Minnesota Administrative Rules

8410.0045 ISSUE IDENTIFICATION AND ASSESSMENT.

Subpart 1.

Priority issues.

A.

Each plan shall identify priority issues in consideration of:

(1)

water management problems, including prevention of future water management problems;

(2)

funding levels; and

(3)

regional, county, city, state, and federal water management priorities that are identified under this part.

B.

Priority issues must be evaluated, addressed, and prioritized in the goals and implementation sections of the plan according to parts 8410.0080 and 8410.0105.

Subp. 2.

Advisory committee.

Watershed districts must comply with Minnesota Statutes, sections 103D.331 and 103D.337. All other organizations must establish an advisory committee, committees, or other means of public and technical participation acceptable to the board, for the purpose of making recommendations on a plan or ten-year plan amendment. The recommendations must address the issues identified under subpart 7. The process must be summarized in the plan or ten-year plan amendment.

Subp. 3.

Plan review agency notification and involvement in plan development.

Before development of a plan or ten-year plan amendment, an organization must send notification to each plan review agency of plan initiation and correspondence requesting the management expectation for the plan review agency's priority issues, summaries of relevant water management goals, and water resource information. The organization must allow at least 60 days for the information to be submitted. For information received within the prescribed time period, the organization must take into consideration the goals of the plan review agencies and identify in the plan or plan amendment any inconsistencies with the organization's goals.

Subp. 4.

Review of local issues and controls.

Before development of a plan or ten-year plan amendment, an organization must send notification to each county, city, township, and soil and water conservation district wholly or partially within the organization, and to known stakeholders including the Minnesota Department of Transportation, of plan initiation and correspondence requesting input that includes local water-related issues, water management goals, official controls, and programs. The organization must allow at least 60 days for the information to be submitted. Known stakeholders include, but are not limited to, any entity that requests to be placed on the organization's mailing list. For information received within the prescribed time period, the organization must take into consideration the local water management goals and identify in the plan or plan amendment any inconsistencies with the organization's goals.

Subp. 5.

Initial planning meeting.

In the development of a plan or ten-year plan amendment and after completion of the time requirements under subparts 3 and 4, an organization must hold an initial planning meeting presided over by the organization's governing body to receive, review, and discuss input. Written notification must be made to the plan review authorities and known stakeholders including affected counties, cities, and towns and the Minnesota Department of Transportation. Legal notice must be posted on the organization's website and comply with open meeting law requirements. All notifications must occur at least two weeks before the meeting. The plan must document the public input.

Subp. 6.

Relationship with other programs.

In consideration of subpart 1, item A, subitem (3), a plan or ten-year plan amendment shall identify and consider all relevant plans and programs in setting priority issues. An organization must coordinate its planning activities with contiguous organizations and with counties and cities conducting water planning within the boundaries of the organization.

Subp. 7.

Assessment of issues and identification of priority issues.

In developing a plan or ten-year plan amendment, an organization must identify priority issues after assessing available information including the input received under this part and data and trend analyses under part 8410.0060. The input received must be summarized and the assessment process for evaluating issues received, and goals received from the plan review authorities, must be included in the plan or ten-year plan amendment. The success of implementing the previous plan, if any, must be summarized and considered in identifying priority issues.

Statutory Authority:

MS s 103B.211; 103B.227; 103B.231; 103B.235; 103B.239

History:

40 SR 6

Published Electronically:

September 10, 2018