10.6. SR 05-06-2019 - Laserfiche WebLink

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April 10, 2019 City of Elk River 13065 Orono Parkway Elk River, MN 55330 Dear Mayor Dietz and City Council Members, Please accept this letter and the accompanying attachments as the official request of the Lake Orono Improvement Association (LOIA) for the Elk River City Council to approval the formation of the Orono Lake Improvement District (OLID). Embedded in the documents are responses to meet all requirements of Minnesota Statutes 103B.521 Subdivision 1, Minnesota Rules 6115.0970 Subpart 1 and Minnesota Rules 6115.0960 regarding petitioning and establishing a lake improvement district. According to MN Statute 103B.501 LAKE IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS. 103.515, Subdivision 1, a county board (or city council) may initiate the establishment of a lake improvement district in a portion of the county (or city) under this section. The council must adopt a resolution declaring the intent of the council to establish a lake improvement district. We formally request the Elk River City Council to initiate, by resolution in response to this petition, the process to form the Orono Lake Improvement District. We submit these 157 signatures as evidence of support for the formation of the Orono Lake Improvement District (OLID). Minnesota statute requires petition signatures of a majority of property owners (50% plus 1), or 142 signatures, within our proposed district. These 157 signatures represent 55% of the 283 potential signatures from 188 parcels within the proposed district. As discussed in council worksessions over the last few years, today’s challenges to maintain Lake Orono in a quality manner exceed the combined funding capabilities of our Lake Orono Water Quality Committee (LOWQC), a partnership of LOIA with the City of Elk River and Sherburne SWCD that has been in place since the mid-90s. Addressing issues like invasive species, water quality, fisheries and habitat improvements and periodic dredging have become too extensive and expensive for traditional budgets alone. To complement existing funds, a new consistent and equitable lake property owner funding mechanism needs to be put in place. This important portion of funding to meet lake challenges can no longer be reliant on fundraising and donations. Goals of the proposed Orono Lake Improvement District In reviewing the activities and revenue sources itemized in our included 2017-2020 Lake Orono Lake Management Plan budget (pages 79 and 80), you’ll see details outlining how the OLID is intended to be an additional funding tool to support the broad goal of our LOWQC Lake Management Plan. They are:  That our 2017-2020 Lake Orono Management Plan be adopted by the Elk River City Council o Ensure that goals are realistic and attainable, funding paths have been determined and that they are supported by concrete action plans and evaluation mechanisms. www.lakeorono.org