Minutes of Regular Meeting
# 776 Held in the
Lake Elmo City Council Chambers
Thursday, July 12, 2007
MANAGERS PRESENT: Lincoln Fetcher, President; Dave Bucheck, Vice President; Don Scheel, Secretary, and Duane Johnson, Manager
MANAGERS ABSENT: Dale Borash, Treasurer, and Dave Bucheck, Vice President
STAFF PRESENT: John Hanson, Barr Engineering; Barb Wolle, Attorney; and Ray Roemmich, Inspector; Karen Schultz, Recording Secretary
STAFF ABSENT: None
OTHERS PRESENT: Chuck Taylor, Citizens Advisory Committee; Paul and Mary Anderson, North St. Paul; Tom McHenry and his wife, Jenny Holder, Deer Pond; Jeff Berg, Former Washington Conservation District Representative; and Todd Deutsch, Reporter, Stillwater Courier Newspaper
CALL TO ORDER President Fetcher called the meeting to order at 7:07 pm.
ANNOUNCEMENTS There were no announcements.APPROVAL OF MINUTES After discussion of the minutes of the June 28, 2007 meeting, motion was made by Scheel and seconded by Johnson to approve the minutes as corrected. Motion carried unanimously.
ADDITIONAL AGENDA ITEMS The following items were added to the agenda: Under Managers: East Metro Water Resources Education Program; International Erosion Control Association and MAWD Summer Tour; and under Engineer: Washington County Fairgrounds Demolition Derby Track; Century College; Baytown Superfund Site Responsiveness Summary; and under Old Business, Silver Lake Bioretention Site.
PUBLIC FORUM Deer Pond Tom McHenry, and his wife, Jenny Holder, were present to discuss with the managers the condition of Deer Pond. They have lived on Deer Pond for 15 years, and have used it extensively over the years, but the pond is so overgrown with vegetation now, that they cannot use it like they have in the past. They said they have received permission from the MnDNR for two years, to make a path out to the open water, but the vegetation has increased. They asked the managers if there is something that can be done about the vegetation.
President Fetcher said that Deer Pond is a wetland, and that it may be returning to a natural state, and the lack of rain may be the reason for the lower water level in the pond. He told them that the wetland is inspected every year to ensure that the District
=s Project 1007 flood control system is operating properly. Engineer Hanson said the wetland will be assessed either this year or next as part of the VBWD wetland inventory.President Fetcher invited the landowners to any future VBWD meetings, and also that they can find the results of the wetland study on the District
=s web site.Shoreline Restoration Permit on Silver Lake Paul and Mary Anderson were at the meeting to present an after-the-fact permit application for shoreline restoration on their property on Silver Lake. They had the work completed without knowing that a permit is necessary. They asked the managers about any BMP cost sharing that may be available to them. Engineer Hanson was directed to review the application and have it placed on the agenda for the next managers
= meeting.CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE Chuck Taylor had mailed his report on lake levels, and discussed it with the managers at this meeting.
SECRETARY
=S REPORT Secretary Scheel reported that the mail had been distributed.INSPECTOR
=S REPORT Inspector Roemmich reported on his activities since the last meeting.ATTORNEY
=S REPORT Attorney Wolle said she had nothing new to report.WASHINGTON CONSERVATION DISTRICT There was no report given.
ENGINEER
=S REPORT Permit Request: DNR Gateway Trail Rehabilitation, Grant Engineer Hanson presented information on a project located on the Gateway Trail at Capaul=s Pond in Grant, in part of the SW quarter of Section 33, Township 30 North, Range 21 West. The purpose of the project is to replace an existing crushed culvert and stabilize slumped banks with riprap.After much discussion, motion by Fetcher and seconded by Scheel to approve Permit # 2007-18 with the engineer
=s suggested site specific conditions and standard conditions, and that the DNR consider vegetative-based alternatives for stabilizing the banks instead of riprap, and that they include elements to keep out the muskrats and other burrowing animals; and the DNR should inform the homeowners of the potential impact on water levels caused by the project. Motion carried unanimously.Permit 2007-10: Washington County Fairgrounds Demolition Derby, Baytown Township Secretary Scheel excused himself from the discussion of Permit # 2007-10 because of his involvement in the Washington Agriculture Society.
At the last meeting, the managers directed Attorney Wolle to contact the area Fire department concerning a possible safety hazard, then to draft a letter to the permit applicant, stating the need for a drainage easement, a skimming device, the construction of flatter side slopes, and the suggestion of a fence. At this meeting, Attorney Wolle said she has had no response to the letter she had sent to the permit applicant, and she said that she had been in contact with Washington County, and learned that there are no fencing guidelines.
After much discussion, President Fetcher said he will attempt to contact the permit holder.
Century College Engineer Hanson reported that he sent a letter to the permit applicant in the Century College project requesting updated information for Permit # 2006-31, and received a letter from Larson Engineering concerning the issues addressed in his letter. After receiving the letter, Engineer Hanson contacted the engineer for the project and requested that the disturbed area over the water and sanitary services be vegetated.
Baytown Superfund Site Responsiveness Summary At the last meeting, the managers directed Attorney Wolle to send a letter to MPCA stating that the proposed project will need to conform to VBWD Rules. In response to the letter, Engineer Hanson had received a voice mail message from the MPCA requesting what specifically the VBWD would like to see. Engineer Hanson had responded with a voice mail message. President Fetcher directed Attorney Wolle and Engineer Hanson to keep the managers posted.
MANAGERS
= REPORT Next Meeting - July 26, 2007 The managers expect to have a quorum present at the next meeting on July 26, 2007.International Erosion Control Association President Fetcher said he had the opportunity to visit the annual meeting of the International Erosion Control Association in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. He said he enjoyed it and he distributed information to the other managers that he had received at the meeting. He said members of the association are engineering firms and landscape firms with an interest in erosion control.
East Metro Water Resources Education Program President Fetcher said a meeting has been scheduled by Angie Hong, the District Water Resources Educator, on July 18th from 1:00 to 3:30 pm. There will be a discussion of whether to add additional watershed districts as partners in the watershed district education program. He said that the Lower St. Croix Watershed Management Organization and the Comfort Lake-Forest Lake Watershed District have expressed an interest in joining the group in 2008.
OLD BUSINESS Silver Lake Bioretention Site Weeding At the last meeting, President Fetcher directed Engineer Hanson to send a letter to North St. Paul personnel, stating that if the City of North St. Paul does not have maintenance performed on the bioretention site at Silver Lake in the next two weeks, VBWD will have it done and bill the City of North St. Paul. At this meeting, President Fetcher said that the City of North St. Paul has been cutting the weeds, not pulling them, at the bioretention site.
ADJOURNMENT Motion made by Fetcher and seconded by Scheel at 9:05 pm to adjourn the meeting. Motion carried unanimously.
Respectfully Submitted,
/s/ Don Scheel, Secretary
Don Scheel, Secretary
Minutes Approved by Managers 07/26/07