Editor’s note: The following report was given to members of the Lake Augusta Association at that group’s meeting held recently.
This part of the report will deal primarily with the progress on the Master Sewer Plan, the activity on Sanitary Sewer projects in the District, and the Bog Removal project. Merle Anderson, the District Administrator, will review the activity during the past year on wetland projects.
Master Sewer Plan
On April 12, 2000 the district board authorized a budget of $65,000 for the development of a master sewer plan. The proposed plan has twelve steps. We are at step three at this time. Wenck Associates has prepared a very detailed report for step three, which contains among other information, various future sewer disposal alternatives.
These alternatives include:
n A series of small cluster sewer treatment systems,
n Connecting to existing area municipal systems,
n The district’s own regional wastewater treatment system, or
n Connecting to the St. Cloud wastewater treatment system.
The timetable for completion of the master sewer plan, and the construction of a master sewer system is almost entirely dependent on the degree of support from the property owners in the district.
It is evident the prospect of the district constructing an overall sanitary sewer system is some time off. The district’s main concern at this time, is that any sewer systems which may be constructed within the district, meet district standards so that they will be eligible to connect to a master sewer system at some point in the future, if and when it is built.
The district held additional public meetings during the past year to further explain the concept of the master sewer plan.
A special meeting on the master sewer plan was held on July 25, 2000 for all interested persons. A meeting was held June 6, 2001 at the pavilion in Annandale, and another meeting is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 18.
Sanitary sewer construction
and activity in the district
During the past year the sanitary sewer system for the Hidden River development has come on line and is operating. This system will eventually serve approximately 38 homes.
A sanitary sewer system has been completed, or is near completion around Clear Lake, which is located south of Watkins. The property owners around Clear lake formed a sanitary sewer district, applied for and received a substantial federal grant, and let the construction contract for completion of the project. They have contracted with the City of Watkins for treatment of their sewerage. The Watershed’s involvement with the project was that the District advanced the property owners $25,000 to help defray up front costs, with the understanding that once the project was completed and the assessments levied, the district would be repaid the $25,000. These funds have now been repaid to the district.
During the past year the district spent a considerable amount of time working with the property owners in the Clearwater Harbor area in an attempt to move forward with a solution to the sanitary sewer problems in their area. The district board had a joint meeting with the Stearns County Board, as well as attending and making presentations at one of their regular board meetings regarding the sanitary sewer situation in the Clearwater Harbor area. The county also has some concerns regarding the sanitary sewer in that area.
Other areas have expressed various levels of interest in upgrading or replacing sanitary sewers, including the Rest-A-While resort area, the south side of Lake Augusta, and an inquiry from the Glendale Bay area.
One of the problems or restrictions the district has when trying to help these small isolated areas, is that the district does not have the same authority as a city when it comes to working with individual developers or small groups of people. A developer can work with a city by installing a sanitary sewer system to the city’s specifications, and the city can accept the system for maintenance and bill the property owners.
The watershed cannot do this. The Watershed District can let a contract, construct the project, and levy an annual assessment to recover maintenance costs. We cannot levy or collect maintenance costs if we do not construct the project.
I introduced a resolution at the June 13 board meeting, which the board adopted, asking for support from the Minnesota Association of Watershed Districts, in asking the State Legislature to change the statutes in order to and give watersheds the same authority as cities now have regarding the installation and maintenance of sanitary sewers.
Also at the June 13 meeting the board instructed the attorney and engineer to draw up policies and procedures, outlining how individuals or groups can go about seeking assistance from the district in getting sanitary sewer projects started. The board adopted these policies and procedures at their July meeting.
Bog removal project
This spring we experienced a serious bog problem at the dam at the outlet on Grass Lake. After consulting with the property owner associations on Clearwater and Grass lakes, the district took the necessary steps to initiate a project for the removal of the bogs. Over 300 truckloads of bog material was removed from the dam area. The total cost of the project was $13,617.
The DNR paid $6,000 of the cost, as well as furnishing a man to help with the removal. The balance of the cost was paid from Clearwater-Grass Lake bog account. The money in this account came from assessments levied several years ago on property on Clearwater and Grass Lake.
Lake Augusta also has a bog account. The funds in this account came from assessments levied against property on Lake Augusta. The Augusta bog account has $4,933 in it at the present time.
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