09-24-2018 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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CITY OF ORONO RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL A RESOLUTION TO REQUEST THE LAKE MINNETONKA CONSERVATION DISTRICT DISCONTINUE THE EURASIAN WATERMILFOIL HARVESTING PROGRAM WHEREAS, the City Council of the City or Orono, Minnesota which serves as an advocate for the Orono residents along the Lake Minnetonka lakeshore; and WHEREAS, the Lake Minnetonka Conservation District (LMCD) is a governmental agency funded primarily by local property taxes; and WHEREAS, the LMCD operates three paddlewheel harvesters to remove Eurasian watermilfoil milfoil and other aquatic vegetation in select areas in Lake Minnetonka; and WHEREAS, the LCMD acknowledges their harvesters only remove about eighty - percent of the plants they cut; and WHEREAS, the City of Orono City Council has heard complaints from lakeshore owners and businesses that after the LMCD harvesters have been in the area, large amounts of weeds wash up on their properties and in nearby lagoons, resulting in hundreds to thousands of dollars of clean-up costs; and WHEREAS, research published by the University of Minnesota found harvesting of Eurasian watermilfoil increases its rate and amount of growth; and WHEREAS, fragmentation due to harvesting contributes to the spread of Eurasian water milfoil and other aquatic invasive species (AIS) such as flowering rush and starry stonewort; and WHEREAS, the LMCD lake harvesting program is not operated in compliance with Minnesota Rules which require the immediate and permanent remove the vegetation from the water. NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, the City Council of the City of Orono, Minnesota finds the LMCD's Eurasian milfoil harvesting program no longer serves the best interests of lakeshore residents and businesses and requests the program be immediately discontinued; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the LMCD evaluate other techniques to remove vegetation which poses a nuisance to navigation in public areas of Lake Minnetonka for implementation in 2019.