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HomeMy WebLinkAboutExecutive Committee - Minutes - 6/9/2011Minutes of the Bayfield County Executive Committee Meeting 4:00 PM, June 9, 2011, Ag Station, US Highway 2, Ashland, WI Members Present: Brett Rondeau, William Kacvinsky(4:15), Kenneth Jardine, Beth Meyers, Dee Kittleson, Marco Bichanich Others Present: Mark Abeles-Allison-County Administrator, John Bennett, Kris Kavajecz, members of the public Ashland County Representatives: Peg Kurilla, Jeff Beirl, Frank Kemp AERC Representatives: Rich Lavigne, Todd Rothe, Ken Raspotnik, Claire Hintz Meeting called to order at 4:00 pm by Rondeau. Introductions were made around the room. Abeles-Allison reviewed the purpose of the tour, which is to perform the 18-month inspection as stipulated by the lease agreement with AERC. Claire Hintz provided a handout of the AERC annual report and reviewed the highlights of the report. Tour of the facilities began at 4:20pm. Highlights of the tour: • Plan to develop an outdoor classroom and improve flow of people around the grounds. Desire is to connect walking/recreation trails from the Great Lake Visitor Center and Tri- County Corridor to the Ag Station. Working with students at Northland College on design of the space. • Northland College has leased garden space and planted vegetables that are used in the college kitchens. • Green Thumb Community Gardens • Barley, Hops, Oat and Wheat trials • Hayfield • Woody Biomass Trial • Cattle holding pen and temporary milking parlor. Three bull calves. Cattle were let out to pasture on a rotational basis beginning this week. • View rotational grazing area that has been set up using high tensil wiring. • Horse boarding. Establishing long walk/run trails to encourage movement of horses. • Installation of water lines to the pastures and a hydrant at the end of the dairy barn. • Toured the chicken operation. Up to 800 birds at each of 4 stages of development. They are rotated to the next stage every 2 weeks. Housed in the dairy barn and pole barn. Those in the pole barn will be moving to the chicken tractors in the near future once cattle have reduced the height of the grass. Organic certification was received. • Selling grain from the grainery building to supplement income. • Tour concluded at 5:00pm Committee reviewed the 18-month inspection points in the lease. Lavigne commented that he is unaware of any know non-compliance. Board members asked for clarification of 20% payment to county for any sub-leases. AERC currently updating accounting program and will review this provision. Maintenance items identified by AERC that are on the “to do” list: L:\COMMITTEES AND BOARDS\EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE\2011\Executive Committee Minutes 060911.doc Page 2 of 2 • Meeting room water heater repair or replacement. • Replace broken pane in back door window of meeting room. • Repair broken toilet float in mens restroom. • Ranch house basement has had some seepage this spring due to overgrown shrubbery/trees. Shrubbery/trees addressed. More water resistance action may need to be taken. Ranch house is currently rented. Farm house to be used by Angel Acres chicken overseer, who will sub-rent a room to DNR for the summer. County reminded members that counties reserve the right to sell up to 20 acres of the property to a new business if that opportunity arises. AERC and Ashland County representatives exited the meeting at this time. Motion Jardine, Meyers to approve minutes from the May 26, 2011 Executive Committee meeting. Motion Carried. Memorial Medical Center Conduit Bond Inquiry: Request was reviewed from MMC for Bayfield County support of $4 million in conduit bonding. Committee expressed desire to support MMC expansion. Question regarding whether Northern Lights Health Care in Washburn may also be requesting boning support for their proposed expansion yet this year and if the MMC request would restrict the amount of support Bayfield County would be able to provide Northern Lights. Abeles-Allison to investigate the status of the Northern Lights project and potential request and whether the two projects would conflict or restrict the county’s bonding ability/limits. Abeles-Allison to report findings to the County Board on June 21 and to the Executive Committee at their next meeting. 2011 Budget: Budget direction will be distributed to Department Heads in the near future and was discussed at the recent Department Head meeting. Reports: • 2010 Year-to-date revenue and expense summary reviewed. No significant concerns. • County Treasurer revenue report reviewed. • Abeles-Allison explained proposal to implement Electronic Monitoring program. Discussion regarding the structure and goal of the program. Suggestion was made to look into contracting with Ashland County for the monitoring service. • Pre-construction meeting regarding brownstone project scheduled for June 13. City of Washburn: Review request from the City of Washburn for the county to Quit Claim their interest in a portion of railroad right-of-way in the City, which the City is preparing to sell to a business that is planning to expand. A 20-foot permanent right-of-way would be retained for the trail. Recommendation from committee was to wait to make a decision on this until an opinion is received from Attorney Richard Nordeng due to the pending lawsuit. Committee members requested copies of the AERC sub-leases. Meeting adjourned at 6:15pm.