Published: July 23, 2008 09:31 am      

Council moves forward with sewer improvements

CLINTON — The Clinton City Council Committee of the Whole voted Tuesday night to move forward on expanding current sewer improvements in the Lyons District.

Council members moved to forward a City Services Committee recommendation to include improvements to an area up to approximately 45 square blocks from 17th Avenue North to Main Avenue and from the Mississippi River west to North Third Street, in the Capital Improvement Plan that will be developed this fall.

During the CSC meeting held July 10, several Lyons residents expressed concerns regarding problems with wastewater backing up into their basements. After listening to their concerns, At-Large Councilman Ron Mallicoat stated the matter is not just a sewer problem, but also a health issue and said the city should push the project forward faster.

At that meeting, City Administrator Gary Boden estimated the soonest the city could commit to separating stormwater and sewer systems in the area would be at least 16 months from now. Public Works Director Gary Schellhorn said a study of the complete area was performed in advance of the 22nd Avenue North project. He said design of a new system could be completed in approximately six to eight months.

Resident Bill Peart appeared before the council at Tuesday night’s meeting on behalf of a neighborhood group of concerned citizens living in the Lyons area, and voiced concerns over wastewater backing up into their basements. Peart, who lives on Garfield Street, stated the problem occurs at his home every time the area receives a “good hard, steady rainfall.” Peart asked that council members consider a petition recently submitted by the neighborhood’s residents requesting that improvements to the area’s sewer/stormwater drainage system be incorporated into the Capital Improvement Plan, and possibly even made a priority.

After hearing from Peart, Mayor Rodger Holm moved to push the discussion of the CSC recommendation for sewer improvements in the Lyons district up to the second item on the agenda.

Boden noted the project is so large it would have to be a multi-phased project that likely would extend over several years. He stated the improvements would have to be designed around the existing stormwater basins located throughout town. Boden asked Schellhorn to address the basin system, and explain whether the basin in Peart’s neighborhood is related to the basin involved in the current sewer separation project.

Schellhorn stated he does not believe the basins are related, noting that the two empty into separate lines on the way to the lift station.

He acknowledged that while residents in the Lyons area are no doubt experiencing problems with basement backups, it is most likely due to the tremendous rainstorms the area has experienced and not the sewer separation that has occurred in other areas of town.

Mallicoat asked Schellhorn how the city should go about addressing a problem of such scope. Schellhorn pointed out that the Lyons area sewer improvement project is roughly twice as big an area as the sewer separation project that is currently under way.

He suggested that the basin project must be completed as a whole, because improving just a portion of the system would “just move the problems to their neighbor.”

Schellhorn remarked that the city must look at the project long and hard, and determine whether funds are available to complete the entire project before moving forward.

Ward 2 Councilman Mike Kearney asked if the Lyons basin was at the top of the priority list for areas needing the most improvement, and Schellhorn stated he felt it was.

Holm asked Schellhorn if anything could be done to provide temporary relief to residents in the Lyons area.

Schellhorn remarked the city would begin this week with increased inspection and cleaning of the system in order to make sure it is running at full capacity.