95-298Council File # 7 � ,
0 R I G I N A L Ordinance #
Green Sheet # �� 7 7 S
RESOLUTION
CITY OF SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA a.�
Presented By
Referred To Committee: Date
WHEREAS, the Saint Paul City Council adopted the Highwood Development Policies on July 12, 1990,
for the area bounded by Lower Afton Road on the north, McKnight Road on the east, the city limits on
the south and Point Douglas Road on the west; and
WI�REA5, the Highwood Development Policies allowed for the continued and new use of private wells
and on-site sepric systems, as long as they were inspected annually and repaired or replaced as requized;
and
WFIEREAS, the City Council also adopted a series of Comprehensive Plan and ordinance amendments to
implement the Highwood Development Policies; and
WI�REAS, one of the ordinance amendments was creation of a new chapter of the Legislative Code,
Chapter 50, Individual Sewage Treatment Systems, which requires immediate inspecdon of all (eity-wide)
existing private wells and on-site septic systems as well as annual inspections thereafter; and
WHEREAS, enforcement efforts relarive to Chapter 50 have been concentrated in Highwood, due to the
high number of on-site septic systems and their concentration within a fairly small area; and
WHEREAS, enforcement of the provisions of Chapter 50 by City staff has been delayed, due to the
difficulty of determining where existing systems are and staff cutbacks that occurred soon after the
ordinance was adopted; and
WHEREAS, the Metropolitan Council has announced the second year of funding for the Twin Ci6es
Water Qualiry Initiafive (TCQn grant program, established to help local units of government, watershed
management organizations, non-profit and trade organizations, and private property owners abate and
prevent nonpoint sources of pollu6on to the Metropolitan Area river system; and
WHEREAS, TCQI grant funds aze available for on-site septic tank monitoring or surveys to determine
the extent of failed systems and impacts on water quality; and
WHEREAS, receiving such funding would significantly advance the City of Saint Paul's efforts to
identify the location of on-site septic systems in the City, their condition and their impact on water
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NOW, THEREFORE, BE TT RESOLVED, that the Saint Paul City Council hereby authorizes the OfFice
of License, Inspections and Environmental Protection to apply for a three-year $74,031 grant from the
Metropolitan Council's 1�vin Cities Water Quality Inidaflve Grant Program to be matched by an in-ldnd
contribution of City staff time totaling $24,969 for the purposes of:
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1. Conducting a survey of an-site septic systems in the Highwood area of Saint Paul; and
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4.
Identifying those systems that aze failing and ensuring that ffiey aze repaired, replaced or
connected to existing City sanitary sewer (where apglicable); and
Idenrifying any impact the failing systems may have on nearby ponds, streams and the
Mississippi River; and
Educating property owners on the proper operation and maintenance of on-site septic
systems; and
BE TT FUR7�R RESOLVED, that the Administration provide an annual report to the City Council on
its progress with the survey and how the results of the work impact the Highwood Development Policies.
of Joseph M. Reid, Sudget Director:
by Department of:
Office of License, Insoections and
Environmental Protection
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Adopted by Council: Date
Adoption Certified by Council Secretary
By:
Appz
By:
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Form A ved by Cit ttor.ey
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By: � � � °� °O c f� �
Approved Mayor for Submi.ssion to
Council G�% /Q �L%�!l �"
By:
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oFF tTCE OF LIEP Date: 2/21J95 GREEN SHEET
N 30745
Peter Kishel 266-9133 1� ° R 4 TY
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ust e on Counci Agen a y: � • •••
5AP 3 x rner
OTAL OF SIGNATURS PAGES 2 (CLIP ALL LOCATIONS FOR SIGNATURE)
CTION REQUESTED:
pproval of a resolution authorizing the Office of License, Inspections and
nvironmental Protection to apply for a three year qrant for $74,031 from the
etropolitan Counail's Twin Cities Water Quality Initiative (TCQI) Grant
rogram.
0[4�NDATIONS: AYPROVS (A) OA RL'JSCT (H) SRSOlNL SBRVZC6 COl1RR71CT8 WIST WSNER TA6 lOLLONIIItl:
PLANNING COAQIISSiON _ CiVIL SHRVZCE COlQf15ION 1. 9ae the perso¢/fiYm aver wrorked under a coatract £or thie dapaYtmeat?
CIH COMlIITTES _ Y85 NO
STAFF _ 2, 9ae t�ia persoa/fiza ever beea a City employeet
UISTAZCT COURT Ygg p0
3. Dcee thia pereonlfixm poe9ees a ekill not nozmsllp poesaeeed by any
UPPORTS IiHICH COUNCIL OBJHCTIVE7 Curieat City emplopee7
Y85 NO
plain all YaS auswers on a sepasate sheat and atkaeL.
INITIATING PROBLEM, ISSUE, OPPORTUNITY (Who, What, When, Where, Why):
he City Council adopted a set of development policies for the Highwood area
in 1990 that allows new development of septic systems as well as the
continuance of existing septic systems. To accompany the policies, City
ouncil adopted an ordinance (Chapter 50; Individual Sewage Treatment Systems)
requiring the regular inspection and maintenance of all system and wells
hroughout �he City. The TCQI grant is needed to proceed with the enforcement
f the ordinance as well as evaluate its effectiveness.
VANTAGES IF APPROVED:
he City Council and LIEP will have the information necessary to adequately
enforce the provisions in Chapter 50 and to determine the environmental
ramifications of the Highwood Development Policies and the overall
effectiveness of the ordinance. ��uL���� ����+'�9
BISADVANTAGES IF APPROVED: �f�A� � c� �9g�
IEP will be required to commit a total of $24,969 in staff time over a period
f three years to fulfill its part of the project,
DISADVANTAGES IF NOT APPROVED:
he City�s enforcement efforts for Chapter 50 will continue to be slow. The
ffectiveness of Chapter 50 and of the Hiqhwood Development Policies will not
e adequately evaluated.
