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Home My WebLink AboutLand and Water 09-01-09 NOTICE OF MEETING AND AGENDA ST. CROIX COUNTY LAND & WATER CONSERVATION COMMITTEE September 1, 2009 —10:40 a.m. Agricultural Service & Education Center 1960 8 th Avenue, Baldwin, WI CALL TO ORDER ROLL CALL REVIEW OF AGENDA CONSENT AGENDA (Unless separation of an item is requested, all will be adopted in one motion.) 1. Vouchers 2. Minutes of previous meeting —August 4, 2009 3. Date of next meeting— October 6, 2009 LAND & WATER CONSERVATION DEPARTMENT Agency reports FSA NRCS DNR RC &D West Central Area NEW BUSINESS: Director's report Wildlife Damage Program — Plan of Administration Animal Waste Ordinance — Zoning amendment (review) Glen Hills Dam #7 — landowner request OLD BUSINESS: 2008 Strategic Initiatives 2010 budget — Finance - September 3 PARKS DEPARTMENT NEW BUSINESS: Director's report Revenue report — all parks — Year To Date OLD BUSINESS: 2008 Strategic Initiatives 2010 budget — Finance — September 3 ANNOUNCEMENTS & CORRESPONDENCE ADJOURN SUBMITTED BY: Robert Heise DATE: August 19, 2009; amended August 25, 2009 COPIES TO: COUNTY BOARD OFFICE NEWS MEDIA /NOTICE BOARD COUNTY CLERK COMMITTEE MEMBERS (Items may be taken in different order) *Additions /Changes /Corrections DRAFT ST. CROIX COUNTY LAND & WATER CONSERVATION COMMITTEE Agricultural Service & Education Center, Baldwin, WI September 1, 2009 Members Present: Ken Graf, Buzz Marzolf, Bill Peavey, Dan Raebel, Gene Ruetz Members Absent: Linda Luckey Staff Present: Director Bob Heise, Land Specialist (Rural) Steve Olson, Administrative Assistant Arlene Lier Others Present: Robert Forrest -FSA, Steve Pernsteiner -NRCS, County Senior Planner Ellen Denzer Ruetz called the meeting to order at 10:45 a.m. CONSENT AGENDA Discussion on consent agenda. Peavey made motion, seconded by Marzolf, to adopt the agenda and the consent agenda approving the (1) Land & Water Conservation and Parks vouchers, (2) August 4, 2009 meeting minutes, and (3) setting the next committee meeting for October 6, 2009. Carried. LAND & WATER CONSERVATION DEPARTMENT FARM SERVICE AGENCY (FSA) Bob Forrest- County Executive Director reported: • The annual commodity program (DCP) signup ended August 14. • Lee Milligan was very helpful with assisting producers with a new Average Crop Revenue Election (ACRE) option this year. He spent 1 -1/2 weeks working with several producers on the ACRE option. • We have submitted a disaster report to the WI State FSA Office on forage and pasture losses for 2009. Estimated yield losses on alfalfa are 45 %, mixed hay at 50 %, and pasture losses at 60 %. • Once again we will be issuing MILC (Milk Income Loss Contract Program) payments on July's milk production due to low prices received by our dairy farmers. The July rate is estimated at $1.54. • Barley prices have fallen below a set trigger, so producers who planted barley can now request a Loan Deficiency Payment (LDP) on their 2009 barley crop due to low prices. Today's LDP rate is $0.20. NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE (NRCS) Steve Pernsteiner- District Conservationist reported: Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) is now open for applications until September 30th. This program allows landowners and operators to apply for a 5 -year contract to maintain a level of conservation and increase the conservation over the 5 years. An annual payment is made based on the level of conservation achieved. Cropland, pasture, and woodland are eligible for the program. Estimated rents are $6 to $22 per acre. Post cards have been sent to all cropland owners in the SAFE Conservation Reserve Program area. There has been a slight renewed interest in this program recently. NRCS has been busy making payments for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program. The NRCS budget for the 2010 year looks good. DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES (DNR) No report. RESOURCE CONSERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT (RC &D) Ruetz reported that he will be unable to attend the next meeting which will be held at Turtle Lake. There is grant money coming in which makes their financial situation very good. WEST CENTRAL AREA Heise reported: • Posters were judged at the