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Lake Elmo growth leads to water issues
The city says it sometimes uses a contaminated well to meet water demand. But blended with clean water and it’s not a threat.
LAKE ELMO, Minn. — The city of Lake Elmo is exploding so much that it’s now the fastest-growing city in Minnesota.
What was a town of about 6,700 in 2005 is now nearing 14,000. Officials predict it could grow past 18,000 by 2030.
“I think people in Lake Elmo are really invested in the community and they want to see it survive and thrive,” said Lake Elmo Mayor Charles Cadenhead.
The population boom is so big that up to 300 homes are built every year and now includes the city’s first apartment complex.
Add in an expected 1,000 new students in the next decade and the school board recently approved a resolution to hold a $175 million bond referendum on November 7, 2023.
And then there’s the water issue.
“Everybody thinks it’s the land of 10,000 lakes, you’ve got a ton of water, right,” said Cadenhead. “Well, not necessarily so.”
The city gets all its water from the ground, but the Department of Natural Resources says it can legally only pump 260 million gallons of it every year. Cadenhead projecting it needs two times that by 2027.
“We are actively trying to make sure we’re good stewards of the resource,” he said.
What’s worse is that some of the water is contaminated with chemicals called PFAS or per- and polyfluoroalkyl. For years, 3M Co. made the chemicals that leaked into underground aquifers after being disposed of.
To meet the water demand, the city says it has to use that contaminated water, but blended with clean water, Cadenhead says it’s not a public threat. He says the city’s two other pumps do not contain PFAS.
“We’re just trying to manage it best with the pumps we have online now,” said Cadenhead. “And we’re trying to make sure we have neighborhoods get hooked up to clean city water; it just makes it a little more difficult in the long run.”
Some solutions include imposing residential water restrictions for now and building a water treatment plant later. The city also applied for grants from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency to fund treatment of the water and another line to divert more water from the cleaner pumps.
“We’re tying to be very solution-orientated,” said Cadenhead. “But then it’s our responsibility to make sure it grows in the right way.”
As for the bond request, it would cost taxpayers with a median priced home of $500,000 about $17 per month.
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Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey questioned the legality of the new measure while issuing his veto on Wednesday.
MINNEAPOLIS — The City of Minneapolis will move ahead with new carbon fees after a contentious back and forth at City Hall concluded with the council overriding the mayor’s veto.
The new fees, which target carbon emissions from city businesses, will be implemented on July 1, 2025, according to the council.
Minneapolis already has a pollution fee system, known as the Pollution Control Annual Registration or PCAR. The fees go into the city’s Green Cost Share program, helping pay the costs companies incur bringing down their emissions.
The current PCAR system covers emissions of other air pollutants, including volatile organic compounds, heavy particulates, and sulfur oxides, nitrous oxides, lead, and carbon monoxide. Companies are required to report their emissions levels to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, which, in turn, charges fees of $100 per ton.
The City Council voted Oct. 2 to add carbon dioxide to the list. The resolution seeks to impose a $452 per ton fee for carbon dioxide.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey questioned the legality of the new measure while issuing his veto on Wednesday.
“I am all on board for PCAR fees—but it’s time the Council stops playing games and follows the processes in place to enact lasting change,” said Mayor Jacob Frey, in a statement to KARE.
Before his veto was overridden, Frey had told KARE that if the measure were to move forward, companies hit with the fees would likely sue the city and win.
Council Member Robin Wonsley, who co-authored the measure, took to X (formerly Twitter) to respond to Frey’s veto on Wednesday night.
Wisconsin law enforcement said Katrina Baur, and her partner, Jesse Vang, are facing charges in connection with 3-year-old Elijah Vue’s death, including obstruction.
TWO RIVERS, Wis. — About a month after 3-year-old Elijah Vue’s remains were recovered from a private property in Wisconsin, state authorities announced Thursday that charges have been filed against the boy’s mother and her partner.
Wisconsin law enforcement said Katrina Baur, and her partner, Jesse Vang, are facing charges in connection with 3-year-old Elijah Vue’s death, including obstruction.
Vue went missing in February and it wasn’t until September that his body was recovered and identified.
Wadena-Deer Creek head coach Kyle Petermeier told families in a letter that a rash of injuries has reduced the roster to the point that playing is a “safety issue.”
WADENA, Minn. — A central Minnesota high school is pulling the plug on the remainder of its varsity football season, saying continuing to play would not be “safe or realistic.”
Wadena-Deer Creek head coach Kyle Petermeier sent a letter home to families earlier in the week, explaining the decision to skip the Wolverines’ final game and subsequent district playoffs. Petermeier said injuries began piling up as the club reached midseason, and roster numbers hit a dangerous low following Wadena-Deer Creek’s game in week 7.
Heading into the final regular season game against Staples-Motley, Wadena-Deer Creek had just eight healthy players from 10th to 12th grade. At that point, the coach said, a difficult but necessary decision had to be made in the interest of safety.
“We are in a position now where we would have to trot out a majority of our team that is 14 and 15 years old, and that is not in the best interest of our kids,” coach Petermeier explained. “To us, safety is ahead of any individual game result. Football is a physical sport and putting out a team of mostly 14-15 year olds vs. 17-18 year olds is not safe or realistic for our team, and even the opposing team playing. “
Before the decision to end their season, the Wolverines were 1-6 on the year, losing games by up to 50 points.
Coach Petermeier credited this year’s varsity squad for their preparation, training and effort, and told parents he believes the future of the Wadena-Deer Creek football program is bright with big participation numbers with players at the fifth- to ninth-grade levels.
“Football is a game that requires strength in numbers, and we will do anything we can to keep these numbers high and keep kids out for football,” he promised.
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