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Home My WebLink About01-13-26 Agenda Packet Chair: Joel Gerich (2027) Secretary: Linda Hansohn (2026) Board Members: Gary Gerding (2028) Kent Stennes (2026) Melissa Jannakos (2027) Linda Hansohn (2026) Joel Gerich (2027) Andrew Elmquist (2027) Open seat (2028) Council Liaison: Kurt Weber Staff Liaison: David Swearingen Karth Lake Improvement District Board REGULAR MEETING Tuesday January 13, 2026 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/ROLL CALL 1. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA 2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES of the previous meeting Oct 14, 2025 3. PUBLIC INQUIRIES 4. OLD BUSINESS 4.1. Possible outreach to attract another Board member, Joel 4.1.1. Background: Joel has been actively pursuing new possibilities. 4.1.2. Action: Progress report 4.2. 2026 PMP and Karth Lake Pump System updates. David Swearingen 4.2.1. Background: The streets on the north side of Karth lake will be undergoing a pavement rehabilitation project in 2026. This project will include work on the Cummings Park retaining wall and lake pump system. 4.2.2. Action: Get an update from David about the project and determinations made by City Council regarding cost distribution. 4.3. Discuss pump proposal and Geocell information for the Cummings Park retaining wall as part of the 2026 PMP project. 4.3.1. Background: The retaining wall replacement and upgrades to the current pumping strategy is included in the 2026 PMP project 4.3.2. Action: Discuss any new information since the last meeting. David Swearingen 4.4. Water quality monitoring for Karth Lake for 2025. Gary Gerding 4.4.1. Background: The KLIDB has participated in the Citizen-Assisted Monitoring Program (CAMP) with the Metropolitan Council by coordinating volunteer sampling of Karth Lake’s water quality since 2006. 4.4.2. Action: Provide any updates for 2025 sampling program. 4.5. Discuss garden maintenance for the garden bed within Cummings Park as well as the rain garden on Nursery Hill Lane. 4.5.1. Background: The Art Larson memorial garden in Cummings Park needs cleanup as does the rain garden on Nursery Hill Lane. Andrew was planning to look at the memorial garden and Joel was going to look at the rain garden 4.5.2. Action: What work was done and remains to be done at both locations 5. NEW BUSINESS 5.1. Planning process for next election of KLID Board Members and Officers whose terms have expired. 5.1.1. Background: The terms for two board positions expire in 2026: those for Linda Hansohn and Kent Stennes. In addition, one open position currently exists. The process for announcing the April 2026 election and requesting candidates to fill open positions involves the drafting of a letter to Karth Lake Improvement District members (which are, by definition, Karth Lake shoreline property owners). The City of Arden Hills then sends that letter to members by regular mail. 6. NEXT MEETING April 14, 2026 7. ADJOURN Draft Minutes for Karth Lake Improvement District Board Regular Meeting 6:30 PM, Tuesday, October 14, 2025 CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL The meeting was convened at: 6:30 PM. Present: Board Members: Joel Gerich, Chair, Linda Hansohn, Secretary; Andrew Elmquist; Kent Stennes; Gary Gerding; Melissa Jannakos Staff Liaison: David Swearington, Public Works Director Visitors and Karth Lake Improvement District members: Renee Marino Absent: None 1. APPROVAL OF AGENDA: The agenda was approved 2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: The minutes of the previous meeting on July 8, 2025, were approved. 3. PUBLIC INQUIRIES: None. 4. OLD BUSINESS 4.1. (Combine agenda items 4.1 and 4.3) 2026 PMP and Karth Lake Pump System updates. David Swearingen 4.1.1. Background: The streets on the north side of Karth Lake will be undergoing a pavement rehabilitation project in 2026. This project will include work on the Cummings Park retaining wall and lake pump system. Discuss pump proposal and Geocell information for the Cummings Park retaining wall as part of the 2026 PMP project as well as any other updates. 4.1.2. Action: • The project design is 60% complete. • There will be an open house on November 19 (5:30-7pm) to present the project design, which should be about 90% complete at that time. • This project will include the work on BMP phase 2 project recommended by Rice Creek watershed which will expand the runoff pond from the business park area, avoiding impact on any wetlands in the area. • Rice Creek watershed has approved the improvements to both the retaining wall/pump system and the holding pond and will split the costs 50-50 with the city. The plan will include a culvert in the retaining wall for the pump system. • The city is pursuing additional water quality grants for the retaining wall and the BMP work. • City council will discuss the cost share on December 8 for the lake pumping improvement work at their 5:30 work session. 