Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutLand & Water Conservation Resource & Education Committee 09-07-1999 I ST. CROIX COUNTY NOTICE OF COMMITTEE MEETING TO: Tom Dorsey, Chairman St. Croix County Board FROM: Art Jensen, Chairman COMMITTEE TITLE: Land & Water Conservation/Resource & Education Committee DATE: September 7,1999 TIME: 9:00 a.m. LOCATION: Ag Center, Baldwin CALL TO ORDER ROLL CALL ADOPTION OF AGENDA DATE OF NEXT MEETING: ACTION ON PREVIOUS MINUTES UNFINISHED BUSINESS: Reports: DNR NRCS FSA RC&D West Central Area Education Activities Farmland Preservation Priority Watershed Projects Glen Hills Watershed - Dam #2 Alternatives Baldwin Ag Building Update Office Priorities County Land and Water Resource Management Plan - Public Opinion Survey County held Conservation Easements Review County Conservationist Job Description Joint Polk/St. Croix Meeting 2000 Budget NEW BUSINESS: St. Croix Riverway District* Conservation Practice Tour Schedule Farmland Preservation Applications Subdivision Review - 10:00 a.m. Vouchers ANNOUNCEMENTS & CORRESPONDENCE POSSIBLE AGENDA ITEMS FOR NEXT MEETING: ADJOURNMENT (Agenda not necessarily presented in this order) SUBMITTED BY: Charles Christenson DATE: August 24,1999; amended September 1, 1999 COPIES TO: COUNTY BOARD OFFICE NEWS MEDIA/NOTICE BOARD COUNTY CLERK COMMITTEE MEMBERS * ADDITIONS/CORRECTIONS/CHANGES Y ST. CROIX COUNTY NOTICE OF COMMITTEE MEETING TO: Tom Dorsey, Chairman St Croix County Board FROM: Art Jensen, Chairman COMMITTEE TITLE: Land & Water Conservation/Resource & Education Committee DATE: September 7,1999 TIME: 9:00 a.m. LOCATION: Ag Center, Baldwin CALL TO ORDER ROLL CALL ADOPTION OF AGENDA DATE OF NEXT MEETING: ACTION ON PREVIOUS MINUTES UNFINISHED BUSINESS: Reports: DNR NRCS FSA RC&D West Central Area Education Activities Farmland Preservation Priority Watershed Projects Glen Hills Watershed - Dam *2 Alternatives Baldwin Ag Building Update Office Priorities County Land and Water Resource Management Plan - Public Opinion Survey County held Conservation Easements Review County Conservationist Job Description Joint Polk/St. Croix Meeting 2000 Budget NEW BUSINESS: Conservation Practice Tour Schedule Farmland Preservation Applications Subdivision Review - 10:00 a.m. Vouchers ANNOUNCEMENTS & CORRESPONDENCE POSSIBLE AGENDA ITEMS FOR NEXT MEETING: ADJOURNMENT (Agenda not necessarily presented in this order) SUBMITTED BY: Charles Christenson DATE: August 24,1999 COPIES TO: COUNTY BOARD OFFICE NEWS MEDIA/NOTICE BOARD COUNTY CLERK COMMITTEE MEMBERS * ADDITIONS/CORRECTIONS/CHANGES UNOFFICIAL Convened: 9:00 a.m. Adjourned: 11:45 a.m. ST. CROIX COUNTY LAND & WATER CONSERVATION/RESOURCE & EDUCATION COMMITTEE Agricultural Center, Baldwin, WI September 7, 1999 Members Present: Leon Berenschot, Chris Bethke, Jim Cody, Art Jensen, Ron Raymond Members Absent: Lois Burri (excused) Staff Present: County Conservationist-Charles Christenson, County Technician-Bob Heise, Lakes Cluster Project Manager-Pete Kling, Secretary-Arlene Lier Others Present: Jay Custer-NRCS, Pete Skorseth-DNR, Steve Fisher-Zoning, Debra Kathan- Personnel Meeting called to order by Chairman Art Jensen. Berenschot made motion to adopt agenda. Bethke seconded. Carried. Berenschot made motion to approve August 3, 1999 meeting minutes. Seconded by Bethke. Carried. Jensen made motion to approve August 19, 1999 meeting minutes. Seconded by Bethke. Carried. Next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, October 5, 1999 at 9:00 a.m. DNR Pete Skorseth (Environmental Engineer-Water Supply/Waste Water) reported: Bonus tags go on sale Monday, September 13. Will be available over the counter at DNR office and all other sales locations. New Richmond landfill (north location) - groundwater contamination. Investigating what the City of New Richmond is going to do. Must determine extent of contamination. Plume appears to be north and west (toward the Apple River). Will become an issue with New Richmond and one other responsible party. Will the city extend city water or furnish bottle water for landowners on private wells that already have contaminated water? Landfill was capped (according to DNR specifications). Municipal water supply - All must prepare and inform public of quality of municipality's drinking water. City of River Falls is repairing old wells to increase pumping capacity. Star Prairie - New well and tower. Start next spring. Installing