RES 2021-90 Implementing an Interim Policy Allocating West Sewer District CapacityCITY OF OTSEGO
COUNTY OF WRIGHT
STATE OF MINNESOTA
RESOLUTION NO: 2021-90
INTERIM POLICY ALLOCATING CAPACITY FROM THE WEST WASTEWATER TREATMENT FACILITY
WHEREAS, the 2012 Otsego Comprehensive Plan establishes a West Sewer District where urban land uses
are planned to develop serviced by municipal sewer utilities;
WHEREAS, the City operates the West Wastewater Treatment Facility (W-WWTF) to provide sanitary sewer
treatment for the land uses developed within the West Sewer District; and
WHEREAS, the City Council on 22 January 2018 adopted Resolution 2018-06 approving a Wastewater Master
Plan to guide the operation, maintenance, and future expansion of the W-WWTF; and
WHEREAS, the City Council has initiated an expansion of capacity for the W-WWTF to provide sanitary
sewer utilities to meet projected demand in accordance with the Wastewater Master Plan; and
WHEREAS, City staff has determined that the current remaining capacity of the W-WWTF not allocated to
approved final plats is less than 500 Residential Equivalent Connections (RECs) and that the remaining
capacity considering the number of RECs required to serve approved preliminary plat is 147 RECs; and
WHEREAS, the City is experiencing a period of high demand for sewer utility capacity to serve proposed
residential, commercial, and industrial development within the West Sewer District; and,
WHEREAS, the 2012 Otsego Comprehensive Plan establishes the following policies to guide land use decision
making within Otsego;
■ Promote commercial and industrial development in order to create more employment
opportunities and strengthen the tax base within Otsego.
■ Encourage provision of a balanced variety of development types to satisfy the needs, desires and
income levels of all people while preventing an oversupply of any one type of development.
■ Establish growth control mechanisms that allow specific annual levels of residential development
that can be accommodated in a fiscally responsible manner based on existing service capacities.
WHEREAS, based on the current capacity of the W-WWTF to provide sewer utilities to new development
within the West Sewer District, the City Council finds it is necessary to establish a reserve of remaining RECs
for commercial or industrial land uses in accordance with the policies of the 2021 Otsego Comprehensive Plan
cited herein.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF OTSEGO, MINNESOTA THAT:
1. A minimum of one hundred (100) RECs of the capacity of the W-WWTF shall be reserved to be
allocated for commercial or industrial land uses.
2. Development applications for a Zoning Map amendment to allow a residential land use guided by
the Future Land Use plan of the 2012 Comprehensive Plan requiring connection to municipal sewer
utilities may be denied on the basis of not being consistent with the policies of the Comprehensive
Plan and cannot be accommodated by the City's existing service capacity, thus not satisfying the
criteria established by Section 11-3-2.F of the Zoning Ordinance.
3. Applications for preliminary plat approval for a residential land use requiring municipal sewer utilities
may be denied by the City Council as being deemed premature due to lack of capacity of the W-
WWTF in accordance with Section10-6-1.6.4.a of the Subdivision Ordinance.
4. The reservation of capacity for commercial or industrial uses or preliminary plated commercial and
industrial lots shall remain in effect until such time as the current expansion of the W-WWTF is
deemed to be substantially complete by the City Council or until the City Council takes such action to
amend this policy.
ADOPTED by the Otsego City Council this 13th day of December, 2021.
MOTION BY: MOORES
SECONDED BY: DAHL
IN FAVOR*STOCKAMP, DARKENWALD, GOEDE, MODRES, DAHL
OPPOSED: NONE
CITY OF OTSEGO
ATTEST:
Audra Etzel, CifVClerk
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