Item Description:
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Set Elm Creek Watershed Mgmt Commission 2024 max levy at $814,200 for projects to improve water quality
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Resolution:
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BE IT RESOLVED, that the 2024 maximum levy for the Elm Creek Watershed Management Commission be set at $814,200, and that the levy be certified to the county auditor and be placed on all taxable property under the jurisdiction of the commission, be approved.
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Background:
The Elm Creek Watershed Management Commission has proposed a maximum 2024 special projects levy of $814,200 to fund the commission’s portion of the project costs to complete five water quality projects that are priorities in the commission’s capital improvement plan. The projects will support the commission’s goals to improve water quality and habitat value of Elm Creek, and downstream resources including the Mississippi River.
Descriptions of the projects to be implemented in part by the levy funds are:
• South Fork Rush Creek Stream Restoration Project (Maple Grove) - This project will restore 7,200 linear feet of the South Fork of Rush Creek and re-establish floodplain from 101st Avenue North to the confluence with the North Fork of Rush Creek. This project will improve habitat for fish and other aquatic life, floodplain connectivity, access to the creek for recreational purposes, include public education elements, and reduce phosphorus pollution by nearly 425 pounds per year. The total cost of the project is $3,250,000 and the commission requests a 2024 levy of $430,830. This amount was also levied by the commission for this project in 2023. The remainder of project costs will be paid by the City of Maple Grove.
• CSAH 12/Dayton River Road Ravine Stabilization Project (Dayton) - This project will stabilize two eroding ravines that convey stormwater runoff to the Mississippi River. This project is part of a package of drainage and stabilization improvements along County Road 12 on property owned by Three Rivers Park District. This project is associated with capital project 2174500 which also includes six culvert replacements along this stretch of CSAH 12. The ravines that will be repaired are significant sources of sediment and nutrient pollution to the Mississippi River and threaten nearby infrastructure. The project will reduce sediment pollution to the river by about 1,100 tons per year and prevent 938 pounds per year of phosphorus from reaching the river. The total cost of the project is $1,329,400 and the commission requests a 2024 levy of $116,655. The remainder of the project costs will be paid by Hennepin County and Three Rivers Park District.
• Downtown Pond Expansion and Reuse Project (Rogers) - This project will address water quantity and quality issues as the downtown area of Rogers continues to redevelop. The pond expansion will feature stormwater reuse for irrigation of nearby parks and additional water storage to reduce flooding in the downtown area. The project will also improve water quality in the Crow River and downstream Mississippi River by improving the pond’s ability to capture sediment and phosphorus. The total cost of the project is $406,000 and the commission requests a 2024 levy of $107,640. The remainder of the project costs will be paid by the City of Rogers.
The levy also includes one project for publicly owned areas and another for privately-owned areas to provide cost share for projects that provide additional infiltration and water quality treatment by retrofitting best management practices into already-developed areas throughout the Elm Creek Watershed. The commission’s Technical Advisory Committee developed policies and procedures to administer these funds and makes recommendations to the commission on projects to fund. The commission requests a 2024 levy for the following amounts for these projects:
• City Cost Share Best Management Practices Project - $106,050
• Partnership (Private) Cost Share Best Management Practices Project - $53,025
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, 2023.
Current Request: This request is to set the Elm Creek Watershed Management Commission 2024 maximum levy at $814,200 for projects that will improve water quality, and that the levy be certified to the county auditor and be placed on all taxable property under the jurisdiction of the commission.
Impact/Outcomes: Projects in this request will improve water quality and aquatic habitat in Rush Creek, Elm Creek, the Crow River and the Mississippi River which flows through downstream areas identified by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency as areas of environmental justice concern.
These projects will also contribute to making Hennepin County more resilient to climate change by mitigating flooding and creating streambanks that are better able to withstand high flows associated with increasing precipitation patterns, by managing more stormwater, and by improving water quality in advance of wetter and warmer mid-century conditions.
This action supports the county’s disparity reduction efforts by enhancing stormwater management systems and mitigating flooding risks that climate change poses to our infrastructure and vulnerable populations.
Approval of this request will allow certification of the maximum levy to the county auditor for inclusion in Truth in Taxation statement.
recommendation
Recommendation from County Administrator: Recommend Approval