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5.a) Cooperative Weed Management Grant Meeting Date: 6/2/2009 Agenda Item: �� �.� City Council Agenda Report City of Scandia 14727 209`h St. North Scandia, MN 55073 (651) 433-2274 Action Requested: Consider accepting a $1,000 Cooperative Weed Management grant from the Washington Conservation District (WCD) for Lilleskogen Park. Deadline/ Timeline: Grant funds must be used by 12/30/09 Background: • Scandia has a project underway to design,permit and construct a water control structure and begin restoration of the wetland vegetation in Lilleskogen Park. • WCD has offered to provide funds from a state allocation for weed management. Eligible expenses include herbicide and equipment purchases, contract labor for mechanical or chemical management, re-vegetation, or contract labor for monitoring for other invasive species such as garlic mustard. • Funds previously allocated by the City and the watershed district for the wetland restoration (including reed canary grass management) will apply as the required match against this grant, although volunteer or in-kind staff time will also qualify. • The City Attorney has reviewed the grant agreement and raised no concerns. Recommendation: I recommend that the Council authorize the Mayor to sign the cost- share assistance contract. Attachments/ • E-mail dated 5/12/09 from Jyneen Thatcher, WCD Materials provided: . Cost-Share Assistance Contract Contact(s): Prepared by: Anne Hurlburt, Administrator (wcd weed management grant) Page 1 of 1 OS/26/09 � _ Anne Hurlburt From: Jyneen Thatcher [jyneen.thatcher@mnwcd.org� Sent: Tuesday, May 12, 2009 11:38 AM To: Scandia-Anne Subject: Weed grant- Lilleskogen Park Attachments: Contract 08-cwma-10_Scandia-Lilleskogen_20090513.DOC � Contract 08-cwma- 10 Scandia-Li... Anne- Our office has received some funding for a Cooperative Weed Management grant, and the grant committee has identified the Lilleskogen Park restoration project as a deserving project. Pending approval by the WCD Board to encumber the funds (expected to occur on May 13, 2009) we are offering the City $1000 in grant funds, to apply towards buckthorn management in the park. The funds will need to be spent before 12/30/09, and eligible expenses include herbicide and equipment purchases, contract labor for mechanical or chemical management, revegetation, or contract labor for monitoring for other invasive species such as garlic mustard. I anticipate that the funds previously allocated by the City and CMSCWD for the wetland restoration (including reed canarygrass management) will apply as a match against this grant, although volunteer or in-kind staff time will also qualify. I have attached to this e-mail a draft contract form, which will need to be completed and signed by the City, and then co-signed by myself (as technical representative) and our Board Chair, before the expenditures can occur. The grant does require the landowner to provide receipts for expenses paid, to be reimbursed through our office, following the typical State Cost-share protocols. Therefore, please review the attached form, and identify who would be the spokesperson for the City, authorized to sign the contract. I can update the form and send it back to you for signature, or you could add it in directly. When it has been signed and returned, I will obtain the remaining signatures as soon as possible, and provide a copy back to you with approval to begin. Feel free to call if you have questions about this grant, or the application process. Jyneen Thatcher Wetland Specialist Washington Conservation District 1380 W. Frontage Rd; Hwy 36 Stillwater, MN 55082 651-275-1136 X 25 jyneen.thatcherC�mnwcd.org 1 - � STATE CC�:�`T-S`HARE�ASSISTANCE CONTRACT GENERAL INFORMATION — -::.--, , Contract No. Individuall Federal or other ` Conservation District Washington Amendment❑ Cancelled❑ Group State Cost-Share COUnty Number $2 08-CWMA- � Yes❑ NO� Board Meeting Date(s):_ Board Meeting Date(s):_ 10 APPLICANT Applicant' Address CitylState ZIP 14727-209�h St. N Scandia, MN 55073 City of Scandia 'H a group contract,this must be filed and signed by the group spokesperson as designated in the group agreement. CONSERVATION PRACTICE LOCATION TownshiplCity Name Township Range Section 114,114 County Number Minor Watershed Number Lilleskogen Park, Scandia 32N 20W 14 SE,SW 82 37050 CONTRACT INFORMATION I (we) the undersigned, do hereby request cost-share assistance to help defray the cost of installing the following State Cost-Share practice(s)listed on the second page of this contract. It is understood that: �• The land occupier or landowner is responsible for the operation and maintenance of practices applied under this program to