Third Generation Plan
The Shingle Creek and West Mississippi Watershed Management Commissions have initiated development of their joint Third Generation Watershed Management Plan. State statute requires that watershed plans be updated at a minimum of every ten years and the Commissions’ joint Second Generation Watershed Management Plan expires at the end of 2012. Our goal is to have a draft of the plan completed by the end of 2011 for city, agency, and public review in 2012.
The watershed planning process is governed by state statute and rule. The state agency responsible for planning oversight is the Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR). BWSR and state regulations require that this planning process be completed in an open manner, with robust opportunities for public input. As joint powers organizations, it is essential that city technical and management staff and City Councils participate in the planning process as well. This will result in a plan to meet both regulatory and member city needs in a cost-effective manner.
To that end, the Commissions, with BWSR approval, have developed a public input process. This letter provides an overview of the process and requests some actions from you as follows:
1. Instead of establishing a separate watershed-wide Citizens Advisory Committee specifically for this plan, we think it would be more efficient and provide for a broader representation of views if each City charges one of its existing citizen advisory commissions to provide review and input at key steps along the way. City staff and/or watershed commissioners will facilitate discussion, and the Commissions will provide presentation and handout materials for city use. It is expected that this input would be requested at least three times: early in the plan development; midway as the implementation and education and outreach plans are being developed; and prior to approving the final draft of the plan. If possible, this input process can be incorporated into the advisory commission’s regular meeting schedule.
The Commission’s request that each city designate a citizens advisory
commission to provide review and input on the watershed management
plan. Please provide the Commissions’ administrator, Judie Anderson, with the name of the commission, a schedule of their regular meetings for the
balance of 2011, and the appropriate contact person. We’d like that first
meeting to occur by the end of May 2011.
2. This summer the Shingle Creek Commission will host a Lake Association Summit to obtain review and input from lakeshore property owners.
More information will be forthcoming as the summit is organized.
3. City managers and their staff will be invited to participate in a forum midway through the planning process, approximately June or July 2011, to discuss goals, policies, and financing. Additional meetings may be scheduled as the group desires.
Judie Anderson will be in contact with City Managers’ offices to check calendars.
4. Presentations and handouts will be posted on the Commissions’ website and the public will be encouraged to submit comments.
We will be creating a Management Plan page on the www.shinglecreek.org website and will ask that each member city provide a link to that page on its website.
5. Periodic short news updates will be submitted to cities for their use on websites and in city newsletters and to the local press.
These will be available on the Commissions’ website and cities are free to use them in whatever way works for them. Please be sure that Judie Anderson has up to date contact emails so this information gets to the right person.
6. We will be using the free online tool Survey Monkey to periodically obtain public input at the beginning, middle, and end of the planning process. Questions will focus on identifying issues, evaluating and providing input on management goals, and prioritizing potential actions.
We will ask that as each survey comes out you post its availability on your city’s website and encourage the general public and the City Council, city staff, and advisory commission members to respond to the surveys.
7. As part of a larger, ongoing effort to increase awareness of the watershed commissions and the projects the cities are undertaking, we will be working with local cable TV and the cities to prepare short videos highlighting construction projects, monitoring, and other topics of interest. These will be available on YouTube, with links posted on the Commissions’ website.
Again, we would ask that you post information about the videos and links on your websites.
Thank you for your time and attention. We look forward to working with you this year on the Third Generation Watershed Management Plan. If you have any questions please feel free to contact Judie Anderson, the Commissions’ administrator, at judie@jass.biz or 763-553-1144.