Council Mail 11-01-2011 - Laserfiche WebLink

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CROW WING COUNTY BRAINERD. MINNESOTA 58401 To: Local Elected Officials Office of Environmental Services Land Services Building 322 Laurel Street, Suite 14 Brainerd, MN 56401 Telephone (218) 824 -1125 FAX (218) 824 -1126 Chris.Pence@co.crow-wing.mn.us From: Mark B. Liedl, Land Services Director Date: October 3, 2011 Re: Land Services Department - 3rd Quarterly Update for 2011 Office of Public Land Management Land Services Building 322 Laurel Street, Suite 12 Brainerd, MN 56401 Telephone (218) 824 -1115 FAX (218) 824 -1070 Kirk.Titus@co.crow-wing.mn.us Office of Property Valuation and Classification Land Services Building 322 Laurel Street, Suite 15 Brainerd, MN 56401 Telephone (218) 824 -1010 FAX (218) 824 -1011 Gary.Griffin @co.crow - wing.mn.us Below please find our quarterly report to keep you up -to -date on the activities of the Land Services Department. Any questions or suggestions, please let us know. Thank you for your partnership! Office of Environmental Services Chris Pence, Land Services Supervisor Land Use Map Crow Wing County is in the process of revising the land use map. Many individual changes to the land use map have occurred over the last 40 years, but it has never been updated to reflect current and desired future development patterns. Recent updates to the Crow Wing County Land Use Ordinance revised the County's land use districts, necessitating a revision of the land use map. The map revisions are consistent with the County Comprehensive Plan and Township comprehensive plans where available. On September 21, we sent out a letter to all township officials explaining the process as we move forward with the proposed land use map. The 30 day period for written comments is in process and will end n October 24, 2011. In addition to viewing the proposed changes via the County website and the opportunity to submit written comments during the public comment period, we are hosting four Open House forums in Meeting Rooms 1 and 2 of the County Land Services Building for residents and elected officials to review the updated land use maps. This will be an opportunity to meet with staff, review maps and address questions. The Open House Forums will be on the following dates: • October 3, 2011- 9:00 am to 12:00 pm • October 4, 2011- 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm • October 25, 2011- 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm • October 26, 2011- 9:00 am to 12:00 pm Following the Open Houses, the Crow Wing County Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on the proposed map changes in November. Check local newspapers and the County website for hearing dates and times. For more information or to view the proposed county -wide map, see the Environmental Services page on the Crow Wing County website at: http:// www.co.crow- wing.mn.us /planning zoning /index.html. Well Testing Provided at County Fair In partnership with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA), we offered a free nitrate water - testing clinic at the Crow Wing County Fair August 3 -5, 2011. Shallow aquifers beneath sandy soils in central Minnesota are highly susceptible to nitrate contamination. Nitrates are the most common contaminants in Minnesota's groundwater, and in some areas of the state a significant number of wells have high nitrate levels. With that in mind, experts recommend that rivate well owners who get their drinking water from wells should test their water regularly. Well water samples were provided by citizens and analyzed on the spot - the process usually took less than five minutes - and results were given directly to the homeowner. If the nitrate level in a sample was elevated, staff referred the homeowner to certified labs that will retest the water.