f d well on north and west side of Apple River. Municipal Waste Water Treatment Deer Park - Just built their waste water system. Hammond - One of the more complex systems in state - $3.5 million. Expensive upgrade - whole new plant. Glenwood City - Next permit will include phosphorus rules. System may need to be an upgrade. Goal is to protect the environment. Hudson - In process of upgrading to remove phosphate. Projecting to last 10 more years. City has a connection fee ($1,500) which goes into "clean water fund" for treatment system improvement. Low interest loans and block grants are also available. New Richmond - Just completed upgrade. River Falls - $1.5 million upgrade project. Roberts - New waste water system. Discharges to Twin Lakes. Somerset - Moratorium - upgrading waste water treatment system - $2.5 million. Star Prairie - Upgrade waste water treatment system. Discharge to Apple River. Heise asked whether any municipalities have well head protection plans. Skorseth replied, "Hudson and River Falls are working on plans." Wellhead protection plan addresses land use in area where recharge water is coming from. It is a requirement only for new wells. Raymond asked Skorseth to call the county planning office regarding "environmental sensitive areas" for the new county plan. Friday Canning Company (New Richmond) - Spends money to keep ground water clean. Donaldsons (Baldwin) is spending about $1/4 million on treatment to remove zinc. MRCS Custer reported: • Several conservation plan reviews and new planning done at request of FSA for their program participants. • CRP - Finished plans for 18'h sign-up tree and shrub planting. Josh Johnson (summer student) checked last year's prairie grass seedings. DNR furnished training. Noxious weeds are now referred to as "weeds". There are now 4,000 acres of prairie grass in St. Croix County. Star Prairie, Stanton, New Richmond and Somerset areas have some 80 to 100-acre CRP contracts. • EQIP - Received notice that Tom Roughton was accepted for statewide EQIP cost share for pasture management. Total cost share he will receive is $4,180. South Fork and Kinnickinnic Priority Areas had enough cost share applicants to spend most of the appropriated monies. Good variety of practices. • WHIP - Howard Gelderloos has begun his site preparation for prairie grass plantings. • CONSTRUCTION - EQIP construction is progressing. • New computers for MRCS, RD, and FSA. • Test pilot county for new customer service tool kit. Allows for conservation planning work in ArcView. FOCS system is being eliminated. (Better resource management planning) FSA No report. RC&D Berenschot reported: Pam Herdrich (Chippewa County District Conservationist) has been selected the RC&D Coordinator. State convention will be held October 4-5 in Eau Claire. WEST CENTRAL AREA Christenson reported: The county award entries were judged at the area meeting on August 19. Conservation Farmer award went to Pepin County and the Wildlife Habitat award went to Eau Claire County. Area Speaking Contest will be held at Stout University in October. EDUCATION ACTIVITIES Bethke was appointed judge for the county speaking contest. FARMLAND PRESERVATION No report. PRIORITY WATERSHED PROJECTS Kling reported: Kinnickinnic - Popple is working with River Falls school district on school talks. Joint project (Pierce and St. Croix) - Phosphorus based nutrient management plan on 12 farms (Federal $ education grant). South Fork of Hay River - No report. Lakes Cluster - Will be meeting with U. S. Fish & Wildlife on 9/10 regarding Teske and Strohbeen properties. Cost of aerial photos ($4,500) maybe reimbursed by U.S. Fish & Wildlife - 2 foot contours on whole project - okay on budget. Discussed structure (inlet with trash rack and outlet - old cement culvert) located on 40 acres (county owned) south of Cedar Lake. Repair of structure should be coordinated with Chuck Nutzmann. Plan will be presented to Finance Committee for their okay and commitment on financing it. Star Prairie will pay for part of the repair cost. GLEN HILLS WATERSHED Dam 92 Alternatives - Christenson reported that DNR promised to have breach route study reports to us by September 1. Not yet received. Estimated costs: Removal of the dam $200,0004400,000, upgrading the dam to meet the requirements for a high hazard dam $250,0004500,000. Raymond stated that during the moratorium extension hearing, he promised information when study