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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1.E Lift Station 7 MEMORANDUM DATE: Agenda Item 1.E April 20, 2009 TO: Mayor and City Council FROM: Greg Hoag, Public Works Director Ron Moorse, City Administrator SUBJECT: Lift Station #7 BACKGROUND At the April 13, 2009 City Council Work Session staff held a discussion with Council regarding lift station #7. The Council directed staff to meet with the City Attorney to discuss several issues related to this lift station. A summary of the City Attorney’s advice, along with related sections of the City Code and Agreement with Presbyterian Homes is provided below. The Agreement executed in 2008 between the City and Presbyterian Homes states: 1.City’s Responsibilities. The City shall be responsible for the costs and expenses related to the maintenance and repair of the Chopper Pumps at the normal level associated with the City’s regular lift station pumps. The City shall also cooperate with Presbyterian Homes regarding the monitoring of the chopper pump operations, and in determining an optimal, long term solution. 2.Presbyterian Homes’ Responsibilities. Presbyterian Homes shall be responsible for the costs and expenses related to the maintenance and repair of the Chopper Pumps that is beyond the normal level associated with regular lift station pumps. This shall include, but not be limited to, purchasing any “spare parts kits” relative to the Chopper Pumps. Presbyterian Homes shall be responsible for the replacement of the Chopper Pumps. The determination of when the Chopper Pumps shall be replaced shall be made by the City in its reasonable discretion applying the following criteria: if a Chopper Pump needs a repair, the cost of which is in excess of 50% of the replacement cost of the Chopper Pump, the City shall apply its usual and customary criteria to determine whether or not the Chopper Pump should be replaced or repaired. If the City makes determination that the Chopper Pump should be Page 2 replaced, Presbyterian Homes shall pay to the City the cost of the replacement Chopper Pump within 30 days of being notified thereof by the City. Presbyterian Homes agrees to implement a program that will educate its employees and residents about the adverse effects of discharging objectionable materials, including, but not limited to, cloth, rags, or similar materials into the municipal sanitary sewer system. Presbyterian Homes shall also cooperate with the City regarding the monitoring of the discharge of objectionable materials into the municipal sanitary sewer system, the monitoring of the chopper pump operations, and the determination of an optimal, long term solution. The cost to repair the chopper pumps is $12,000 each. The cost to replace the chopper pumps is $18,700 each. Based on the agreement, the City could require Presbyterian Homes to pay for the cost of replacement, which would be $37,400. Because the chopper pumps have been shown to be an inadequate solution, and because the cost of replacement is very high, the recommended action is to replace the chopper pumps with regular 10 HP pumps (cost of $18,000 for both), and install an in-line grinder (cost of grinder is $27,000) to pre-process the Presbyterian Homes material before it gets to the City’s lift station. Per City Ordinance 10-33 Subdivision 4, which states: Objectionable Material. It shall be unlawful for any person to discharge or cause to be discharged, or for any property owner to allow the discharge of, any objectionable material, including, but not limited to, cloth, rags or similar materials, into the Municipal Sanitary Sewer System. In those cases where it can be determined that the objectionable materials are being discharged into the Municipal Sanitary Sewer System from a private sanitary sewer line, the City’s Plumbing Inspector shall notify the property owner to either discontinue or cause to be discontinued the practice of discharging objectionable materials into the Municipal Sanitary Sewer System or, in the alternative, at the property owner’s sole expense and cost, the property owner shall install and maintain traps, grinders, and/or interceptors within that portion of the private sanitary sewer line which connects to the Municipal Sanitary Sewer System. The notice shall be sent by certified mail. If the property owner fails to discontinue or cause to be discontinued the practice of discharging objectionable materials into the Municipal Sanitary Sewer System or fails to install and maintain traps, grinders and/or interceptors, the City may assess the costs incurred by the City for excessive maintenance or repairs to the Municipal Sanitary Sewer System, and may pursue other legal or equitable remedies against the property owner. It is the City Attorney’s opinion that Presbyterian homes would be responsible for the costs related to the installation of an inline grinder, and the City may initiate a project and assess it to the property owner. Page 3 The current Presbyterian Homes sanitary sewer system currently includes three separate connections to the City’s sanitary sewer system. To implement an in-line grinder solution would require the installation of a private sewer line connecting the three separate lines, so that all of the sewer flows could enter the City’s system at one point. The grinder could then be installed on that new private service line prior to the point it enters the City’s system. The Presbyterian Homes expansion plans include the elimination of two of the three current sewer lines that connect to the City’s system. Another option is to initially install the in-line grinder in the City’s sewer line, beyond the point of all three connections from Presbyterian Homes. This would enable Presbyterian Homes to avoid installing an additional line, installing the in-line grinder in that line, then abandoning the additional line and reinstalling the in-line grinder at the time of their planned expansion. At the time of the Presbyterian Homes expansion, or after a maximum time period of 3-5 years, the in- line grinder would be removed from the City’s line and installed in the Presbyterian Homes line. Both in the interim period, and on an on-going basis, Presbyterian Homes would be responsible for all costs related to the maintenance and repair/replacement of the in-line grinder. RECOMMENDATION Based on the advice from the City Attorney, it is recommended that the replacement of the chopper pumps move forward and that Presbyterian Homes be notified of their responsibilities regarding the replacement of the pumps and the installation of the in-line grinder. COUNCIL DIRECTION REQUESTED Direction regarding moving forward to replace the chopper pumps with 10 HP non-chopper pumps, regarding whether an interim solution for the in-line grinder is acceptable, and regarding notification to Presbyterian Homes regarding their responsibilities.