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TO: <br />THROUGH: <br />FROM: <br />DATE: <br />SUBJECT: <br />HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL <br />JAMES F. MILLER, CITY MANAGER <br />ANN PERRY, DIRECTOR OF PLANNING <br />JUNE 8, 1990 <br />REVIEW OF THE LMCD LONG TERM MANAGEMENT PROGRAM <br />The City has recently received the attached draft Long Term <br />Management Program for Lake Minnetonka, prepared by the Lake <br />Minnetonka Conservation District (LMCD). The Program's purpose <br />is to maintain and enhance the recreational, environmental and <br />aesthetic qualities of the lake for a 25 year period. The LMCD <br />is currently taking testimony on the Long Term Management <br />Program. Staff is requesting the City Council to react to the <br />Program based on this review. The City Council's comments will <br />be conveyed to the LMCD in writing. <br />The impetus for the Program preparation came from the <br />Metropolitan Council in 1983 following conclusions of the <br />Metropolitan Council's Task Force on Lake Minnetonka stating <br />that a new process for planning and regulating surface water of <br />the Lake was needed. The LMCD Board appointed the Long Term <br />Management Program Advisory Committee to develop the work <br />program and oversee the preparation of twelve preliminary plans. <br />Apparently, the Long Term Management Plan is a summary of those <br />plans. <br />While staff applauds the LMCD efforts for preparing the Program <br />and inviting public participation, we have severe misgivings <br />regarding several major policy objectives. First, the <br />responsibility of the LMCD for managing a regional resource is a <br />fundamental philosophical issue that should be raised with the <br />State Legislature. Recently, the Citizens League published a <br />report regarding the responsible entities for managing <br />metropolitan lakes. The report was prepared because of <br />continuing concern regarding access use conflicts, water quality <br />and continuing shoreland development of the metropolitan water <br />resources. This report, which staff supports, advocates that <br />the metropolitan area lakes should be viewed as a system and <br />that the Metropolitan Council should be responsible for planning <br />and coordinating management of metropolitan surface area. <br />However, this does not mean the abdication of local control or <br />all of LMCD powers. It suggests that local entities retain <br />power to regulate surface use to reduce conflicts. Also, the <br />report suggests that efforts to provide public access to lakes <br />should conti.nue to occur with responsibility resting with the <br />Department of Natural Resources (DNR). ^