Shelby City Council approves Storm Drain charges

(SHELBY) – FOLLOWING YEARS OF HAND-WRINGING OVER WHAT TO DO ABOUT AN EXCESS AMOUNT OF GROUNDWATER MAKING ITS WAY TO THE CITY OF SHELBY SEWAGE LAGOONS, THE COUNCIL HAS DECIDED TO MOVE FORWARD ON A SCALED-DOWN PROPOSAL THAT WOULD HOPEFULLY ALLEVIATE THE PROBLEM.

A MOTION BY CITY COUNCILMAN GARY McDERMOTT, WHO NOW SAYS HE IS CONVINCED THAT THE GROUNDWATER IS IMPACTING THE LAGOON, WAS INTRODUCED AT A SPECIAL MEETING MONDAY NIGHT AND THEN UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED BY THE COUNCIL 5-0.

COUNCILMAN CHIP MILLER SAYS THE SCALED DOWN STORM DRAIN PROJECT IS ABOUT A 40-PERCENT REDUCTION TO PROPERTY OWNERS AND BUSINESSES COMPARED TO THE ORIGINAL PROPOSAL THAT WAS VOTED DOWN SEVERAL MONTHS AGO.     IT’S STILL EXPENSIVE FOR SOME BUSINESS OWNERS WHO WOULD PAY ANYWHERE BETWEEN HUNDREDS EXTRA EACH YEAR TO THOUSANDS EXTRA EACH YEAR FOR THE NEXT 30 YEARS.

THE PASSING OF THE RESOLUTON AND SETTING CHARGES WILL SET THE PUBLIC HEARING PROCESS IN MOTION AGAIN AND MILLER SAYS HE IS STILL “UNDECIDED,” ON THE PROJECT BUT WANTS TO SEE WHAT THE PUBLIC THINKS THRU THE PUBLIC HEARING PROCESS

SHELBY MAYOR LARRY BONDERUD SAYS HE BELIEVES THAT BY SETTING THE WHEELS IN MOTION ON CORRECTING THE PROBLEM, THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY WILL NEGOTIATE ON “LIFTING THE CURRENT MORATORIUM AGAINST ANY NEW SEWER HOOKUPS IN SHELBY.”

THE RATE STRUCTURE WOULD COST IND. PROPERTY OWNERS 95.00 DOLLARS PER YEAR….BUSINESS OWNERS 95-DOLLARS PER 3000 SQ FEET OF IMPERVIOUS PROPERTY AND UNDEVELOPED PROPERTIES WOULD BE CAPPED AT 6.25 PER UNIT PER MONTH.    CHURCHES, SCHOOLS AND GOVERNMENT PROPERTIES WOULD BE EXEMPT.

THE COUNCIL TOOK NO OFFICIAL ACTION BUT WILL CONTINUE TO DISCUSS THE BUILDING OF A 4^TH CELL AT THE CITY LAGOON TO FURTHER HANDLE WATER INTAKE.