Request for sewer variance discussed by health board

Editor’s note: This version corrects the name of Lodestar Land and Home.

The Hill County Health Board met Monday with Michael Winchell, owner of Lodestar Land and Home, to discuss a variance that would allow him to install a septic system in a property he built on 32nd Avenue East instead of hooking it up to the public sewer system.

Winchell said designs for the property were based on data provided by the City of Havre.

He said the original plan was to hook the property up to the sewer system, but its actual proximity would require the creation of a lift station, which he said is economically infeasible for him to do.

Board Member Kristi Kline asked Winchell why he didn’t verify the distance to the main, and he said, it was an oversight on his part, adding that this is the first house he’s participated in building.

Hill County Sanitarian Clay Vincent said a health letter written on the subdivision Winchell had built says that he must connect to the public sewer-line.

Vincent suggested the construction of a lift station that any future homes in the area could tie into.

Winchell said that no other potential properties in the area ever could connect to it, and that none of potential properties in the surrounding area would be close enough for the legality of putting in a septic tank to come into question.

Winchell also said, by law, he could be exempted if doing so was determined to be economically infeasible, and he said, it undeniably is.

“I surely can’t afford to base a prediction off a major sewer system or a public road system that’s totally unknown,” he said.

Hill County Commissioner Diane McLean said attempting to predict the future was impossible, and the mistake of not verifying the distance to the sewer main would not affect the current situation.

“We can predict the future all we want, but we can’t predict the future at all,” she said, “And if there’s no other lot that’s even going to consider pumping into this sewer, then are we being entirely unreasonable to expect that he should do that based on what the next ones are going to do.”

Vincent said the problem with that argument is the sub-division was approved with the stipulation that it would hook into the system, and if future properties further away wanted to hook into the system, installing a septic tank would make that impossible for them to do.

“Septic tanks, they work for a while then they run out on the side of hill and then you have to start again,” he said, “and there is plenty of room on 20 acres for a replacement system, but it doesn’t support your public system, which is a better overall way to take care of waste water.”

After a heated debate on those issues, it was suggested by Erica McKeon-Hanson that the matter be tabled so she can do more research on the subject and so the board can get more documentation about the specifics of this case from Winchell.

McLean made a motion to approve the variance then and there. Hill County Commissioner Mike Wendland seconded the motion, but it failed 2-3, with McLean and Wendland voting for, and Hill County Commissioner Mark Peterson, Kline, and McKeon-Hanson against.

Another motion was then made to revisit the matter at a later date after more documentation could be provided and more research done. The motion passed 3-2, with Peterson, Kline and McKeon-Hanson for, and McLean and Wendland against.

Another special meeting of the health board will be held June 30 at 11 a.m. to further discuss the matter.