Title
RESOLUTION OF SUPPORT FOR CONTINUED ASSESSMENT AND COMPLETE DESIGN OF A PROPOSED FLOW RESTRICTIVE CULVERT AT HARTLEY DAM
Body
CITY PROPOSAL:
WHEREAS, on July 21, 2014, the city council approved a Hartley Park Master Plan, which recommended that the city commission a feasibility study to assess options for reconfiguring the relationships between Hartley Pond, Hartley dam, and Tischer Creek to better advance the public's interests in ecosystem integrity and outdoor recreation (14-0390R);
WHEREAS, on March 23, 2020, the city council approved the Management Plan for the Hartley Natural Area which recommended that the city commission a study of potential changes to the same pond, dam, and creek in Hartley Park (20-0274R);
WHEREAS, on October 10, 2022, the city council approved the Essential Spaces: Duluth Parks, Recreation, Open Space & Trails Plan which recommended that the city commission a study to retain, remove, or modify the pond in Hartley Park to best balance recreation, aesthetics, history and ecology (22-0828R);
WHEREAS, in 2023 and 2024, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources ("MN DNR"), in cooperation with the city, undertook the recommended study with independent engineer support and extensive community input;
WHEREAS, in July of 2024, MN DNR issued a final report recommending that the city address the interrelated issues at the pond, dam, and creek by installing a flow restrictive culvert in the dam;
WHEREAS, in August of 2024, the city's natural resources commission and its parks and recreation commission each unanimously recommended that the city authorize additional assessment and complete design of a flow restrictive culvert at Hartley Park subject to the terms and conditions set forth in Exhibit 1;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the city council supports continued assessment and complete design of the proposed flow restrictive culvert at Hartley dam subject to the conditions outlined in the staff memo attached as Exhibit 1...
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