Horizons Residential Care Center Septic Easement
At a glance
- What: a resolution approving a septic system agreement and granting access easements to Horizons residential care center across a portion of county-owned Horizons Park land. The county unknowingly paved a parking lot over the center's septic repair area earlier in 2026; the agreement puts the system back in compliance with state requirements.
- Where it stands: briefed at the Sept 28, 2026 briefing and approved unanimously at the Oct 1 meeting. No fee was charged to Horizons.
- Video: 2026-09-28 - Board of County Commissioners Briefing, 2026-10-01 - Board of County Commissioners.
Background
- Horizons has leased county park land on Horizons Lane since the late 1970s (about 35 acres originally, about 13 acres now). The lease makes Horizons responsible for its septic system, but the system lies outside the leased area.
- A septic operator alerted the county to the parking lot over the repair area; nothing in the construction process triggered an environmental review. The state required identifying a repair area, now about 80 feet north of the septic field for two new buildings, just outside the lease.
- The county is building the Horizons Park multimodal trails nearby; if the repair area is ever used, the trail can be rebuilt on top of it.
Concerns raised
- Dan Besse asked whether the easement defines the access route; it does not. He asked that the county either define a route or set a process for the county to review and approve the path, to avoid damage to the trail or extra clearing. Chelsea Swain said staff could work with Horizons on that.
- Chris Weavil (name approximate) answered on the repair area and trail work.
Discussion time
About 7 minutes across 2 meetings (from transcript timestamps; approximate).
| Meeting | Minutes |
|---|---|
| 2026-10-01 - Board of County Commissioners | 1 |
| 2026-09-28 - Board of County Commissioners Briefing | 6 |
Log
- 2026-10-01 - Board of County Commissioners - Shontell Robinson presented the resolution; approved unanimously.
- 2026-09-28 - Board of County Commissioners Briefing - Swain and Weavil explained how the repair area was covered by the parking lot; Besse asked for a defined access route or approval process.