ensure that the conservation objective of the practice is met and the effective life, a minimum of 2 years, is achieved. Full establishment and maintenance of all conservation practices to achieve the upland treatment criteria are considered a State Cost Share Program requirement for the life span of the practice receiving financial cost-share assistance. Should the land occupier or landowner fail to maintain the practice during its effective life, the land occupier or landowner is liable to the state of Minnesota for the amount up to 150% of the amount of financial assistance received to install and establish the practice. The land occupier or landowner is not liable for cost-share assistance received if the failure was caused by reasons beyond the land occupier or landowner's control, or if conservation practices are applied at the land occupier or landowner's expense that provide equivalent protection of the soil and water resources. In no case shall a conservation district provide cost-share assistance to a land occupier or landowner for the reapplication of a practice that was removed by the land occupier or landowner during its effective life without consent of the conservation district board or that failed due to improper maintenance. The specific operation and maintenance requirements for the conservation practice listed are described in the operation and maintenance plan prepared for this contract by the conservation district technical representative. If title to this land is transferred to another party before expiration of the aforementioned life, it shall be the responsibility of the land occupier or landowner-who signed this contract to advise the new owner that this contract is in force. 2. Practice(s) must be planned and installed in accordance with technical standards and specifications of the: USDA-NRCS. 3. Increases in the practice units or cost must be approved by the conservation district board as a condition to increase the cost-share payments by amendment. 4. This contract, when approved by the conservation district board, will remain in effect unless canceled by mutual agreement, except where installations of practices covered by this contract have not been started by 11/1/2009 (date), this contract will be automatically terminated on that date. 5. Practices will be installed by 12/31/2009 (date) unless this contract is amended by mutual consent to reschedule the work and funding. 6. Items of cost for which reimbursement is claimed on the Voucher and Practice Certification Summary Form are to be supported by invoices/receipts for payments and will be verified by the conservation district board as practical and reasonable. The district board has the authority to make adjustments to the costs submitted for reimbursement. 4 � ..�. ;il��- . 1`�Q�'��:/{!. �PPLICANT SIGNATURES The landowner's and land occupier's signature indicates their agreement to: 1. Grant the conservation districYs representative(s) access to the parcel where the conservation practice will be located. 2. Obtain all permits required in conjunction with the installation and establishment of the practice prior to starting construction of the practice. 3. Be responsible for the operation and maintenance of conservation practices applied under this program in accordance with an operation and maintenance plan prepared by the conservation district technical representative. 4. Not accept cost-share funds, from state and federal sources combined, that are in excess of 75 percent of the total cost to establish the conservation practice and provide copies of all forms and contracts pertinent to any other state or federal programs that are contributing funds towards this project. Date LandownerlSookescerson Address CitylState2ip Code 14727-209th St Scandia, MN 55073 Cit of Scandia Date Landowner Address City/State2ip Code CONSERVATION PRACTICE The conservation practice category for which cost-share is requested is D-1l(CWMA 613, brush manaqement 314). Eligible component(s) Other recognized technical practice Engineered Practice Total Cost Estimate (O yes or�no) Mechanical removal Ecological Practice $ 8,000.00 Herbicide application (�Yes or❑no) Revegetation TECHNICAL ASSESSMENT AND COST ESTIMATE I have reviewed the site where the above listed conservation practice(s) are to be installed and find that they are needed and that the estimated quantities and costs are practical and reasonable. Conservation Distrlct Technical Representative Date Jyneen Thatcher; AMOUNT AUTHORIZED FOR COST-SHARE(ENCUMBRANCE� Cost-sharing not to exceed 1000.00 or 75 percent of the total eligible cost, which ever is less. Conservation District Board,Chair Board Meeting Date Louise Smallidge WR-01112-01 (Updated 8/07)