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04-24-1993 CC MIN - SPECIAL . . . SPECIAL WORK SESSION OF THE ELK RIVER CITY COUNCIL HELD AT THE ELK RIVER CITY HALL - CONFERENCE ROOM A SATURDAY, APRIL 24, 1993 Members Present: Mayor Duitsman, Councilmembers Dietz, Farber, Holmgren (8:07 a.m.), and Scheel (8:09 a.m.) Members Absent: None Staff Present: Pat K1aers, City Administrator; Terry Maurer, City Engineer; Darrell Mack, WWTS Superintendent (10:25 a.m.) Also Present: Earl Hohlen, George Deschenes, and Waddy Schultz 1. Call Meeting To Order Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, the special Work Session of the Elk River City Council was called to order at 8:05 p.m. by Mayor Duitsman. 2. Consider 4/24/93 Special City Council Work Session Agenda COUNCILMEMBER DIETZ MOVED TO APPROVE THE 4/24/93 SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION AGENDA AS PRESENTED. COUNCILMEMBER FARBER SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION CARRIED 3-0. 3. Review and Discuss Comprehensive Storm Drainage Proposal City Engineer, Terry Maurer, reviewed the Comprehensive Storm Drainage Plan as outlined in his April 21, 1993, memo to the Mayor and City Council. Terry indicated that the discussion at this meeting would concentrate on the specific storm drainage area affecting the George Deschenes, Waddy Schultz, and Earl Hohlen properties. This area is going to be discussed as an example of how the City would develop a plan city wide. This area has been selected as it currently is the area of most immediate need and additional development is anticipated in this area. However, components for a plan for this area are relevant to a city wide proposal. Terry indicated that the overall plan is to provide a system of pipes and drainage ditches that ultimately get storm water from this watershed district into the Mississippi River. Under ideal conditions, the system would be built from "the bottom on up", but that is not anticipated to be how development will take place. In this regard, the City will have to phase in the ultimate drainage system and will have to use some temporary solutions that are available at a lower cost until the ultimate system can be constructed. In the long run, the City may need to work with the County in utilizing the County ditch system. Additionally, the city may eventually end up taking over part of the county ditch system that affects this and other storm drainage areas. -. . . Special City Council Work Session Minutes April 24, 1993 Page 2 A number of short term solutions were discussed by Terry that would help relieve the immediate storm drainage problem in this area. Some of these solutions included redirecting the existing storm drainage pipes in the vicinity of 5th Street and installing new storm drainage pipes underneath County Road 12, the railroad tracks, and the soon to be reconstructed Highway 101 in order to provide better storm drainage flow to the river. Additionally, a temporary solution and part of the ultimate system includes regional storm drainage retention ponds that can temporarily hold water to provide for a more even flow of storm drainage water through the system of ditches and pipes. These storm drainage ponds are going to be needed on a permanent basis in order to keep the size of the pipes smaller and costs lower. Discussion took place on how to finance the storm drainage improvements that are necessary. The City Engineer and City Administrator both reviewed how other communities have approached this issue. No matter what approach is taken, it ends up being a charge to all of the property owners in the City either through a tax or a fee on utility bills. The Council was in agreement that the city wide storm drainage system must be financed city wide, but that developers who cause additional water run-off must be responsible for financing their share of the solution. Specific areas discussed in this storm drainage watershed included Tyler Street, County Road 12, County Road 13, Highway 169, 5th Street, the culvert underneath the railroad crossing, and future storm drainage pipe underneath the Highway 101 and Highway 10 intersection. Comments included the fact that Highway 169 actually splits this watershed into two different drainage areas and that the area of most concern at this time is east of Highway 169. Also discussed was the fact that the pipe underneath County Road 12 is undersized and that this pipe should be increased at this time as a temporary solution to the water problems. A larger pipe would have to be installed at a later time when the area to the north further develops. The Council was in overall agreement that the City Engineer is moving in the right direction in formulating a city wide Comprehensive Storm Drainage Plan and that he should continue his efforts in putting together the final document. George Deschenes indicated that he will not be available during the summer and that, if the City needs easements from him to do work relating to storm drainage in this vicinity, he should have these easements available to review in the next few weeks. George indicated that he was willing to provide the City easements in order to have the City make storm drainage improvements. The Council discussed the finances for the project and questioned how much of an assessment, a fee, or a city wide tax would be necessary in order to generate enough money to payoff a long term bond to finance some improvement projects. It was noted that the assessment or tax would most likely be different for property that is used in different manners. The Council indicated that they needed more financial information in order to make a decision on how to generate funds for financing storm drainage improvements. . . . Special City Council Work Session Minutes April 24, 1993 Page 3 COUNCILMEMBER HOLMGREN MOVED TO DIRECT STAFF TO PUT TOGETHER CITY WIDE TAX FEES OR ASSESSMENT OPTIONS AND PROPOSALS TO FINANCE THE SHORT TERM AND ULTIMATE STORM DRAINAGE SYSTEM FOR THE ENTIRE CITY. COUNCILMEMBER FARBER SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION CARRIED 5-0. 