /^iting another year would not be out of line considering the r^qjes woind be in the ground 50 to 100 years. Hickok went an to describe a portion of the project noting that the chosen route made provision for ditch dams every 500 feet. One potential was in the excavation of the line thru marsh soil which could open up clay seals of peimeable materials. Water ORONO-LONG LAKE INTERCEPTOR