(Spirit Lake)– A proposal to form what would be one of three drainage districts in the city of Orleans is dead in the water.
A public hearing that was continued from the April 24th board of supervisors meeting was reconvened at Tuesday’s session to review amended plans by an engineer.
The new plans changed the location of a detention pond to the northeast side of property owned by Harold Wedeking. It had earlier been proposed for a portion of their property used for parking equipment. Wedeking and his wife both expressed opposition Tuesday for having the basin located anywhere on their property.
Of the 40 or so people present for Tuesday’s meeting, the vast majority expressed opposition when the supervisors asked for a show of hands as to who was in favor and who wasn’t. One woman who spoke in favor of the district said her home is being affected by a lack of drainage. Those opposed sited concern over cost and plans for the detention basin.
After further discussion a motion was made by supervisor Paul Johnson to deny the formation of the district. It was seconded by board Chairman David Gottsche. The vote to deny passed four-to-one with Supervisor Wayne Northey the only one in favor of going ahead with it.
Tuesday’s vote by the supervisors to deny the district means the city of Orleans will have to pay 65-thousand dollars in engineering fees that have been incurred up until now.
