09-13-2023 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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STAFF REPORT TO: Mayor Fischer and Members of the City Council FROM: Bryce Shearen, CPRE, Parks & Recreation/Community Services Director DATE: September 13, 2023 RE: MOU with Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District for the Pioneer Park Stormwater Reuse System ACTION TO BE CONSIDERED Motion to approve the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the Pioneer Park Stormwater Reuse Systeme between the Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District and the City of Little Canada. BACKGROUND A grant was received through the Clean Water Fund to perform a county-wide assessment to identify potential opportunities for stormwater reuse for irrigation. Pioneer Park was identified as a top priority and is within the Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District (RWMWD). Staff was originally approached by RWMWD in November 2021 about exploring stormwater reuse at Pioneer Park. Since then preliminary information has been gathered and discussed on how this project aligns with identified city goals, visions, and policies. Jennifer Koehler, PE, Senior Water Resources Engineer from Barr Engineering, and Paige Ahlborg, Project Manager from Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District (RWMWD) gave a presentation at the City Council Workshop on January 11, 2023, about a proposed Pioneer Park Stormwater Reuse Project that would utilize surface water from the stormwater pond along the east side of the park for irrigation instead of using the existing well. The presentation discussed the assessment that was done, the project scope, the potential next steps, and the funding needed for the project. It was estimated that 88% of the irrigation demand could be met by utilizing the top one foot of pond water (an average of 2.2 million gallons of well water is currently being used for irrigation each year) and it would improve water quality and reduce pollutant loads. The City Council was in support of this project moving forward as it aligned with the City’s sustainability goals and it was stated that the bidding and construction could occur from winter 2023 to summer 2024. After the City Council Workshop, staff continued to work with Barr Engineering and the RWMWD with multiple meetings on project design, logistics, and getting to 100% completion of plans and specifications.