Serpent Lake district issue stalemated

The Crow Wing County Board split in half Tuesday with neither side giving ground.

The ongoing issue was the prospect of a lake improvement district for Serpent Lake. After a debate that appeared headed toward a stalemate, commissioners tabled the decision to Aug. 11 when a full five-member board was expected to be present.

Petitioners, 174 of 296 property owners on Serpent Lake, requested the district to address lake management with a primary focus on controlling the invasive aquatic vegetation curly-leaf pondweed through an approved herbicide. Cost for services are $13,500 per year or $50 per property owner.

Lake improvement districts, or LIDs, cropped up as lakeside residents and lake associations looked for ways to deal with invasive species, particularly weed growth. The July 14 public hearing brought out people for and against an LID. Tuesday, the board expected to approve or deny the petition. The petitioners began their effort when they went before the board in the fall of 2008. Commissioners wanted a summer public hearing and asked petitioners to seek DNR grant funds. They asked. The DNR said no.

Commissioner Rachel Reabe Nystrom said petitioners fulfilled every requirement from the board. Chairwoman Rosemary Franzen seconded Nystrom's motion to approve the lake district request.

"We're here to represent the people," Franzen said. "Over 60 percent of the people want this."

Franzen said the residents want to preserve the lake and protect their property values. Nystrom said she was concerned with the precedent of denying the petition when all the requirements were met but there was a vocal minority opposed.

Commissioner Doug Houge, who represents the area, said there was no question the lake association had done what the board asked. But Houge said that still left a handful of private individuals to take on the burden of keeping lakes clean for thousands of public users.

"I think this is a state issue where the DNR in many ways has passed the buck to local government," Houge said, adding he received many phone calls asking for denial of the petition as people felt they were taxed enough.

"I support the efforts that they are doing," Houge said. "I just cannot support the concept of LIDs period. ... I would much rather pursue higher levels of funding to deal with these situations."

Nystrom noted Houge voted in favor of other LID requests previously and said if the county waits for the state to move everyone will be able to walk across Serpent Lake referring to the weed growth. Franzen noted the county cannot control what the DNR does. Houge said it's premature to have the LIDs when there are other funds out there, including the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment.

Commissioner Paul Thiede, who lives on lakeshore in the Pequot Lakes area, said at some point in the near future that may be something only the privileged will be able to enjoy as the tax structure is forcing people away from their homes. Thiede said he was supporting Houge's decision and every LID was different and had unique circumstances.

Commissioner Phil Trusty was absent.

"Some of the minority can huff and puff and threaten to blow our house down but I think this needs to be determined on the merits of this situation in the context of what we have," Nystrom said, adding she thinks everyone agrees it would be great to have the DNR take charge but that hasn't happened.

"This is our responsibility now," Nystrom said, adding she hasn't heard of any compelling reason for Thiede or Houge to vote against this LID when they have supported others.

"If you two felt this way you should have just told these people a year ago ... it's like OK now we want you to jump through three more hoops and we're going to have the hoops a little bit higher. ... I just think that's unfair. To me you just led them on a merry dance hoping something miraculous would happen and they would lose some of their steam and their resolve continues."

Franzen said she echoed everything Nystrom said, noting the petition grew to 62 percent of the residents.

Thiede said he has other reasons than supporting Houge. Thiede said he doesn't belong to the lake association.

"I don't particularly like the tactics of people who are being forced off their homes on the lakeshore because we have a continuing hunger for people to come up here and buy more lakeshore which drives up my taxes drives up my expenses and forces me so that I to sit on a piece of property that I'm not sure my kids are going to be able to buy from me and that's really sick. That is really sick."

Houge said the DNR has to step up and there are many lakes and streams to protect. "I'm thinking of the big picture and the future. To me LIDs are Band-Aids to a problem that we have today."

RENEE RICHARDSON may be reached at renee.richardson@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5852.