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Item No: __07__ Meeting Date: __August 3, 2020 Type of Business: ____WS___ Administrator Review: ____ City of Mounds View Staff Report To: Honorable Mayor and City Council From: Nyle Zikmund, City Administrator Item Title/Subject: LGU Designation Introduction: The Minnesota Legislature created Storm Water Management structure in the early 1970s. As a result of that legislation, many metro cities joined together to form Watershed Districts. Mounds View joined in creation of the Rice Creek Watershed District (RCWS). Watershed Districts are managed by a board of Commissioners who are appointed by elected County Commissioners. Watersheds are geographically created following natural water flowage and named after a distinctive water feature within the district. RCWS district encompasses an area of 185 square miles that traverses parts of Anoka, Ramsey and Washington Counties as well as 27 local political subdivisions. Mounds View is one of about half of those that wholly is within the watershed (as compared, for example – Blaine and Spring Lake Park which is covered in part by Coon Creek Watershed as well. Discussion: The City of Mounds View has experienced difficulties and challenges working with the Watershed on permitting issues and storm water management. This has been going on for more than a decade. In the past several years the City has; 1. Reached out to RCWS to discuss storm water management specific to infiltration basins (Rain Gardens) and was unable to resolve the issue. 2. Following statutory guidelines, provided a slate of nominees for RCWS Commissioner appointment by the Ramsey County Board of Commissioners resulting in a new board appointment. 3. Formed with other concerned communities, an ad-hoc committee to explore legislation and legal recourse. 4. Followed efforts by several (5) Anoka County cities who followed similar statutory guidelines advocate for a change in Commission Board members which is currently now under legal challenge by the Cities as the Anoka County Board rejected the slate of nominees. 5. Worked with every single developer in the City over the last 3-5 years on the permitting process as 100% get rejected the first time by RCWS on their storm water management. 6. Discovered a Significant failure in their inspection process on a development (Long View Estates) that will cost in excess of $10,000 to remedy. They are reviewing and will get back to us. 7. Met with them numerous times – face to face and virtual to share our concerns and frustration regarding infiltration ponds, inspection, permitting and now concerns regarding the Quincy street project. 8. Duplicate regulations from RCWD, the City already is required to meet these regulations under the MS4 permit under the MPCA.