Conservation District outlines milfoil treatment, lake-use study and fee adjustments

White Bear Lake — Representatives of the White Bear Lake Conservation District updated the City Council on 2023 activities, a planned fall lake-use study and a milfoil treatment strategy that could draw on district reserves and raised slip fees.

Scott Costello, chair of the district's Lake Education Committee, and Mike Ponto, treasurer and chair of the Lake Quality Committee, presented the district's annual report and the 2025 budget proposal. Costello said the district uses a four-page insert in a mailed publication called the Laker to reach lake residents and highlighted ongoing outreach, buoy placement and a patrol agreement with the Ramsey County Sheriff.

Ponto described a Blue Water Science lake-use study to be performed this fall that will include boat counts, shoreline and aquatic-plant inventories, fish surveys, water-quality monitoring and exit surveys for lake users. He also outlined an operational plan for treating milfoil: the district budgeted $115,000 for treatment in a normal year and set aside up to $27,000 additional contingency because a short ice season produced extended growing conditions. Ponto said treatment work would begin shortly after July 4 and that notice would be posted online and at treatment sites.

The district expects to draw on reserves in 2024; Ponto said the average reserve is about $252,000 and that proposed 2025 adjustments (including an increase to $125 for commercial slip fees) and an assessment would result in a balanced budget going forward. Staff said the White Bear Lake city assessment would be in the neighborhood of $21,000 for 2025 under the proposed plan and noted the per-resident share equates to about $0.88 per person in the city.

Council members thanked the district for improved administration and monitoring. Council member Edbert asked about reserves and investment strategy; district officers said most funds are in a CD or money market earning modest interest and agreed to explore higher-yield, low-risk options with the city's finance director. The council also discussed unpermitted shoreline rentals; district staff said the Conservation District has a commercial permitting process and has revoked at least one permit for lack of insurance, but that their enforcement options are limited when rentals originate offsite.

District and city staff briefed council that a longstanding docking and boundary dispute involving Docks of White Bear has been worked toward resolution; staff said they plan to survey and set permanent points on the ground to memorialize an agreed line and forward the permit to the Minnesota DNR as appropriate.

Costello and Ponto left the council with a request that councilors review their packet materials for the 26 listed 2023 activities. They emphasized the district's goal of keeping the lake safe and open and noted the importance of retaining funds to respond to potential emergent threats such as invasive species.