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HomeMy WebLinkAboutApproved 10-01-2020 CSZC Minutes GRANT COUNTY CONSERVATION, SANITATION, & ZONING COMMITTEE MEETING October 1, 2020 9:00 a.m. South Room of Youth & Ag Building and Via Zoom Meeting Lancaster, Wisconsin The Grant County Conservation, Sanitation & Zoning Committee meeting was called to order on October 1, 2020 at 9:00 a.m. by Mark Stead, the Conservation, Sanitation, and Zoning Committee Chairman in the South Room of the Youth & Ag Building and via Zoom meeting. Board members present in South room: Mark Stead, Gabe Loeffelholz, Mike Lieurance, Lester Jantzen, Pat Schroeder, and Porter Wagner. Via Zoom Gary Northouse. Others present: Shane Drinkwater in the South Room; via Zoom: Lynda Schweikert, Annette Lolwing, Joe Schmelz, Robert Keeney, Greg Cerven, and Gary Munson. Certification of Open Meeting Law Annette Lolwing sent the agenda to Karla Schwantes and Linda Gebhard to post in the Courthouse, in the Administration Building, and on our website. An agenda was also posted in front of the Ag Service Center Building, and was sent to Bob Middendorf, WGLR. Media notices were sent to Karla Schwantes, Linda Gebhard, Herald Independent, Tri County Press, Platteville Journal, Muscoda Progressive, Boscobel Dial, Fennimore Times and Bob Middendorf. Approval of Agenda Motion by Lester Jantzen, seconded by Porter Wagner to approve the Agenda. Motion carried. Approval of the September 3, 2020 Minutes Motion by Pat Schroeder, seconded by Gabe Loeffelholz to approve the September 3, 2020 minutes. Motion carried. Review & Accept the Bills Motion by Mike Lieurance, seconded by Lester Jantzen to accept the September bills. Motion carried. Zoning/Sanitation Report Lynda reported that year to date there were 49 less late fees that were turned in this year compared to 2019. Zoning permits were up 36 from what we had last ye ar. There were 105 citations sent out on September 11, 2020. There were 270 2nd notices for the Sanitary Maintenance forms that were sent out September 21, 2020. October 31st is the deadline to get their maintenance completed. There are no court dates scheduled. The Board of Adjustment scheduled for September 17th was for Ken Kunkel and BARD Construction for the quarry that BARD is purposing. They requested a variance for an access road and a crossing within the 75’ of the no build setback in a shoreland zoning district. Request was granted. Motion by Porter Wagner, seconded by Gabe Loeffelholz to accept the Zoning/Sanitation report. Motion carried. WDACP 2021 Budget – Greg Cerven WDACP Plan of Administration WDACP Service Contract Greg reported that it is time to renew the 5-year agreement between Grant County and the Plan of Administration with the DNR to continue to do the Deer Donation Program. Greg stated that there is also a 5- year Service Agreement between Grant County and himself that needs to be renewed. The 2021 budget page lists the same numbers as last year. A copy of the WDACP 2021 Budget, Plan of Administration, and WDACP Service Contract was handed out to the committee members to review. Mark referenced #1 in the Appendix 1 stating that the contractor shall prepare an annual informational news release for County residents on the WDACP describing how to enroll in the program. Greg Cerven stated that the State of WI publishes that article in the State Journal, advertising that this program is available. Motion by Pat Schroeder, seconded by Gabe Loeffelholz to approve the WDACP Budget, the WDACP Plan of Administration, and the WDACP Service Contract. Motion carried. County Cost Sharing Beginning Balance $3,744.33/Ending Balance $2,967.81 Lynda presented an extension request from Tyler Wetter, Boscobel Twp., $3,750.00 to December 1, 2020 for a stream crossing. Motion by Mike Lieurance, seconded by Porter Wagner to approve the extension request to December 1st. Motion carried. Lynda presented a cancellation request for Travis Wetter, Wingville Twp., $460.00 for a well decommissioning project. He is still watering his cattle with the well. Motion by Pat Schroeder, seconded by Gabe Loeffelholz to approve the cancellation request. Motion carried. Lynda presented a final approval request for county cost sharing on a well decommissioning project for Craig and Vickie Humphreys, Ellenboro Twp., $676.52. Motion by Pat Schroeder, seconded by Lester Jantzen to approve payment for Craig and Vickie. Roll Call: 7 Yes, 0 No. 0 Absent. Motion carried. Lynda presented a tentative approval request for county cost sharing on a stream crossing for Mark Hudson, Ellenboro Twp., $1,000.00; tentative approval on 2020 DATCP cost sharing for $2,637.82. Motion by Lester Jantzen, seconded by Porter Wagner to approve both county and 2020 DATCP cost sharing requests. Motion carried. SWRM Cost Sharing: 2019 DATCP Cost Sharing: Beginning Balance $16,781.15/Ending Balance $19,589.25 Lynda presented a cancellation request for 2019 DATCP cost sharing for Richard Keene, Potosi Twp., $2,808.10. Grassed waterway area is where they are proposing the solar panels and did not want to put the money into something that was no longer going to be cropped. Motion by Porter Wagner, seconded by Gabe Loeffelholz to approve the cancellation. Motion carried. 