The Urbana City Council moved ordinances on building sewers and connections and on a cost reimbursement policy for repair of illegal connections of private sanitary service laterals to the storm sewer system back to the committee at its meeting Monday.
The new ordinances, which were discussed together, mandate that the city would be responsible for sewer lateral repairs within the public right-of-way, such as under city streets or sidewalks. Property owners would still own the lateral and be responsible for maintaining it.
Several Urbana citizens from local sewer companies expressed concern that this ordinance would take away a good amount of local business if the city were to fix any sewer problems in the public right-of-way.
However, Brad Bennett, senior civil engineer of the Urbana Public Works Department, said it would be overwhelming to bid out every sewer repair job and it would be easier to have just one company with the city do it.
Diane Marlin, Ward 7, said the ordinance still needs to be discussed further.
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“I think this ordinance needs more work,” said Diane Marlin, county ward seven. “I look forward to coming back and discussing a better ordinance.”
The council also addressed changes to the Code of Ordinances — noise and vibrations — which had been proposed at the council’s last meeting on April 22.
Noises from industries and personal property were included in the debate. The council suggested prohibiting noise from 8 p.m. Saturday evening until 12 p.m. Sunday afternoon.
“People value the peace and quiet on a Sunday morning,” said Marlin.
Eric Jacksson, Ward 2, and Brandon Bowerbox-Johnson, Ward 4, said 10 a.m. instead is a reasonable time to allow residents to start mowing lawns and doing other yard work, but the ordinance was passed despite the two opposing votes.
The council passed two more ordinances before adjourning, including one on placing stop signs at the intersections of Shurts Street at Cottage Grove Avenue and Greenwide Drive at Country Squire Drive. The second ordinance approved the Champaign-Urbana solid waste disposal system annual budget.
Kat can be reached at [email protected].
