MEMORANDUM

To:     Dave Corliss

          Asst. City Manager

From: Chuck Soules

          Public Works Director

Debbie Van Saun

          Asst. City Manager

Re:     agenda item

Date:  January 21, 2004

Please place the following item on the consent agenda for consideration by the City Commission at their January 27, 2004 meeting:

Sanitary Sewer Ordinance

Attached please find a proposed ordinance that establishes certain requirements for the placement of public sanitary sewer mains and private sanitary sewer lines.  Numerous situations exist in the city where, in the past, development took place without the extension of the public sewer main, resulting in inferior “private” sewer lines that do not provide an appropriate level of service.  Therefore, it is staff’s intention that establishing these requirements will be in the best interest of both the customers served by the public sewers as well as the City’s ability to maintain and operate the sanitary sewer system.  This ordinance was developed by members of the following departments: Public Works, Utilities, Planning, City Manager’s Office.

A draft of this proposed ordinance was submitted to local engineering firms, surveyors, architects, the Lawrence Home Builders Association, construction contractors, plumbers and the City’s wastewater consultant Black & Veatch) for review and comment.  We received a couple of comments requesting clarification on the City’s intent regarding service lines for multi-unit buildings, and made appropriate changes to the draft.

Staff is recommending approval of the attached ordinance and eventual codification into Chapter 19 of the City Code, the section that deals with Utilities.  Please note that once the ordinance is approved on first and second readings, the effective date for enforcement will be March 1, 2004.