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MINUTES OF THE <br />ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING <br />Monday, April 9, 2018 <br />7:00 o'clock p.m. <br />20. LA18-000023 — CITY OF ORONO, AMEND ARTICLE XI OF THE CITY CODE <br />RELATED TO WETLANDS AND WETLAND SETBACKS — Continued <br />Barnhart noted the City did receive two letters in opposition to any change. <br />Staff recommends adoption of the ordinance as drafted. <br />Walsh noted a person can walk in the buffer area but would not be allowed to mow or fertilize it or <br />construct a structure in that area. <br />Walsh stated this review originally came from the City's Development Review Committee. Currently the <br />Minnehaha Creek Watershed District requires a setback of 25 feet and the City Council is now looking at <br />whether they should continue with the additional 10 -foot setback that is required by the City. Walsh <br />noted the change would allow firepits and swing sets to be located in that 10 -foot area but other structures <br />would not be allowed. <br />Cassandra Ordway, 1145 County Road 6, stated the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District does have an <br />ordinance for wetlands and wetland setbacks, but that the MCWD has to look at a very large district, <br />which includes both rural and residential areas. Orono is a very special rural area and it has taken a lot of <br />work and thoughtful consideration over many years to protect the wetlands in Orono. Ordway stated in <br />her view what the City has been doing in partnership with other cities has been very positive and has been <br />moving the area forward in water quality. Ordway stated she hopes the City Council realizes that the <br />Minnehaha Creek Watershed District includes Edina and areas closer to the Cities and that the MCWD's <br />regulations are more district based and not specific to Orono. <br />Ordway stated she also is not sure there has been enough citizen input on this item and that a few people <br />have called her who indicated they had not gotten notice of the meeting tonight due to a change in the <br />listserv. Ordway commented she is not sure if there is a lot of understanding about this discussion tonight <br />and that some further input might be desired. <br />Ordway stated she wants to make sure the City Council thinks about the long-term impacts of the change. <br />While they are only talking about 10 feet plus 25 feet, no study has been done to see how that will impact <br />the wetlands in the future. Ordway stated it is very hard, once a regulation is made more lenient, to get <br />those areas back. <br />Ordway stated in her view there is a compromise that can be reached, and that the City should have some <br />scientists and experts look at the long-term effects. Ordway stated one of the questions that should be <br />addressed is whether this will change the infiltration into the wetland. Ordway noted they know there are <br />always encroachments into the buffer/setback area, and that if there is only a 25 -foot buffer, there likely <br />will be fire pits and playgrounds put closer and closer to the wetland. Ordway stated Orono has fought to <br />keep that distance for preservation of the water quality and that the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District <br />looks at it more from a regional point of view. <br />Ordway noted the City is currently working on its Comprehensive Plan update and that they should <br />question how this will fit into the Comprehensive Plan as well as the City's water management plan. <br />Andy Johnson, Lecy Brothers Remodeling, stated he is in favor of the proposed change but that he <br />completely understands the concerns of the previous speaker about losing the extra 10 feet. Johnson <br />noted Orono is the only city that has this extra setback and the Watershed District takes their job very <br />Page 7of16 <br />