Eagan News
In 2022, LeMay and Fitz were removed from Minnesota’s impaired waters list. Eagan has now had three lakes removed from the list (including Fish Lake in 2014), thanks to Department of Public Works restoration efforts.
“It’s wonderful to see this sort of result from the department’s targeted and intentional efforts,” says Jenna Olson, water resources manager. “I joined the City in 2022, and I’m impressed with their progress here.”
Both LeMay and Fitz lakes were added to the impaired waters list in 2014 because they didn’t meet state water quality standards for shallow lakes. Excessive nutrient content was their main problem.
Eagan's Approach to Restoration
At LeMay Lake, the City took early actions to counteract the effects of phosphorous. In 2021 Eagan installed infiltration chambers under the road at a nearby intersection. These chambers store stormwater runoff from the nearby industrial area, so it can soak into the ground. This reduces some of the phosphorus, trash, and other contamination flowing into the lake.
Meanwhile, the City did extensive maintenance and improvements on three stormwater ponds feeding Fitz Lake in 2015. Two years later, the City treated Fitz Lake with alum and installed two sand-filter systems upstream. These remove and filter nutrient pollution before it enters the lake.
“This approach really worked,” Olson says. “These successes are critical, and give us key data to support future projects in Eagan.”
Learn more about our sustainability initiative at cityofeagan.com/green
As a City, we place a high priority on our natural environment, just as residents do. While some local municipalities are joining in on No-Mow May, Eagan has a different approach to helping pollinators.
Our plan, which has been in place for more than a decade, centers on:
- planting native grasses and plants in parks and green spaces throughout the City,
- helping, promoting, or installing rain gardens in public, private, and even at City facilities,
- adding pollinator-friendly perennials and shrubs to our landscaping whenever we can,
- avoiding any chemicals that contain neonicotinoids.
Quick pro-pollinator tips for residents
- Raise the blade. Grass grows deeper and needs less maintenance when maintained around 3 inches tall.
- Plant native perennials and shrubs. Native plants require less maintenance, are hardy to the Minnesota climate!
- Keep it blooming. Choose plants for your garden with different bloom times so something is always flowering.
- Create safe spaces. Most of Minnesota’s native bee species are ground-nesters, preferring loose, undisturbed soil or otherwise bare patches of ground. Leave a patch of bare soil, or top-dress areas with leaf mulch or compost instead of wood chips
- Don’t panic, It’s organic! Manage invasive and aggressive weeds but use herbicides and pesticides as sparingly as possible. If you find a nuisance beehive, don’t spray it! There are lots of local resources who will relocate honeybee colonies for free.
To Help Pollinators, Eagan Focuses on Native Plantings and Education
The city places a high priority on our natural environment, just as residents do. While some surrounding communities are joining in on No-Mow May, Eagan has a different approach to helping pollinators.
No Mow May calls for leaving lawns unmown in the month of May. However, Eagan Water Resources Manager Jenna Olson says this plan might not be the right fit for our community.
The No Mow May campaign began in the United Kingdom, where the bee and plant species — and climate — differ from ours. “A lot of the plants that come up here in the United States are dandelions and invasive weeds,” Olson says. “These are kind of like junk food for bees.” In other words, No Mow May offers an excuse to skip mowing your lawn, but it might not really help pollinators.
About a quarter of the bees in Minnesota specialize in feeding on specific types of native plants, Olson says. These bees aren’t interested in dandelions and other nonnative flowers.
What does Eagan do instead of No Mow May?
Eagan’s plan, which has been in place for more than a decade, centers on:
- planting native grasses and plants in parks and green spaces throughout the City,
- helping, promoting, or installing rain gardens in public, private, and even at City facilities,
- adding pollinator-friendly perennials and shrubs to our landscaping whenever we can,
- avoiding any chemicals that contain neonicotinoids
Education is also a big part of Eagan’s approach. The City supports several free classes for residents to learn more about native plants and plantings for their own properties. We also educate residents through social media campaigns and pamphlets to help people learn what they can do to protect and promote pollinator habitat.
Eagan focuses on promoting native plantings year-round. The rain gardens at City Hall and Cascade Bay are planted with native grasses and wildflowers, and the City is working on a code for new developments to ensure they use native plantings.
What can you do to help provide pollinator habitat?
Adam Schnaible is Eagan’s forestry maintenance supervisor, and part of his role is maintaining the city’s 26 acres of prairie. He also manages approximately 15 acres of perennial and annual gardens.
