04-22-2019 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

DRAFT for discussion purposes only and subject to Board approval and the availability of funds. Resolutions are not final until approved by the Board and signed by the Board Secretary. SUMMARY: Background: MN Statutes § 103B.235 and MN Rules § 8410.0160 grant watershed districts the authority to review and approve local water management plans (LWMPs). Under this framework, watershed districts can assign responsibilities to local government units (LGUs) for carrying out implementation actions defined in the watershed plan. The LWMP is a required element of the LGU comprehensive land use management plan which LGU’s must adopt by the end of 2018. The Minnehaha Creek Watershed District (MCWD or District) adopted its new Watershed Management Plan (Plan) in January 2018. The Plan is rooted in the District’s Balanced Urban Ecology policy (BUE) as the principal strategy to accomplish its mission. The BUE policy recognizes the inter-dependence of the natural and built environment and that both benefit through a holistic planning approach. The BUE policy establishes the guiding principles of focus in areas of highest resource needs, flexibility to respond to emerging opportunities as a result of land use change in real time, and pursuing clean water goals in partnership with our communities. The Plan establishes the District as a regional water planning agency. The Plan provides rationale for subwatershed-based planning and prioritization by which to focus implementation efforts for the 2018-2027 Plan cycle. The District has prioritized the subwatersheds of Minnehaha Creek, Six Mile Creek-Halsted Bay and Painter Creek based on a combination of resource needs and opportunities for management of some of the State’s most prized recreational natural resources of Lake Minnetonka and Minnehaha Creek – including the Minneapolis Chain of Lakes. In addition to these focused planning and implementation efforts, the District’s approach watershed-wide is to remain responsive to opportunities created by local land use change or partner initiatives. The District’s responsive approach relies on early and effective coordination by the District’s communities to help identify opportunities to integrate plans and investments. As opportunities arise, the District will evaluate them against the resource needs and priorities defined for each subwatershed in the District’s Plan and determine the appropriate response. The District has a wide range of services it can mobilize to address resource needs and support partner efforts, including data collection and diagnostics, technical and planning assistance, permitting assistance, education and capacity building, grants, and capital projects. Integration of land use and water planning is the primary focus of the LWMP requirements set forth in the District’s Plan. To effectively integrate the goals of MCWD and its LGUs in a way that maximizes community benefits and effectively leverages public funds, the District has invited a partnership framework with its communities. In addition to the legally required elements of LWMPs, as defined in State statute and rules, the MCWD Plan requires communities to propose a coordination plan which describes how the LGU and MCWD will share information and work together to integrate land use and water planning. Specifically, the purpose of a MCWD/LGU coordination plan is to: 1. Establish a framework to be informed as to current LGU land use and infrastructure planning and enable early coordination of land use and water resources management 2. Foster LGU development regulation that integrates water resource protection before plans are fixed 3. Identify and capitalize on project opportunities for improved water resources outcomes while maximizing other public and private goals As established in the District’s Plan, MCWD will prioritize implementation efforts and resource deployment based on its established priorities and LGU commitment to coordination. This commitment is demonstrated through the coordination plan and its implementation by the LGU.