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BWSR Report to the <br />Hennepin County Board of Conunissioners <br />on the <br />Minnehaha Creek Watershed District <br />June 15, 1999 <br />On September 23,1997 the H- nnepin County Board of Commissioners (Commissioners) <br />requested the Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) review the activities of the Minnehaha <br />Creek Watershed District (District) to determine whether the activities were in compliance with <br />State statutes, rules and regulations. The original report was prepared and delivered to the <br />Comnussioners on January 26, 1998. <br />While the report found the District was in compliance with State statutes, rules and regulations, it <br />also contained several recommendations for the District. In summary, the BWSR recommended <br />the District review its activities in the following areas. <br />1.D istrict Management . <br />The District board of managers should: <br />A. shift their management style from being involved in the details of District <br />operations toward policy and oversight activities. <br />B. empower District staff to carry out most of the operational functions and <br />administrative functions of the District. <br />C. rely more on staff in the areas of permits and planning. <br />2.DISTRICT C ommunication , Outreach and C oordination . <br />The District board of managers should: <br />A. improve communications with its constituents, especially cities. <br />B. host an annual meeting with its constituent cities and counties to discuss capital <br />improvement projects and to try to achieve broad agreement among the parties <br />on sources of funding for the projects. <br />3.D istrict Financial A ccountability . <br />The District board of managers should: <br />A. consider using additional engineering firms or the Hennepin Conservation <br />District for capital improvement project design. <br />B. consider using city engineers as project managers on capital improvement <br />projects. <br />Although reports like the above tend to focus on areas of District activity which may require some <br />improvement, the BWSR report also found the District’s managers, staff and consultants to be a <br />highly dedicated and committed group working together to protect and manage water and related <br />land resources of the District. As with the first report, District staff and managers have willing <br />cooperated with the BWSR to complete this follow-up report.