Resident says city cut power to private lift station, causing sewage backups; city says no easement documented

A property owner told the council that the city's disconnection of electricity to a lift station serving his property has produced sewage backups and environmental exposure to nearby wetlands and the Rum River.

"Once power is disconnected, lift station obviously no longer can pump sewage," resident Nolan Walters told the council, saying his family has owned the property for more than 40 years and that the city historically maintained and paid for the station's electricity. He asked who authorized the disconnection, whether ownership documents exist and whether environmental agencies had been notified.

Public Works staff member Paul said the city does not have a recorded easement for the lift station and that staff had made repeated attempts to contact the property owner before the power was cut. "There is no city easement on that property... At this point, this is not the city's responsibility," Paul said, adding that the city worked with legal counsel and utility provider Connexus to effect the change after multiple notices.

The city attorney told the council he viewed the issue as having been under discussion for years, with ample communication attempts, but that the documentation did not support ongoing city responsibility. Council members and staff urged the resident to submit written questions so the city can compile records, and staff said they would consider further legal review and possible return to the council for direction.