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HomeMy WebLinkAbout10-26-21 Chair: Tony Peleska Secretary: Gary Gerding Board Members: Aisha Elmquist Linda Hansohn Kathy Johnson Susan Johnson Renee Marino Staff Liaison: David Swearingen Karth Lake Improvement District Board REGULAR MEETING Tuesday October 26, 2021 1245 W. Highway 96 Arden Hills, MN 55112 651.792.7800 www.cityofardenhills.org Agenda Board Meeting Convenes at 6:30 PM CALL TO ORDER 1. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA 2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 3. PUBLIC INQUIRIES 4. OLD BUSINESS 4.1 Remediation of BMP #1 Site 4.1.1 Progress Report - David Swearingen 4.2 Add Grit Chambers to storm drains that empty into Karth Lake and do not have Grit Chambers now. Next steps: Plan to identify them; identify likely dates for adding Grit Chambers. 4.2.1 Grit Chamber Status Update - David Swearingen 4.3 Proposed changes in lake level control process. Background: At the last meeting Renee Marino proposed we stop the pump before we reach the target level to allow for evaporation and avoid the very low levels that a drought could cause. 4.3.1 Define current process: When is the pump turned on and off? What is the pump capacity? - David Swearingen 4.4 Results of removal of excess weeds and debris for 2021 – Susan Johnson 5. NEW BUSINESS 5.1 The City Council recently rezoned Little Johanna from a Recreational Development Lake to a General Development Lake (see ORDINANCE NO. 2021-007). (Karth Lake is classified as a General Development Lake.) What is the significance, advantages, disadvantages, etc. of each of these classifications? - David Swearingen 5.2 Discovery of a few specimens of purple loosestrife, an invasive plant, on the Karth Lake shores and preliminary plan to remove them. – Susan Johnson 6. NEXT MEETING 7. ADJOURN Draft Minutes of Karth Lake Improvement District Board Regular Meeting 6:30 PM, Tuesday, July 13, 2021 1.Call to Order/Roll Call 1.1The meeting convened at: 6:49 PM. 1.2 Present: Board Members: Gary Gerding, Secretary; Aisha Elmquist; Linda Hansohn; Susan Johnson; Renee Marino (chaired meeting) Staff Liaisons: David Swearingen, Interim Public Works Director; Kyle Axtell, Water Resource Specialist / Project Manager, Rice Creek Watershed District; David Grant, Mayor. 1.3 Absent: Kathy Johnson, Tony Peleska, Chair 2. Approval of Agenda The agenda was approved as modified. 3. Approval of the minutes of the previous meeting: The minutes of the previous meeting on April 13, 2021, were approved as written. 4. Public Inquiries: None 5. Old Business 5.1 Remediation of BMP #1 Site 5.1.1 Progress Report – David Swearingen Construction will start in August. Estimate one month to complete. Found that sediment was plugging the existing storm drain at the end of the road above the site. Renee M.: Can we plant under the power lines? David S.: The contractor will seed above the drain according to MNDOT standards. The contractor will not be paid until the site is established and erosion stops. 5.1.2. Karth Lake BMP 1 Observations and Questions – Renee Marino Karth Lake BMP 1 Observations and Questions – July 2021 • This photo shows that the lake gauges are completely out of the water and a bolt has come off of the new stick. We should ask David to have this repaired. [see Discussion below.] • Erosion and silt flowing down from the parking lots at the BMP1 site. • Several feet of dirt have eroded after the concrete ends from the parking lots • Silt has flowed over the walking path. It comes down the hill and around the “dry creek bed” by the bench. • A view up the “dry creek bed.” This is the outlet for storm sewers and does not carry water from the parking lots. Importantly, although it is very hard to see in this photo, this sewer outlet only has a few inches open above the silt. This is therefore a different issue from the drainage off of the parking lots. With this much silt coming from the sewer outlet, we should ask about grit chambers at drains that feed into this sewer line. [See discussion below.] • This shows the water crossing to the north side of the road above BMP 1, just as is shown in the storm sewer map David had previously provided to us (labeled A in the photo below) • These photos correspond to David’s storm sewer map as follows: The flow of the water and silt from the road, around the hill and over the walking path by the bench is shown at D. The “dry creek bed” storm sewer outlet is at C. The water crossing the road is at A. • I wonder the area marked as B has been considered as an alternative remediation. There is a low area south of the walking path where