04/07/2004 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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• • • March 2, 2004 The Honorable John J. Bergeson and City Council Mayor of Lino Lakes and City Council 600 Town Center Parkway Lino Lakes, MN 55014 Re: Ordinance No. 03 -02 Regulating The Surface Use of Motorized Watercraft On Peltier Lake: A Request for Permanent Status Dear Mayor Bergeson and Members of the City Council, On March 25, 2002, the Lino Lakes City Council voted unanimously in support of Ordinance No. 03 -02 Regulating The Surface Use of Motorized Watercraft On Peltier Lake. This ordinance has been very effective in helping to protect and improve the unique natural resources on the north half of Peltier Lake, particularly the Peltier Island Heron Rookery. Unfortunately, this ordinance is scheduled to expire on September 1, 2004, unless further action is taken by the City Council to make the ordinance permanent. On behalf of the Peltier Lake Heron Task Force and based on the proven efficacy of the "Slow /No Wake Zone" ordinance, we are respectfully requesting that the Lino Lakes City Council amend the ordinance and remove the last sentence in Section 8 of Ordinance No. 03 -02 which currently states "It shall be repealed automatically on September 1, 2004 ". The removal of this sentence should result in changing ordinance 03 -02 to a permanent status and will help sustain and conserve the unique natural resources on and surrounding Peltier Lake in perpetuity. In 2003, several noticeable improvements were documented as a direct result of the "Slow /No Wake Zone ". First, over 300 pairs of Great Blue Herons and at least 12 pairs of Great Egrets returned to Peltier Island for nesting. Many of the birds were successful in raising their young. Secondly, water quality has improved in 2002 and 2003 since Centerville Lake's worst year on record in 2001. Thirdly, observations in the summer of 2003 indicated an increase in beneficial native aquatic plants around Peltier Island, especially in the area north of the island. Please refer to the attached 2003 Peltier Island Heron Rookery Summary Report for more specific details. Clearly, implementing the "Slow /No Wake Zone" ordinance as a best management practice has been an effective tool in our combined efforts to sustain the unique biological systems on Peltier Lake and the surrounding area. Therefore, we believe that if Ordinance No. 03 -02 is allowed to expire, there will likely be multiple negative