OTAi. AMOUN2 OF TRANSACTION S 74.031 COST/REVENUE BUDGETED ES NO
UNDING SOURCE �Yf� (�/L/3'�1� ACTIVITY NUMBER 001-00176-0
INANCIAL INFORMATION: (EXPLAIN)
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PART II: PROJECT SLTMMARY
The City of Saint Paul is requesting a$74,031 grant ($24,969 city matching funds) from the
Twin Cities Water Quality Initiative Grant Program. The ultimate goal of the project is to
determine the impact of all on-site septic systems in the Highwood area on the water
quality of nearby surface water bodies, amd to use this information to evaluate the
appropriateness of City policy towards the provision of City sanitary sewer and water in
the neighborhood. Project objectives are to:
1. conduct a survey of on-site septic systems in the Highwood area of Saint Paul;
2, identify those systems that are failing and ensure that they are repaired, replaced or
connected to existing Ciry sanitary sewer (where applicable);
3. identify any nnpact the failing systems may have on nearby ponds, streams and the
Mississippi River; and
4. educate property owners on the proper operation and maintenance of on-site septic
systems.
This project will utilize City staff to the greatest extent possible and with the cooperation of
the Ramsey Washington Metro Watershed District.
Background
In 1988, the Saint Paul City Councii requested the District 1 Community Council to develop,
with assistance from Highwood residents, a master development plan for Highwood,
including lot size, land use densiry and improvements to streets, sewers and other utilities.
For planzung purposes, Highwood is considered to be bounded by I.ower Afton Road on the
north, McKnight Road on the east, the city limits on the south, and Point Douglas Road on
the west (see attached map). After an intensive study process, the Highwood Task Force
forwarded a series of land use and development recommendations to the Saint Paul Planning
Commission and City Council in 1989. In essence, these recommendations called for a fairly
significant departure from established City policy in the areas of minimum lot size and
reguirements for connection to City sanitary sewer and water as development occurs. The
Highwood Development Policies, adopted by the City Council in 1990, allowed existing on-
site septic systems and private wells to continue in the area south of Highwood Avenue and
allowed new septic systems and welis to be constructed, without a variance, where City
sanitary sewer and water do not currently exist.
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A very important part of implementing these new policies was adoption of Chapter 50,
Individua] Sewage Treatment Systems, to
1. protect the health, safety and welfare of the present and future residents of the
community;
2. regulate the design, location, installation, use and maintenance of individuai treatment
systems;
3. prevent the discharge of inadequately treated sewage to ground or surface waters;
4. protect land, water and other natural resources within and outside the city from
impairment, pollution or destruction;
5. prevent and avoid health and ecological hazards attributable to bacterial and chemical
contamination of lands and waters;
6. protect water supply wells from contamination by inadequate or improperly designed,
located, instailed or maintained individual sewage treatment systems; and
7. provide for the orderly develogment of the semi-rural areas of the community that are
not served or planned to be served by public sanitary sewer.
The ordinance requires inspection of all existing systems and annual inspections thereafter for
all systems (existing and new}. It is the responsibility of the property owner to see that the
inspections are conducted by an MPCA-certified inspector and that any improvements
required to bring the system up to code are made. A copy �of the ful] ordinance is attached.
As closely as the Ciry can determine, there are approxunately 380 on-site septic systems in
Highwood (out of a total of approxnnately 1100 housing units). To-date, the Office of
License, Inspections and Environznental Protect3on has received approximately 150 inspection
forms from property owners in Highwood. Enforcement of the ordinance has been sporadic
and incompiete, due to the difficulty of determining where existing systems are located and
staff cutbacks that occurred soon after the ordinance was adopted. In spite of these
difficulties, the City of Saint Paul is committed to enforcing the ordinance and using the
information to re-evaluate, as necessary, its development policies for Highwood. It is not
possible, however, to accomplish this without augmenting City resources. The TCQI Grant
Program wiil allow us to gather basic information about the condition of existing on-site
septic systems in F3ighwood and determine the impact of the City's special Highwood
development policies on water quality. In addition it will allow the City to evaluate the
effectiveness and workability of the individual sewage treatment system ordinance.
The Pro�ect Pro�osal
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As noted above, the TCQI grant funds will be used to identify all on-site septic systems in
the Highwood area of Saint Paul, identify those systems that are failing and attempt to
determine if there is or has been any impact on neazby ponds, streams or the Mississippi
River. Systems that are identified as failing will be ordered to be repaired, replaced or
connected to City sanitary sewer where available.
It is anticipated that it wili take 3 yeazs to compiete the project. The farst year will result in
the identification of all on-site septic systems, with particular emphasis on failing systems;
the repair, replacement or removal of failing systems; and identification and analysis of
nitrogen and phosphorus content in nearby surface waters. The second and third years will
be used to identify additional failed systems and conduct foliow-up surface water quality
testing. A more specific project timeline will be prepared in consultation with Metropolitan
Council staff upon award of the grant.
A project budget is noted in Part V of the application. A local match of approximately 25%
is being proposed.
Pro,�ct Steering Team
A Steering Committee will be established to monitor the project, evaluate its progress and
determine follow-up actions to be taken. This Steering Committee will be comprised of staff
from the Saint Paul Office of Licensing, Inspection and Environmental Protection;
Department of Planning and Economic Development; and Department of Publac Works, as
well as a representative of the Ramsey Washington Metro Watershed District. The Steering
Committee will meet monthly (or more often if required) throughout the duration of the
project.
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