City manager calls for review of new, flawed septic ordinance
Law requires changeover from septic tanks to sewer
Conversion business booms
By Steve Enders
Something about the city's new septic ordinance stinks, according to City Manager Larry Perlin, and he wants the City Council to take another look at it and possibly make changes to clarify the new rules, even though the council just passed the ordinance a few weeks ago.
Perlin said he's got a number of concerns about the new law, and said the ordinance can work better for the city and residents who are going to be forced to foot the bill once they're instructed to connect to the local sewer.
"[The City Council] needs to simply clarify what their intents are in regard to septic systems," Perlin said. "It's just one of those things that was mishandled."
His call for a review caught councilmembers off guard at the City Council's last meeting March 24. Perlin also said he's planning on bringing the topic up for discussion again at the April 7 meeting.
If the council decides to make changes or amend the ordinance, public hearings will likely have to be held, he said.
In the new ordinance, passed in late February after a year king, the city sets guidelines to wean Saratoga properties off septic systems and onto the local sewer system.
The ordinance says that homes now
on septic systems within 200 feet of an available sewer line should connect to itwithin five years. Because it can be expensive, a clause in the ordinance allows for a time extension if "financial hardship" can be proved to the city.
Perlin said he realized there was something wrong with the ordinance when a resident spoke out at a recent council meeting and was confused about portions of it. When Perlin took another look, he realized that it could use some clarification.
"In my discussions with the city attorney, it's come to light that perhaps it's not precisely clear," Perlin said. "We need to pin it down."
For instance, Perlin said the five-page document leaves out answers to questions including whether those on septic will be allowed to continue operating if there aren't any problems with their current systems; if the five-year period to change over is going to be strictly enforced, and who's going to enforce it and how?
"There's just not a lot of teeth to it," he said, also suggesting that an official noticing of non-compliance should be written into the law to penalize those who don't make the switch.
Also, he said inconsistencies mar the ordinance and need changing. The text of the city's ordinance includes the adoption of a similar county law. The city's rules say septic should be abandoned if the property is within 200 feet of the sewer. The county says 300 feet.
Finally, Perlin said an appeals process should be provided. Currently, one doesn't exist.
In response to long-talked-about ordinances that are now becoming law in cities like Saratoga, business is booming for those doing the conversions.
Glen Gilbert, owner of Able Septic and a Saratoga resident, said he's been flooded with calls from people wanting work done and others seeking answers to questions about local laws.
Gilbert said he hasn't been able to provide many answers, mostly because he's confused, too.
"Are they going to ask us to police it? Are they going to ask us to do the inspections on the tanks and report every one that comes up bad? I don't know how I feel about that," Gilbert said. "I don't know if it's even going to put us out of business."
Gilbert said he hopes the city will somehow help those who can't afford the transition. He said he's about to start a job in Saratoga that's costing the homeowner $100,000 to connect to the sewer system. While that's an extreme, the average cost is around $7,000 for a home that's 300 feet away from the sewer line, he said.
On the other hand, Gilbert said residents won't want to install new septic systems because of the high cost. It's much cheaper to connect to the sewer now, he said.
According to a recent city estimate, about 700 residences are still using septic systems. And while Gilbert is licking his chops over all the business he's going to drum up in the near future, he's also afraid the well will dry up soon after.
Saratoga, California Since 1975
