Council creates sanitary sewer district for portion of Stolly Park corridor to enable future connections

The Grand Island City Council on May 27 approved an ordinance creating Sanitary Sewer District Number 546 to extend sewer service to a group of properties along Stolly Park Road south of Fauner Park.

Keith Kurtz, public works director, told council staff had canvassed property owners and held a public meeting (with translator) and that seven of 14 properties expressed interest in the project; an eighth property had a prior signed agreement not to protest, which staff said met the technical threshold for taking the matter forward. Kurtz said the project timing aligns with a planned Stolly Park roadway reconstruction that would repave and upgrade the corridor and that constructing sewer while the street is rebuilt reduces future disruption.

Kurtz explained property owners would be assessed for the sewer main and have service stubs to the right-of-way line; owners would still have the option to delay hooking up their private plumbing until a septic system failed or they chose to connect. He estimated assessments per property in the range discussed in packet materials (staff noted individual property connection costs and private-plumber costs remain additional and optional at the time of construction).

Council member Hossy moved to approve Ordinance No. 10018; Council member Pollack seconded. Council adopted the ordinance.

Kurtz said if the district were not approved, staff would proceed with the Stolly Park roadway project without sewer; constructing the sewer now was presented as the most cost-effective opportunity for those who wish to be served.