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HomeMy WebLinkAboutApproved MINUTES_January 4_2011GRANT COUNTY LAND & WATER CONSERVATION COMMITTEE MEETING January 4, 2011 9:00 a.m. Ag Services Building Lancaster, Wisconsin The meeting was called to order by Chairman Vince Loeffelholz at 9:00 a.m. Present in addition to Chairman Vince Loeffelholz were, Donald Splinter, Lester Jantzen, Steve Adrian, Mark Stead, Marvin Kettler, and Grant Loy. Others present were, John Patcle, Marlene Sorenson, Melissa Bartz, Kevin Lange, Jared Reuter, Lynda Schweikert, and Annette Lolwing. Motion by Don Splinter, seconded by Grant Loy that the Committee was in compliance with the Open Meeting Law. Motion carried. Motion by Mark Stead, seconded by Lester Jantzen to approve the minutes from the December 7, 2010 meeting. Motion carried. Corrections to Agenda: Motion by Mark Stead, seconded by Marvin Kettler to approve the agenda as printed. Motion carried. Bills: Annette Lolwing Motion by Don Splinter, seconded by Marvin Kettler to approve the bills. Motion carried. County Board Chairman Report: John Patcle John reported that there will be an administrative meeting at 1:00 a.m. on January 5, 2011. There will be discussion on redistricting and the size of the county board, the committee structures. We are over 50,000 population in Grant County. The question was brought forth to see if there should be an increase in the county board members. The redistricting will be decided at the administrative meeting then on to the county board meeting. The new districts need to be drawn up by the middle of summer. The union negotiations are still going on and have not settled with any union as of yet. Will be meeting on January 10th with the ASCME units and January 18th with the Law Enforcement, Teamsters Union. County Cost Sharing Requests: Lynda Schweikert Lynda introduced Melissa Bartz, the new District Conservationist to the committee. Melissa mentioned that she was here for 3 months after Mike Lieurance retired and before Karyl Fritsche was the District Conservationist. Melissa graduated from UW Platteville. She has worked in Iowa, Lafayette, Richland and Marathon Counties. The last 2 ½ years she has been in Richland County as a DC. Lynda handed out the cost sharing policy to review. The item in discussion was that all practices with a cost estimate of $15,000 or more may be piggybacked with County cost sharing, to bring the total cost share percentage to 75%, depending on limits and availability of county funds. Motion by Lester Jantzen, seconded by Grant Loy to approve a change that county cost share may be used to bring total cost sharing up to 75%. Motion carried. County cost sharing maximum is 75% up to $3,500.00 and the maximum DATCP funds is 70% up to $10,000 for manure storage facilities and 70% up to $7,500 for all other practices. Lynda handed out the county cost sharing priorities list. Motion by Don Splinter, seconded by Marvin Kettler to move the manure storage closure practice ahead of the manure storage facility practice. Motion carried. Lynda reported that there is a carryover of $45,977.63 for county cost sharing for 2011. $32,823.78 has been allocated in 2010 for conservation practices to be installed in 2011. $13,153.85 is available to be allocated in 2011. The LWCC has allocated $37,353 in addition to the carryover to be used for cost sharing practices. This brings the beginning balance to $50,506.85 for 2011 cost share allocation Lynda presented final approval request for county cost sharing on a well decommissioning for BJ Ragatz, Beetown Twp., $203.50. Motion by Mark Stead, seconded by Steve Adrian to approve payment. Roll Call: 7 Yes, 0 No, 0 Absent. Motion carried. Lynda presented final approval request for county cost sharing on a waste storage facility closure for Strye LLC, East Glen Haven Twp., $1,421.00. Motion by Steve Adrian, seconded by Grant Loy to approve payment. Roll Call: 7 Yes, 0 No, 0 Absent. Motion carried. Lynda presented final approval request for county cost sharing on a waste storage facility closure for George Robert Egan, Hazel Green Twp., $1,676.12. Motion by Mark Stead, seconded by Lester Jantzen to approve payment. Roll Call: 7 Yes, 0 No, 0 Absent. Motion carried. Lynda presented tentative approval request for county cost sharing on a well decommissioning for Norbert Fritz, North Potosi Twp., $255.00; and Peter Winch, Fennimore Twp., $500.00. Peter’s well decommissioning was an emergency due to contamination of coliform. Motion by Steve Adrian, seconded by Don Splinter to approve the 2 well decommissioning requests. Motion carried. Vince Loeffelholz Abstained. Lynda presented tentative approval request for county cost sharing on a rip rap repair for Vince Loeffelholz, Paris Twp., $3,500.00. Vince’s project had been postponed until 2011 when more money is available. Motion by Marvin Kettler, seconded by Steve Adrian to approve Vince’s request. Motion carried. Vince Loeffelholz Abstained. Lynda presented tentative approval request for county cost sharing for a manure storage facility for John Shea, Lima Twp., $3,500.00 and postponing the DATCP cost sharing of $10,000.00 until money becomes available. Motion by Mark Stead, seconded by Grant Loy to approve John’s request. Motion carried. Lynda presented tentative approval request for county cost sharing for a rip rap project