Minutes of Regular Meeting # 764 Held in the Lake Elmo City Council Chambers
Thursday, January 11,  2007 

MANAGERS PRESENT:  Lincoln Fetcher, President; Dave Bucheck, Vice President; Don Scheel, Secretary; Dale Borash, Treasurer

OTHERS PRESENT:  Chuck Taylor, Citizens Advisory Committee; Jay Riggs, Washington Conservation District; Gustave Thill, Artisan Development; Harald Eriksen and Anthony Waldera, Waldera Minor Subdivision

CALL TO ORDER President Fetcher called the meeting to order at 7:04 p.m.

PUBLIC FORUM The managers had requested that the developer of the Artisan project attend a managers= meeting to update the managers on the project. Gustave Thill was present to explain to the managers that the Thill family is in the process of negotiating with builders, with the goal being to begin the project by April 15^th. Some trees have been removed and more will be removed prior to this spring, but no earth disturbance is planned until this spring and after the required surety is submitted. He said their attorney has met with the Township Chairman.

SECRETARY=S REPORT Secretary Scheel reported that the mail has been distributed.

INSPECTOR=S REPORT Inspector Roemmich reported on inspections he has made since the last meeting.

ATTORNEY=S REPORT Attorney Marshall said there was nothing new to report.

TREASURER=S REPORT The Treasurer=s report will be made at the second meeting of the month.

WASHINGTON CONSERVATION DISTRICT Jay Riggs reported on several items: 1) Angie Hong, the District Educator, is submitting articles to newspapers on a weekly basis. If the managers have ideas for human interest stories, please let Angie know. 2) The Blue Thumb program will begin soon with educational presentations made in neighborhood homes. The managers and Jay Riggs decided that the Tri-Lakes area, the Long Lake area, the Silver Lake area, and the Sunnybrook Lake area should be considered for the priority list. 3) Jay also reported that a good discussion was held on the BMP Cost Share Program in Washington County. He said the next consortium meeting will be another discussion of the BMP Program. 4) Stormwater U, a training session for design engineers working in the east metro, is scheduled for February 6^th. The training will focus on designing sites to conform to volume control rules. Angie has been working with representatives from South Washington, Valley Branch, and Browns Creek Watershed Districts and Middle St. Croix Watershed Management Organization. 5) The MLCCS mapping is not yet complete, but is expected to be done soon. 6) Two new educators will be hired by the Minnesota Extension Service. One person was hired to replace Ron Struss, the University of Minnesota Extension Service=s regional educator who organized several stormwater education programs, and another person was hired to lead Project NEMO (Non-point Education for Municipal Officials).

ENGINEER=S REPORT Permit Request: Waldera Minor Subdivision, Afton Engineer Hanson presented information on a project located southwest of 15^th Street South and Oakgreen Avenue South, Afton, in the NE 1/4 of the SE 1/4 of Section 8, Township 28 North, Range 20 West. The purpose of the project is to split a 40-acre parcel for future construction of two homes.

After discussion of the water management concerns, the wetland concerns, and the erosion control concerns, motion was made by Borash and seconded by Bucheck, to approve Permit # 2007-02, with the engineer=s suggested site-specific conditions, and standard conditions. Motion carried unanimously.

After discussion of the water management concerns, the wetland management concerns, and the erosion control concerns, motion was made by Borash and seconded by Scheel, to approve Permit # 2007-01, with the suggestion of wider vegetative buffers, and the engineer=s suggested site-specific conditions, and standard conditions. Motion carried unanimously.

Permit Close-Out Requests - Farms of Lake Elmo, Lake Elmo After the managers reviewed Engineer Hanson=s memorandum regarding his review of the as-built drawing in the Farms of Lake Elmo permit, # 2005-14, motion was made by Scheel and seconded by Borash to reduce the surety from $107,120 to $3,000, according to the recommendations made by Engineer Hanson in his memorandum. Motion carried unanimously. After further discussion, motion was made by Borash and seconded by Bucheck directing Engineer Hanson to arrange to have John Buelow Excavating Company remove the brush from Mr. James V. Peterson=s yard, because Mr. Petersen had been promised this would be accomplished when the Farms of Lake Elmo permit was closed. Motion carried unanimously.

Permit Close-Out Requests - Discover Crossing, Lake Elmo After the managers reviewed Engineer Hanson=s memorandum regarding his review of the as-built drawing in the Discover Crossing permit, # 2005-18, motion was made by Borash and seconded by Bucheck to reduce the surety from $65,000 to $6,000, and to keep the permit open, according to the recommendations made by Engineer Hanson in his memorandum. Motion carried unanimously.

Silver Lake Monitoring Results & Bioretention Site Sign Engineer Hanson had mailed to the managers, @Silver Lake 2006 Monitoring Data@. After briefly discussing the data, the managers agreed that Engineer Hanson should use the information to update the existing water quality computer model and determine what practices are feasible to improve Silver Lake=s water quality. Engineer Hanson had also mailed to the managers the second draft of the sign to be placed at the bioretention site on Silver Lake. The managers approved the sign with one change, and directed Engineer Hanson to arrange to have the sign built.

MANAGERS= REPORT Next Meeting - January 25, 2007 The managers expect to have a quorum present at the next meeting on January 25, 2007. Secretary Scheel said he will not be present for the next meeting, and will be out of the state until the end of March 2007.

Selection of District=s Official Newspaper and Official Bank for 2007 Motion was made by Fetcher and seconded by Borash to select Lillie Suburban Newspapers as the legal newspaper for VBWD in 2007, and to select the Lake Elmo Bank as the official bank for VBWD in 2007. Motion carried unanimously.