Nat'l Resources Conservation Board

Blaine City Hall City of Blaine 10801 Town Sq Dr NE Blaine, MN 55449 Anoka County, Minnesota Minutes - Final Nat'l Resources Conservation Board The Natural Resource Conservation Board is an advisory body to the City Council. The Board is charged with recommending acquisition of lands for open space and developing a Natural Resource Plan which includes environmental policy and guidelines for the maintenance and preservation of Blaine’s existing and future opens spaces and trail corridors. One of the Board’s functions is to hold public meetings and make recommendations to the City Council. For each item, the Board will receive reports prepared by City staff, provide the opportunity for public response, conduct Board discussions and make recommendations. The City Council, however, makes all final decisions on these matters. Tuesday, December 20, 2016 7:00 PM Council Chambers 1. Call To Order 1. The meeting was called to order at 7:05 p.m. 2. Roll Call Others Present: Recording Secretary Debbie Wolfe Present: 6 - Chair McKinley, Villella, Perkins, Truchon, Rafferty, and Castillo Absent: 4 - Ruth, Gunter, Wilder, and Lizakowski 3. Approval of Minutes 4. Approve Agenda for December 20, 2017 meeting MOVED by Boardmember Perkins, seconded by Boardmember Truchon, to approve the December 20, 2016 Board Agenda as presented. Motion carried unanimously. Aye: 6 - Chair McKinley, Villella, Perkins, Truchon, Rafferty, and Castillo 5. Open Forum for Citizen Input There was none. 6. New Business City of Blaine Page 1 Nat'l Resources Conservation Minutes - Final December 20, 2016 Board 6.a Update on BWS Projects Staff Liaison Hafner provided a written update on the Blaine Wetland Sanctuary Project, noting details have been finalized and action has been taken by the EDA and the City Council to allow the BWS Phase I project to move forward. The concern had been that there were not sufficient funds in the Open Space Fund to cover the project costs at the time of proposed bid award. Council had previously given a verbal commitment to assist in supplementing the fund. This required a formal action to ensure there would be no red flags raised during an audit. The EDA approved a loan of $400,000 at 2% interest for 7 years. This will ensure the current project phase is covered and there remains a positive balance in the fund account. Interest only payments will be made for the first two years (2018 and 2019) and the loan can be paid off at any time. As wetland credits become available for sale in 2018 and are sold this would provide a potential opportunity to fund future phases of the project as well as pay down or pay off the loan. Total interest over the 7 years would amount to $34,000. The intent would be to pay off the loan as soon as possible and reduce the total amount of interest paid. Council awarded the bid for the trail project to Peterson Companies and the bid for the parking lot project to Dunaway. Next steps are to have the contracts signed allowing work to begin as weather allows for each project. The trail project will begin as soon as ground is frozen and considered safe to move equipment over. The board walk is scheduled to be constructed this winter, assuming ground remains frozen into March. This is realistic based on previous years and assuming things go well. Final completion of this phase of the trails will be in June 2017. The parking lot project will start in spring with a final completion date of July 2017. The wetland restoration/banking project is moving forward. Authorization has been given to begin the clearing of woody debris and mowing of invasive grasses which will begin in January. A permit to install a temporary crossing of Ditch 53-62 has been applied for and will be awarded January 11 by the Rice Creek Watershed District. This work needs to be completed on frozen ground as a result of the equipment needed. It should only take 4 to 6 weeks and should be finished by the end of February. Further restoration work will City of Blaine Page 2 Nat'l Resources Conservation Minutes - Final December 20, 2016 Board begin in spring after snow melt. The Board expressed thanks to Mr. Hafner for his hard work and the City Council for their approval. Informational, no action required. 6.b Finalize Discussion on BWS Temporary Sign Staff Liaison Hafner provided a written update on the Blaine Wetland Sanctuary Temporary Sign indicating he talked with our sign specialist at public works. He is recommending that a smaller sign be used. With a large sign, there is a lot of additional support that needs to be added to the mounting. It is a lot of extra work and adds more cost. Signs that big become wind catchers and can be blown around if not supported and anchored properly. The smaller sizes that have been researched should be readable if placed closer to the trail along Lexington, just out of the right away. The simple wording should make it easy to read. Public works will mount the sign. It may be a little more difficult with the ground frozen but it can be done. Recommendation is to go with a smaller size and stay away from the 4x6 or 4x8 range. Placement will be somewhat difficult with the well drilling crew coming in and the trail building crew beginning access in January. The Board is asked decide on sign size - choose a smaller size. Chair McKinley suggested waiting on the sign. Boardmember Perkins suggested going with 4 x 8 temporary sign in March 2017 for the spring/summer kickoff. This will allow for extra reinforcement to be constructed. When the permanent sign is constructed the temporary sign will be relocated to 109th Avenue. Boardmember Villella stated the signs needs to be large. Chair McKinley distributed a draft of a possible sign. Boardmember Truchon asked if another photo would be more appropriate since this one shows canary grass. The consensus of the Board was the photograph Chair McKinley provided was appropriate. The only suggestion was for a different font to be used that didn’t curve. The size of the logo was discussed. MOVED by Boardmember Perkins, seconded by Boardmember Villella, to delay installing the double-sided temporary sign until March 2016 in 4 x 6 size with City of Blaine Page 3 Nat'l Resources Conservation Minutes - Final December 20, 2016 Board additional supports as needed with wording as proposed in the draft. Motion carried unanimously. Aye: 6 - Chair McKinley, Villella, Perkins, Truchon, Rafferty, and Castillo Chair McKinley will work with the sign maker to have the sign made. 7. Other Business None. 8. Adjournment MOVED by Boardmember Perkins, seconded by Boardmember Villella, to adjourn the meeting at 7:35 p.m. The motion carried unanimously. Aye: 6 - Chair McKinley, Villella, Perkins, Truchon, Rafferty, and Castillo City of Blaine Page 4