Agenda - Council - 02/13/1990 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Metro Local Water Management Task Force Reporl December 15, 1989 the WMO's need to maintain strong, on-going roles as water management entities. There is a need for greater public recognition of what WMOs are and why they exist. JPWMOs need a separate identity from city government. The survey showed that nearly one-half of the 46 organizations had no strategies for ensuring implementation of local plans. Further, 8 of the 46 organizations in- tended on meeting only one or less times a year. Two of this group intended on not meeting at all once their watershed plan was approved. BWSR staff reported that at least four organizations are currently inactive and do not yet have approved plans. Testimony was provided that summarized the deficiencies related to the consisten- cy and stability of metro watershed organizations as follows: · vacancies on WMO boards should be noticed in the paper and citizens be given the opportunity to seek appointment. · agencies have inadequate oversight of "509" implementation. · there is lack of consistency among plans (one city containing land in several WMOs may be subject to several different sets of criteria tot wetland regulation, erosion control, etc.). · the role of SWCDs in metro water planning should be clarified. · rules should be promulgated to provide for minimum criteria of the structure and makeup of joint powers agreements. · accountability of WMO msmbers needs to be improved. · visibility of WMOs needs to be enhanced. · there are fringe areas of the metro area which are exempt from local water planning that are now "islands" surrounded by 11 OB plans and "509" plans. · If a JPWMO dissolves, no other governmental entity is charged with the responsibility of ensuring implementation of the watershed plan. Many of these concerns have already been addressed in part under Issues 1 - 7. For example: Issue 1 Issue2 Issue 3 Issue 4 Issue 5 Issue 6 Issue 7 - public information, local coordination and open appointments - reporting requirements - state oversight - urban ditch management - funding of capital projects exemption from local levy limits - rules to govern WMO plan content I i..': .; tive'OVersight of waterShed plan irnplernentatioh':requir~:th~:':~aj~tbna~eof %tiV~'ii;.ii :i i:~'i;I ~ii::'::.and Capable watershed management Recommendations for Issue 8: #23 Amend the law to require ali metro fringe areas currently e. xempt from Metropolitan Water Management Act planning requirements to prepare and imple- ment water plans under either "509" or ]JO, B, whichever i.s deemed appropriate by the t~WSR. l' Page 15