08-13-2018 Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING Monday,August 13,2018 7:00 dclock p.m. 14. LMCD—Continued Printup questioned whether the mechanical harvesters are an antiquated way of dealing with this issue and that it might be time to look at doing something new since it has been 40 years since they started harvesting. Dankey stated they could take the money from the harvesting program and direct it towards AIS removal. Schleunig stated given the amount of boat traffic,they will not stop the fragments from drifting,which does impact the biomass on the lake. Walsh asked if she is open to stopping the harvesters and starting something different. Schleunig stated the LMCD is open to looking at a lot of different things but that she is not sure what the answer is. Schleunig stated they do not want to get to the point where there is so much muck on the bottom of the lake where they are ending up with blue-green algae. Walsh asked how much the LMCD is spending on the harvesters. Schleunig indicated it was around$80,000 for 2018,with the total LMCD budget being approximately $500,000. Dankey asked if it is the DNR who sometimes inspects the boats. Schleunig stated the LMCD contracts with Three Rivers and the DNR. Schleunig noted the amount of their grants has been decreased. Dankey commented it will be impossible to stop visitors from coming to the lake. Schleunig stated other steps being taken include a 2018 carp study that was funded by Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council and consists of removing carp from Lake Minnetonka. Other prevention measures include watercraft inspections at boat landings, educating the public,the Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers campaign, installation of LED screens at Arcola Bridge and Spring Park, and local businesses assisting with community outreach. Mayor Walsh asked whether anyone from the public would like to comment on this item. Gabriel Jabbour, 985 Tonkawa Road and 450 Big Island, stated Vickie Schleunig is predominantly better than her predecessor,but with all due respect, 90 percent of the information received here is inaccurate. Jabbour stated the harvesters were gifted to the LMCD by Irwin Jacobs and seven of his friends with the understanding that the milfoil eventually would bog down 100 percent of the major thoroughfares and people not able to reach the LaFayette Golf Club,Lord Fletcher's, and other popular sites. The LMCD decided to accept the harvesters and harvest the major thoroughfares. This effort was funded through voluntary contributions by the cities. The program was run by the private sector until a few years later when the LMCD decided to take it on. Jabbour noted the LMCD was founded originally as a coordinating agency and not an implementing agency,which is why the legislature did not give them funding capabilities. The LMCD later had a levy limit of$180,000 when the harvesters were gifted. Jabbour stated over the years the harvester program Page 7 of 14