results were received. Waiting for last two structure reports and composite map House below #2 is definitely in the 100 year flood plain. AG BUILDING UPDATE Christenson reported that contracts were let for voice mail installation. OFFICE PRIORITIES No report. COUNTY LAND AND WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN Technical work group meeting scheduled for September 13, 1:00 p.m. Citizens' Advisory Committee scheduled for September 15, 7:00-9:00 p.m. Bethke, Jensen, and Raymond each will attend one of the two meetings. COUNTY HELD CONSERVATION EASEMENTS Kling reported that Greg Timmerman (Corporation Counsel) and DNR need to agree on easement language. If landowner wants to sell easement, he would have to sign option form. REVIEW COUNTY CONSERVATIONIST JOB DESCRIPTION Debra Kathan (Personnel Director) presented information on professional positions. Position is budgeted for 4 week overlap. Reviewed current job description and areas to be revised. As directed by County Board Chairman Dorsey, job description will include being the lead person for the ag center. The Resource Management Plan, currently being developed, will describe areas of work concentration for the department. The word "water" in description should mean both "surface and groundwater". County is changing from agriculture to urbanization. Discussed general direction as to area of authority. Job will be advertised for 4-6 weeks. Entire LWCC to be involved in interviews. LWCC may make decision to hire within. Position currently is a Grade 7. Job description would go through the Hay study system one more time. Will finalize job description and hiring procedure at October committee meeting. JOINT POLK/ST. CROIX MEETING Discussed date for meeting. Decided on Thursday, October 21, if agreeable with Polk County. 2000 BUDGET Christenson reported that budget was completed and submitted to Finance. Due to health insurance premium increase, recommend that the two year block grant ($165,000 - last two years) be raised to $200,000. Surplus fund will be used to make up difference. ST. CROIX RIVERWAY DISTRICT Steve Fisher (Zoning Director) directed Raymond to give background of the district. Raymond stated that the St. Croix River is a wild and scenic river from Taylors Falls south. There are boundaries and rules within the district. County is ruling authority on all except in towns, villages, and cities. NR-118 Federal & State - establishment of these boundaries. About 18 months ago, it was discovered that county boundaries were different than state and federal. Six months ago Corp. Counsel rendered opinion that county ordinance was not correct. DNR said judgement on this was not right. Rewrite ordinance according to boundaries which we have today. Go to County Board with new ordinance. Re-adopt ordinance and not go to court. 'Fisher stated that new maps were generated by Zoning office. Federal zone is under State Statute 118. State Riverway zone (also under statute 118) is governed by DNR. County extended (colored yellow) boundaries - regulated - exceeds state zone. Zone was extended in 1975 using topog and digital ortho maps. Purpose is to protect scenic beauty of the river. (1) Indication of issues, (2) Explanation of how we got to where we are today. Board of Adjustment and Zoning have made decisions for last 25 years. National Parks control area between Stillwater and St. Croix Falls (Rice Lake Flats). Raymond stated that purpose of presentation is to inform committee of what it is all about and then have it taken to County Board. CONSERVATION PRACTICE TOUR Date for future tour of watershed activities to be scheduled for LWCC . FARMLAND PRESERVATION APPLICATIONS None. SUBDIVISION REVIEW Town of Warren- Heise presented 120 acre C.S.M., Sec. 19, in town of Warren. Humbird Land Development is the developer. Presented for information only. Stageline Ridge - 25.98 acres (Sec. 32 Town of Hudson) -Heise presented Stageline Ridge subdivision. Berenschot made motion to recommend that the storm water and erosion control plans are acceptable and a letter be sent to Planning & Development Committee. Cody seconded. Carried. VOUCHERS Reviewed vouchers. Bethke questioned the voucher for St. Croix County Highway for $294.65. The total amount is for vehicle fuel. Bethke made motion to approve vouchers. Seconded by Berenschot. Carried. Chair. Jensen adjourned meeting at 11:45 a.m. Jim Cody Secretary By Arlene Lier