Pink Lady Rail Transit Commission

04/05/12 Minutes (98 KB)

Attendance:

Commissioners Present: Chair Anderson, Treasurer Whitehurst, Secretary Rockett, John Geoghegan, Virgil Kasper, Vice Chair Ellis
Not present: Ray Bolton.

Others Present: Jen Erickson - Sauk County UWEX, Dick Goddard - LSRHA, Frank Huntington - WDot Rails, Ken Clemmons - WSOR, Gene Dalhoff – SCDC, Debra Bauer – Baraboo C of C, Patrick Cannon- Baraboo CDA, Ed Brooks – 50th Assembly Dist, Don Lichte – Reedsburg, Marty Morin – WisDot Rails, Kathy Schauf – Sauk County, Marty Krueger – Sauk County Board Chair.

Call to order:
The meeting was called to order at 10:00 am by Chair Anderson. Introduction of visitors and members.

Certification of open meeting law.
Meeting was certified as having met the requirements of the Wisconsin Open Meeting Law.

Approval of Agenda.
Motion by Kasper, seconded by Rockett to approve agenda as printed. Motion carried.

Approval of Draft Minutes Aug 2nd, 2011.
Motion by Rockett, seconded by Ellis to approve August minutes as printed. Motion carried.

Treasurer’s report.
Treasurer Whitehurst reported a balance of $2,134.34. Motion by Geoghegan, seconded by Kasper to approve the report. Motion carried.

Chairman’s report. 

• Update on the recent meeting with Governor Walker and his staff to encourage the State to be proactive in purchasing the Madison to Reedsburg UP rail line.
• Met with new regional RR owners WATCO Transportation at the WRRTC mtg. WATCO agreed to fund an economic impact study on all interests on State owned track.

WATCO report.
Reported by Ken Clemmons.
• Maintenance work

• Maintenance projects early this year with the cooperating weather.
• Grede Inc in Reedsburg has been receiving transloaded inbound coke shipments.
• Seneca has been increasing out loading shipments.
• Increasing loads of fracking sand from Prairie du Chien. Between 80 – 100 cars per day.
• Grant request for $25mm for improvements on the Spring Green line. Have had several letters of support.

WisDot 
Reported by Frank Huntington.

• Reviewed State rehab projects.
• Plans to reconstruct the Plymouth to Kohler section of railroad this year.
• Barron and Chippewa Counties trying to acquire the UP and CN lines operating in that region. Signals indicate that the UP and CN will maintain ownership mainly due to the increase in usage from frack sand shipments.
• Applications that were due in Feb for Grants have amounted to $25mm in grant requests. There is ≈$15mm - $20mm this biennium available for grant projects.
• The rail line thru BAAP has been acquired. Currently unused at this point.

Chair Anderson offered to draft up a letter of support for the Federal “Tiger” grants

Local Reports
• Reedsburg Report:

• Rockett reported Reedsburg Hardwoods loading out kiln dried lumber.
• Primex Plastics orders slowing down a little bit.
• Updating the PLRTC contact list. All commissioners make changes as necessary.
• Have had contact with Erik Johnson, the second appointed commissioner from Reedsburg. Erik will be representing Grede and was unable to attend the April mtg. He is looking forward to future meetings. He shared that Grede is actively looking at returning to inbound raw materials coming by rail.

• Baraboo Report.

•  Ellis reported RR Donnelly is steady and anticipating a busy fall.
• Whitehurst reported Flambeau busy. Expected to stay busy. Reported that Seneca is shipping outbound materials by rail.

• Prairie Du Sac Report.

• Bolton absent. No report.

• Sauk County Report.

• Geoghegan reported that there is no action with the quarry by the new owners.

• Sauk County Development.

• Dalhoff attended the meeting with the Governor and local business leaders on Feb 2nd. Representatives from Sauk County stressed the importance of the State purchasing this line. Governor Walker instructed the Secretary of Transportation to pursue negotiations with the UP Railroad on the rail purchase.

Business and Rail usage reports.
• Old Business:

• Marty Krueger reiterated that the meeting with the Governor went well and met expectations. Indications are positive.
• Frank Huntington reported that WisDot was asked by the Governor’s office to proceed on negotiations with the UP Railroad on both the track and land. The department’s legal council is reviewing how to approach lawfully. The budget period is July 2013. That would be the next time for review. WisDot understands this acquisition is a priority.

• New Business:

• Previously covered in Chairman’s report.

Legislative Comments.

• Representative Ed Brooks commented that there will be Legislative support for the budget. He will work with Dane County as a section of the rail line originates in that County.
• No report from Senator Schultz’s office.

Public Comments.

• There is public support of the Commission.
• Compliments to the rail service by WATCO (formerly WSOR)
• Question was asked if there are any updates on the grain loading facility in Sauk City. Response was that they are still looking at sites.

2012 meeting dates and location.

• August 7th, December 4th, 2012 at 10:00 am. Meeting location West Square Building Room 213.
• Motion to adjourn meeting by Ellis, seconded by Whitehurst. Motioned carried.

Adjourned at 10:55 am

Doug Rockett, recording