07-10-2019 Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES CITY COUNCIL JULY 10, 2019 Torkelson asked what the negative side is to pumping down to 871.5 feet. The Public Works Director stated that the groundwater could be at a level that the lake may just fill up again. He noted that by pumping down to 871 feet could set a precedence and expectation from other lakes to pump. The Public Works Director noted that Twin Lake is unique in that the overflow pipe is higher than the lowest home on the lake. The City Administrator stated that there is a need for the city to protect their public infrastructure which is what the Council could base their decision on. The Public Works Director explained that the manhole that is still underwater is likely a little lower than 872 feet. Keis clarified that the manhole had to be out of the water in order to raise the collar. The Public Works Director stated that would be best and they could get it raised in a day or two. Montour clarified that this number is only a test for a month to see how the lake reacts. McGraw thinks the lake should get down below the last manhole cover, but also put a limit on what the costs will be. Montour stated the estimate is $5,000-$7,000 per month for the smaller pump, so he thinks we should go another month to test what the lake will do on its own. The City Administrator explained that if the Council wishes to continue pumping, a lake level number is needed in order to amend the DNR and MNDOT permits. Joe Pralutsky, 231 Twin Lake Trail, stated that his observation when the pump is turned off and it rains, the property on the east end of the lake on the other side of the railroad tracks fills up the ponds with water and then backflow into Twin Lake. He noted that only bringing the water down to 872 feet will still leave water 34 feet into their backyards and structures and yards under water. He explained that there is a concrete culvert that has been under water for three years. He stated that when the property to the east of the tracks was clear cut of all the trees and regraded, the rain would cause the topsoil to run into Twin Lake. He reported that the normal level of the lake varied from 866 feet to 869 feet. He is disappointed to hear that the Council is only considering pumping down to 872 feet because he still cannot fix his yard or use his beach. He stated that the lake only fluctuated about 14 inches over the years. Terry Telega, 253 Twin Lake Trail, asked how much it would cost to pump it from 872 feet to 871.5 feet. Public Works Director stated that there is not a known cost since the pumping costs are per month so it would depend on how quickly it goes down. He asked that the lake be pumped down to 871.5 feet. Cheryl LeClair Sommer, 285 Twin Lake Trail, stated that in regards to the comment about setting precedence, Twin Lake has many differences from V