August 20 meeting. • Discussed State Soil and Water Resource Management (SWRM) funding for Land and Water Conservation Departments for 2010. To date, all allocations to counties have been verbal. • Also discussed the Working Lands Initiative. Met with Sheila Harsdorf on August 31 to go over the details particularly the conversion fee which serves as a penalty if anyone decides to rezone out of exclusive ag zoning. • Next meeting is October 29 in Eau Claire with the Conservation Speaking Contest and the business meeting. Peavey left the meeting. NEW BUSINESS Director's Report Heise reported: Due to errors in applying revenues in two separate accounts for the 2010 budget, the revised budget spread sheet was reviewed and provides a plan of action to make the required reductions. This will be shared with the Finance Committee on September 3. Wildlife Damage Program — Plan of Administration Heise reported that LWCD is required by the state to update our Plan of Administration on a 5 -year cycle. He met with Cindy Blonk who assists the department in administering the program. In several of our plans we had that we do not pay for damage to orchards, nursery stock, and Christmas trees that have been planted prior to January 1, 1990. Years ago when we began administering this program, all of these were considered to be high cost products and we would not pay these due to the high deer population. People starting in these businesses would have to use that as their up front costs and figure these expenses into their business plan. Committee agreed to keep this in the plan. Also discussed and approved payment on ag crops, excluding hay. Changes will be made to the plan and committee will review and approve before sending to the state. Glen Hills Dam #7 — landowner request Heise reported that a landowner inquired about renting a few acres north of his building site for grazing animals. After discussion, Graf made motion, seconded by Ruetz, to deny the request to rent acreage. Carried. _Animal Waste Ordinance — Zoning amendment (review) Staff referred to and reviewed proposed amendments in the zoning ordinance regarding setbacks and definitions. Staff shared that past comments have been incorporated in the handout. Staff referred committee to definition #1 — Animal Waste Storage Facility Committee felt that the changes in the definition meet the concerns raised by supervisors about animal waste confined in an animal housing structure. Staff referred committee to the last page of the handout to discuss setback requirements in Ag, Ag II, and Ag Residential Zoning Districts. The chart shows existing setbacks in Zoning Districts for Livestock and Animal Housing structures and Animal Waste Storage Structures. The bottom chart shows staff's proposed setbacks to Zoning Districts based on livestock and animal housing structures and animal waste storage structures. Staff shared that in the Ag Residential District with less than 500 Animal units, the set backs would be reduced to less than the existing ordinance. Discussed Ag Residential Districts, under 500 animals units, for Waste Storage Structures and the proposed 350' setback. Staff discussed the potential conflicts with use in the Ag Residential District. Raebel commented that in the Ag Residential District, with less than 500 animal units, the landowner would have an option to rezone back to Ag to achieve a lesser setback requirement. Discussion by the committee. Motion by Raebel, seconded by Marzolf, to leave the 350' setback in the Ag Residential District for less than 500 animal units and approve the proposed setbacks standards in chart. Discussion. Voted in favor: Raebel, Marzolf, Ruetz; voted against: Graf. OLD BUSINESS 2010 budget — Finance — September 3 Heise and Ruetz will be meeting with Finance to present both LWCD and Parks budgets. PARKS DEPARTMENT NEW BUSINESS Revenue report — all parks - Year to Date Heise explained the revenue report (thru August 25, 2009) which shows increases over the 2009 projected revenues for the three parks (Glen Hills, Homestead Parklands, and Troy Beach). OLD BUSINESS 2010 budget — Finance - September 3 Heise and Ruetz will be meeting with Finance. Chair Ruetz adjourned meeting at 12:27 p.m. Buzz Marzolf Secretary Arlene Lier /Robert Heise Recording Secretary