07-23-1990 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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LMCD AS LOCAL IMPLEMENTER FOR OTHER AGENCIES Finally, the City of Orono is more deeply concerned than before at the apparent desire and plan of the LMCD to give up its role of protection of the lake on behalf of the 14 member communities to serve the interest of other agencies. This again points to the fact that LMCD apparently believes that this plan is ultimately under the control of the Metropolitan Council so the LMCD implementation will be guided by the Metropolitan Council checks and balances. To illustrate its shift in roles the LMCD has applied to the Legislative Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCMR) for planning monies to undertake a program to "develop an action program for public access to Lake Minnetonka", while the 25 year plan is being reviewed and apparently may disregard what is ultimately adopted. This program is to have the DNR as the program manager and LMCD as the local or subservient organization. It was reported to LMCD that this was fully in accord with the management plan. We note that further credence to this fundamental shift and its ramifications were given by the representative of the DNR- Shoreline Management group at the 7:00 p.m. hearing on June 6th, explaining in substance that the DNR group he represented particularly favored the plan. He stated that by using the LMCD plan the DNR would be able to achieve control of the shoreline in a manner which it has been unable to accomplish alone. Under the plan the DNR is going to effectively control the shoreline through its agent the LMCD, and control public access to the lake by being the supervisor of the LMCD, with the Metropolitan Council having ultimate control over the rest of the activities in the LMCD plan. If this scenario is correct what is it that the LMCD as an advocate of the lake intends to advocate on its own authority, except for increased taxation and watered-down local control of the Board?