Beaver City council discusses Sleepy Lagoon septic design, next steps for lot line and testing

Beaver City officials, property owners and state health staff on Monday reviewed a proposed wastewater design for the Sleepy Lagoon lodging property and agreed to investigative steps to confirm whether two historic septic systems are hydraulically connected before permitting construction or final occupancy.

The discussion centered on an engineer’s drawing showing two concrete septic tanks behind the existing building and a separate tank and leach field serving an adjacent residence owned by Kim Davis. “It shows two tanks coming off the back of the existing structure,” said Richard Jackson, the engineer who presented the plan. Jackson said the health department had reviewed the concept and was “conceptually comfortable” with it, but recommended confirming field conditions.

The meeting matters because state rules require a public entity to assume ownership of a wastewater system if two separately taxed parcels share the same septic system. City staff and the engineer said confirming that the Davis residence system is separate would allow Sleepy Lagoon’s proposed nine-unit condominium conversion to proceed under private ownership rather than require the city to form or accept a sewer district or similar body politic arrangement.

Officials described three practical next steps to resolve the uncertainty: excavate a trench along a proposed new sewer route and inspect for buried lines, camera visible cleanouts and junction boxes, or run a dye test from the Davis outlet to see whether dye appears in the motel tanks. Jackson and city staff estimated a likely lot-line change of about 25 to 35 feet to place Davis’s tank and leach field fully within his parcel if they are separate.

Property owner Greg Washburn (referred to in the meeting as “Greg”) told the council he would consider a property line adjustment to bring the Davis tank wholly onto the Davis parcel. Kim Davis said he had already exposed the outlet of his tank and that the tank top was shallow — about a foot and a half below grade — making limited exploratory work possible.

City staff and the health department emphasized that the Sleepy Lagoon building permit and final occupancy should wait until the investigation confirms whether systems are separate and any necessary lot-line adjustment or recorded easement is completed. Jeremy Roberts of the health department said his office will accept site adjustments if the systems are confirmed separate and the new design meets current code; if systems are connected, the code requirements change and the city would need to follow state procedures for municipal ownership or full separation.

The council and staff discussed execution details: Greg’s contractor would likely install the new sewer trench as part of the Sleepy Lagoon repair and the city would inspect the open trench for evidence of existing lines. If crews encounter Kim Davis’s lines the parties would need to halt and negotiate repair or property adjustments. Jackson recommended beginning with the trench for the planned new line because that work will be required regardless of the outcome; if no lines are encountered the proposed lot-line shift could be recorded and the new design finalized.

Council members and staff also discussed culinary water: Davis’s household currently uses a well that crosses onto Sleepy Lagoon property; the city reported a water meter already installed on the north side of Davis’s driveway and said Davis would need to connect the house to city water for culinary use while he could keep an irrigation line if he can document water rights.

The city recorded no formal motions on the item; the council asked staff and property owners to coordinate the investigative work and property paperwork so the Sleepy Lagoon project can move into formal permitting once the system extents are verified.

The council moved on to other agenda items after the group agreed on the investigative approach and on parties’ responsibility for excavation, inspection and potential lot-line adjustment.