Economic Development Committee

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Calendar Date:
Wednesday, June 30, 2010 - 6:30pm

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Meeting Information

  • Agenda
  • Minutes
PDF icon June 30, 2010 Agenda (12 KB)

A quorum of the Sauk County Planning, Zoning, and Land Records Committee will be present at this meeting due to three supervisors serving on both committees.

REASON FOR MEETING: SPECIAL

REASON FOR MEETING: To develop consensus around a plan for moving forward regarding rail and trail plans for Sauk County.

SUBJECTS FOR DISCUSSION:

  1. Call to Order and Certify Compliance with Open Meeting Law
  2. Review agenda - invite public comment on agenda topics
  3. Adopt agenda
  4. Review and establish ground rules for all meetings of this group.
  5. Identification of issues to be discussed and resolved
  6. Public questions and comments
  7. Initial discussion of issues
  8. Set future meeting dates
  9. Adjourn

TO: County Clerk Zowin Lehman Krueger Posewitz Murray Stevens Gaalswyk Corporation Counsel Stieve Department Heads Hanna

DATE NOTICE MAILED: Friday, June 18, 2010

PREPARED BY: Office of Administrative Coordinator

Unapproved
PDF icon Minutes 06/30/10 (93 KB)

Members present: Marty Krueger, Joel Gaalswyck, Shawn Posewitz, Kathy Zowin, Peter Murray, Gerald Lehman

Members absent: Don Stevens

Represented Stakeholders: WSOR, Ken Luch; WRRTC, Amy Seeboth, Forest VanSchwartz; PLRTC, Alan Anderson; MCRM, Don Meyer; Prairie du Sac, Ray Bolton; Sauk City, Jim Anderson; Baraboo, Ed Geick; Reedsburg, Don Lichte; United Cooperative, Karl Beth; Quarry (Fred Webber Inc.), Joe Michaels; Town of Prairie du Sac / Badger, Ron Lins; Village of Rock Springs, Marvin Holtz Baraboo Chamber, Gene Dalhoff; Sauk Prairie Chamber, Tywana German; Reedsburg Chamber, Kristine Koenecke; Together Sauk Prairie / Snowmobilers (Recreational Trails Advocates), Jody Kapp

Others present: Kathy Schauf, Karna Hanna, Barb Hummel, Tracy Taggert, Tim Lins, Mark Frey, Tara Frey, Dana White Quam, Jon Cody, Laura Cody, Haakow Carlson, Donna Stehling, Bill Stehling, Judy Ashford, Gloria McCormick, Barbara Wolfe, Lynn Breunig, Scott Stokes, Gail Lamberty, Jeremiah Tucker, Diana Wipperfurth, Peter Schmitz, Mary Weeks, Ron Wolf, Dave Tremble, Dick Gant, Jen Erickson, Todd Wierger, Virgil Hartje, Fred Halfen, Bill Wenzel, Robert Sinklair, George Vaderhugh, Henry Russell, Patrick Taggart, II, Julie Lins, George Johnson, Richard Marks, Sam Landis, David Calendar, Ed Brooks, Barbara Cady, John Sauer, Linda Sauer, Liz Fester, Hans Fester, Virgil Kasper, Frank Huntington, David Bierman, Alan Wildman, Richard Marks, Pat Liston, John Dougherty, Alan Jentz, Chuck Cady, Joan Fordham, Fred Clark, Donna Stehling, Dan Viste

Review agenda - invite public comment on agenda topics.

It was noted that the Economic Development Committee is able to participate throughout the meeting, as a standing committee of the Board, responsible for hosting the stakeholder meetings.

The meeting was called to order and certification of Open Meeting compliance was given at 6:30 p.m. The agenda was approved on a motion by Murray, second by Posewitz. Motion carried.

Introductions.

Stakeholders and audience members introduced themselves. Krueger reviewed the history of the process.

Review and establish ground rules for all meetings of this group.

