05-09-2011 Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING Monday, May 9, 2011 • 7:00 o'clock p.m. (LMCD REPORT, Continued) The LMCD has also adopted a number of regulations for the licensing and permitting of a number of activities on Lake Minnetonka. These include regulations governing multiple docks, district mooring areas, charter boats, permanent docks, special events, and winter de- icing. The LMCD is governed by a board of directors composed of one member appointed by each of the 14 cities surrounding Lake Minnetonka. There are currently 2.5 staff members. The total population around the lake is 104,000 plus. Lake Minnetonka consists of approximately 125 miles of shore land, 14,043 acres of surface use area, and 42 bays. The mean water depth is 30 feet and the maximum water depth is 113 feet, which is located at Crystal Bay. The vision of the LMCD is to protect and preserve Lake Minnetonka. The mission statement reads as follows: The LMCD provides leadership in protecting, improving, and managing Lake Minnetonka. This is accomplished through administration and regulation; promoting cooperation and partnerships; through innovation and education; and effective stewardship of public and private funds. The objectives include: 1. Reducing the levels of existing aquatic invasive species; 2. Preventing the introduction of new AIS; 3. Ensuring that LMCD ordinances and policies are relevant and enforceable; 4. Maintaining a strong financial foundation; 5. Promoting public access to Lake Minnetonka; • 6. Ensuring that Lake Minnetonka is safe; 7. Improving public awareness of the LMCD; and 8. Protecting the lake's ecological systems. The board members and other Lake Minnetonka stakeholders serve on a number of advisory committees of the LMCD. These advisory committees include the following: AIS task force, environmental committee, finance committee, ordinance review committee, personnel committee, public safety committee, and Save the Lake committee. Reducing the level of existing AIS is a major objective of the LMCD. To that end, the LMCD has implemented mechanical harvesting. This harvesting program was conducted for 32 working days from mid June through mid August. Harvesting priorities were based upon impediments to public boat navigation on the open water. The total number of harvested loads in 2010 were 251.25, which generated 137 truck loads or 4.15 loads per day. The total number of acres harvested was 384. Approximately $100,000 was spent on this project in 2010. Primary funding sources included the LMCD's AIS Management Budget and a Minnesota DNR grant. Since 2008, the LMCD has participated in a five -year herbicide treatment program on Carman's, Grays, and Phelps Bays to evaluate whole bay herbicide treatments as another cost - effective means of managing EWM. This project is supervised by the LMCD's AIS task force and is being done in coordination with a Lake Vegetation Management Plan, which was prepared for Lake Minnetonka prior to the 2008 boating season. The LMCD Board of Directors agreed to contribute up to $10,000 per bay or 25 percent of the commercial applicator costs, whichever is less, from the Save the Lake Fund. Since this is a five -year demonstration project, the LMCD's 2010 commitment is to participate solely in the three bays for five • years. The LMCD is not looking to expand this project to other bays at the present time until the final results of the current project are evaluated by the technical committee. Page 5 of 17