Residents urge Mound to oppose Harrison Bay lake improvement district, cite herbicide and liability concerns

Ed Rockwell and other residents told the Mound City Council on April 22 that they oppose a proposal by the Harrison Bay Association to create a lake improvement district for Harrison Bay and warned the district would impose new taxes and legal liabilities on lakeshore property owners.

They also raised concerns about chemical weed treatments the association has used and about the potential ecological effects of repeated herbicide applications.

The residents’ comments came during the council’s public-comment period. Rockwell, who said he has lived on Minnesota lakes for more than 50 years and on Harrison Bay for 24 years, said a Harrison Bay LID would have the authority to tax more than 230 lakeshore homes, deeded-access properties and at least one business whether property owners agree or not. He said the Minnesota DNR rules on lake improvement districts shift responsibility away from the DNR once a district is formed and place liability on the LID, the City of Mound and taxed property owners.

“This liability shift is spelled out in the official Minnesota DNR rules on lake improvement districts,” Rockwell said, noting he included the rules in the council packet. He said the LID could also impose additional taxes on common-stake properties in the bay.

Rockwell and other speakers urged the council to seek broader community input before allowing a Lake Improvement District to proceed. He and Jim Tyson, another lakeshore resident, said residents had gathered petitions opposing the LID and that other communities that authorized similar districts had low participation at critical meetings.

Rockwell and Tyson also challenged the use of herbicides such as diquat and procellaCOR (referred to in the meeting as “Procellacor”), saying those chemicals can kill native vegetation, release nutrients into the water as plants decompose, reduce habitat for fish and wildlife and persist in sediments. Rockwell said the DNR recommends mechanical or manual removal where feasible and that herbicides “should be used as a last resort.” He said repeated treatments can increase loss of native plants such as coontail, reduce fish habitat and can lead to higher phosphorus concentrations and algal problems.

Tyson said residents who initially supported petitions in other communities often change their minds when presented with fuller information about liability, treatment methods and costs; he urged the Mound council to evaluate the facts and community impacts before acting.

Council members thanked the speakers and said staff would review the materials provided. The council did not take any formal action on the LID at the meeting.

Ending: Residents asked the council to delay or decline moving forward with any LID approval until the city and the community have had more time to review DNR guidance, treatment data and alternatives such as mechanical weed removal.