“There are a ton of simple things homeowners can do, like incorporating native and pollinator-friendly plants into their landscapes. Another thing is to use some maintenance techniques to help pollinators. While they don’t necessarily look neat and tidy, these are really helpful to pollinators. For example, you can leave woody perennial stems until the late spring rather than cleaning them up in the fall.”
People often remove everything and end up with bare ground, but this removes habitat for pollinators. Letting leaves accumulate provides insulation for nesting pollinators. Most pollination in Minnesota is done by solitary bees, which nest on or in the ground.
“Building a small brush pile or starting a small compost pile provides a good opportunity for nesting,” Schnaible says.
“Native plant material has a reputation of looking unkempt and weedy, and it is. But that's what these pollinators and insects want. It can be challenging to incorporate that into your manicured lawn space. But over time, you can overcome that perception.”
We know how much our community values our 60 parks, our community facilities, and our green spaces. In fact, nearly all residents rate our parks and recreation opportunities positively and as a top City priority. We work to reflect those values.
Each year we look at our Eagan park system plan to ensure that our parks serve everyone. Here are a few projects we’re investing in this year to keep our parks, buildings, and community vibrant in 2023 and beyond. Learn more at cityofeagan.com/parkprojects
2023 Eagan State of the City
Eagan Mayor Mike Maguire gave his annual State of the City address on Thursday, March 16, at the Eagan Community Center.
Mayor Maguire shared how our city and community have connected and reconnected in both tried and true and new ways coming out of the past few years. He also highlighted key elements of the state of our city including our local economy and new initiatives, policies, and practices that will help shape our collective future.
Where: Eagan Community Center, 1501 Central Pkwy., Eagan, MN 55121
When: Thursday, March 16, 2023 at 8:00 a.m.
Watch the video here: 2023 State of the City Address
Watch previous State of the City addresses
2022 State of the City
2021 State of the City
2020 State of the City
Eagan Firefighter Danielle Fasching displays a smoke detector. Neighboring communities saw an increase in smoke detectors installed due to rental licensing programs. One of the main goals of rental licensing is to improve housing safety.
The City of Eagan may adopt a rental licensing ordinance this spring to improve housing safety. Providing similar ordinances are more than a dozen Twin Cities communities, including Bloomington, Eden Prairie, Edina, Richfield, and St. Louis Park. Most Dakota County cities also have rental licensing programs.
Program benefits include public safety
If adopted, the Eagan program would include the installation and maintenance of smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. "Many communities see fire-safety improvements with the implementation of rental licensing programs,” says Eagan Fire Chief Hugo Searle, noting that the Burnsville Fire Department experienced a decrease in fires and fire deaths after that city’s program went into effect.
“This program will help the City verify that rental units have working carbon monoxide and smoke detectors, which are such important tools for protecting both lives and property,” says Searle. Other nearby cities have seen a large number of new smoke detectors installed after rental licensing programs began. For example, Roseville landlords installed nearly 4,000 smoke detectors since the beginning of that city’s rental licensing program.
Rental licensing also helps tenants advocate for repairs to ensure safe housing without needing to access the court system. “A tenant may contact the City with concerns about unsafe conditions,” says Jill Hutmacher, Eagan’s community development director. “The City will inspect the property and, if it finds a maintenance violation, work with the property owner to ensure that repairs are completed. A licensing program makes these issues easier to address by allowing the City to enforce a code to keep buildings in good condition.”
Next steps
The City Council discussed the rental licensing ordinance at a January workshop and may approve it at a regular Council meeting in the spring. If approved, the ordinance will likely take effect this July. Landlords will be able to license rental units through a phased process based on the type and location of rental units.
For more information or to offer feedback, call (651) 675-5660 or visit cityofeagan.com/rental-licensing. The draft ordinance will be posted for public input prior to City Council approval. Residents, renters, and property owners will be invited to share feedback on rental licensing.
If your taps are delivering lower-than-normal water pressure, you may be able to diagnose and fix the problem yourself. Check out these tips:
- Water softener filters can break down and plug up over time, affecting water pressure. To see if it’s a water softener issue, use the bypass on the water softener to see if your water pressure improves. Check your owner's manual, often available online, for guidance. Or contact a licensed plumber.
- If low water pressure occurs at only one sink or fixture, try cleaning, repairing, or replacing the fixture screen.
- Has it been a while since you’ve drained your water heater? Do so annually to reduce mineral buildup and water pressure issues.
- Built-in furnace humidifiers can plug up with scale and malfunction—clean or replace filters every three months.
For additional assistance, call Eagan Utilities at 651-675-5200.
