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Sarpy County agency approves exception allowing 16 septic-served lots after heated public comment
Summary
The Sarpy County and Cities Wastewater Agency granted a growth-management exception for the Buffalo Springs re-plat, allowing subdivision into 16 lots served by septic systems (one-time $6,000 connection fee per lot). Residents warned of precedent, groundwater impacts and future costs; the board approved the measure 4–1.
The Sarpy County and Cities Wastewater Agency on June 24 approved a growth-management exception that allows the Buffalo Springs re-plat to be divided into 16 residential lots served by individual septic systems, despite sustained public opposition and questions about groundwater and long-term costs.
The board voted 4–1 to grant resolution 17 after more than an hour of public comment and discussion. The exception allows owners of lots under three acres to pay the agency’s one-time connection fee (currently $6,000) and install septic systems now; if those lots later connect to public sewer after a future system extension, they will not be charged the connection fee again unless the property is redeveloped to higher density.
Why it matters: Neighbors argued the exception undercuts the agency’s growth-management goals, creates a precedent for speculative purchases of agricultural land and risks harms to wells and downstream properties if septic systems concentrate in the area. Agency members said demand for housing and the existing regulatory checks make the exception appropriate and noted the agency’s fee structure is designed to account for future hookups.
Public commenters urged denial. Gerald Indeska, who said his farm adjoins Schramm State Park, told the board, “I’m here to request that you deny this exception to your growth management plan,” arguing it encourages speculation and fragments agricultural land. John Knapp, another nearby landowner, questioned whether future buyers would be locked into costs or subject to later hookup mandates and cited prior local examples where exemptions led to planning problems.
Board response and rationale: Chair Don Kelly and other agency members acknowledged those concerns but cited development pressure in the southern ridge-line area and the agency’s regulatory limits. Kelly said the agency had tried to carve agricultural lands out of the sewer boundary but that “the growth is coming and there’s nothing we can do to stop it,” adding that checks such as permitting, water analysis and subsequent requirements remain in the approval process.
Staff and procedural notes: Project engineer Jeff Thompson explained the request is not a boundary change but an exception to the growth-management plan that, if granted, permits the property owner to file the necessary county applications and pursue septic installation. Thompson told the board the request meets the agency’s exception criteria and that future permitting will require water and site reviews.
Financial and legal implications: Several board members asked whether routine financial studies would account for these lower-density exceptions. Administrator-level staff said the current PFM financial review will not re-run the agency’s long-range pro forma; PFM is focusing on three specific questions previously identified. The board recorded that the agency’s fee structure and build-through requirements are intended to protect system financing while allowing limited exceptions.
Outcome and next steps: With the 4–1 vote the resolution passed and the applicant may proceed with county permitting and on-site septic planning; the board did not adopt additional conditions beyond existing agency regulations. Those opposed asked the record to reflect their concerns about precedent and groundwater impacts. The board did not set an immediate follow-up; standard permitting and county review will continue.
