Residents question city council, engineer about lagoon
Five Hillsboro residents were present Tuesday at a public hearing with Hillsboro City Council to discuss proposed improvements for the wastewater treatment plant project which includes a $3.9 million lagoon system.
Brent Barkman, Loren Funk, Arlene Schale, Shelly Schale, and Steve Schale were audience members present who toured lagoon systems in April in Andale, Colwich, and Rose Hill. All five directed questions to the council and the engineer.
Jim Kohman of Evans, Bierly & Hutchison, engineer for the project, said the lagoon will include a circulating system which consists of a disk of steel which slowly spins and lifts the water. The disk circulates water and can move up to 100,000 gallons of water a day. The disk is stationary, cabled to the banks and solar-powered.
The circulator gets the nutrients to the zones where there is the most biological activity and have been shown to greatly increase the amount of decomposition of sludge that accumulates in the bottom.
"There should not be a sludge problem at the lagoon if things work correctly," said Kohman.
Funk, who lives on North Kanza, asked Kohman where the lagoon will be built.
"It could be situated on the entire 80 (acres) but the initial phase will be on the eastern side," said Kohman.
The largest pond will be 16 acres — approximately 1,200x400 feet.
According to Kohman, the preliminary sketch has the inlet on the south side of the lagoon toward the east. Regulatory criteria is 100 feet from the road to the edge of the water and a 100-foot offset from an individual's property to the edge of the water.
"Is the closest pond going to be 175 yards from my buildings?" asked Steve Schale whose property is adjacent to the proposed site for the lagoons.
According to Kohman, there is a regulatory requirement of a 500-foot offset to an existing residence.
"There are a lot of lagoons across the state that are very close to homes," said Kohman. "We like to build them further out, but it is a matter of cost effectiveness, where you can build, and suitable soil."
Shelly Schale questioned the proposed site for the lagoon on the south side of their house.
"Has the city thought anything about what the lagoon will do to my property value?" asked Steve Schale.
"That is all speculative," said city administrator Steve Garrett. "I don't know what your property value is. That is a question we cannot answer."
When Steve Schale questioned how he could find what effect the lagoon would have on his property value, mayor Delores Dalke suggested the Schales hire an appraiser who has dealt with property near lagoons.
"We can't tell you the value of your property," said Dalke. "That would be speculation on our part because we haven't had any experience with this."
"I think it would be safe to assume their property is worth $2,000 an acre at a minimum like the lagoon property," said Brent Barkman.
Kohman showed a conceptual drawing of the lagoon cells. There are three initial and one cell will be sized depending on whether the cheese company is built in the vicinity.
"If the new business doesn't happen, we can reduce the size of the cell," said Kohman. "The state requires that you run all flow in the first cell, second cell, and third cell and out or split the flow and run equal amounts into the first and second cells."
When asked if site of the lagoon was a done deal, Dalke responded that this was the fourth public meeting to hear public input.
"We listen to what the public says," said Dalke. "This is our fourth public hearing for public input. The first couple nobody came to. Two weeks ago a couple of people were here."
This public hearing was held to meet requirements for the state revolving loan.
"For the most part lagoons don't smell unless something goes wrong," said Kohman. "Twice a year there is a chance that a temperature inversion could make the pond roll over and there could be an odor associated with that."
According to Kohman, properly designed systems that operate as they should are trouble free and save money in operation and maintenance.
"The lagoon may smell from time to time but typically it won't," Kohman said. "And it will cost a lot less to operate. I live about two miles from a dairy farm that smells a lot worse than many lagoons I've been around."
Barkman of Heritage Foods located in Hillsboro Industrial Park expressed his opposition to the proposed location of the lagoon.
"I'm not sure the entrance to Hillsboro along U.S.-56 is a good venue for the lagoons," he said. "I think there might be consequences to value of property in Industrial Park."
Barkman also questioned the effect of the lagoon on future development at Hillsboro Industrial Park.
"I realize the city doesn't have a lot of options," said Barkman. "We want to work with your decision."
However, he expressed his opinion that if the city wants to be a progressive city and develop its industrial base and industrial park, building the lagoons in close vicinity to the park is a questionable decision.
According to Barkman, the proposed site for the lagoon might be a detriment to industrial park's food manufacturing capabilities and prospects.
"We'll have to seriously look at our expansion plans in the future," he said, "and whether the perception of being in the proximity of the lagoons is a problem for us."
Barkman told the council he would liked to have seen the city conduct an economic impact study and environmental study before it chose the site for the lagoon.
Dalke expressed her appreciation for the comments from members of the public. There was no comment from council members.
"Is it a done deal that the lagoon is going in on that site?" asked Steve Schale.
"There is nothing that is preventing us from doing so," said Garrett. "There is still the engineering to do, but the soil indicates this is a place for the lagoons. We are proceeding as such."
According to Kohman, the engineering company and city have enough information that the site is suitable for a lagoon as far as KDHE is concerned.
"Would it not be feasible to place the lagoon one mile straight east of the proposed site?" said Funk. "Is that ground not just as good?"
"I don't know about that ground. A lot of site selection is based on availability," said Kohman. "In every single one of these I have put in there is the 'not in my backyard' effect. Nobody wants a lagoon in their backyard. Anywhere you put it, someone doesn't want it there. It doesn't matter."
According to Shelly Schale, when the group toured lagoon sites, they did not tour a lagoon that was within 500 feet of a residence.
"Can you tell me where to go to see a house as close as ours will be to a lagoon?" asked Shelly Schale.
"That is not something I can track," said Kohman. "Go to Great Bend. Houses are across the street from the lagoon. Most of the time people don't see lagoons."
The council has not talked about possibilities of a visual to block the lagoon. Kohman said trees cannot be planted too close to the dikes, but a wind break could be put up.
"The biggest thing you will notice is there will be a lot of geese landing," said Kohman. "I would say that will be the most noticeable aspect of the lagoon. We take all the precautions we can to minimize any impact with odors."
The public hearing regarding the waster water treatment plant ended at 4:40 p.m.
