071999 CC Ws AgP
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5755 COUNTRY CLUB ROAD. SHOREWOOD, MINNESOTA 55331-8927. (612) 474-3236
FAX (612) 474-0128' www.state.net/shorewood' cityhall@shorewood.state.net
CITY OF
SHOREWOOD
MEMORANDUM
TO:
Mayor and City Council
FROM:
Brad Nielsen, Al Rolek, Larry Brown and Jim Hurm
DATE:
16 July 1999
RE:
City Water Discussion - Study Session
FILE NO.
Comp Plan - Comm. Facilities Chapter
Having discussed city water at several meetings, staff has prepared an outline for the
section of the Community Facilities Chapter of the Comp Plan that addresses City Water.
The first two pages contain a very brief background on the current system and identify
issues that have been raised to date. It is hoped that the last two pages can be formulated
into a broad-based policy to be incorporated into the Plan.
This outline attempts to establish a general direction, from which more substantive plans
_ can evolve. With little exception, we have attempted to avoid getting bogged down in
detail. Hopefully the Council can come to some agreement on Monday night so that we
can wrap up this section of the Comprehensive Plan.
*2.
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~J PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER
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Backeround
.
· Approximately 40% of the city is connected to the system (1075 out of
2667 households)
· Study conducted in 1991 revealed that the majority of residents did not
favor a city-wide system - despite this, the City still receives requests for
City water
. Improvements have been made to the system since 1991 to resolve health
and capacity issues
- interconnection of Boulder and Badger systems
- construction of west end water tower
- extension of water to senior housing project (Seasons)
. Overall water system is presently self-supporting financially
. Of five water system deficiencies identified in the 1995 Comp Plan, three
have been resolved - remaining are:
- connection between Amesbury and Southeast systems has not been
made
- W oodhaven system stands alone - no interconnection to Excelsior
or Chanhassen
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Issues
.
. Reasonable expansion of the system to those who want it - current
policies discourage (e.g. all residents have to consent to the extension
even if they are not paying for it)
. Extension of City water is expensive, due mostly to low density,
geographic conditions and retrofit
. Correction of existing system deficiencies (i.e. interconnections for the
Woodhaven and Amesbury systems)
. Installation of water when streets are reconstructed
. Flat unit charges - can everyone be charged the same if the City does not
plan to extend water city-wide?
. Cost uncertainty - without a flat unit charge residents do not know how
much water will cost, without doing a feasibility study
. Do lending institutions require connection to City water - no evidence to
support this
. Metropolitan Council requirements
.
Current Council Consensus
· No intention to extend water city-wide
· System is to remain financially self-supporting (if there isn't consensus on
this one, there should be!)
· Allow water main extensions to provide water where residents want it
and where technically and financially feasible .
· Any future extensions must be consistent with overall plan for City water
(i.e. pipe sizes)
· With the exception of commercial and multiple-family residential no one
is required to physically connect to the system
- existing wells can be maintained
- new wells can be drilled
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Policy Alternatives
· Provide City water as economically as possible - explore ways to reduce
costs of water main extension
· New development (more than three lots) should provide City water where
it is available and financially feasible (e.g. $10,000 per unit or less)
· Consider super-majority rule of the residents (e.g. 67%) as being demand
for City water
. Explore demand for water with all street reconstruction projects
- consider super-majority rule of residents as demand
- City Council can initiate projects on 4/5ths vote
· Prepare engineering cost estimates for various logical extensions of water
main - to be used to advise residents of approximate cost only; feasibility
studies will still be prepared based upon interest; estimates to be updated
annually
. Plan ahead for water -leave right-of-way if nothing else