HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC MINUTES 04051983 Meeting Sheet
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Box: 21
Folder: CC MINUTES AND AGENDAS 1983
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Document: CC MINUTES 04051983
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CITY OF ST. ANTHONY
• SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES
April 5 , 1983
The meeting was called to order by Mayor Sundland at 7 : 30 P.M.
Present for roll call : Enrooth; Letourneau, Sundland, Ranallo and
Marks.
Also present: David Childs, City Manager and Larry Hamer, Public Works
Director.
A number of St. Anthony Advisory Committee to the Health Board members
were in attendance , including Dr. - William Carr, the City ' s Health
Officer; John Hatcher, Marlys and Bob Berg, Roscella Connelly, Jim
Stephens and Peter Cartwright. They had been invited to attend the
special work session to provide input towards the Council decision related
to the detection of volatile , organic hydrocarbon contamination in the
City water system as addressed in the preliminary study prepared by
Bonestroo, Rosene, Anderlik & .Associates at the Council request. Bob
Pulscher of the Springsted Company, the City ' s Financial Consultant,
was also present.
The engineering report which had . been given to the Council members in
advance of the meeting was presented by Joseph Anderlik and Kelton D.
Barr of Barr Engineering, who had been .retained by the engineering firm
•. to make the hydrological studies on which the report was based.
Mr. Anderlik. reiterated .what. he perceives to be the City's options for
dealing with the detectible levels ofcontaminants suspected to have
originated with. the Twin City Ammunition .Plant and found in Well #3,
and to a lesser degree in Well #4, since New Brighton has dug their
wells deeper into the Mt. Simon-Hinckley aquifer. According to Mr. Barr,
- . it is reasonable to conclude the contaminated water would .bypass New
Brighton and enter the St.. Anthony wells once it is no longer pumped
from the corresponding wells in New Brighton. The alternatives offered
by Mr. Anderlik were for the City to Cl) just leave the wells as they
are and hope the contamination would not be accelerated once the New
Brighton wells are fully in operation; (2) reconstruct Well #3 to
take water only from the Jordan aquifer as do Wells #4 and 5 at a cost
of $100 , 000 , which would slightly decrease the .City water supply and
would not guarantee the supply would remain contaminant free, or (3)
reconstruct -Well #3, so it penetrates into the Mt. Simon-Hinckley aquifer,
at a cost of $300 , 000 , which Mr. 'Anderlik believes would guarantee ,
at least for that well, contaminant free water in the foreseeable
future.
Mr. Barr gave a slide presentation of maps and drawings to support the
recommendation that the third option be pursued since there is no
assurance that, in view of traces of contamination detected in Well #4
when Well #3 was out. of operation, that with the more water systems
• which are dug deeper, the faster the contamination of the Jordan aquifer
might develop.
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Mr. Hatcher told the Council just how: much. .contaminated .water he had
calculated a person would have to consume before 'a serious health pro-
blem might be experienced and Dr. Carr responded that .those figures
did not take .into account .the interaction of those contaminants with
others already in the environment of many residents .- As an example,
he pointed to the results of mixing cleaning fluid containing Tri-
chloroethylene (TCE). , the contaminant suspected to originate with the
arsenal, with alcohol and its effect on .the liver. The Health Officer
concluded by saying he perceives most residents believe they have a
right to pure, uncontaminated, drinking water.
Mr. Anderlik agreed, saying there have been systems developed in south-
western states which are -capable. of producing safe drinking water by
recycling sewage, but- which the populace finds unacceptable. He also
said his firm had contacted the company which carbon treats the water
at the arsenal and found out it would .cost the City from $150 ,000 to
$175,000 to. lease the system, which he noted would probably pay the cost
of digging the well deeper within two years. The firm -had been relu-
ctant to provide the figures for .purchasing the carbon treatment system
he added', and- the engineer reported .there are no air filtering systems
which have been developed to date which would be cost effective.
Mr. Cartwright indicated he would be inclined to go along with the
study recommendations -but. agreed to -see if he could get another figure
for purchasing a .carbon. treatment system.
Mr. Childs told those present he perceives the State Health Department
would not accept the installation of point of use carbon filtration
• systems because the City would. have no control over the individual
efficiencies -in each home.
Copies of the Mayor' s letter to our senators, representatives and other
elected and appointed officials had been distributed and when Council-
man Ranallo said he would -like' to find out how successful New Brighton's
project had been, Mayor Sundland told him. he had talked to Mayor Harcus
who had indicated a willingness to .share his experiences with St. Anthony
officials.
No decision was made that evening but staff was requested to prepare
comparisons of the rate structures and :time frames for the alternatives
which had been discussed and to research the cost of the City buying
its drinking water from. Minneapolis or St. Paul, if such a purchase
is possible at all, although the general consensus was that most
St. Anthony residents would prefer having .well water to drinking water
which had come from the Mississippi River.
The Council concurred with. the recommendation that Well #3 be put back
in operation for the summer and further consideration be given to the
variousoptions at either the Council ' s. April 26th or May 10th meeting.
Mr. Hamer explained that the discrepancies between the figure quoted the
last meeting for painting the elevated water -tower and those quoted by
/• the engineers since that time, had resulted from the latest evaluation
of the tower' s condition by Twin City Testing which now indicates sand
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1•.,� blasting before painting would be- 'necessary. . The Manager reported .
$22 ,000 had been budgeted in 1983 .for th.e job which is now estimated
to cost $35 ,000 and the. remainder *could be paid out of the .-funds budgeted
for the Well -#3 maintenance.
Motion by Councilman Marks and seconded by Councilman Ranallo to
accept the specifications for painting the. elevated water tower submitted
by- Short-Elliott' Hendrickson, Inc.. and to authorize the advertisement
for for the project.
Motion carried unanimously.
Motion by. Councilman .Ranallo and seconded .by Councilman Marks to
adjournthe meeting. .at 10 :05 P.M.
Motion carried unanimously. ,
Respectfully submitted,
Helen Crowe, Secretary
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ATTEST:
Cit Clerk