HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-08-2018 Community Development Minutes
MEETING MINUTES
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
August 8, 2018 5:00 PM
County Board Room-Government Center
County Board Room - 1101 Carmichael Road, Hudson,
Wisconsin
CALL TO ORDER
ROLL CALL
Attendee Name Organization Title Status Arrived
Ed Schachtner St. Croix County Supervisor Present 4:58 PM
Tom Coulter St. Croix County Supervisor Present 4:45 PM
Daniel Hansen St. Croix County Chair Present 4:45 PM
District 13 St. Croix County Excused
Judy Achterhof St. Croix County Vice Chair Excused
Dick Hesselink St. Croix County FSA Rep Excused
Community Development: Director Ellen Denzer, Recorder Julie Peterson, Planner Tamara
Wittmer; County Administrator Patrick Thompson; Health and Human Services Board:
David Ostness- Chairman, Dan Fosterling, Bob Long, Paulette Anderson, Tammy
Moothedan, Fred Johnson, Deb Lindemann; County Board Chairman Roger Larson;
Recorder Renea Aeschilman
PUBLIC COMMENT
Virginia Drath - spoke regarding Emerald Sky Dairy
John Strom - spoke regarding dairy issues with the water, Karst area of dairy operations
BUSINESS ITEMS
1. Report and Budget Discussion of Ground and Surface Water Quality Study Group
Recommendations
Dan Hansen introduced the topic. Ellen Denzer, Community Development Director,
provided an overview of the attached report, focusing on the short term/immediate
recommendations.
Sinkhole Mapping will be done by a consultant, the University of Minnesota, and will be
funded utilizing Riverway Mitigation Funding. A contract has been signed and the work
has begun.
Reclassification of current open Community Development Department position shifting
0.6 full time equivalency to Water Resources will provide staffing to do outreach and
education, continue and expand the existing water testing program, assist with
development of a water quality screening clinic, coordinate with various departments
and staff in developing an emergency response protocol and emergency response
bacteria testing policies. The position has about 80% existing funding, reclassification
will increase annual budget by approximately $13,000.
Water Quality Screening Clinic would provide information at no cost to residents to
assist them in determining whether additional water testing is needed.
Baseline water quality analysis - cost $10,000 per year for 10 years; would work with Eau
Claire or UW-RF labs, 200 tests per year with voluntary landowners from throughout the
county, at the end of 10 years would have 1000 wells with 3 data points providing an
indication of water quality throughout the county.
Nitrate Source Analysis - cost $22,000, testing of 200 wells throughout the county that
have high nitrate levels to determine if the nitrate source is animal, commercial fertilizer
or residential.
Emergency Response Protocol and Bacteria Testing Policies- several county departments
and state agencies would work together to develop these. .
EVAAL Study Kinnickinnic Watershed - $12,000, this has been completed for the Willow
River Watershed, with Kinnickinnic would be most of the St. Croix Watershed. Provides a
point in time assessment of erosion vulnerability.
Groundwater flow model, recharge and environmentally sensitive areas mapping -
$75,000 - $150,000. The existing groundwater flow model needs to be updated and
expanded to include recharge and environmentally sensitive areas.
Discussion, additional information provided by Tamara Wittmer, Fred Johnson and Deb
Lindemann. County staff are pursuing grants to assist with funding.
The joint committee members expressed support for all the short -term/immediate
recommendations on page 6 of the Prioritized Recommendations except the
Groundwater Flow Model, Recharge and Sensitive Areas Mapping, cost estimate of
$75,000-$150,000.
County Administrator Patrick Thompson suggested funding the three other short-term
recommendations -- Baseline Water Quality Analysis Testing, Nitrate Source Analysis
Testing and possibly the EVAAL Study of the Kinnickinnic Watershed, from the funds
remaining from the $50,000 contingency fund allocation that was designated in 2017 for
the Water Quality Study Group. Committee members present generally supported the
reallocation of these funds, this would need to be a recommendation to the
Administration Committee. CDC and HHS will have this on their next meeting agendas
to consider a recommendation to the Administration Committee regarding the
remaining Water Quality Study Group funds.
Meetings adjourned.
RESULT: DISCUSSED
REQUEST FOR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS
ANNOUNCEMENTS & CORRESPONDENCE
ADJOURN
DATE OF NEXT MEETING: