02/28/2005 Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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COUNCIL MINUTES February 28, 2005 APPROVED 335 Community Development Director Grochala expressed that Staff has done a lot of study on the City's 336 wells, and they are currently about a year behind in building a new well. She stated approximately 337 half the city has unacceptable soil for a well, which points them to a certain part of the city. He 338 indicated Staff is looking at not only a well, but also future storage needs and water treatment 339 facilities, and is trying to do this at the least cost to residents, and without having to purchase land. 340 He noted the location proposed is secluded from surrounding homes and can blend in with the area. 341 He stated if the Council directs them to do so, Staff can pursue buying land to put a well somewhere 342 else, however it will be at a higher cost and will put the city further behind in constructing a new well. 343 344 Councilmember Dahl noted the Council did approve a sprinkling ordinance that will help the water 345 usage to some degree. She asked if there was any other site Staff would look at if this were turned 346 down. City Engineer Studenski stated there is no other City -owned property or available property 347 that the City could put this facility on at this time. He indicated looking for other locations took Staff 348 some time and delayed the project already, and this is Staff's recommendation. 349 350 Councilmember Dahl asked if there would be any recourse from adjoining property owners who may 351 be affected by having this in their backyard. Community Development Director Grochala stated he 352 does not think they have enough factual information as to what the effect may be. He indicated this is 353 200 feet from existing homes, and will be a nice building that will look better than most neighbor's 354 garages. He stated he would be hard-pressed to say it will affect values. 355 356 Councilmember Reinert agreed that other realtors may have differing opinions as to whether land 357 values would be affected. He stated if the well were to be placed elsewhere, the City would have to 58 purchase land, which would increase the cost. 359 360 Mayor Bergeson reiterated that this well is needed for the entire city, not just new development. He 361 stated the Councilmembers are not experts at drilling wells, and they need to rely on their experts as 362 to the appropriate location. He indicated the Council does have a responsibility to maintain their 363 systems, and this is part of what is necessary to accomplish this. He stated the Council has to make 364 some tough decisions, and reduce the impact to the residents, and he believes he is doing that. He 365 noted the Council has looked at different building designs and architectural features to minimize the 366 impact to the neighborhood, but they need to proceed with this to maintain the existing systems. 367 368 Councilmember Dahl thanked Staff for giving them options on architectural designs of the building, 369 which allowed the Council to achieve a much better design than originally proposed. 370 371 City Administrator Heitke noted there were many factors in the decision to recommend this site, 372 including proximity to other wells, water treatment needs, and the fact that it is next to a lift station, 373 which is already an intrusion to the area. He indicated Staff is trying to minimize further impact. 374 375 Councilmember Stoltz noted the Council agrees there is a need for a well, and he feels it is important 376 to note the Council has had extensive discussion on placement and cost, as well as structure design. 377 He stated they have not yet finished discussions about screening measures, which will further reduce 378 the visual impact to the area. He indicated as Councilmembers they often have to make decisions for 379 the greatest good for the greatest number of residents, and that is what they are trying to do here. 380 81 Vote: 4:1 Councilmember Carlson opposed. Motion carried. 382 8