01/11/00 LCEC AgP
1
NOTICE
Land Conservation & Environment Committee
will meet
Tuesday, January 11, 2000
and at 5:45 p.m. at
Shorewood City Hall
5755 Country Club Road
Shorewood, MN 55331
Agenda
1. Convene Meeting
A. Role Call
B. Review Agenda
2. Approval of Minutes - Meeting of December 21, 1999
3. Presentation by Eric Evenson, Minnehaha Creek Water Shed District
Administer
• 4. Discussion of Work Plan
5. Discussion of Time Line
6. Reports on Member Projects
7. Reports on Guest Speakers
8. Newsletter Report
7. Adjournment
A majority of the City Council may be present. No Council action will be taken.
•
City of Shorewood
Land Conservation and Environmental Committee
Tuesday, December 21, 1999
MINUTES
Meeting called to order at 5:45 p.m. by Chair Fred Bruno.
ROLL CALL
Present - Chair Fred Bruno, Donna Woodruff, Joel Jurgens, Tom Schmid, Paula
Berndt, Jim Hurm and Brad Nielsen, Planning Commissioner
Absent - Lucinda Kircher
REVIEW OF AGENDA
The agenda was approved.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
The spelling of Brad Nielsen's name should be changed. Motion by Tom
• Schmid, second by Paula Berndt. The minutes were approved as changed.
INTRODUCTION OF INTERN
Joel Jurgens gave a brief introduction about the new intern, Daniel Ehrke, to the
committee. Daniel proceeded to give a brief introduction of his educational and
professional background to the committee. Stating that he is currently a first year
graduate student at Minnesota State University, Mankato where he is studying to
obtain his Master's Degree in Urban Planning. Daniel also notified staff that he
has worked for the Planning and Zoning Department for the City of Mankato,
where he worked on projects regarding site plan review, ordinance revisions and
assisting the public with land use concerns.
Jim Hurm stated that Daniel plans on staying with the City of Shorewood through
the duration of his graduate studies. Jim also stated that the internship would
consist of approximately 15-20 hours a week. Daniel added that he plans on
being in city hall once a week, while completing the remainder of the work at
home.
Some discussion took place over the intern work outline. The first issue raised
was in regards to the agendas and packets for the committee. Tim Hurm stated
that it would be a good idea for the committee members to notify Daniel at least a
week in advance if they would like to add anything to the agenda for the
• upcoming meeting. This would allow Daniel to do the necessary research to
prepare other staff members on that given subject. There was also some
• discussion raised by Jim on creating a sub-committee in regards to education and
open space planning to help initiate some of the recommendations outlined in the
twelve step process.
Finally, Daniel suggested that for the next meeting he would draft a time line for
committee for the upcoming meetings. This would help prioritize the
committee's goals and tasks as it begins in the year 2000.
DISCUSSION OF WORK PLAN
Brad Nielsen notified the committee that the issue of deer management might be
added to the committee's work plan. Discussion took place in regards to a
citizen's concern over the deer population in the City of Shorewood. Brad
Nielsen noted that if need be the City would first need to address the scope of the
problem and if need be then look at the alternatives for the problem. Fred Bruno
asked what currently is the City's policy is terms of hunting or trapping deer for
management purposes. Brad stated that there is no policy for any type of hunting
or trapping deer in the city limits of Shorewood. Fred Bruno recommended that
this issue be added to next meetings agenda.
Donna Woodruff asked that the issue of tree preservation be added to the work
plan, to allow the committee to have input on the tree preservation ordinance in
• areas of concerns. Some areas where the committee could have impact are
recommending types of trees and the most beneficial places where these trees can
be preserved. Donna Woodruff motioned to have the issue of tree preservation
added to the work plan and Tom Schmid seconded the motion.
Daniel Ehrke stated that he would like to see open space planning and education
added to the work plan. Stating that this may help the committee initiate many of
the recommendations that where outlined in the Land Conservation Committee
Report's twelve step time line.
REPORT ON MEMBER PROJECTS
Joel Jurgens stated that he has contacted the DNR about obtaining seedling trees
for the citizens of Shorewood. The DNR, however, is 95% sold out for the year
2000. They suggested contacting the DNR by the 15 of August to insure that the
city would be able to obtain seedling trees for the year 2001. Donna Woodruff
brought up the idea that this may be a project for the intern to work on to insure
that the city would get trees.
Joel also notified the committee that he is writing an article on winter pruning as
an insert for the Shore Report. Jim Hurm stated that he was not aware if there is
room for the insert for the February newsletter and it may need to be put off until
• the March newsletter is sent out.
