Agenda - Council - 02/22/1982 - Laserfiche WebLink

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I I I I I I I I B. EXCESS FUNDS IN PLANNING AREA ALLOCATIONS In previous years, the Council has also recommended: "That in the event any policy planning area has unused funds after all quality projects (over 60 percent) are funded, the excess shall be redistributed to the other planning areas in proportion to the planning area allocation percentages." Staff received no comments from applicants regarding this policy. It was not used in FY '82 as there was no excess funds in the planning areas. However, this policy is reasonable under appropriate circumstances. Staff recommends that it be retained for FY '83 grants. C. BOAT LAUNCH PRIORITY In an attempt to meet the demand for more boat launch sites on lakes in the region, the Council, Minn. Dept. of Energy, Planning and Development (formerly State Planning Agency) and Dept. of Natural Resources implemented a cooperative program in 1979. A top priority for LAWCON/LCMR grants was given to boat launch projects for FY '80, '81 and '82 grant cycles. In FY '80 five projects were programmed to receive a total of $232,725 LAWCON/LCMR funds. In FY '81 only two out of four projects received were funded with $154,875. The two remaining projects, both.on Lake Minnetonka, did not receive grants as one was done with other funds which prevented it from being open to the public on weekends, and the other project did not meet adequate parking space requirements. In FY '82, two applications were submitted and both were withdrawn. The withdrawals were due to: The owner of the proposed access site on Lake Lucy in Chanhassen changed his. mind and decided not to sell. I I I i I I I I The Roseville City Council refused to approve development by Ramsey County of a boat launch on Lake Josephine, due to lakeshore owner opposition. Although there is little that the Metropolitan Water Access Task Force can do in regard to an unwilling seller, Task Force members feel that some steps can and should be taken where access projects are stopped due to lakeshore owner opposition. For instance, a citizen's advisory group was formed on the Ramsey County Beach/Access project on White Bear Lake after citizens expressed their concerns about the project. This approach gave affected citizens--both lakeshore owners and the general public--a forum to discuss concerns and come up with solutions to problems. Consequently, the project was approved. This type of balanced decision-making is one way to provide needed public access sites without the usual polarization of public attitudes which often lead to failure. In some cases, local comunities may decide not to go ahead and develop an access on their own and let the DNR do it instead. The information derived from the decision-making process can be used by the DNR in properly developing the access. The Task Force feels that local governments should have an opportunity to provide and consequently control some access sites. The reasons for this recommendation are: