Minutes of Regular Meeting # 643 Held in the Lake Elmo City Council Chambers
Thursday, May 24, 2001

CALL TO ORDER Meeting called to order by Vice President Borash at 7:02 p.m.

ADDITIONAL AGENDA ITEMS Items added to the agenda: Under Engineering, Engineer Hanson added ADowns Lake Field Work@, AManagers= Tour@, and ASt. Croix Bluffs Park@.

PUBLIC FORUM No discussion in Public Forum.

INSPECTOR=S REPORT Inspector Roemmich reported that he has begun checking all the projects that were started in 1998, to see if they are completed and correctly finished.

ATTORNEY=S REPORT Attorney Wolle had nothing new to report.

TREASURER=S REPORT Treasurer Fetcher distributed copies of the Income Statement: Budget Variance through April 30, 2001. He also said he will be meeting with Barr Engineering, the auditor, and the District=s accountant in the second week in June to review the account numbers and the chart of accounts that Washington County is proposing, to see if it impacts the District or not. Motion made by Johnson and seconded by Scheel to approve the Treasurer=s report.

ENGINEER=S REPORT Cardoza Property (Lots 1 & 2, Block 1, Valley Home Estates), Grant - Permit Request Engineer Hanson described a project located northwest of Jamaca Avenue and 63^rd Street in Grant. Specifically, the project is located in the northeast quarter of the southeast quarter of Section 33, Township 30 North, Range 21 West. The applicant is proposing to construct a house and driveway. This project requires a permit because of wetland impacts and more than 6,000 feet of new impervious surface are proposed.

After discussion of the wetland management concerns, the water management concerns, and the erosion control concerns, motion was made by Fetcher and seconded by Scheel to approve Permit # 2001-10 with the engineer=s suggested conditions, and also changes to certain conditions made by the managers. Motion carried unanimously.

After discussion of the wetland management concerns, the water management concerns, and the erosion control concerns, motion was made by Scheel and seconded by Fetcher to approve Permit # 2001-09 with the engineer=s suggested conditions, and also changes to certain conditions made by the managers. Motion carried unanimously.

After discussion of the wetland management concerns, the water management concerns, and the erosion control concerns, motion was made by Fetcher and seconded by Scheel to approve Permit # 2001-12 with the engineer=s suggested conditions, and also changes to certain conditions made by the managers. Motion carried unanimously.

The Technical Evaluation Panel suggested that the applicant use the stormwater pond for PVC credit, and to mitigate onsite or purchase credits from a wetland bank. At this meeting the managers were asked to approve conditions for a permit, since the applicant does not have a permit. Motion was made by Fetcher and seconded by Johnson to approve Permit # 2001-04, with the engineer=s suggested conditions of approval, and with an additional condition to extend the amount of time from one year to two years, to replace and/or purchase bank credits within the Lower St. Croix Valley Watershed District to the satisfaction of the managers. Motion carried unanimously.

Engineer Hanson suggested that the managers invite Jim Palecek to the next managers= meeting to discuss the issue, and to attempt to finalize the issue of his property being flooded. Engineer Hanson will talk to Jim Palecek.

Managers= Summer Tour Engineer Hanson had drafted a schedule for the managers= tour on June 9, 2001. The tour will begin at 9:00 a.m. at the District=s Project office. The managers agreed with the scheduled stops.

St. Croix Bluffs Park The Washington Soil and Washington Conservation District has asked Barr Engineering to help them solve an erosion problem within the St. Croix Bluffs Park. The area is located outside the Valley Branch Watershed District, but inside the expanded District. The managers said they didn=t think it would be a conflict of interest for Barr Engineering to work on the problem.

MANAGERS= REPORT Next Meeting - June 14, 2001 The managers said they do expect to have a quorum at the next meeting.

Stu Grubb said that he tried to bring to the table a process that the Emmons & Olivier Resources firm has successfully used to implement infiltration projects in the county. He said he feels they are experts at it. He said it=s what they can add to the process, e.g. natural resource assessment and the advisory committee process, not something completely new.

Treasurer Fetcher said what would be helpful for him, is to have some information from the Emmons & Olivier organization that says what it can do that=s above and beyond the District=s resources; how that will make a difference, what the value is to that, what=s special about the organization. He also said that the managers need to discuss the issue within the group about the plan or process instead of reacting to it. He said it should be done in an executive session with all managers present.

In the lengthy discussion of the whole issue, Treasurer Fetcher said he did not see anything new in the suggestions made by the engineers as a result of their meeting. He also suggested that the managers direct Engineer Hanson to work with gathering water data to see what that picture looks like, see what those opportunities are, and then come back and assess what=s missing, or whether we have enough to go forward with the advisory groups through the agencies.