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City Council Minutes March 1 1, 1998 • Page 2 DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATION ON THE GOVERNANCE OF THE CENTRAL RAMSEY WATERSHED Administrator Hoyt reported that the council had learned about the proposed petition for the Central Ramsey watershed to become a Watershed District at their previous meeting. The purpose of having it on the agenda again is to determine if the council wishes to make comments regarding the issue at the Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) public hearing on April 6, 1998. Hoyt then reviewed the possible governance models for the watershed: remaining a Water Management Organization, being a stand alone watershed district (possibly combined with Southwest Ramsey) or combining Central Ramsey with the existing Ramsey-Washington Watershed District. Dr. William Downing, 1834 Simpson Street, urged the city council to take a position at the BWSR hearing rather than leaving the decision to other cities or to BWSR. Dr. Downing stated that he favors astand-alone watershed district that combines the Central Ramsey and Southwest Ramsey watersheds. He does not favor combination with Ramsey- Washington since that watershed has a lot of new development rather than being fully developed, and he fears that Central Ramsey and Southwest Ramsey would end up subsidizing the more expensive projects in the Ramsey-Washington area: Following discussion, a motion was made by Councilmember Jacobs to submit the following comments to BWSR: The City of Falcon Heights supports combining the Central Ramsey and Southwest Ramsey watersheds into a single, independent watershed district for three reasons: 1) to provide effective management of water quality in these watersheds, 2) to focus the new district's mission on improving water quality in a fully developed, urban environment, 3) to maximize citizen representation and access to the Board of Governors of the new watershed district by guaranteeing that all five managers would be appointed from and represent the interests of the Central Ramsey and Southwest Ramsey watershed districts, and 4) to assure property owners that property taxes levied and collected by the new watershed district would directly and only benefit properties in the Central Ramsey and Southwest Ramsey watersheds. The motion passed unanimously. DISCUSSION OF PLANNING FOR THE CITY'S 50TH BIRTHDAY PARTY Mayor Gehrz reported that the first meeting of the planning committee for the city's 50th birthday party would be held on March 31, 1998. The council discussed the amount of direction to give to the committee and decided to allow the committee, at least initially, to brainstorm ideas on their own. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 8:32 p.m. _ ~, C,..LlI.JLXs~ ~ Susan L. Gehrz, Mayor • Carla Asleson Recording Secretary 3'~ ~-