To the Albert Lea City Council:

Please. The citizens beg you.

Fountain Lake turns green in the summers. It is because of excess algae bloom as a result of excess fertilizer and the lack of natural shorelines grasses and trees.

Treating it is good for now, but it’s a stop-gap solution until true leadership comes along and changes policies.

For instance, look at Shoff Park. Most of the land at that park goes unused, yet the city mows it almost like it is a golf course.

Instead, most of it beyond the footbridge should be reeds, forbs, cattails and prairie grass. Ask the Audubon Society and other parks lovers to assist in replanting the back half of the park. The city can mow walking paths into the meadow and usage of that park will shoot up.

Moreover, the plants act as a riparian filter, removing much of the fertilizer runoff from the creek that flows through the park. And perhaps it will slow down the silt that is creating an island in the middle of Dane Bay.

Another example: Punish homeowners who chop down the city’s trees along the shore. How do they keep getting away with this?

Form a shoreline policy that calls for tall grasses and other lake-friendly plants along the shorelines. It does look nice. It looks like nature in the city — which is what people like. Just take a peek at the lakes in Minneapolis where they do this.

Develop options for homeowners who wish to create other designs with their lawn. One option would be native prairie. Many cities offer options. Right now, Albert Lea’s policy is one way or pay.

These steps alone won’t 100 percent solve the green-lake problem, but changes like this around much of Fountain Lake will make a visible difference in water quality and make a forward-thinking impression on outsiders.

All the City Council has to do is act. It starts with changing policies.