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MINUTES OF THE <br /> ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING <br /> Monday,August 13,2018 <br /> 7:00 o'clock p.m. <br /> 14. LMCD—Continued <br /> Dankey asked if any studies have been done looking at how much of the milfoil ends up on the lakeshore. <br /> Schleunig stated there have not been any formal studies done on that specific item but that the LMCD is <br /> aware that some of the milfoil fragments will end up on the lakeshore. The harvester manufacturer <br /> estimates that approximately 80 percent of the milfoil is picked up. <br /> Dankey stated she lives on one of the bays and that their lakeshore had so much milfoil that it cost them <br /> $2,000 to remove. <br /> Seals stated in her view the harvesters do not work and that they should not trust the manufacturer's <br /> numbers. Seals stated all the harvesters do is give the milfoil a haircut,with the fragments ending up on <br /> the lakeshore. Seals stated she believes the harvesters should go since they are not working and that the <br /> lakeshore owners are getting mad because the milfoil is ending up on their shore. <br /> Crosby stated harvesting is similar to someone recycling their grass clippings. When harvesting is done, <br /> a lot of the plant life drops down and then refeeds into the bottom of the lake,which creates a bigger <br /> problem. The pieces that are not captured end up on people's lakeshores and causes other problems. <br /> Crosby commented the people who live on the lake are not the issue and that they are the people who help <br /> take care of the lake. Crosby stated in order to address these problems,the LMCD should look at the <br /> people who travel to the lake and establish some type of payment by visitors to the lake to help protect the <br /> lake. <br /> Walsh stated if there is going to be harvesting,they need to clean up all the stuff that is cut. Walsh stated <br /> there are miles of lakeshore that get inundated with the milfoil fragments and that the LMCD is required <br /> to clean it up. The LMCD needs to figure out how to clean up the lakeshore or not do it. Walsh stated <br /> there are hundreds of homes getting inundated with milfoil and then a lot of those residents call the City <br /> about it. Walsh stated the LMCD needs to be more proactive if they are going to continue to use the <br /> harvesters. <br /> Schleunig stated this year the LMCD has received a lot of positive feedback from the residents but that <br /> some of the problems they encounter are the amount of boat traffic on the lake,the fact that AIS <br /> fluctuates,the conditions on the bays differ,the chemical treatments change the cycles,and the <br /> climate/weather impacts the milfoil. <br /> Crosby commented they treated their bay but that it comes in the channel and inlet after the harvesters go <br /> through. <br /> Seals stated she has not seen any harvesters in her area and they do not have any milfoil. <br /> Crosby stated the harvesting is spreading the milfoil around and planting it in other places,which is <br /> resulting in thicker milfoil. <br /> Printup asked when the first harvesters were purchased. <br /> Schleunig stated that was possibly in the 1980s. <br /> Page 6 of 14 <br />