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HomeMy WebLinkAbout11/16/94 MINUTES OF THE LAKE ADVISORY COMMITTEE November 16,1994 I. CALL TO ORDER: The Lake Advisory Committee meeting was called to order on Wednesday, November 16, 1994 at 6:40 p.m. Members present were: Bill Packer, Jody Stroh, Tom Watkins, and John Wingard. Members absent were Pete Patchin. City staff present were: Director of Public Works Larry Anderson and Water Resources Coordinator Lani Leichty. Also present was Jerry Meysembourg representing the PUSL Watershed District and Dick Osgood of Ecosystem Strategies. II. CONSIDER APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING: The first item on the Agenda was to approve the meeting minutes from October 19, 1994. MOTION BY WATKINS, SECONDED BY WINGARD, TO APPROVE THE SEPTEMBER 21, 1994 MINUTES. MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY. Two residents from 2953 and 2960 Terrace Circle were at the beginning of the meeting to voice opposition to the classification of Terrace Circle. North as a Scenic Overlook as proposed in the Lake Access Study. Stroh said that the Lake Advisory Committee had already presented their recommendations to the City Council and that Council had accepted the report. The next step was for a Public Information Hearing to be held to receive public input. Stroh also mentioned that they could write a letter to the Council which could be read into the meeting minutes at the time of the hearing stating their position on this matter. After a brief discussion about the public process the two residents withdrew from the meeting. III. EURASIAN MILFOIL ACTION PLAN: The next item on the agenda was a presentation by Dick Osgood, of Ecosystem Strategies, outlining his proposal to manage the eurasian milfoil problem. His proposal included the following items: 1) Situation Analysis - Evaluating work done to-date and identify future actions, 2) Develop Protection and Management Strategies, 3) Management Oversight - management of contractors, interns and volunteers, 4) Liaison to the Lake Advisory Committee - Prepare an annual report and apprise the LAC as to the status of of activities. A major change in the proposed management strategy versus what has been practiced in the past was a shift away from spending most of the funds each year on treatment to focus more on surveillance. Milfoil will be around for some time into the future and no quick fixes are likely to be available soon. Osgood proposed a one year contract, averaging three work days a month at $80/hour. This is equivalent to $23,040 for one year. He stated that this amount was negotiable. Discussion occurred between the LAC and Osgood about how to practically attack this issue. Meysembourg said that from a recreational use standpoint that there was basically no change in milfoil inhabitance from last year. Following Osgood's presentation the committee discussed the questions listed on the handout titled "Eurasian Milfoil Management Issues". The questions discussed 4629 Dakota St. S.E., Prior Lake, Minnesota 55372-1714 / Ph. (612) 447-4230 / Fax (612) 447-4245 AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER were: 1) Is this a City issue or a Watershed issue? 2) Where should the funding come from? 3) Who will oversee the decision making? 4) Who will do the field work? 5) How much of the lake should be mapped? 6) What are we going to do on a long-term basis? 7) What needs to be done now in cooperation between the Watershed and the LAC? There was a consensus among the group that the amount requested by Osgood to manage milfoil was beyond what they felt was a good expenditure of funds. The LAC and Meysembourg agreed that enough information was gathered by those who attended the Eurasian Milfoil Workshop held on September 17, 1994 that the LAC in joint effort with the Watershed could manage the milfoil issue effectively, without hiring an outside management consultant. Anderson suggested that the LAC and the Watershed together prepare a management plan for 1995 and a long term plan for managing milfoil during the next one or two meetings. Also suggested by Anderson was that a budget recommendation for funding milfoil treatment and management be made which may include participation from the Watershed, the City, and DNR. The committee agreed that educating the public as to what has been done, future goals and strategies, and information about milfoil is an important exercise that needs to be carried out before next season. Articles can be placed in the Wavelength, Prior Lake American and a brochure made explaining the various milfoil issues. IV. OTHER BUSINESS: Packer mentioned that he talked to Dick Underferth about placing additional buoys on the lake. Underferth told him that the money for purchasing buoys would have to come out of the County Sheriff's budget, which is already set for 1995. Money for this activity would need to be appropriated in the 1996 budget. Chair Stroh revealed the three LAC members who were selected to serve on the committee. Marianne Breitbach and Doug Larson will begin in December. Kenneth Conrad will replace retiring member Pete Patchin in January. WATKINS MOTIONED TO APPROVE OF THE NEW LAKE ADVISORY COMMITTEE SELECTIONS, PACKER SECONDED THE MOTION. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. Leichty showed the committee a tentative schedule of the public hearings to be held on the lake accesses. There will be approximately six weeks between each meeting. It was agreed upon by the committee that the December meeting, scheduled the week before Christmas, should be moved to December 14, 1994. V. ADJOURNMENT: MOTION BY WATKINS, SECONDED BY WINGARD TO ADJOURN THE MEETING AT 8:45 P.M. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. Respectfully submitted, ~. Recording Secre ary The next Lake Advisory Committee meeting ~s scheduled for Wednesday, December 14, 1994 at 6:30 p.m. LACMll