Minutes - Public Works Committee - 07/19/2022

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5.01: Review Updated Costs to Construct Sedimentation Basin Improvements at Sunfish Lake City Engineer Westby reviewed the staff report and recommendation from staff to leave the existing swale as is and not construct a sedimentation basin. Everything is working well as is and the private property owner has not contacted staff since the last Committee meeting when this was discussed. If the private property owner requested this work to be completed, staff would recommend that the property owner be required to pay for the requested work since it solely benefits the use of their property. However, the City could consider contributing an amount commensurate with the estimated long-term savings associated with maintaining a settling basin next to a public street versus maintaining a linear drainage swale along the rear of a private property with access only via drainage easements. Based on a 50-year maintenance schedule, this cost is estimated at$2,000 as the City would dredge and restore the turf in the swale every 25 years on average. Chairperson Riley commented that this is not along the back property line, but through the backyard as the homeowner has property beyond the swale. City Engineer Westby replied that there is a berm behind the swale that the property owners wanted access to. Chairperson Riley commented that in dry years the property owner was able to mow the swale area and have use of it,but in wet years the back of the property was not accessible. He commented that this flows across their property. He asked for details on the wetland credits. City Engineer Westby identified the area that is wetland, which comes up to the edge of the property. He commented that according to the aerial image, the property line is at the back of the swale and therefore if the property owner were using the upland area, that is not their private property. Chairperson Riley commented that would change his opinion and explained that is not how the discussion was framed when this was previously discussed in the past. Councilmember Woestehoff asked if the swale is fully inside of the easement. City Engineer Westby confirmed that the swale is within the 20-foot easement. Chairperson Riley commented that if anything of this nature were going to be approved, he would think the City would be allowing the activity and the grading and filling of the swale would be at the expense of the property owner. He commented that his previous understanding was not the same as what the map is showing. He believed that the property owner had additional land beyond the swale, which is why he felt that this needed to be discussed but if the map is correct, he does not feel the same. Public Works Committee/July 19, 2022 Page 6 of 13