Barbara Hummel reviewed ground rules for the meeting. Ground rules will define how the stakeholders interact with one another and conduct their discussions.

  1. I’m here to build a collaborative relationship not to be “right.”
  2. I’m here to identify and solve a problem not to place blame.
  3. I can influence the outcome but I cannot control it.
  4. I will share all relevant information with integrity.
  5. I am willing to do the hard work necessary to create understanding.
    • One conversation at a time
    • I will listen actively
    • I will acknowledge others points and feelings
    • I will utilize “I” statements not “you” statements
    • I will speak for his/her benefit, not his/her loss (No zingers)
  6. To ensure ample opportunity for public comment - public comment will be agendized at the beginning and end of every meeting. The audience will speak only during public comment.
  7. Alternate and public can speak through the primary stakeholder as it relates to agenda items.
  8. Number of stakeholder representatives needed to hold a meeting: Thirteen (13).
  9. Recommendations will be formed by working toward consensus versus taking votes. Consensus is “I can live with it”. To check whether stakeholder representatives are in agreement, we will ask for thumbs up or thumbs down indication. Those items that do not have consensus will be noted as such; voting will not be used as a method for forming recommendations.
  10. Silence = consent.

Please bring your calendars to the meeting.

Identification of issues to be discussed and resolved

Stakeholder discussions will be focused on developing a consensus around a plan for moving forward regarding rail and trail plans for Sauk County. Barbara Hummel invited stakeholder representatives to name the issues that should be discussed to achieve that aim.
Initial results of brainstormed issues:

  1. The village’s (Praire du Sac) objectives are to a. ensure a quality of life for residents, b. economic development of downtown, and c. interest in rail to trail from Dane through Sauk (Map 5-2 of Comprehensive Plan).
  2. WisDOT become an owner of the Merrimac bridge/line.
  3. ecure permanent rail from Madison to Reedsburg.
  4. Understand ownership of rail re: maintenance and cost.
  5. Develop financial analysis of cost associated with repair of Merrimac bridge.
  6. Have level of comfort with rail service to northern Sauk County.
  7. Re-establish dependable rail service in Sauk Prairie area.
  8. Review costs of building multi-use trail development.
  9. Want ownership of entire railroad line from Madison to Reedsburg in public ownership.
  10. Determine economic benefits of Rails to Trails.
  11. Cost and benefit of establishing rail system into Sauk city. Information to include impact of condemnation of four businesses.
  12. Cost / benefit by independent entity.
  13. Highway 12 bypass – can we open a discussion with WiDOT?
  14. Midcontinent rail access to Madison (Ie: general rail system).
  15. WRRTC – preservation of existing rail corridor.
  16. Concern over conversion to trails that is essentially permanent.
  17. WSOR - Liability and safety (assumes a jointly used corridor).
  18. Safety costs of unused rail corridors.
  19. Capitalizing on unique opportunity of a multi-county recreational trail system.
  20. Environmental impact of bridge replacement at Sauk City.
  21. Impact on new bypass if Sauk City bridge is replaced.
  22. Environmental impact of train derailment on wetlands etc. when transporting potentially hazardous materials.

Prioritized / combined issue list

  1. Line - Securing permanent access of rail into Sauk County (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 14)
  2. Establishing rail service in Sauk City, Prairie du Sac (7,11,13,20, 21)
  3. Issues related to multi-use trail development and opportunities, (1c, 8, 10, 15, 16,19)
  4. Considered Procedural: Weave into cost benefit analysis decisions (1a, 1b, 17, 18, 22) into discussions above. Item 12 was also considered to be procedural.

Public questions and comments

The public was offered an opportunity to speak to the rails to trails issue.

Set future meeting dates

Next Economic Development Rail and Trail Stakeholder meeting date: to be determined. The next agenda will include opportunities for educational updates, and a presentation on historical context.

Motion by Gaalswyck, second by Zowin, to adjourn the meeting. Motion carried.

Respectfully submitted:Donald Stevens,Economic Development Committee Secretary