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On November 10, the Chisago City Council approved an Emerald Ash Borer Management Plan. The plan will guide identification and removal of diseased trees on public and private lands in the city as the result of “the inevitable infestation of Emerald Ash Borer.”  City Administrator John Pechman explained that before creating Chisago City’s Plan, staff had researched and borrowed parts of the Emerald Ash Borer management plans of five similarly-sized cities.

Adopting a citywide ash borer management plan was required before the city could apply for a Department of Natural Resources (DNR) “ReLeaf Community Forestry Grant.” If approved, the grant helps defray the cost of removing and replacing a limited number of diseased ash trees from city parks, boulevards and private properties of low income residents. 

The city is seeking DNR funds to help remove and replace up to 40 ash trees in this first round of grant funding. Tree removal would begin next spring with replacement planting taking place next spring and fall.

In 2020, a DNR survey estimated Chisago City is home to approximately 1,600 ash trees. Because the ash borer does not discriminate between healthy and otherwise vulnerable trees, all ash trees are at risk.     Pechman told the council, “The ash borer problem is not going away, and we should be addressing this now.”   

The city’s new ash borer management plan also prohibits planting new ash trees on public property, and calls for removal of existing ailing trees.  It also encourages planting a wide diversity of replacement shade tree species going forward.

In other business, the council:

- listened to Developer Don Skelly, of High Pointe LLC repeat his plea—presented both verbally and in writing—for the city to assume  responsibility for the improperly functioning stormwater treatment filtration basin in High Pointe’s South Lindstrom Shores development. The city council had first considered and voted to deny Skelly’s written request at its October meeting. At that time, Mayor Jeremy Dresel commented that he believed the city had agreed to accept the transfer of a fully functioning filtration basin from the developer, not a defective one. 

A document presented to the council on Nov. 10, stated: “We (High Pointe LLC) formally request city council to direct city staff to request the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency to immediately record the NPDES (Discharge Elimination System) Storm Wastewater Permit Transfer signed on May 7, 2025.”  

The document that Skelly and Pechman had signed in May would transfer the storm water treatment permit from High Pointe to Chisago City, but the MPCA refuses to transfer the permit unless the city directs it because of ongoing problems with the filtration basin. 

In an attempt to correct the problem, the bottom of the basin has been scraped three times without success the city was informed. A more extensive and more costly correction will likely be needed. In an Oct. 20 email, Chisago City Engineer Nathan Stanley estimated it would cost $19,910 to remove and replace the contaminated filter medium in the basin, replace topsoil and provide new erosion control. He added $2,500 drain tiles and surrounding rock also need to be replaced. Chisago City had held just $3,000 of the developer’s funds in escrow.

Skelly provided the city with a timeline of the project, copies of signed documents and photos of the filtration basin and erosion control issues.

Dresel thanked Skelly for the information he had provided, saying it had been considered before their previous vote in October. He told Skelly no further council discussion or action would take place that evening, adding, “As it stands right now we’d have to work out another agreement.” 

- increased the Chisago City Volunteer Fire Department’s pension benefit through the Statewide Volunteer Firefighter Pension Plan from $6,200 to $6,700 per year of service starting Jan. 1, 2026. The Chisago City department’s pension plan is held with the Minnesota Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA). 

- delinquent sewer and water bills and penalties totaling $149,343 will be added as an assessment to the property owners’ 2026 real estate taxes. The total dollars assessed include $12,930 in penalties. Both the number of delinquent property owners and the total dollars owed were higher this year than last year. Property owners had until Nov. 15 to pay the overdue utility bills in order to prevent them from being added to their taxes. The council also approved a special assessment of $400 for mowing one “unkept” yard in the city in 2025.

- voted unanimously to approve two variances, both involving lakeshore properties. The first was for a variance for construction of a deck on the rear of an existing house at 10124 Kismet Isle. The required setback from the Ordinary High Watermark is 75 feet. Homeowners John and Laurie Jo Sasse were proposing a 56-foot setback. The property, which was originally part of Wyoming Township, does not meet minimum lot size requirements and contains two pre-existing, nonconforming sheds.

Also approved was a variance to Ordinary High water level (OHW) and expansion of a non-conforming structure at 26387 N. John Ave. on Green Lake. Property owners Todd and Tina Phillips proposed a 60-foot setback from the OHW level rather than the required 75 feet for their project which involved converting an existing attached garage into interior living space and adding a new master suite in a loft above the converted garage. They will also remove an old detached garage and replace it with a new four-stall garage. 

All of the new structures will be at least 50 feet from the OHW of Green Lake.

- announced that Chisago City’s next two regular council meetings will be at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 12, and Tuesday, Jan. 13.

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