Item Description:
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Approve minor plan amendment to the Elm Creek Watershed Mgmt Plan; set Elm Creek Watershed Mgmt Commission 2027 max levy at $520,150 for projects to improve water quality
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Resolution:
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BE IT RESOLVED, that the plan amendment submitted by the Elm Creek Watershed Management Commission, including a revised capital improvement program, be approved; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the 2027 maximum levy for the Elm Creek Watershed Management Commission be set at $520,150; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the levy be certified to the county auditor and placed on all taxable property under the jurisdiction of the Elm Creek Watershed Management Commission.
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Background:
The Elm Creek Watershed Management Commission has proposed a minor plan amendment to its Watershed Management Plan. The minor plan amendment adds one water quality project to the commission’s Capital Improvement Plan.
Staff reviewed the commission’s proposed minor plan amendment and found it to be consistent with Minnesota Statutes, section 103B.251, with the Surface Water Management section of the Hennepin County 2040 Comprehensive Plan Update, and the Hennepin County Natural Resources Strategic Plan. As a result, staff recommend approval of the proposed minor plan amendment. Additional information about the minor plan amendment is provided in a supplemental staff recommendation report (Attachment 1).
The Elm Creek Watershed Management Commission has proposed a maximum 2027 special projects levy of $520,150 to fund the commission’s portion of the project costs to complete three water quality projects that are a priority in the commission’s Capital Improvement Plan. The projects will achieve the commission’s goals to improve water quality and wildlife habitat of Elm Creek, Rush Creek, and downstream resources including the Mississippi River.
The projects to be implemented in part by the levy funds are:
• Reconstruct Bridge at Cartway Drive - This project will reduce streambank erosion and reduce flood risk upstream of the bridge. The total cost of the project is $2,160,000 and the commission requests a levy of $257,550 to help fund portions of the project that will benefit water quality and reduce erosion in the creek. The remainder of the project costs will be paid by the City of Champlin.
• Maple Grove Street Sweeper - This project will assist the City of Maple Grove in funding the purchase of a street sweeper to enhance a municipal street sweeping program and reduce pollutant loading to Rush Creek, Elm Creek, and lakes including Fish Lake, Rice Lake, and Weaver Lake. Street sweeping is one of the most cost-effective best management practices for improving water quality. The total cost of the project is $400,000 and the commission requests a levy of $106,050 with the remainder of costs being shared by the City of Maple Grove, the Shingle Creek Watershed Management Commission, and the West Mississippi Watershed Management Commission.
• Elm Creek Valley Stream Restoration - This project includes a stream restoration and erosion repair of 1,500 linear feet of Elm Creek south of Elm Road. This project will improve the riparian environment, enhance habitat, and improve recreation and access to the creek. Pollutant reduction estimates associated with this project are 100 pounds of phosphorus per year. The total cost of the project is $600,000 and the commission requests a levy of $156,550. The remainder of the project costs will be paid by the City of Maple Grove.
Levies authorized pursuant to Minnesota Statutes, section 103B.251, are exempt from any statutory limitation on taxes. A county levying a tax under Minnesota Statutes, section 103B.251, shall not include that tax in the county’s general levy but shall separately certify that amount to the county auditor. The county auditor shall extend that levy as a special taxing district. The commission must certify its final levies to the county auditor prior to October 1, 2026.
Current Request: This request is to approve the Elm Creek Watershed Management Commission minor plan amendment and set the Elm Creek Watershed Management Commission 2027 maximum levy at $520,150 for projects that will improve water quality.
This request also establishes that the levy be certified to the county auditor and placed on all taxable property under the jurisdiction of the commission.
Impact/Outcomes: This request protects water resources and improves the environment for people and wildlife. These projects also support the county’s disparity elimination work and climate action goals. Projects in this request will improve water quality in Elm Creek and the Mississippi River which flows through downstream areas identified by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency as areas of environmental justice concern.
The projects to reconstruct the bridge at Cartway Drive in Champlin and restore part of Elm Creek in Maple Grove will help make our waterways more resilient to more frequent and heavier rainfall events that we are experiencing due to climate change. Increasing the resiliency of our infrastructure and natural resources reduces the risk to people, especially more vulnerable people, from localized flooding.
Approval of this request fulfills the county’s responsibility to review watershed plan amendments and levy requests per Minnesota Statutes, section 103B, and allows certification of the maximum levy to the county auditor for inclusion in Truth in Taxation statement.
recommendation
Recommendation from County Administrator: Recommend Approval