08/20/18 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

continues to research water conservation techniques and it is becoming apparent that the most effective water conservation tool is the smart sensor technology for inground irrigation systems. Board Member Covart asked what would happen if there is not enough topsoil. City Planner Anderson stated that presently the City's engineering staff does the topsoil inspection and provided additional details. He stated that if the sod is laid prior to inspection the builder would need to roll back the sod to allow for the inspection. Board Member Fetterley stated that she would like to see comparisons from other communities. She stated that as a recent homeowner in the community they installed a smart sensor without knowing the requirement of the City. She stated that they have seen a decrease in their water bill after installing that technology. She noted that if builders are installing the smart sensor, there should not be an issue with over watering going forward. She agreed that education of existing homeowners and with the change in ownership of property would be helpful but noted that if the smart sensor is installed that should prevent over watering. City Planner Anderson stated that the irrigation amendment was done more recently and agreed that the City should not see the issue as much moving forward. He stated that the cost to meet the topsoil requirement for the smaller lots is about $5,000, while the cost to meet the requirement for larger rural parcels would be higher. Board Member Madison asked for details on the Capstone request. City Planner Anderson stated that Capstone is aware of the City requirement. He stated that the City has created a list of pre-approved soil suppliers. He stated that if an alternate supplier is used, the developer/resident would have to have the soil tested. Board Member Madison asked where the soggy yards are occurring for Capstone. City Planner Anderson stated that could occur in swale areas that are lower in elevation. He provided additional information on the grading requirement of the City. Board Member Madison referenced a relation of flat lots that use sump pumps and soggy lawns and asked if there is a requirement for drain tile for flat lots. City Planner Anderson replied that the City does not have that requirement. Board Member Fetterley asked if there are unintended consequences that could arise from changing the topsoil requirement. City Planner Anderson stated that Capstone is not requesting to eliminate the topsoil requirement but is asking to eliminate the MnDOT certified soil requirement and instead use a standard topsoil mix. He stated that standard topsoil would have between one and three percent organic material while the City's specification requires at least five percent organic material. He stated that the perception could be that additional watering is required but did not believe homeowners think along those lines. He stated that in relation to erosion control, that is considered to be met once Environmental Policy Board/August 20, 2018 Page 3 of 6