Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Lake Treatment topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Waterville council orders lake delineation and bids after treatment grant denial
Summary
After learning the city’s lake treatment grant application was denied, the council voted 5-0 to have staff obtain a delineation and solicit bids so a permit application can follow; past treatment cost roughly $10,700 for about 36 acres.
The Waterville City Council voted unanimously March 3 to direct staff to obtain a lake delineation and solicit bids for lake treatment after the city’s application for a Lake Treatment Grant was not approved. Administrator Teresa Hill told the council that last year’s treatment and delineation cost about $10,700 and covered approximately 36 acres.
Council members debated budget implications before the motion. Council member Tim Smith moved to direct staff to pursue a delineation and bids; Jennifer Grobe seconded the motion, which passed 5-0. Hill told the council that delineation must be completed after ice melt and that the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources will determine which portions of the lake can be treated and the permit scope.
Why it matters: council members said treated areas showed visible improvement and fewer mosquitoes but noted the cost implications for the city budget. Council member Dave Wollin said he would not support treating the lake if the expense had not been budgeted; Administrator Hill responded that the 2026 budget did include an estimated amount of about $9,000 for lake treatment, but that the denied grant had been expected when the budget was prepared.
Next steps: Hill said delineation will occur after ice-out and that staff aims to have quotes in April for treatment work, after which a permit application would be submitted to state regulators. The council did not adopt a specific treatment plan at the meeting; it only authorized moving forward with delineation and bidding.
