06-09-2025 - Agenda Packet City Council - regular meeting

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Jim Theisen 1295 Elmwood Ave Orono I'm 68 years old and have lived directly on Minnetonka shoreline 50 of my 68 years. I have done some research regarding LMCD and learned it was created in 1967 by Minnesota State Legislature and is considered a political subdivision. It is funded and governed by 14 municipalities that boarder the lake, each have an appointed (not elected) representative from each municipality and each municipality paying an annual contribution. "Save the lake" funding initiative was created in 1970 to provide supplemental funding for public safety, environmental protection, and educational efforts. I have also read "The LMCD Comprehensive Eurasian Watermilfoil and Curly -Leaf Pondweed Management Plan" amended version dated Mar 13, 2013.1 have read some, not all of the 250 pages, of the 2019 plan. There has been an enormous amount of effort on behalf of Lake Minnetonka by LMCD, and as a lifelong resident I'm grateful for your efforts. First, I have a question for the board. If a group of bay residents were interested in creating a Lake Improvement District on Minnetonka could we count on your support for it's creation? Did LMCD provide support to St Alban's Bay and Carman's Bay when they created their LID's? If you would support, could you please explain the reasoning. If a group came with opposition, could we count on you supporting their opposition? Rich Anderson and Eric Evanson (executive director of Lake Minnetonka Association) have been promoting the creation of LID's dating back to 2021 and as recently as Aug 12, 2024. See Orono and Minnetonka Beach council minutes (attached). Was Rich and Eric working on behalf of LMCD when they were promoting LIDS. Or were they working on behalf of LMA, Orono or Mound? Rich has been a LMCD board member since 2019, appointed by Denny Walsh. See his comments to Orono council dated June 14, 2021 (attached). This should be very concerning information. What is "the big surprise" he references, reduced levy for Orono (I have a copy of payments made 2014 to 2026 attached). Why is there a $697,000.00 reserve in 2021, far exceeding the $250,000.00 the auditors recommended. This same oversized reserve is also true of LMA per 2023 501C records. Not attached, but I have this in my possession here tonight. Currently Eric is working with Forest Lake, Crystal Bay, Stubb's Bay and Harrison Bay to create LID's that we are aware of. LMCD provided partial funding for weed surveys in Forest Lake and Stubb's Bay. See Eric Evanson's presentation to this board on February 12, 2025, were he states "he wants more LID's without putting AIS treatments costs on public agencies" We are in opposition to LID's for three primary reasons. The residents in Forest Lake stopped this action largely due to the liability (see state statute 6115.0980 attached) and the forced payment structure (or duplicate taxation). 1. We are opposed to the formation of an "association" or LID and forcing our neighbors into this structure to manage a public body of water. 2. We are opposed to the liability placed on us as residents and on the City of Orono by state statute 6115.0980, and "hold harmless" on the State of Minnesota to manage a public body of water. 3. We are opposed to the widespread chemical treatment of our bays with these potentially harmful / forever chemicals, specifically ProcellaCOR. Harrison Bay Association has suggested they will attempt to gain your official support. I'm asking that you do not provide it to them or any other bay. We believe creating LID's and placing this incredibly complex issue of invasives on a board of directors made of bay residents is not the correct course of action. 297