10/19/2005 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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• WS - 2 WORK SESSION STAFF REPORT Work Session Item No. 2 Date: Council Work Session October 19, 2005 To: City Council From: Gordon Heitke Re: VLAWMO Joint Powers Agreement Background The existing joint powers agreement with the member units which comprise the Vadnais Lake Area Water Management Organization (VLAWMO) expires at the end of the year. Throughout the past year, the City of Lino Lakes has maintained a position that it favored merging into a watershed district in order to have a structure which would have the resources to more effectively manage water issues. While some other members have also expressed concern about VLAWMO's effectiveness and the need to make changes to the structure of governance, all other members have indicated that they will extend the current JPA for another year. The withdrawal of the City of Lino Lakes has the impact of reducing the effectiveness of VLAWMO's ability to manage the watershed unit as a portion of it would be outside of their area of jurisdiction and the City would have to find another means of administering wetland regulations. Throughout our discussion of the VLAWMO JPA, concerns have been discussed related to lack of a water management plan, providing for a means of adequately funding the organization in order to implement an appropriate work plan, and having an effective structure of governance committed to managing the water resources. Since the VLAWMO Board initially approved a budget which would provide for significantly more resources to accomplish more activities, member communities have reduced the amount, but adequate funding for the completion of a water plan has been maintained. 1