Snow storage rule changed again during meeting

It’s official.

The Cedar River Watershed District passed its final rules Wednesday night, and they will go into effect Dec. 1.

One of the last areas of concern — a rule regarding the city’s snow storage — underwent more changes.

At the public hearing before the meeting, several city officials re-addressed concerns about the snow removal rule that would potentially eliminate the Marcusen Park storage site and cause the city to haul snow farther. Mayor Tom Stiehm once again said eliminating the storage site could cost the city $150,000 to $250,000 more in transportation costs each year. He said that’s a 5 to 6 percent increase on the tax levy.

“That’s almost double what we raised it last year,” he said.

However, CRWD officials tossed around four different ideas in the last week and a half that would soften the rule and better accommodate the city.

The original wording of the rule aimed to ban any snow storage within 300 feet of any open ditch or public drainage system. But one of CRWD’s four new ideas reduced the 300-foot rule to 150 feet. It also said the city would have to submit a plan for best management practices each year by Oct. 1.

Yet CRWD compromised even further and voted unanimously to amend the rule at the meeting, reducing the 150-foot setback to 100 feet. The CRWD board also voted unanimously to approve the entire set of rules.

“We feel we’ve put the best set of rules together based on what our purpose is,” CRWD Board President Mike Jones said.

Among other issues, the city of Austin and CRWD had hashed out a deal regarding the North Main flood mitigation project early last week, in which CRWD decided not to stall any phases of the project.

“In a nutshell, it says no permit is required,” said Matt Benda, CRWD’s attorney.

The board voted unanimously to approve the agreement, something Jones called “a big milestone for the city of Austin.”

CRWD will ask for blueprints and documentation of the flood mitigation projects as references, but the city of Austin will assume liability if its flood walls ever have a negative affect on the city.

The next CRWD meeting is 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 17, at the Jay C. Hormel Nature Center Ruby Rupner Auditorium.

CRWD: rules within the watershed

• Rules passed Wednesday, July 20.
• City must submit a best management plan by Oct. 1.
• Rules become effective Dec. 1.
• Certain ditch projects and construction projects may require permits from CRWD beginning Dec. 1.

The complete document of rules and which  projects will require permits can be found at www.cedarriverwd.org.