4. Review and Discuss Comprehensive Transportation Plan City Engineer, Terry Maurer, indicated that the Transportation Plan is a complex document that includes a lot of statistical information. Terry indicated that the plan is a long range, 40 years or more, transportation plan to meet the ultimate needs of the City. The plan does not discuss specific intersections or work that needs to be done to improve residential streets, but deals with an overall plan and major transportation routes and links. The most important parts of the document include Figure 5, The system deficiencies and the work that needs to done on the system (page 28-30); Figure 6, Proposed minor arterial additions to the network and the narrative describing these additions (Page 31-34); and the narrative on Page 36-41 that discusses the proposed transportation plan recommendations for improvements and how the transportation plan can be implemented. Terry reviewed in detail with the City Council the areas of deficiency on the system (Figure 5) and the Council was in general agreement that these areas are, or will be, deficient in the transportation system if traffic continues to increase in the manner the City has experienced in the past few years. In review of Figure 6, proposed additions, the Council asked that the City Engineer get more site specific with the link identified as C and also that Terry identify whether or not D or E is more reasonable before the document is revised and submitted for Council approval. The Council discussed how the plan would be implemented and how some of the projects would be financed. It was indicated that an official map may need to be approved by the City Council, that the City would have to work with the County in improving roads and maybe exchanging roads, that the City would have to work with developers to ensure that major collectors are located in appropriate locations, and that the City would have to finance some improvements through MSA funds and designate roads as MSA routes. The City Council was in general agreement that the City Engineer is moving in the correct direction in putting together this plan and directed him to work on Road C, D, and E before the plan is submitted for final approval. 5. Discuss and Review Wastewater Treatment Plant Expansion Proposal City Engineer, Terry Maurer, and WWTS Superintendent, Darrell Mack, discussed with the City Council the design capacity for plant expansion, the capacity needs for including the City of Otsego into the plant expansion, and the project schedule. City Administrator, Pat . . . Special City Council Work Session Minutes April 24, 1993 Page 4 Klaers, indicated that one of his concerns that also needs to be discussed at this meeting is the finances for the plant expansion. Terry reviewed with the City Council the material included in his April 19, 1993, memo to the City Administrator that was included in the agenda packet. After review and discussion of the issues related to the plant expansion, the Council agreed that the City should pursue the trickling filter/solids contact system. Additionally, based on available finances and a concern over the problems caused by low sewage flows, the City should pursue the plant expansion to the 2.2 million gallons per day (mgd) capacity. Regarding the City of Otsego, it was indicated that the figures provided by the City Engineer generally show that the City of Otsego would be better off financially to construct their own sewer system (lagoon system). By having the City of Otsego construct their own system, it would keep the annual operating and maintenance expenses much lower than what would be charged by the City of Elk River. Additionally, Otsego would be able to control the use of the sewer system and not be under any restrictions imposed by the City of Elk River. Terry and Darrell reviewed with the City Council the concerns outlined in the 4/15/93 memo to the City Administrator regarding the Highway 10 lift station. Terry indicated that the improvement of this lift station was originally planned to take place in conjunction with the plant expansion, however, it appears that the lift station improvement should take place now and not wait until the plant expansion construction takes place in 1995-96. In review of the 4/15/93 memo, Terry indicated that the total costs of $350,000 are not in the cost estimates provided in the 4/19/93 memo that reviews the cost for a plant expansion. Work needed to improve the lift station includes an upgrade of the lift station, force main, and trunk line. COUNCILMEMBER FARBER MOVED TO AUTHORIZE THE IMPROVEMENTS TO THE STATION, FORCE MAIN, AND TRUNK LINE RELATED TO THE HIGHWAY 10 STATION AS OUTLINED IN THE 4/15/93 MEMO FROM THE CITY ENGINEER TO CITY ADMINISTRATOR. COUNCILMEMBER HOLMGREN SECONDED THE MOTION. MOTION CARRIED 5-0. LIFT LIFT THE THE The City Engineer was directed to prepare a memo addressed to the City of Otsego outlining the costs associated with the City of Otsego being part of the City of Elk River Wastewater Treatment System. The City Council indicated that it desired to review this letter before it was sent. Councilmember Dietz discussed the options outlined in Exhibit 1 for expansion of the Wastewater Treatment Plant that was included in 4/19/93 memo. He indicated that he preferred Option #5 due to cost, available finances for the project, and the concern over sewage flow. the the the low . . . Special city Council Work Session Minutes April 24, 1993 Page 5 COUNCILMEMBER HOLMGREN MOVED TO ACCEPT OPTION #5 AS LISTED IN EXHIBIT 1 IN THE 4/19/93 MEMO FROM THE CITY ENGINEER TO THE CITY ADMINISTRATOR AS THE PREFERRED WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT EXPANSION PROGRAM. THIS OPTION CALLS FOR EXPANSION OF THE PLANT TO 2.2 MGD, USES THE TRICKLING FILTER/SOLIDS CONTACT SYSTEM, AND HAS AN ESTIMATED TOTAL COST OF $5.3 MILLION DOLLARS. COUNCILMEMBER DIETZ SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION CARRIED 5-0. The City Engineer briefly reviewed the project schedule that calls for the bids to be opened in September, 1994. This time frame calls for construction to begin in late 1994 or early 1995. The project takes about eighteen months to construct. Discussion took place regarding digester work at the plant and the analysis of the system. It was indicated that the best time for this work is in the spring after the sludge has been removed and spread on the property that the City owns. It was indicated that the cost for this analysis is included in the total plant expansion estimates and that this work would not be above the cost estimates or be a duplication of effort or expenses. COUNCILMEMBER SCHEEL MOVED TO AUTHORIZE WORK IN MAY, 1993, TO ANALYZE THE WWTS DIGESTER. COUNCILMEMBER HOLMGREN SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION CARRIED 4-0. 6. Adjournment There being no further business, COUNCILMEMBER HOLMGREN MOVED TO ADJOURN THE 4/24/93 SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION. COUNCILMEMBER DIETZ SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION CARRIED 4-0. The special work session of the Elk River City Council was adjourned at approximately 11:15 a.m. Respectfully submitted, ~~~0 Patrick D. Klaers ~ City Administrator