PILLAGER - Cass County Board voted Tuesday to make available environmental service employees to assist city of Lake Shore officials when they take their concerns about the Lake Margaret watershed to surrounding townships.
Lake Shore Council Member Vicki LaMere told the board the city plans to encourage seven neighboring townships to join the city in preparing a best management practices plan to encourage making all private sewer systems compliant and to manage stormwater run-off in the watershed flowing into Lake Margaret.
Through studies conducted the last two years after Minnesota Pollution Control Agency identified high nutrient levels in Lake Margaret, LaMere said Lake Shore has learned the entire watershed contributes to the lake's condition.
Private sewer systems have been sampled. A survey showed there is not an excess of livestock in the watershed area, she said. The shift now is focusing on stormwater run-off.
The county board approved shifting responsibility for hiring contractors to test sewer systems for compliance in the Southwest Leech Lake Wastewater Project to the Southwest Leech Lake Joint Powers Board.
Environmental Services Director John Sumption said that board has indicated it will hire ESD staff to do about 250 sewer system inspections and independent contractor Joni Tulenchik to do about 200 inspections at $90 per inspection.
Sumption reported the draft comprehensive plan revision will be completed and posted for public review on the county Web site, www.co.cass.mn.us, by the first week in September. A public hearing on the revisions will be set in October.
The county board appointed Commissioners Bob Kangas and Jeff Peterson to work with ESD staff to draft language for a solid waste ordinance update, which is expected to include a section on licensing auto salvage operations and to better define a solid waste abatement process.
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