for Robert Smith, Ellenboro Twp., $3,500.00. Motion by Lester Jantzen, seconded by Grant Loy to approve Robert’s request. Motion carried. WLWCA Report: Lynda Schweikert Lynda reported that the Grant County Fair Oliver Tractor brought - $40.00; Grant County Fair Allis Chalmers brought - $22.00; and the John Deere Tractor from Sloan Implement brought $42.00 in the WLWCA auction. WLWCA Resolution Review: Lynda Schweikert Lynda reported on the 4 resolutions voted on at the WLWCA Conference Elimination of potential for Asian Carp to Spread throughout the Great Lakes and Surrounding Watersheds – Passed. Supporting Deer Management and Retention to Nine Day Deer Hunting Season – Failed. Supporting Legislation to Require Comprehensive Well Water Testing Prior to the Real Estate Transfers – Passed. Reducing/Limiting the number of WLWCA attendees to the NACD National Conference – Failed. FPP Report: Kevin Lange Kevin reported that he has a couple of cancellations of Notices of NonCompliance. Jacob and Sadie Bieler, Lima Twp. and Carl Kite, Wingville Twp. Motion by Marvin, seconded by Grant Loy to approve the cancellations. Motion carried. Kevin reported that most of the month he has been busy working on CRP contracts that are due at the end of December. Kevin reported that he will be working on articles for the annual report and will also be working on some CREP contracts. Lynda reported on the 2010 spot checks for the year. 76 people have been spot checked, 21 were 100% in compliance, 36 are working toward compliance, another 7 are undecided, and 12 were out of compliance as they did not meet the standards. In 2009 there were 6 working toward compliance which they had until December of 2010. Those 6 did not meet the deadline and are now out of compliance. There are 516 participants that remain to be spot checked by 2015. That leaves 129 spot checks per year for the next 4 years. Lynda mentioned that she will still be working on the Farmer Written NMP Training. There are 12 students that are taking the class. On January 27th they will be having a snap plus update. The update is for students that have taken the class in the past and would like some help with updating their plans. On March 1st, Lynda is working with DATCP, Sue Porter, to have a snap plus agronomist training here in Grant County. This is aimed for agronomists that are applying for CCA credits, and to have a hands on session to work with snap plus. NRCS Report: Marlene Sorenson, Acting DC Marlene reported that there were 67 applications for CRP that were accepted, and 6 people did not sign. Leaving 61 active applications and should be done. Marlene reported on the CSP, conservation security program. There are 47 contracts, have talked with 30 individuals so far. There are 5 that have appointments and the remaining 12 will be contacted to set up an appointment. All the CSP contracts must be reviewed by January 14th and paid by February 1st. Marlene reported the 2010 EQIP allocation for the cropland pool and for the pasture pool are the only 2 pools that the NRCS has anything to do with at the local level. All the farmstead, forest, and specialty crops are sent to the area office to be dealt with by them. In 2010, NRCS funded $156,911 in cropland and $83,411 in pastureland. The 2011 allocation for cropland is $130,122, and $70,277 for pastureland giving us a total of $200,399 the single most county to have that much money allocated to us. In 2010 there were 78 applications, 45 were approved and 33 rolled over to 2010. Of those 45, 13 are completed, and 13 are still active. So far there are 110 EQIP applications for the 2011 EQIP sign up. Deadline to sign up for the 2011 EQIP is on Friday, January 14th. Marlene reported that there is new practice in the 2011 EQIP, this is the Organic Initiative. Deadline to sign up is March 4, 2011. It takes 3 years to become organic and entails the landowner writes his own Organic Transition Plan. FSA Report: Jared Reuter Jared reported that Dave Knoke has finished out his 9 year term and Chuck Raisbeck has been voted in as the new member of the FSA county committee. There will be an organizational meeting next week to determine who is going to be in charge and to be 2nd in charge. There is Marvin Kettler, Linda Ruchti, and Para Ready that are still on the FSA committee. Jared reported on the 2011 DCP sign up is underway. The 2009 (disaster) SURE Program training will be starting next week. Taking appointments for 2009 crop losses that were insured losses. Need to establish maximum losses for the county. FSA will be looking at setting the maximum losses and quality losses due to the high moisture corn and soybeans that were coming out of the fields. The moisture content as being the basline coming out of the field. If it is above 20% for corn would be a way to determine the quality loss. Soybeans were based at 14% moisture coming out of the field. Jared thanked Lynda and Kevin for the CRP applications and contracts that ran smoothly. Jared reported FSA will not have a buy in like they did in 2008. You will either have insurance on your crops or you don’t. A beginning farmer may get an exception on crop insurance. Call for Agenda Items for Next Months Meeting None Other Business Motion by Mark Stead, seconded by Lester Jantzen to adjourn until February 3, 2011. Respectfully Submitted by Annette Lolwing for Grant Loy