Isanti County OKs Paul and Elans Lake Improvement District after public hearing
September 01, 2026 | Isanti County, Minnesota
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The Isanti County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved formation of the Paul and Elans Lake Improvement District (LID) on Sept. 1 after a public hearing in which lake association leaders said voluntary dues and fundraising are insufficient to cover recurring aquatic invasive-species control.
Tom Yench, identified as president of the Paul and Elans Lake Association, told the board that chemical-treatment costs have risen sharply since the COVID era and that volunteer fundraising reached below 50% participation despite a strong push. “Over the last since COVID, basically, the prices have have more than doubled for chemical treatments for the lake,” Yench said, urging a stable funding mechanism.
Jack Beckman, a lake-association board member, listed several aquatic invaders affecting the lake — “zebra mussels, Eurasian milfoil, curly leaf pondweed, starry starwort, and flowering rush” — and explained that a required spring chemical treatment consumes most of the association’s budget. Beckman said DNR permits and contractor costs make additional invasive discoveries unaffordable for the small volunteer group.
Board members asked about per-property cost; lake representatives said the initial proposal would levy $100 per property per year, about the same as the lake association’s preferred voluntary rate, and that petition organizers gathered signatures from more than 70% of lakeshore property owners to place the proposal before the board. A commissioner noted that neighboring lakes’ LID arrangements cost between $1.75 and $2.50 per thousand (different assessments vary by lake), illustrating how per-property assessments depend on local parcel counts and budgets.
After discussion, Commissioner Berg moved to approve formation of the Paul and Elans Lake Improvement District; the motion was seconded and passed by voice vote.
What happens next: state review is required (Minnesota Department of Natural Resources) before the LID resolution is finalized; the board’s approval begins the formal process described in the petition filed July 10, 2026.
Tom Yench, identified as president of the Paul and Elans Lake Association, told the board that chemical-treatment costs have risen sharply since the COVID era and that volunteer fundraising reached below 50% participation despite a strong push. “Over the last since COVID, basically, the prices have have more than doubled for chemical treatments for the lake,” Yench said, urging a stable funding mechanism.
Jack Beckman, a lake-association board member, listed several aquatic invaders affecting the lake — “zebra mussels, Eurasian milfoil, curly leaf pondweed, starry starwort, and flowering rush” — and explained that a required spring chemical treatment consumes most of the association’s budget. Beckman said DNR permits and contractor costs make additional invasive discoveries unaffordable for the small volunteer group.
Board members asked about per-property cost; lake representatives said the initial proposal would levy $100 per property per year, about the same as the lake association’s preferred voluntary rate, and that petition organizers gathered signatures from more than 70% of lakeshore property owners to place the proposal before the board. A commissioner noted that neighboring lakes’ LID arrangements cost between $1.75 and $2.50 per thousand (different assessments vary by lake), illustrating how per-property assessments depend on local parcel counts and budgets.
After discussion, Commissioner Berg moved to approve formation of the Paul and Elans Lake Improvement District; the motion was seconded and passed by voice vote.
What happens next: state review is required (Minnesota Department of Natural Resources) before the LID resolution is finalized; the board’s approval begins the formal process described in the petition filed July 10, 2026.
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