Roseville City Council Preview Jan. 23

The Roseville City Council is expected tonight (Monday) to consider disbanding the nearly 30-year-old Grass Lake Watershed Management Organization.

In a memo,  Roseville Public Works Director Duane Schwartz is recommending the Council adopt a resolution rejecting the proposed revised joint powers agreement language and petition for dissolution of the organization.  "We feel this is in the best long term interests of the city and protection of the water resources," he said. "The joint powers organization (with Shoreview) has met the needs in this watershed for nearly 30 years.

"But changes in water regulation and watershed management mandates require
 a level of professional management and technical resources that might be more efficiently provided by an adjacent water management organization that has these resources in place." Schawartz said.

Schwartz's recommendation comes after the Roseville Council postponed deciding last month whether the the Grass Lake Water Management Organization (GLWMO) should receive an increase in funding from $37,000 to $150,000.

The organization, which is jointly funded by Roseville and Shoreview, is tasked with protecting city water and stormwater quality through management of the cities’ watersheds.

, members of the GLWMO said they needed to overhaul the organization’s structure in order to fulfill state requirements for water quality, and suggested instituting a stormwater utility fee to finance the organization.

Currently, Roseville  funds half of the Grass Lake WMO budget through its Storm
 Utility Fund which is fee supported across the entire city, Schwartz noted.  "If the organization is dissolved, the watershed management function will eventually be merged into another watershed by the state Board of Water and Soil Resources.  The surrounding watershed organizations have their own taxing or utility fee authority for properties within their jurisdiction."

For a complete list of the council's agenda items for tonight's meeting  click on to this link. The Council meeting is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. at City Hall, 2660 Civic Center Drive.