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From: Bob Tunheim <br />To: Adam Edwards <br />Subject: Fwd: Statement Opposing the creation of LIDS on Lake Minnetonka <br />Date: Monday, June 2, 2025 11:53:04 AM <br />Importance: High <br />---------- Forwarded message ---------- <br />From: Ed Rockwell <eddierockwell@gmail.com> <br />Date: Jun 1, 2025 5:46 PM <br />Subject: Statement Opposing the creation of LIDS on Lake Minnetonka <br />To: Bob Tunheim <btunheim@oronomn.gov>,Alisa Benson <br /><abenson@oronomn.gov>,Jacqueline Ricks <j ricks@oronomn.gov>, Steve Persian <br /><spersian@oronomn.gov>,Jon Schwingler <jschwingler@oronomn.gov>,Ed Rockwell <br /><eddierockwell@gmail. com> <br />Cc: <br />City of Oronon Council Members, <br />Please include this statement in the packet for the June 9th City Council Meeting <br />My name is Ed Rockwell and I live at 4888 Edgewater Drive, Mound MN on Harrisons Bay. I <br />have lived here for 24 years and have lived on lakes for 53 of my 57 years. <br />I have several concerns about bays like Stubbs Bay and Harrisons Bay plans to form a <br />government -backed Lake Improvement District, or LID. It may sound like a helpful idea, but <br />it creates a structure similar to an HOA — and in many ways, it's worse. <br />If formed, a LID would have the power to tax lakeshore homes, deeded access properties, and <br />businesses (if existing on the bay) — whether they agree with the LID's actions or not. It also <br />shifts legal responsibility and liability away from the DNR and State of Minnesota, and <br />instead puts that liability on the Lakeshore owners, the City of Mound or Orono (depending on <br />bay), and the lakeshore owners being taxed! Whether they agree or not but will be liable for <br />their actions. <br />This liability shift is spelled out in the official Minnesota DNR rules on Lake Improvement <br />Districts. Once a LID is formed, the DNR is no longer responsible and liable for the actions of <br />the LID <br />Here is the verbiage from State Statute: <br />The lake improvement district shall assume all legal risks and liabilities, including those for <br />damages or any injury to persons or property, arising from the construction, operation, <br />maintenance, alteration, or abandonment of its programs, plans, or actions. <br />In the event of termination of the district, or failure of the district to meet its obligations, these <br />responsibilities and liabilities shall fall upon the unit or units of government which established <br />the lake improvement district. <br />Limited state liabilities. The establishment of a lake improvement district shall not impose any <br />liability upon the state of Minnesota, its officers, employees, agents, or consultants, for any <br />damage or injury to any persons or property resulting from the activities of the lake <br />improvement district. <br />290 <br />