HomeMy WebLinkAboutForestry & Parks Committee - Minutes - 9/2/2009BAYFIELD COUNTY FORESTRY COMMITTEE
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
County Board Room
Bayfield County Courthouse, Washburn, Wisconsin
Members Present: David Good, Chairman of the Committee, Marco Bichanich, Kenneth
Jardine. Shawn Miller was available via telephone/speaker phone and William Kacvinsky was
excused.
Staff in Attendance: Jason Bodine, Administrator, Steve Probst, Assistant Administrator
and Barbara Suminski, Office Manager.
Other in Attendance: Steve Coffin, DNR Liaison, Ron Bergin representing North End Ski
Club and Thomas J. Gordon representing the Town of Russell.
The meeting was called to order by Chairman Good at 1:05 PM
Meeting minutes: On a motion by Marco Bichanich to approve the August 4, 2009 meeting
minutes and seconded by Buck Jardine and the motion was approved and carried.
Financial Report: Jason Bodine shared the August net/gross timber sale receipts with the
Committee on a comparison fact sheet. The Committee also received the current
Expense/Budget Performance Report and the Department internal monitoring report of expenses
and revenues. A motion to accept the financial reports as presented was made by Bucky Jardine
and seconded by Marco Bichanich and the motion was approved and carried.
North End Ski Club: Jason Bodine referred the Committee to the packet that had been
prepared for them regarding a project to construct extensions of existing trails and stated that he
had a field meeting with Mr. Bergin on September 1, 2009. The Administrator explained on the
map provided a couple of areas that he had made changes in regards to the routing of the trail.
Mr. Bergin then presented his information and explanation of the new classic ski trail
construction. The Department does currently have a Permitted Use Agreement for Recreation
Purposes with the North End Ski Club. After a question and answer period time a motion was
made by Bucky Jardine to approve the changes requested by the North End Ski Club and Marco
Bichanich seconded the motion and the motion carried
Discussion on Sand River Pit: A discussion Town or Russell and Bayfield representative was
tabled in the absence of Mr. Tribovich.
2010 Budget: The Calendar Year 2010 Budget Worksheet Report was shared with the members
of the Committee. The Administrator explained that he had made some changes to the budget
report for efficient monitoring. For the CY 2010, the administrator explained he had budgeted
for overtime in the amount of $4,000.00 for mostly reforestation purposes. He explained to the
Committee that the revenue account from the DNR, which was for $.10 per acre had been cut to
Bayfield County Forestry Department
Minutes of September 2, 2009
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$.05 per acre for CY 2010. Two interns were built into the budget with a wage of $13.00 per
hour. It was also explained that the State DOT account has been separated from the Forestry
Road account for monitoring purposes. The total budget being forwarded to the County
Administrator was in the amount of $1,979,155.00. On a motion by Marco Bichanich to approve
the submitted budget and seconded by Bucky Jardine the motion passed unanimously.
Special Timber Sale Update: The Timber Sale offering of the seized wood products was in the
mail on August 21, 2009 and bids will be opened on September 8, 2009. This is a sale being
offered as a lump sum.
Timber Sale Contract Termination: Jason explained to the Committee that in addition to the
termination of the Lipka sales that there were four additional sales that will be terminated.
Certified letters have been mailed to the providers and most of the sales will be reoffered in the
Fall sales. In all, seven sales will be reoffered and two will be retained and made into larger
sales to be offered next Spring. There was discussion in regard to the development of a standard
to determine how much performance bond dollars should be retained due to the breach and/or
termination of a contract. On a motion by Bucky Jardine to add five percent (5%) to the original
(terminated) total bid amount and the result would be a new terminated total bid amount was
seconded by Marco Bichanich and the motion passed unanimously.
New Forester: Andrew O’Krueg is the Department’s new forester and we will begin his
employment on January 4, 2010.
General Discussion Items: There was general discussion regarding to the Natural Resources
Board visit to the deer exclosure fence in Cable. The Jack Pine Symposium in which Kirby
Dernovsek played an important roll in planning and preparation and received positive feedback.
There have been citizen inquiring about hunting on the Jolly Trail property and an ordinance has
been adopted this year that does not allow hunting on the property. This property is not part of
County Forest Law. Update on Sand River ATV Damage in the Town of Bayfield and the Berm
on Henkens Road in the Town of Bayfield. A report on improvement on the Lamont Road
Access. Telephone plan update and savings for CY 2010. The administrator requested that the
Committee hold a special meeting for the purposes of discussing annual activities of the
Department, goals and efficiencies. It was decided to hold a special meeting on September 28,
2009 at 5:00 P.M. in the County Board Room.
Future Meeting Time: The Committee will meet at 5:00 P.M. in the month of October and at
6:00 P.M. in the month of November.
DNR Liaison Report: Steve Coffin informed the Committee that vacated DNR position due to
retirement are not going to be filled and Steve will be working out of the Washburn office one
day per week.
Bayfield County Forestry Committee
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September 2, 2009
On a motion by Marco Bichanich and seconded by Shawn Miller the meeting adjourned at 2:35
P.M.
Respectfully Submitted:
Barbara Suminski