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Enivornmental Board <br />January 26, 2022 <br />Page 2 <br />APPROVED MINUTES <br />VI. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: <br /> <br />January 4, 2022 <br /> <br />Mr. Sullivan asked for approval of the January 4, 2022 minutes. Ms. Buchmeier <br />MOTIONED to approve the minutes. Mr. Schwartz seconded the motion. Motion <br />passed 7 – 0. <br /> <br />VII. OPEN MIKE <br /> <br />Mr. Sullivan declared Open Mike at 6:37 p.m. <br />Open Mike declared closed at 6:37 p.m. <br /> <br />VIII. DISCUSSION ITEMS <br /> <br />A. Aquatic Invasive Species Program Overview – Jessica Leverty, Anoka County <br /> <br />Mr. Nelson introduced Jessica Leverty from Anoka County. Ms. Leverty presented an <br />overview of the Aquatic Invasive Species program with Anoka County. <br /> <br />In the 2014 Session Law Chapter 308 enacted by the Legislature provides Minnesota <br />counties a County Program Aid grant for Aquatic Invasive Species prevention. <br />The amount designated for each county is based on the number of watercraft trailer <br />launches as well as the number of watercraft trailer parking spaces within each county. <br />The Anoka County aid allocation for 2022 was $134,400. This budget is used to pay for <br />the inspectors and the coordinator. <br /> <br />Main categories of the Anoka County AIS Prevention Aid Program include education and <br />outreach events, watercraft inspection, prevention grant, monitoring and early detection. <br /> <br />In 2021, there were 6 outreach events. Educational materials are given to bait stores, <br />restaurants, bars, and pet stores. In 2019, there were 15 events. <br /> <br />There were questions about how a violation is handled. <br /> <br />Ms. Leverty stated that a violation is handled with a warning and education. The license <br />plate number is also taken. They can be denied launch and if they launch anyway they <br />can get a ticket. <br /> <br />Questions on how inspections are done such as do they prioritize certain lakes or certain <br />times for the inspectors and if violations are becoming more frequent. <br /> <br />Ms. Leverty stated that the inspectors are usually an internship job and they work <br />approximately 10 hours a day, including weekends and holidays. The lakes are ranked <br />based on the violations from the previous year. <br />