Bemidji City Staff Wary of Northern Township’s Request to Connect to Water/Sewer Line

With Ruttger’s Birchmont Lodge looking to save its failing sewer system and from sewage possibly polluting Lake Bemidji, Northern Township is now looking to also connect to Bemidji’s water line for the betterment of its residents.

After proposing a memorandum of understanding that would make Northern Township a customer to the city of Bemidji and have the township take responsibility for the extension, they’re now waiting for the city council’s decision.

But city staff are wary of letting Northern Township connect without annexation. Included with staff feedback at Monday night’s city council meeting were possible concerns from both engineering and legal standpoints. Due to possible pitfalls with the current MOU, city staff recommended six options, which included doing nothing, different forms of annexation, negotiating the MOU, and even merging the two entities.

“I see this as an opportunity to make some money for the city and use those dollars to take the profits that we make off the connection services, the water services, to that area, use the profits and put that towards adding water and sewer services to those in our city that currently don’t have it,” said Josh Peterson, Ward 2 Councilor. “This is an opportunity for us to do a partnership and to continue to grow together. I’m going to be bold here and say the city doesn’t need to own and control everything.”

“Staff is suggesting that both engineering-wise and legally that this is not a smart thing for us to do,” said Ward 3 Councilor Ron Johnson. “To me, it doesn’t make sense for us to do this, and it takes looking at it before we can even do that.”

The city council made no official motion at the meeting. They will discuss the topic at a work session next Monday.