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MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING Monday, February 11, 2013 7:00 o’clock p.m. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Page 6 of 24 (LMCD REPORT – ANDREW McDERMOTT, REPRESENTATIVE, Continued) Nybeck stated a good analogy is that the milfoil harvesting program functions very similar to a city snow plowing program. The LMCD will clear the public areas up to the dock and then it is the responsibility of the property owner to take care of the area close to the shore. The one thing that the LMCD has to deal with is fragments of milfoil going up on the lakeshore but those are typically caused by wind, waves and propellers. The harvesters are staggered to allow for a wider path and also to help catch the milfoil fragments. The seasonal data collected show that the average working days range from 32 to 35. The LMCD has four-day work weeks for 10 weeks. In 2011, there were only 21 work days and that was due to the state shutdown. The total acres harvested average about 400 acres each year. The LMCD does provide some milfoil for composting purposes. Nybeck displayed a map from 2010 depicting the five-year chemical treatment project that has recently ended. The LMCD has not conducted harvesting in those bays and it was found that there is not a significant amount of milfoil in Maxwell Bay but quite a bit of milfoil in North Arm Bay, Crystal Bay, and Orono Park. Nybeck noted these maps are generated from hand-held GPS. The harvesting budget in 2011 was a little over $91,000 and in 2013 it is approximately $95,000. Nybeck indicated the LMCD does attempt to keep the levy fairly consistent from year to year for the harvesting program and that the levy to the member cities ranges from $50,000 in 2011 to almost $62,000 for this year. Although there was a levy increase this year for the harvesting program, the levies have remained relatively flat from 2011 to 2013. Orono’s share of the budget for the milfoil program is approximately 18 percent, which accounted for approximately $9,000 in 2011 and $11,000 in 2013. The LMCD did receive a $35,000 grant from the DNR in 2012 but that number is expected to be smaller this year. Levang asked why North Arm is so bad. Gabriel Jabbour indicated it is due to the nature of the soil and the fact that it is a shallower bay. McDermott noted that Carmen’s Bay, Gray’s Bay and Phelps Bay were the three bays that were chemically treated for a five-year period. That study period is now over and the next step is to develop a lake-wide management plan to deal with milfoil and curly leaf pond weed. They have found other invasive aquatic species in Lake Minnetonka but they are not being addressed at this time. Currently the Minnehaha Watershed District is handling the flowering rush problem by hand pulling it since it is a relatively small amount of area. Following the conclusion of the demonstration project in 2012, the LMCD commenced work on a comprehensive vegetation management plan in conjunction with the DNR, the Minnehaha Watershed District, the Lake Minnetonka Association, and Three Rivers Park. The LMCD received the draft document in October to review and have provided some comments. A public meeting was held in December. The findings in the report conclude that there are really only seven bays that are truly suitable for chemical treatment, and those include Carman’s Bay, Carson’s Bay, Gideon’s Bay, Grays Bay, North Arm Bay, Phelps Bay, and St. Albans Bay. The other bays throughout the lake have too much water going through them and would not be conducive to chemical treatment. Item #02 - CC Agenda - 02/25/2013 Approval of Council Minutes 02/11/2013 [Page 6 of 24]