B is pointing that sometimes holds standing water and drains into Karth Lake when its level is high enough. This probably acts like a catch basin to allow grit to settle before going into the lake. It looks to me like it could handle holding more water, similar to the pond that is shown between the lines marking A and B. This area was mentioned in the Karth Lake plan from 2009 as an area that could filter water before draining into Karth Lake. Would it be possible to run a short storm sewer line from the parking lot under the road to empty into A B C D B? It looks like there is a sharp drop-off there, so water at the outlet would drop into that the depression like a waterfall without eroding the hillside on the way down. This solution would probably handle the majority of the water that currently runs in the path marked D and would probably be far less expensive and also remove the needed maintenance of emptying the grit chamber in the current BMP remediation design. The Karth Lake Board had asked if we could use the area in B (in accordance with the 2009 Karth Lake Study’s recommendations) to address BMP 1, but were told it would have to be a future project, since the current BMP 1 remediation design is complete. Wouldn’t this alternative approach offer a win-win solution for all concerned? 5.1.2.1. Discussion: Mayor Grant: In the winter, consider drilling a good anchor for the lake gauge and install a gauge that is more robust. David S.: Re grit chambers: there will be grit chambers at the entrance to the new drain. Re alternative remediation that Renee has proposed: Construction plans have been reviewed, approved and contracted and construction will proceed as planned 5.2. Maintenance and improvement of Art Larsen Memorial Garden – 5.2.1. Background: The city planned to upgrade the sprinkler controllers in mid-May and then set them to water the garden. 5.2.2. Sprinkler Status and Plans - David Swearingen: The new irrigation controllers are installed and the sprinklers are watering the garden. 5.3. Add Grit Chambers to storm drains that empty into Karth Lake and do not have Grit Chambers now. Next Steps: Plan to identify them; Identify likely dates for adding Grit Chambers. 5.3.1. Background, David reported at the April meeting that: A Crew will inspect and clean the grit chambers in the spring. The City hired WSB to create GIS record of storm drains and grit chambers. Will include this on the list by mid to late summer. Pavement upgrade scheduled for 2024 for Amble and neighborhood. Automated rating of streets will be done soon. David will give updates at future meetings. 5.3.2. Grit Chamber Status Update - David Swearingen: The GIS record has not yet been completed. They did find that the Karth Lake Circle storm drain did not have a grit chamber so a grit chamber will be installed the next time that road is repaved. 6. New Business 6.1. Proposed changes in lake level control process - Renee Marino Renee proposes that we do not pump the lake all the way down to the level set by the DNR. This will allow for evaporation and help to prevent the extremely low lake levels that we have experienced when there is a draught. Renee asked that David S. determine the current pumping policy regarding pump start and stop levels. David said he would also determine the pump capacity. 6.2. Plan for removal of excess weeds and debris for 2021– Susan Johnson Susan said she would again invite donations for the removal of excess weeds and debris from the lake. Susan said she would contract with Holtz Landscaping again this year to do the weed removal. She will also have the Dive Guys remove the weeds from around her dock and shoreline to see whether their method is more effective. 6.3 Report of highlights of phone conversation Paul Dykstra, President of the Lake Johanna Improvement Society on 6/27/21. Gary was contacted by Paul Dykstra. Paul currently obtains funding for lake improvements through voluntary Lake Johanna Association dues. He is frustrated by the lack of participation and is considering the possibility of setting up an improvement district so they could tax everyone around the lake. Paul asked: Is the KLIDistrict used to assess residents for annual lake maintenance? Gary: No, we invite donations through the Arden Hills Foundation except for pump related improvements. Paul: A major expense is for chemically treating invasive curly leaf weeds for which they have a permit. They also round up 20 geese/yr. with a permit granted due to swimmers itch. They do not remove silt from the lake bottom. 7. Next Meeting: Tuesday, October 12, 2021 (later revised to October 26, 2021). 8. Adjourn