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Residents, Lake Minnetonka Association outline proposed LIDs for Crystal Bay and Forest Lake
Summary
The Lake Minnetonka Association presented proposals for Crystal Bay and Forest Lake lake-improvement districts to Orono’s council; Forest Lake organizers reported a petition majority while Crystal Bay organizers were close. Residents expressed both support and reservations about species identification and fairness.
The Orono City Council heard an informational presentation Aug. 26 from Eric Evenson of the Lake Minnetonka Association about proposed Lake Improvement Districts (LIDs) for Crystal Bay and Forest Lake to address invasive aquatic plants.
Evenson described LIDs as a single-purpose, petition-initiated tool overseen by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. He said the two LIDs being pursued would include only private tax-paying parcels with lake access and that Crystal Bay would include roughly 214 properties while Forest Lake would include about 100. Evenson described a draft assessment cap of $250 per property and said Forest Lake organizers already have a majority of signatures; Crystal Bay organizers were “literally just about there.”
Evenson said invasive plants observed this year include Eurasian watermilfoil, curly leaf pondweed and flowering rush; he attributed increased weed growth in part to clearer water and zebra mussels. He explained the petition process, the need for a public hearing and potential requirements for a joint-powers agreement for Crystal Bay if multiple municipalities are involved.
During public comment, residents expressed differing viewpoints. Jim Tyson (Forest Lake) said much of the vegetation he documented was native coontail rather than milfoil and asked whether DNR rules permit lakewide treatment for native species (his understanding: no). Mary Kappas and other organizers described door-to-door outreach and urged fairness and sustainability if an assessment proceeds. Richie Anderson (Crystal Bay) advocated a strong participation threshold (about 70%) and described prior successes removing flowering rush; Joe Tyson (Forest Lake) said he preferred to wait another year, calling the current spike possibly anomalous.
Evenson said some bays have used voluntary funding for years but that volunteer programs are increasingly difficult to sustain, arguing LIDs can provide a more equitable and predictable funding mechanism. He said organizers will continue collecting signatures and expect to present a petition and request a city public hearing when they have a significant majority.
The council treated the presentation as informational; no formal action was taken on LIDs at the meeting. City staff and organizers were advised to coordinate next steps, including the timeline for a public hearing and any required joint agreements.
