Council tables wastewater feasibility planning as televising costs remain unclear

The Osakis City Council on June 1 deferred a proposed wastewater feasibility study after staff and a contractor raised uncertainties about the cost of televising laterals and whether lining or full replacement would be more cost-effective.

Brian, identified in the meeting as a WSD representative, told councilors the next step after televising is to prepare a feasibility-style memo that compares lining options with full replacement, identifies which problems each approach would fix and produces a rough cost estimate and a '30% plan' to guide next steps. He said the work is aimed at meeting an MPCA stipulation with a remediation window targeted for 2026.

"This is supposed to be remedied by 2026," Brian said, describing the timeframe and the need to evaluate funding options and staging.

Councilors pressed for clarity on televising expenses for laterals. One councilor noted a figure of $250 per service had been discussed previously but asked whether that rate would apply to the additional laterals in the proposal and whether a not‑to‑exceed cap could be set so the city would not be surprised by a large invoice.

With cost details unresolved, a council member moved to table the wastewater INI/MPCA planning proposal to the next workshop. The motion passed. Staff were directed to work with public works to count services that need televising, verify per‑service pricing and provide a ballpark not‑to‑exceed number ahead of the workshop.

Next steps: the council scheduled a workshop before the next monthly meeting for staff and the consulting team to present revised cost estimates and scope options so councilors can pick a preferred approach and, if necessary, finalize an application path for state funding.