09/10/2012 Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES OF THE " ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING Monday,September 10,2012 7:00 o'clock p.m. LMCD REPORT-ANDREW MCDERMOTT,REPRESENTATIVE McDermott reported La1ce Minnetonka is at approximately the same level as last year at this time but that the dam has been closed and the lake continues to drop due to the lack of rain. The harvesting of the milfoil has been completed for the year and a report will be compiled on how much milfoil has been harvested. This is the final year of the herbicide treatment on the three bays and the LMCD should be receiving a report from the Army Corps of Engineers in November or December. The LMCC is close to completing its lake vegetation management plan and they are looking at how each bay should be handled in the future with whatever issues they are facing. McMillan stated she has received a number of comments of how clear the lower bay is this year. McDermott stated that water quality increases until the zebra mussels reach a certain population. PLANNING COIVIIVIISSION COMII�NTS-DEIVISE LESKINEN,REPRESENTATNE Leskinen stated she had nothing to report but would be available for questions. PUBLIC COMMENTS Ralph Kempf, 3675 Togo Road,thanked Mayor McMillan,the Staff of Orono, and the Council and Planning Commission members for attending the meeting on August 28th at the Freshwater Institute in Navarre. These meetings were offered by Hennepin County to interested communities to gather local input into the first ever Hennepin County pedestrian plan and to identify issues with safe walking and biking along county roads. The Navarre meeting was initiated by the Navarre Community Initiative and co-hosted by Hennepin County's Community Design Group. The Navarre meeting had the largest turnout of any of the planning meetings to-date. There were 49 participants who signed in,with many more arriving as the meeting progressed. Kempf commented it was a great meeting with the local residents as well as representatives from the various government entities. During the meeting the participants had an opportunity to identify walking destinations,points of safety concerns,and could describe specific walking and biking issues in this area. Kempf stated the intersection of County Roads 15 and 19 is a defining element in creating a bike/pedestrian friendly and safe Navarre. The unfinished connection along County Road 19 that would safely connect the Dakota Rail Trail with the Navane business district,the Navarre park and the city-owned parking lot is also a Hennepin County issue. Many crucial Orono safety issues, and especially Navarre safety issues,are Hennepin County issues as well. Kempf stated this meeting may well be the building block for creating a pedestrian welcome Navane. Kempf stated according to the Hennepin County website, the draft of the Hennepin County pedestrian plan will be released this fall and is expected to be completed in mid 2013. The Navarre Community Initiative is thrilled to have had the opportunity to facilitate this event happening in the Navane community and are optimistic that with continued city support Hennepin County will respond to the issues of the Navarre neighborhood and Orono. Kempf stated on behalf of the Navarre Community Page 4 of 26