4.2. Lakeshore owner outreach and education. Joel Gerich 4.2.1. Background: The KLIDB has reached out to KLID members in the past with flyers, events and door-knocking to increase awareness of what the KLIDB does, provide information to assist members in managing their shoreline and to recruit new board members. The Board agreed to consider another Ice Cream Social for Summer 2025 on July 29. 4.2.2. Action: The Ice Cream Social was successful and well attended. It was a good opportunity to educate folks about the Board and what we do. No one expressed interest at the Ice Cream Social about joining the Board. Renee mentioned that she talked to Julie Lindmark (new resident on the lake) and she has expressed possible interest in joining the Board. Joel made note of the name. 4.3. Water quality monitoring for Karth Lake for 2025. Gary Gerding 4.3.1. Background: The KLIDB has participated in the Citizen-Assisted Monitoring Program (CAMP) with the Metropolitan Council by coordinating volunteer sampling of Karth Lake’s water quality since 2006. 4.3.2. Action: Renee and Andrew are the people doing the water monitoring throughout the summer. This year the Secchi depth is very shallow (<=1 meter) and the lake temperature is still 70 degrees. The graphs and report usually come back in April. The Met Council generates the report and Rice Creek Watershed uses that data to create a very helpful graphs and summaries. 4.4. 2025 Purple Loosestrife Cleanup 4.4.1. Background: Small quantities of Purple Loosestrife have been found in the lake for the last few years. Any plants out or the water can be pulled, any in the water need a permit from the DNR to cut them and treat them chemically 4.4.2. Action: Kent, Joel and Renee went out the 2nd week in August to treat the Purple loosestrife. • Renee had done a prescreen of the locations of the plants and they were pretty much in the same areas as last year. • It took the three of them 2-3 hours. • There were probably 20-22 sites and probably 5-10 plants in each location. Most were located on the southeast and north sides. • The process is to cut them and use a foam brush to put the chemical on the cut stem. • There was some confusion on the dilution factor for the herbicide so it might not have been strong enough to kill the plants but at least the seeds were cut off to prevent further spread. • Joel will report what was done to the DNR (part of the permit requirement) and submit a renewal for 2026. 4.5. Discuss garden maintenance for the garden bed within Cummings Park as well as the rain garden on Nursery Hill Lane. 4.5.1. Background: The Art Larson memorial garden in Cummings Park needs cleanup as does the rain garden on Nursery Hill Lane. Andrew was planning to look at the memorial garden and Joel was going to look at the rain garden 4.5.2. Action: • Andrew couldn’t even determine where the Cummings park garden was located. He said it was just a bench and woods. The bench is the southeast corner of the edge of the “garden”. Now it’s just basically a nice wooded area. • David would like the Board to make a plan regarding maintenance of the garden because the city does not have the resources to maintain a garden. If no one is interested in working on the garden, the city will just clean up the junk (dead/dying trees/shrubs) and leave it as a native wooded area. • The Board voted to let the city make the changes that will allow this area to become a native wooded area. • Joel looked at the rain garden in the middle of Nursery Hill Lane has all the classic rain garden plants and functions very well. There are a few weeds but for the most part it is a very attractive rain garden and effective rain garden. Joel has talked to neighbors about doing some weed removal. The city goes through and cuts down the plants late in the Fall in preparation for the next year. 5. NEW BUSINESS 5.1. Possible outreach to attract another Board member 5.1.1. Joel has been actively pursuing new possibilities. 5.2. The pump and DNR water gauge have been getting bumped by a paddleboat that is just floating out there. 5.2.1. Renee thinks she might know who the owner is and will talk to her to see if they are aware of what is going on with the boat. 5.3. The 2025 weed removal 5.3.1. People seemed relatively happy with the weed removal this year and the cost. Might plan to do it earlier next year. 6. NEXT MEETING: Tuesday January 13, 2026 at 6:30 PM at City Hall. 7. ADJOURN