Conservation, Planning and Zoning Committee

July 11, 2013 CPZ Committee Meeting Minutes (34 KB)

Conservation, Planning, and Zoning (CPZ) Committee members present:  J. Ashford, J. Dietz, F. Halfen, G. Lehman, D. Nobs, D. Polivka, R. Puttkamer 

Others present:   J. Allen, S. Cohoon, B. Cunningham, P. Dederich, M. Krueger, T. Liebman,    L. Meadowcraft, B. Michalek, P. Pohle, M. Riquelme, K. Schauf, B. Simmert, G. Wuest, M. Wuest, representative from Attorney Corcoran’s office 

At 9:00 a.m. Chair Lehman called the Conservation, Planning, and Zoning Committee to order and certified to be in compliance with the Open Meetings Law. 

Adopt agenda:  Motion by Polivka/Halfen to adopt the agenda.  Motion carried, all members in favor.   

Adopt minutes of previous meeting-June 13:  Motion by Ashford/Dietz to adopt the minutes from the June 13 Conservation, Planning, and Zoning Committee meeting.  Motion carried, all members in favor.

Public Comment:

1.  Scholarship recipient presentation(s)-Samuel Rocha presented on his camping experiences at the Wisconsin Youth Conservation Camp near Eagle River. He brought in a bat house that he had made at camp.
2. John Eric Allen spoke on his concerns regarding frac sand mining. 
3.  Mimi Wuest spoke on her concerns regarding frac sand mining.
4.  Linda Meadowcraft spoke on her concerns regarding frac sand mining.
5.  The CPZ Committee requested the standards Meadowcraft mentioned be provided to Michalek.  The comments made today will be considered.

Communications:

1. Updates from previous CPZ Committee meetings - Cherrie Nolden is the contact person Halfen had mentioned possibly coming to a CPZ Committee meeting to talk about her ag practices at Badger.  CPZ staff will invite her to a future CPZ Committee meeting.
2. DNR correspondence-Notice of Final Determination to Reissue a Wisconsin Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (WPDES) Permit No. WI-0020605-09-0) - Michalek noted there are no major changes. 
3. Promotion of state funding for well abandonment - Will add a link on our website to the state website and promote DNR funding in the next Conservation Chronicle newsletter.  CPZ Department staff will meet with Liebman about abandoning the old Health Care Center well.
4. Information regarding 1,024 acres of Leopold Memorial Reserve property being offered to the county to purchase was presented to the CPZ Committee.  
5. Krueger presented a letter from the Town of La Valle expressing their appreciation for the continued quality assistance provided by the county to the Town of LaValle.
6. The final FEMA maps were received.  Plan to have the public hearing at the end of August/beginning of September and go to the September County Board meeting  

A request by Beaver Enterprises, Inc., owner and Attorney Edward Corcoran, agent to approve Acorns at Kilpatrick Point Condominium Plat. The land to be affected by the proposed addendum is located in Section 17, T10N, R7E, Town of Merrimac:  Simmert noted the proposed addendum requires the CPZ Committee’s approval.  It is an existing duplex in which they want to make a common wall, which will allow two units to be sold.   It was approved in 2007 but not recorded. No objections by staff for approval.  Motion by Polivka/Ashford to approve the request.  Motion carried, all in favor.  

Update regarding the Sauk County Farmland Preservation Planning process:  Simmert noted that some revisions are being made and are collecting the maps from the towns. 

Former Health Care Center cemetery update:  Michalek informed the Committee that CPZ Department staff worked with UWEX on signage for the cemetery.  The Highway Department is going to put a bump-out for people to turn around.  The fence will not be continuous but will have fence corner delineations, signs will be posted around to discourage people from driving in the cemetery.  The fence, posts, cemetery signage, etc. is estimated to cost $1,800.  UW-Extension is purchasing a sign listing people buried there. 

