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CITY COUNCIL <br />AGENDA ITEM 6F <br /> <br /> <br />STAFF ORIGINATOR: Michael Grochala, Community Development Director <br /> <br />MEETING DATE: June 13, 2016 <br /> <br />TOPIC: Consider Resolution No. 16-48, Approving the Revised Joint <br />Powers Agreement to Protect and Manage the Vadnais Lake Area <br />Watershed <br /> <br />VOTE REQUIRED: 3/5 <br /> <br /> <br />INTRODUCTION <br /> <br />Staff is requesting City Council consideration to approve the revised Joint Powers Agreement <br />(JPA) for the Vadnais Lake Area Water Management Organization. <br /> <br />BACKGROUND <br /> <br />The Vadnais Lake Area Water Management Organization (VLAWMO) was established in <br />1983 and is responsible for managing a watershed area in northern Ramsey County and <br />southeastern Anoka County. The watershed area includes a small area of approximately 1,000 <br />acres in Lino Lakes. The balance of the City is managed by the Rice Creek Watershed District <br />(RCWD). <br /> <br />VLAWMO operates under a Joint Powers Agreement between the Cities of Gem Lake, Lino <br />Lakes, North Oaks, Vadnais Heights, and White Bear Lake and the Township of White Bear. <br />The organization is managed by a Board of Directors made up of one represented, who must be <br />an elected official, from each community. Council member Rafferty currently serves as the <br />director representing Lino Lakes. Funding for the organization is currently provided through <br />stormwater utility charges on property within the VLAWMO service area. <br /> <br />The City Council approved the last extension in April of 2012. The existing JPA is set to <br />expire on December 31, 2016. VLAWMO has drafted and distributed for consideration an <br />updated 10 year JPA that will run from 2017 through 2026. <br /> <br />Most of the changes beyond the dates noted above are relatively minor in nature. Statutory <br />references have been updated by their attorney. Ditch authority language was discussed with <br />the Minnesota Board of Water & Soil Resources (BWSR) and the VLAWMO attorney and <br />updated accordingly. VLAWMO remains the ditch authority for County Ditches 13 and 14 and <br />will continue its management efforts. The Annual meeting of the watershed may now be held <br />in April to allow new board appointments and annual reporting to be completed. The Board <br />offices of Secretary and Treasurer have been officially combined which reflects current <br />practice. Financial disbursement practice language has been updated to reflect what meets <br />current government accounting standards. <br /> <br />The resolution also provides for the extension of the existing agreement until January 1, 2020 if <br />all member communities do not agree to the January 1, 2025 extension.