WPCC board amends rain garden budget, sets 2023 calendar dates

The Waite Park Community Council approved additional funding for its 2022 rain garden program and set calendar dates for 2023 at its regular monthly board meeting on Aug. 25.

The meeting was chaired by WPCC President Dan Haugen and attended by board members Nick Stroozas, Gary Arnteson, Chelsey Blanke, Scott Larson, Tiffany Moore, Leah Wallgren Price, Katherine Cornish, and Ali Nussbaum.

In April, the council entered a $19,375 contract with Metro Blooms Design + Build to subsidize the cost of installing up to 25 rain gardens for homeowners in the Waite Park neighborhood. A total of 15 residents signed up for this year's program.

The cost per rain garden was contingent on the availability of Conservation Corps Teams. Metro Blooms was allocated fewer crews than anticipated for the project, forcing it to use its own paid crews at a cost of $2080 per day.

The community council's final cost, prorated for 15 projects including higher labor costs, came to $20,750. The WPCC board unanimously approved allocating an additional $1,500 to ensure the rain gardens can be completed this season.

The board also voted to set Wednesday, February 1, 2023, as the date of its next annual meeting and board election. And it voted to set Saturday, September 9, 2023, as the date of its next fall festival. (This year's fall festival is set for Saturday, September 10.)

The Waite Park Community Council's next regular board meeting is scheduled for 7pm Thursday, Sept. 29, on Zoom.

Metro Blooms raingarden program returns to Waite Park neighborhood

Spring is finally getting underway — it’s time to think about your yard! 

The Waite Park Community Council (WPCC) is partnering with Metro Blooms Neighborhood of Raingardens program to help 25 homeowners install raingardens this year. Raingardens help keep pollutants out of the Mississippi River and provide habitat for pollinators and local wildlife, including Minnesota’s state bee, the endangered rusty patched bumble bee! 🐝 

Metro Blooms Design + Build will offer on-site consultations this summer to identify the best location and discuss budget, plant preference, and other resilient landscaping practices. The designer then will develop a planting plan for each garden (150 sq. ft.  maximum). Designs will be sent to residents for approval two weeks prior to their scheduled installation.

Metro Blooms Design + Build will excavate the garden area, mix in compost, apply mulch, and haul away sod/soil, if necessary. Residents will coordinate with Metro Blooms for a plant pick-up, where staff will be available to offer guidance and support before planting. 

Participants will pay for plants, mulch, and sod/soil disposal (if necessary), as well as half of the consultation fee. The average cost per resident is $300-$400 depending on the size of the raingarden and number of plants.

Registration will open at 8 a.m. Thursday, May 12, and remain open until all 25 slots are filled. To sign up, please contact Neely Atha at neely@metroblooms.org with your name, address, phone number, email address and neighborhood (Waite Park). 

Metro Blooms Design + Build is a wholly-owned for-profit entity that supports the work of Metro Blooms Non-Profit by provides high quality, resilient, and sustainable landcare services for residential and commercial landscapes. It specializes in creating beautiful raingardens, stormwater management, and native plantings. More information is at https://metrobloomsdb.com.

Hoyer Heights tree trenches add habitat, protect Mississippi River

The Waite Park neighborhood is home to a unique example of green infrastructure designed to reduce flooding, add habitat, and help protect the Mississippi River.

The Hoyer Heights Tree Trenches were installed by the City of Minneapolis as part of a street reconstruction project in 2020. Supported by grants from the Mississippi Watershed Management Organization and the Minnesota Clean Water Fund, the pilot project is among the first in the city to capture and treat street runoff using this type of green stormwater infrastructure. It’s part of the Northeast Stormwater Management Initiative, which aims to reduce flooding and improve water quality and habitat in portions of Northeast Minneapolis and Columbia Heights.

Dirty runoff from the streets flows into the tree trenches via curb cuts. Native plants and trees in the trenches absorb the water, while sediment traps and the soil filter out pollutants. A perforated pipe underdrain allows the cleaned stormwater runoff to drain through the storm sewer system to the Mississippi River.

An MWMO video provides an overview of how the tree trenches work as well as the basic maintenance techniques involved in keeping the functioning. As you can see from the video, the native plants have proven to be remarkably resilient, bursting with flowers and buzzing with pollinators in spite of last year’s drought.

The MWMO is planning to host a tour of the project later this summer. This will be an opportunity to learn how the tree trenches work as well as how they’re maintained. Contact MWMO Training and Community Learning Specialist Abby Moore at amoore@mwmo.org if you’d like to learn more.

—Submitted by the Mississippi Watershed Management Organization