Surveyor:

a. Report on June 10 meeting with Administrative Coordinator, Corporation Counsel, and Highway  Commissioner – A general consensus has been arrived at that it will not be necessary to pursue implementing an ordinance at this time  Schauf asked Dederich to provide Muchow a contact at the Department of Transportation (DOT).  Muchow will contact that person regarding the corners which have been removed on Hwy. BD.  

b. Further discussion and possible action with respect to resolution Designating Financial Responsibility for Public Land Survey System Corners in Highways - Liebman stated the resolution should not be passed, and this should be handled administratively between the Highway Commissioner and County Surveyor.  In the future the Highway Commissioner will provide the County Surveyor the Highway Department’s six-year work plan and monthly updates.  Committee concluded that there is not a need for the resolution due to the good dialogue now taking place.  The Committee requested that the monthly updates be shared with them at their meetings. 

The CPZ Committee and staff present discussed the process to handle damage to monuments and the reimbursement for their repair.  The surveyor informed the Committee that the County Controller is setting up a revenue account for this purpose. 

Dederich was asked to provide Muchow the information on the 26 corners that were removed on Hwy. PF by the Highway Department.

 
c. Further discussion and possible action with respect to County-wide Public Land Survey System Corner Ordinance -  Further action on the proposed Ordinance will not be taken at this time. 

d.  Vouchers - Motion by Halfen/Polivka to approve vouchers in the amount of $7,800.00.  Motion carried, all in favor.  Committee requested that Dederich find out how many bounty payments there were this year and report back at a future meeting. 

Update on Clean Sweep program:  Quantities collected at the June Clean Sweep were provided to the CPZ Committee.  Suggestions were received for future Clean Sweep programs.  Discussed how to prevent outside businesses from intercepting electronic, etc. in the future.     Committee supported offering towns the opportunity to dispose of tires at the fall Clean Sweep at no charge that they find in ditches.  The notice provided to the CPZ Committee will be sent to Town Clerks. 

Conservation, Planning, and Zoning Department

a. Department reports and updates:  Michalek reviewed the department report. 

b.  Review and approval of vouchers:  Motion by Halfen/Ashford to approve the vouchers in the total amount of $57,208.55.  Motion carried, all in favor.    

Reports:

a.   Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) report:  Miller provided the CPZ Committee a written report as he was unable to attend the meeting.  The report included that wetland requests are starting to come in; Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) contracts for fiscal year 2014 are starting to be put together and spot checks are continuing on them; one completed application for the Conservation Security Program (CSP) was submitted; a few waterways have been installed but construction has been slow due to the wet conditions. 

b.  Farm Service Agency (FSA) report:  Puttkamer noted that reporting and numbers seem to be coming in good.                                                                   

c.  Foresters’ report:  None. 

d.   Economic Development Committee report:  Lehman stated there was a joint meeting of the Economic Development Committee with the Sauk County Development Corporation.    

e.  Mirror Lake District report:  Nobs stated their annual meeting is scheduled for August 17. 

f.  Lake Virginia Management District report:  Nobs mentioned they were supposed to have a meeting in June, but he was not notified of a meeting. 

g. Lake Redstone Management District report:  Dietz noted they were very pleased about Lake Fair and the project at the Wegner Farm.  They want to get working on the northern end of the lake. 

Update on Chapter 7 Zoning Ordinance:  Simmert conveyed that the comments received are being reviewed and possibly incorporated into a revised ordinance. Discussed the ordinance and possible revisions and comments.  

Michalek offered that he and staff will look into the shooting complaint in Halfen’s area.  The Committee requested Sheriff Meister and DNR Warden John Buss attend a future CPZ Committee meeting to discuss this issue. 

After Corporation Counsel updates the ordinance, it will be taken out to the towns one more time.  Public hearing will take place in October and go before County Board in December.  Comments on frac sand mining will also be considered. 

Public comment:

1.  Cohoon noted that sand is used for cranberry and glass businesses.  That use should also be included when discussing the shipping of frac sand.
2. John Eric Allen addressed his concerns about frac sand and its transportation.
3. Marcia Riquelme discussed frac sand mining at other locations and her concerns. 

Polivka explained the upgrade to the rails and rail beds is for efficiency and safety reasons. 

Next meeting of the Conservation, Planning, and Zoning Committee will be held at 9 a.m. on  Tuesday, July 23, and Thursday, August 8. 

Motion by Polivka/Ashford to adjourn at 11:45 a.m.  Motion carried, all members in favor.   

Respectfully submitted,

Don Nobs, Secretary