• MISCELANOUS
Joel Jurgens stated that his term for the Land. Conservation and Environmental
Committee is up in January. He went on to say that because of work restraints he
is not sure if he can continue to dedicate as much time as he feels is necessary to
the committee. The committee discussed this issue and decided that they would
like Joel to stay on as a committee member. Also agreeing that they feel
comfortable if Joel needed to miss an occasional meeting, since the committee
bylaws state that Joel would be fulfilling his obligations by attending at least one
meeting every quarter.
MEETING DATES AND TIMES
The next meeting will be January 11, 2000 at 5:45 p.m. at city hall. Discussion
took place on the availability of the speaker for the meeting on January 11, 2000
from the Watershed District. Jim Hurm stated that he would continue to try to
contact the speaker to see if he would be able to attend the January I I meeting.
Tuesday, February 8, 2000 at 5:45 p.m. will be the meeting time for the month of
February. The committee will also meet March 14, 2000 at 5:45 p.m. at city hall.
• ADJOURNMENT
Motion by Donna Woodruff, seconded by Fred Bruno. The meeting was
adjourned at 6:45 p.m.
SIGNED
•
CITY OF INTER-OFFICE COMMUNICATION
SHOREWOOD
TO: Land Conservation & Environment Committee Member
FROM: Daniel Ehrke, Environmental/Planning Intern
DATE: 01-03-99
RE: Discussion of Work Plan
Purpose
The purpose of this memo is to update the committee members on the changes that have been
made to the work plan and to also make suggestions if other issues should be added to the work
plan.
Summary
At the December 21, 1999 meeting, Donna Woodruff motioned to have the issue of tree
preservation added to the work plan and Tom Schmid seconded the motion. Therefore, the work
plan has been amended to reflect this request. Brad Nielsen also notified committee members
• that the topic of deer management may be added to the work plan it the near future.
During the course of the discussion, it was also asked that education and open space planning be
addressed by the committee to see if it should be added to the committee's work plan. The
suggested work plan includes these issues, believing that by adding these responsibilities to the
work plan it would help the committee initiate many of the recommendations that where outlined
in the Land Conservation Committee Report's twelve step time line.
Approved Work Plan
1. Hire Intern.
2. "Gideon's Glen" land conservation project.
3. Lawn chemicals study.
4. Residential Composting.
5. Buckthorn control
6. Tree preservation policy review.
Suggested Work Plan
1. Hire Intern.
2. "Gideon's Glen" land conservation project.
3. Lawn chemicals study.
• 4. Residential Composting.
5. Buckthorn control.
6. Tree preservation policy review.
• 7. Review deer management options.
8. Initiate citizen participation & open space planning process
9. Educate the public
Attached is the letter received by a Shorewood citizen on December 14, 1999, which addresses
his concern over what he perceives as a deer management problem on his property.
•
Office: 612-474-5222• Golf Shop: 474-9571
Fax: 612-474-3514 Assn., Inc.
• P. d. BOX 360
EXCELSIOR, MINNESOTA
55331
11 iL - ~
December 13, 1999 f
City of Shorewood`
Attn: James Hurm, Administrator
5755 Country Club Road
Shorewood, MN 55331
Gentlemen: Ref: Deer Problem on Golf Course
We are approaching a crisis relative to the existence of the Minnetonka Country Club in the
future. Our Golf Course Superintendent has informed me that the yearly increase in damage to
our greens over the past few years, by a herd of now 10-11 deer, has reached a point where he no
longer can maintain the normal playability of the greens which will adversely affect the retention
of our golf members.
• It is an industry truism that a private golf course could have beautiful fairways, but if the greens
are not up to industry standards the course will fail with the land converted to other uses.
The deer damage the greens throughout the year by walking/running/stomping over them with
their sharp hooves slicing the turf and indenting the surface, making it impossible to putt
properly. We spend $8,000.00 each year to purchase flowers, etc., to improve the appearance of
the golf course and surrounding areas. The deer consume a large portion of the flowers, which
we have contended with, and is not a basis for our problem. The disappearance of flowers does
not affect our operation.
Minnetonka Country Club was established in 1916, with the present management in place since
1954.. We are a commercial operation and the deer problem is critically affecting us. The City
of Maple Plain, among others, has permitted programs to correct deer problems. We respectfully
request the City of Shorewood to initiate whatever action is necessary to eliminate the problem.
Minnetonka Country Club will, of course, be happy to assist in any manner possible.
Sincerely,
Minnetonka Country CI Assn., Inc.
B. Witrak, President
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