2020 DATCP Cost Sharing: Beginning Balance $2,637.82/Ending Balance $0.00 Mark Hudson’s tentative approval of $2,637.82 was approved with his county cost sharing request. Storage Permit Approval None to Report Budget Update Lynda provided a copy of the updated budget for those in the South Room. Bob Keeney and Gary Northouse will receive their copy via email. The Department Heads met to discuss solutions to the budget shortfall. Lynda suggested that for our MDV cost sharing funds that we receive from the municipalities for meeting their phosphorus limits at the waste treatment plant that could be used to offset the budget. They pay a fee to the Conservation fund, then we can use those funds to cost share practices. Lynda recommended that we have around $75,000, and that the CSZD would defer $50,000 to be cost shared in 2021. That would have brought the decrease from 2020 budget to 17.5%. The health insurance was based on a 7% increase but has since come in with a 3% increase. The current budget currently shows that 3% increase for health insurance and does not have the $50,000 decrease. Lynda asked the CSZC if they support deferring $50,000 to 2021. With this change it still is at a decrease of 6.6% from last year’s budget. Consensus of the committee agrees to not defer the $50,000.00 to the 2021 budget. CSZD Administrator Report Lynda reported that she had 2 meetings scheduled in September.  On September 11th – Climate Change and LWRM Plan via Zoom.  On September 22nd – Farm Bureau Annual Meeting via Zoom. Lynda gave an overview of the SWIGG study results. On September 16th the 4th round of ground water study was released. The testing was done in March 2020 in frozen ground. They still followed the same pattern as the last 3 sampling sites. The researchers are taking these results and working on the risk factor. The CSZD supplied them with a GIS layer of septic systems, with waste management plans of how and where they spread the septage, and with all our manure storage facilities and permits. They are also working with wells and casings. The combination of all these will be in a report. The report may possibly come out in June of 2021. Continuous Improvement Update Nothing to report. NRCS Report – Joe Schmelz Joe reported that EQIP has a November 20th application deadline. - FSA has not announced an official date for the general CRP sign up. - Joe will be working on a few CSP renewal applications. No CSP application deadline has been set for the new 2021 contracts. - October 1st is the first day of the new Fiscal Year 2021. - Joe reported that they had installed practices on 76 EQIP & CSP contracts; with 22 different practices. The top 4 practices consist of around 9,000 acres of cover crop, installed around 8,700 feet of rip rap, 12 grade stabilization structures (dry dams), and waterways of around 6,800 feet. For the year for EQIP they had 39 contracts for $1.45 million. There was a total of 55 applications. An additional 72 sites were looked at for EQIP, they didn’t proceed because of multiple reasons. There are 8 different contracts that have started construction, and another 12 landowners that want to get their practices installed before winter. - Joe reported that this was a big CRP year; 122 general contracts that were completed, and 26 CREP contracts completed. They had completed over 174 status reviews that were done in the field. They still have around 40 CRP status reviews to visit those sites. NRCS needs to do a status review on all expiring CRP contracts at least 1 year prior to the expiration date. All the expiring 2021 CRP contracts have been spot checked, and around 70% of the 2022 CRP contracts. - NRCS processed 67 haying and grazing requests. - They have around 13,000 acres of conservation plans. - Alan Braun is the new Soil Conservationist technician that started on September 14th. - Josh Bushee, the Soil Conservationist is still in Darlington, will be back at the latest on November 20th. Blue River TU Project - Joe gave a presentation on the partnering with Harry and Laura Nohr Chapter of Trout Unlimited. This project is concentrated on the Blue River area. There has been around 20 miles of stream that has been improved in the last 15 years. EQIP funds have covered approximately 70% of the funds for the year. Since the stream is now a public easement, the Trout Unlimited picks up the remaining cost of the project. Landowners typically do not have any expense on the construction of the project. The landowners do need to maintain the riparian buffer area and the structures. FSA Report Gary Northouse reported that Emily Schildgen will be the new CED at the FSA office Forestry Report – Brandon Sieck None. Motion by Gabe Loeffelholz, seconded Lester Jantzen to adjourn to Thursday, November 5, 2020 at 9:00 a.m. The meeting is scheduled for the South Room for Committee Members and the Public participation will be by Zoom only. Motion carried. Respectfully Submitted by Annette Lolwing for Lester Jantzen