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North Oaks engineers outline water, sewer and JPA progress and plan Met Council appeal
Summary
City engineers updated the Planning Commission on joint-powers negotiations to preserve water and sewer service, a $600,000 saving from reducing metering locations, a transition agreement with North Oaks Company, feasibility modeling for a municipal water system and plans to appeal Met Council density rules and seek a 2027 legislative remedy.
City Engineers Kate Achenbach and (noted present) Jupe Hale told the Planning Commission April 30 that engineering staff have been assisting with joint-powers agreements (JPAs) with White Bear Township and Lino Lakes to preserve existing water and sewer services for North Oaks residents.
Achenbach said staff reduced a proposed 12 water metering locations to five, saving the city about $600,000. She said engineers reached agreement terms with North Oaks Company on transitioning ownership of east-side water and sewer systems to the City; conditions include the Company providing easements, installing the five meter pits for White Bear Township connections at its own cost, contributing toward future operation and maintenance, verifying current system function, and transferring records to the City.
On connecting to the Met Council regional sewer system, staff told the Commission that existing Met Council minimum density thresholds (described in the meeting as about 3.5 units per acre in the current planning cycle) have prevented North Oaks from qualifying for systemwide connections. Achenbach said North Oaks leaders are preparing an appeal to the Met Council and plan a legislative approach in 2027 with a hired lobbyist to seek an exception or change in policy. She emphasized that planning for a future system remains preliminary because connection counts and capacity are not yet determined and costs may vary significantly.
Engineering staff are also modeling a possible municipal water system to serve the city and have identified Shoreview as a potential source for feasibility analysis; half the city currently uses Shoreview or White Bear Township systems while the remainder relies on private wells. Achenbach said drivers for a citywide system include groundwater contamination risk, reliability concerns with private wells, improved fire protection and consistent regulated water quality.
Chair Dave Cremons said the City Council has asked the Planning Commission to pause proposed septic ordinance changes until the sewer feasibility and timeline are clearer. Commissioner Ilya Berchenko warned that NOHOA’s planned road replacement program this year could conflict with future sewer or water infrastructure projects; Cremons said NOHOA is planning minimal work (mill and overlay) because of the uncertainty.
The updates outline the technical and policy steps the city is taking as it balances near-term maintenance, possible ownership transitions and longer-term system planning.
