County to look at lake management on Tuesday

By Brad Swenson
Pioneer Staff Writer

As a moratorium on developing along sensitive lakes in Beltrami County expires this week, commissioners on Tuesday will hold a public hearing to make permanent changes in classifying lakes.

The second reading and public hearing on amendments to lakes classifications in the Beltrami County Shoreland Management Ordinance is part of the County Board’s regular agenda when it meets at 5 p.m. in the County Administration Building, 701 Minnesota Ave.

The County Board enacted a one-year moratorium Jan. 4, 2005, for all but two dozen natural environment lakes in the county which may wrongly be classified, to allow time for a study to properly classify them.

Concerned that development pressure is now moving to less desirable lake locations, commissioners wanted to ensure that the restrictive natural environment classification was proper, “to preserve and enhance high quality waters by protecting them from pollution and to protect shorelands of waters which are unsuitable for development; to maintain a low density of development; and to maintain high standards of quality for permitted development.”

That study done, County Environmental Services Director Bill Patnaude is proposing classification revisions prepared by a natural environmental lakes technical advisory committee to reclassify some lakes and to add a new classification.

The move would create three levels of natural environmental lakes--natural environmental lakes, sensitive area lakes and special protection lakes. Each would carry specific minimum lot sizes, from two acres to five acres.

Also part of the County Board’s regular agenda, commissioners will open bids and award the publication of notice of delinquent taxes and delinquent tax list and for publication of the annual financial statement, legal public notices and legal publications, and will consider a public gathering permit request for a country music festival this summer at Turtle River.

Among reports commissioners will discuss during their 3 p.m. work session are revisions to the County Public Health Nuisance Ordinance.

County public health officials argue that the ordinance needs updating to include provisions for such current problems as clandestine drug lab sites and unnatural breeding grounds for mosquitoes carrying the West Nile virus and other disease-causing microorganisms.

Commissioners will discuss the future status of the Rognlien Forest Day Use Area on Grant Lake at Wilton, as the state Department of Natural Resources on Feb. 6 will abandon the area, ceasing all maintenance Grant Lake Forest Road 71 which leads to the area, which is used as a park.

As the road also provides access to several homes, the DNR is asking Wilton, Grant Valley Township or Beltrami County to consider jurisdiction of the road once the DNR abandons it. If no jurisdiction is claimed, the DNR will post the road as “Not Maintained” and barrier it where it crosses state lands.

Also Tuesday, commissioners will receive a report on 2005 activities of the Joint Economic Development Commission from Executive Director Larry Young and an update on Bemidji Regional Airport activities from Airport Manager Harold Van Leeuwen.

Commissioners will also discuss a legislative agenda for county priorities and consider possible dates to meet with local legislators, with the session slated to start March 1.

During the board’s regular meeting, after electing a 2006 chairman and vice chairman, the board’s consent agenda includes county bills and warrant payment listing and approval of a contract with Government Management Group for an indirect cost study for 2005 county finances.

Also, commissioners will be asked to approve 2006 agreements with the University of Minnesota’s Extension Service and Nutrition Education Program.

Final plat approvals will be asked for Wildwood Shores First Addition in Lammers Township, Shores of Gilstad Lake in Birch Township, Hilltop Acres on Gull Lake near Tenstrike, Moose Lake Bay in Moose Lake Township, and a common interest community, Fisherman’s Haven, on Upper Red Lake.

The consent agenda includes approval of public defender contracts with Margaret Dow and Peter Bulens, and the purchase of services agreements with a host of social services providers to the Beltrami County Social Services Department.