08-27-2018 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING Monday, August 13, 2018 7:00 o'clock p.m. 14. LMCD — Continued has had a number of issues, including the time when a harvester almost sunk and the driver almost drowned and when the harvester went to the lake dripping hydraulic fluid. Jabbour displayed a picture of Highways 19 and 15 being 100 percent clogged up by a police officer leading the harvester. Jabbour stated one of the harvesters also cut the telephone cables going to Big Island, which left the residents on the Island without access to 911 and that he spent three days helping with his own barge. Seals asked if that has been recent. Jabbour indicated it probably was within the past five to ten years. Jabbour stated at his last presentation to the City Council, the mayor asked the question where the money was that was taken out of the reserves. Jabbour stated the LMCD used to received $60,000 from the DNR in the form of a grant, with 30 going to the harvester program and 30 to the inspection program. That grant was subsequently eliminated. Jabbour stated during his time on the LMCD Board, they reduced the budget and the levy by 10 percent, but because the LMCD was getting paid per acre and per tonnage, they were harvesting everywhere. Jabbour stated when they cut the telephone cable, they discovered the wire next to it carries 8000 volts to the Island. Jabbour stated he asked them not to launch their harvesters until they identify all the cables and wires for safety purposes. This year the same harvester was harvesting in the same area as well as other areas where no one lives. Jabbour indicated he went to the LMCD meeting last Wednesday night and informed the LMCD attorney that they are exposing people to imminent danger. Jabbour noted he has helped recover their harvester twice this year, with one time the temperature inside being 300 degrees and the people driving it being terrified. Jabbour stated in his view the people working on the harvesters are some of the least qualified people in the country to be doing what they are doing. Jabbour noted he sat on the AIS Committee with the DNR, sat on the University AIS Advisory Group, is on the Committee Writing Standards for Boats, is routinely invited by the Fish and Wildlife agency to their symposium, and that 90 percent of the information people like to use about the environment does not exist. Jabbour asked whether the LMCD is conducting boat inspections this year. Schleunig indicated the LMCD received a grant for $10,000 and that they have been doing inspections periodically at three of the launches. The number of inspections being done this year is 30 percent less than the prior year. Jabbour noted the City of Mound will not sign a cooperative agreement for the LMCD to inspect and that he is not sure what they can do with $10,000. Currently the accesses are not manned or taken care of and that he does not want the City Council to think that someone is watching over Big Island and Lake Minnetonka. Page 8 of 14