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Proposal -Countywide Unused Well Sealing Cost-share Program <br />RCD asks that you and Grass Lake V4'atershed Management Organization's Board of <br />Commissioners consider funding this program as an effort to accelerate the sealing of private <br />water wells in your VVMO. This approach will integrate the individual programs run by <br />watershed organization's and provide a single point of contact for the public that often looks to <br />the County for information and resources. <br />The benefits of this approach are: <br />^ Accelerated sealing of private wells; above the normal rate that results from property <br />transactions. <br />^ Simplified contact process for residents. <br />^ Customized qualifying requirements for the respective water jurisdictions (i.e., income <br />qualifications or not). <br />^ RCD has shown, through the response to the current cost-share program, an ability to <br />generate responses from the public and deliver this service in acost-effective manner. <br />^ RCD has also raised public awareness of this issue, the role of watershed districts, and <br />run a highly efficient program. <br />^ Our current ~.vell sealing program elicited more interest than available funding. <br />^ RCD has maintained a list of interested residential well owners who could not be assisted <br />under our initial program, due to the limited funds available. These well owners could be <br />readily contacted in order to seal. wells in your District with little initial project <br />management or delay. <br />RCD responsibilities: <br />^ Generate public interest and awareness in the well sealing program's environmental goals <br />and financial cost-share incentive for all participating watersheds or WMOs. <br />^ Manage calls for information from residents. <br />^ RCD will likely respond to many more calls for information than limited funding will <br />allow to be approved for the program. However, the effort will yield public education <br />and outreach secondary benefits. <br />^ To explain the Program and State of Minnesota well regulations to interested residents. <br />^ Track well sealing contracts with well owners. <br />^ Report results to funding partners on a quarterly basis. <br />Funding: <br />^ At least a $5,000 participation level by each by interested watershed, ~'VMO, and St. Paul <br />Regional Water Services is recommended. <br />^ RCD project management will comprise 1 S% of the total amount ($7S0 of $5,000). <br />x:\groundwater\a6andoned well sealing\proposals-well sealing-watersheds-wmos\proposal-grass lake wmo--Countywide-unused well sealing <br />cost-share program.docx <br />