Laserfiche WebLink
Hugo City Council Meeting Minutes for May 4,2015 <br /> Page 5 of 7 <br /> Weidt made motion, Miron seconded, to direct staff to market the City owned property and <br /> report back to the Council in September. <br /> All Ayes. Motion carried. <br /> Update on Water Reuse Systems and Potential LCCMR Grant <br /> City staff has been working on the design of the Beaver Ponds,CSAH 8,and Water's Edge <br /> Water Reuse Systems. WSB Environmental Engineer Jamie Wallerstedt was in attendance to <br /> provide an update on the projects,and discuss a LCCMR Grant opportunity to support the further <br /> advancement of the City's water sustainability goals. <br /> Jamie stated that WSB has been working on the water reuse projects and is currently working <br /> with RCWD on credit coordination. She provided a status update on the Beaver Ponds project <br /> saying the final design is in progress,and construction is anticipated to begin this summer. The <br /> ponds at Water's Edge and CSAH 8 need to be surveyed, and construction should begin this fall. <br /> All systems should be in service by the 2016 watering season. Jamie talked about the additional <br /> work that will be involved with these projects after the system is in place and the next steps the <br /> City could anticipate. WSB has been looking for ways the City could fund these initiatives. She <br /> talked about funds available from the Environmental and Natural Resources Trust fund through <br /> the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources(LCCMR)and provided the <br /> application schedule. Funds would be allocated towards the research and implementation of an <br /> Integrated Water Management Plan, and no local match is required. In addition,the City would <br /> get credit for money already put into this effort. She proposed the City ask for$200,000 for this <br /> initiative, and there was discussion among Council that$200,000 may not be enough. Staff will <br /> look again at the numbers. Council discussed the indirect benefits to the City including the <br /> continued leadership by the City of Hugo in water management, improvements to water and <br /> aquifer recharge,and informed policy development at the local level. Haas talked about how <br /> much money is spent on studies and asked if they would end up with a plan to implement. Jamie <br /> replied that area legislators had indicated there will be a plan developed. <br /> Haas made motion, Petryk second,RESOLUTION 2015-24 APPROVING SUBMITTAL OF <br /> AN APPLICATION TO THE LEGISLATIVE-CITIZEN COMMISSION ON MINNESOTA <br /> RESOURCES (LCCMR) FOR THE FUNDING OF INTEGRATED WATER MANAGEMENT <br /> PLANS FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS and included direction to staff to gain support <br /> from area legislators,the Rice Creek Watershed District and other regional bodies as suitable. <br /> All Ayes. Motion carried. <br /> Consider Letter of Support for railroad improvements <br /> Staff has been working with Minnesota Commercial Railroad and the rail-dependent local <br /> businesses to find the revenue to improve the railroad to a condition that will allow for continued <br /> rail service to Hugo businesses. Recently,with help from Representative Runbeck,and Senators <br /> Chamberlain and Kiffmeyer,an amendment to the senate transportation bill was approved by the <br /> Senate Transportation Finance Committee. The amendment would appropriate$143,000 for a <br /> one-year fix to the railroad,allowing time for a permanent solution to be found. The same <br /> provision is not yet included in the House version of the transportation bill, and would need to be <br />