Innsbrook Resort is making progress on improvements to its sewage treatment facilities, a resort employee told members of the Village of Innsbrook Board of Trustees at their meeting last week. Some in attendance, however, questioned whether the project is really meeting state requirements.

Joe Kueper, utilities manager for Innsbrook Corporation, gave an update on the resort’s renovation of its sewage treatment process at the board’s Thursday, July 16 meeting.

“That’s including the wetlands that we’ve redone that we actually do have our effluent that goes into. It doesn’t go directly into Charette Creek,” he said. “So as far as our process, we’ve updated that as well. We’re waiting on our rollers for the oxidation ditch, and then that will be done as well.”

Speaking during public comment, resident Les Kauble said one major issue with the sewage treatment facility has been the smell in the area. Kueper said the smell should be improving within about a month. Kauble also said the entire facility needs to be surrounded by a perimeter fence to comply with state requirements, which it is not currently, although Kueper said Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR) officials have approved Innsbrook Corporation’s plans.

“There’s a lot of improvements to the whole system, honestly, and we did have several visits from DNR during this process that we got a great report on last time,” he said.

Aside from Kauble, however, Virgal Woolfolk, a Village of Innsbrook trustee, also questioned Kueper’s report, saying he would have preferred that Kueper submit his report in writing rather than verbally.

“The reason that he was here is because I went to him five times; I called, emailed, went to his office, called, and he didn’t respond,” Woolfolk said. “And then later on I was sitting outside the office and he was talking to one of the staff saying that he didn’t think that we were important and he didn’t have to spend time with us.”

Woolfolk noted that development is continuing within the resort and said he doubted that the sewage treatment facility would have enough capacity.

“I’m not convinced what he said is true,” he said of Kueper’s report.

“I just don’t think that they’re doing it. They’re not meeting the standards, and I think he’s just blowing smoke, and that’s my position on that.” 

Reached by phone Monday, however, Village Board Chairman Michael Caton pointed out that the sewage treatment facility is governed by DNR, and said he had no reason to doubt the accuracy of Kueper’s report.

“I take him at his word,” Caton said.