AUBURN — The City Council on Monday supported a series of changes to the Lake Auburn watershed ordinance focused on limiting the impacts from farming and other related uses on water quality.

The council approved a first reading of the amendments without any discussion, voting 6-1 with Councilor Belinda Gerry opposed.

The changes are a second wave of ordinance amendments stemming from an ad hoc committee process aimed at furthering Lake Auburn water quality protections. While previous changes focused on limiting development, updated septic standards and a process for conducting septic inspections, the new slate of changes focuses on how agricultural uses could impact the lake.

The changes include expanded buffers for agricultural uses near wetlands, and restrictions on fertilizer and pesticides, clear-cutting and more. City staff has said the changes will continue to allow farming in the watershed, but with defined safeguards, including waste and nutrient management plans with required buffers to wetlands.

The language requires existing farms to obtain waste or nutrient management plans by June 30, 2027; prohibits manure spreading and requires storage to prohibit manure from entering groundwater; adds guidelines for fertilizer and pesticide use and applications; and puts limits on clear-cutting.

COMPREHENSIVE PLAN COMMITTEE

Also on Monday, the council approved several appointments to a Comprehensive Plan Committee that will lead an upcoming effort to update the plan.

The appointment process was previously delayed after Ward 3 Councilor Stephen Milks took issue with what he said was a hasty process that led to a candidate pool that lacked “broader representation” across all city wards, including Ward 3.

Milks continued to speak out against the appointments Monday, as the council voted 6-1 to approve each appointment. He called the process “partisan” and “very slanted,” and said “it’s not representative of a good mixture of diverse opinion and thought in our community.”

Councilor Rick Whiting, who serves on the Appointment Committee, said the greatest number of applications came from Wards 2 and 5, which is why it saw the most nominees. He added there was “no discussion of party politics or any of that nonsense.”

The council approved 12 appointees, which include Rex Rhoades, Rebecca Swanson Conrad, John Cleveland, Adam Lee and more.