Agenda - Council - 03/10/2015 - Laserfiche WebLink

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• Review local water supply plans to ensure consistency with the Twin Cities metro area Master Water Supply Plan. • Provide technical assistance to local units of government in developing local water supply plans and wellhead protection plans, and in reviewing water appropriation permits and aquifer recharge projects. • Review local surface water plans to ensure consistency with Council policy. • Provide a level of wastewater service commensurate with the needs of the growing metro area, and in an environmentally sound manner. • Provide sufficient capacity in the wastewater system to meet the growth projections and long-term service area needs identified in approved local comprehensive sewer plans. • Stage wastewater system improvements, when feasible, to reduce the financial risks associated with inherent uncertainty in growth forecasts. • Potentially implement early land acquisition and work closely with communities to preserve utility corridors when it is necessary to expand its facilities or locate new facilities needed to implement the wastewater system plan. • Efficiently use existing sewer investments in developing and redeveloping areas. • Preserve unsewered areas inside the Long -Term Wastewater Service Area for future development that can be sewered economically. • Extend wastewater service to suburban communities if the service area contains at least 1,000 developable acres. • Require that all communities currently served by the regional wastewater system remain in the system. • Acquire wastewater treatment plants from suburban communities outside the current service area, based upon request through the comprehensive plan and comprehensive sewer plan process, after soliciting customer input and conducting a public hearing on the request. Serving the Rural Area Where rural centers are willing to expand to accommodate the increased growth as forecasted by the Council, they may want to have the Council involved in the possible acquisition, operation and improvement of the wastewater treatment plant located in that community. Policy on Serving the Rural Area: The Council will acquire wastewater treatment plants owned by Rural Centers, based upon request through the comprehensive plan and comprehensive sewer plan processes, and based upon criteria that ensures direct identifiable regional benefits after soliciting customer input and conducting a public hearing on the request. Implementation Strategies: • Accept the wastewater service request only when the following criteria are met: - The community accepts the Council's growth forecasts, as well as preserves at least 1,000 developed or developable acres for growth through the land use planning authority 19