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Management Plan <br />Page Three <br />Each of the LMCD communities appoint a representative to the <br />Board of Directors which serves as its governing body. The <br />board, in turn, hires a full time Executive Director and other <br />staff to administer the budget and implement its policies. <br />The proposed program would significantly alter the organization <br />and funding of the LMCD. This raises several concerns, <br />especially for the City of Minnetonka which would probably <br />continue to be, either directly or indirectly, the largest <br />funding source. <br />First, as mentioned, it is felt use and management of Lake <br />Minnetonka should be controlled on a regional basis, as <br />recommended by the Citizens League report noted earlier, rather <br />than on a modified local basis, as suggested by the proposed <br />Long Term Management P^^“. <br />It is apparent that the ^.*d management of Lake Minnetonka <br />should also be considered from a regional or state-wide <br />standpoint rather from that of the communities abutting the <br />Lake. The LMCD Program proposes to gain a regional and <br />State-wide perspective by adding a representative from the <br />Metropolitan Council, Hennepin County, Hennepin Regional Parks, <br />and the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District. The Program <br />contemplates that the LMCD should maintain its existing <br />authority, but does not state how the overall public policy of <br />promoting public use, discouraging overcrowding, and improving <br />water quality will occur, except in a limited context. <br />It is staffs opinion that it is difficult to address these <br />broad issues from a local perspective and that regional policy <br />should be adopted to coordinate long-term planning. <br />regional policy is adopted on overcrowding, for example, all <br />lakes would hopefully operate under similar standards for <br />access. Then, people would have access opportunities at all <br />lakes of similar types which may disperse current overcrowding <br />on some lakes, such as Minnetonka. It may be the opportune time <br />to address this issue from a regional perspective since <br />legislative changes are required to approve the membership and <br />funding proposals of the LMCD. Again, staff believes that the <br />proposal offered by the Citizens League should be further <br />explored. <br />A second issue regarding management structure centers on <br />accountability. As mentioned, the membership of the LMCD board <br />will be expanded to include representation from four regional <br />and State agencies. If this proposal is implemented, and if the <br />LMCD obtains independent taxing authority as it is apparently <br />suggesting, the result would be a non-elected board with ^ V . <br />indlpendeni taxing authority. This raises serious Vi <br />accountability questions, which the plan fails to address.