Isanti County approves Lake Improvement District for Paul and Elans Lake

Following a public hearing on Sept. 1, the Isanti County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to establish the Paul and Elans Lake Improvement District (LID) to provide a stable funding mechanism for aquatic invasive species control.

Tom Yench, president of the lake association, told the board that volunteer fundraising and dues have not covered treatment costs — which he said have "more than doubled" since COVID — and that the association secured petition signatures supporting a district. "The only thing different is that we want each resident of the lake to pay their fair share," Yench said, arguing a LID would enable regular chemical treatment and help sustain the lake.

Jack Beckman, a lake association board member, described the invasive species the lakes face (including curly-leaf pondweed and Eurasian milfoil) and explained that DNR permits and contractors are required for chemical treatments, a cost the association’s budget can no longer absorb. Commissioners discussed assessment levels; association leaders said they plan to continue a $100-per-year assessment as proposed and to disband the volunteer association once the LID is established.

Motion by Commissioner Berg, second by Commissioner LaRoe to approve the Lake Improvement District for Paul and Elans Lake passed unanimously. Commissioners who live on lakes said they have seen the value of districts and noted the tax assessment structure allows regular, planned treatments that volunteers struggled to fund.

Why it matters: The LID creates a formal, levy-backed funding stream to manage invasive species and protect lake recreation and habitat. Residents who live on or use Paul and Elans Lake — and visitors who launch boats from the public landing — are likely to experience the most direct effects.