HomeMy WebLinkAboutForestry & Parks Committee - Minutes - 9/12/2011BAYFIELD COUNTY FORESTRY AND PARKS DEPARTMENT
COMMITTEE MEETING
September 12, 2011
County Board Room
Members Present: Shawn Miller, Chairperson; Marco Bichanich, Vice-Chairperson; John Bennett; Bill
Kacvinsky, and Bucky Jardine
Staff in Attendance: Jason Bodine, Administrator; Steve Probst, Asst. Administrator; Pat Bruno, Office
Manager
Others in Attendance: Ned Zuelsdorff, American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation; Roger Marincel and Chad
Abel, citizens.
Call to Order: The meeting was called to order by Chairperson S. Miller at 6:00 P.M.
1. Approval of August 15, 2011 Meeting Minutes
MOTION: (Kacvinsky, Bichanich) to approve the August 15, 2011 meeting minutes. Carried.
2. Monthly Financial Report:
a. Forestry
Revenues received have exceeded the budgeted revenues for the calendar year. Expenses are normal.
b. Parks
Both revenues and expenses are under what was budgeted for this time of year.
MOTION: (Bichanich, Kacvinsky) to approve the August 2011 Financial Report. Carried.
3. Recreational Use Request: American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation. A request was received to use trails
located in the Town of Cable for a September 24, 2011 Trail Run, Relay and Trek event.
MOTION: (Kacvinsky, Bichanich) to approve the recreational use request to use trails located in the Town of
Cable for a September 24, 2011 Trail Run, Relay and Trek event. Carried.
4. Recreational Use Request: American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation. A request was received to use trails
located in the Town of Cable for a September 22, 2012 Trail Run, Relay and Trek event.
MOTION: (Kacvinsky, Bennett) to approve the recreational use request to use trails located in the Town of
Cable for a September 22, 2012 Trail Run, Relay and Trek event. Carried.
5. Recreational Use Request: American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation. A request was received to use trails
located in the Town of Cable for a January 21, 2012 BirkieTour cross-country ski event.
MOTION: (Bichanich, Bennett) to approve the recreational use request to use trails located in the Town of
Cable for a January 21, 2012 BirkieTour cross-country ski event. Carried.
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September 12, 2011 Meeting Minutes
6. Recreational Use Request: American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation. A request was received to use trails
located in the Town of Cable for a February 25, 2012 Birkebeiner, Kortelopet and Prince Haakon cross-
country ski event.
MOTION: (Kacvinsky, Bichanich) to approve the request to use trails located in the Town of Cable for a
February 25, 2012 Birkebeiner, Kortelopet and Prince Haakon cross-country ski event. Carried.
7. Land Use Request: Ned Zuelsdorff, American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation. The request to construct a
warming/storage building on five acres in the Town of Cable was tabled at the August 15, 2011 Forestry
and Parks Committee meeting. J. Bodine reported that after a discussion with the Bayfield County Zoning
Department, the request to construct a warming/storage building would likely be approved by the Zoning
Department only if it were modified to include a bathroom(s). The new facility would then be classified as
a wayside rest, which is permissible under F2, but would also require a Special Use Permit. The American
Birkebeiner Ski Foundation is to maintain the buildings and provide standard liability insurance.
MOTION: (Jardine, Kacvinsky) to approve the land use request by the American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation to
construct two buildings (one for warming/storage and another for a bathroom) on five acres in the Town of
Cable. Carried.
8. Secure Rural Schools. J. Bodine requested direction from the Committee on the annual allocation of
federal funds for the calendar year 2011 town aid payments.
MOTION: (Kacvinsky, Bichanich) to direct the Forestry and Parks Administrator to submit to the requestor an
allocation of 85% of federal timber sale revenues to the Title I and 15% to the Title II Programs. Carried.
9. 2012 Budget. J. Bodine discussed the proposed draft budget document. There was little change from the
one presented last month. J. Bodine expanded upon the proposed 40 hour work week, fund balance
transfers and capital requests for 2012. Also, Bayfield County has just been awarded a $51,000 grant, of
which, $35,000 will be used in 2012 toward reforestation expenses.
10. General Discussion Items.
a) Parks 2012 Direction Highlights
J. Bodine discussed the 2012 Campground Policies/Procedures Items to Consider handout. The
Committee requested a list of all current rates and will discuss the proposed policies and procedures at
the October 2011 meeting.
b) DNR Strategic Direction
No DNR representatives were in attendance. No report given.
c) Access Management – Snowmobile Gates
J. Bodine has received a request from a snowmobile club to install a variety of gates with the intent
to ensure the quality of the existing trails. The consensus of the Committee members is to continue
with the existing procedure that the Forestry and Parks Administrator has the authority to decide each
request on a case-by-case basis. Access should only be restricted in cases of potential degradation to the
natural resources.
d) Bradfield Road Access Issue
J. Bodine reported that the summons was to have been served by September 12, 2011.
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e) Red Cliff Tribe Memorandum of Agreement (MOA)
Per Chad Abel, the MOA, which addresses the maintenance of a buffer strip along Blueberry Road and
any newly discovered historical sites at the active timber sale site, was approved by the Red Cliff Tribe.
f) Steve Coffin and Joseph LeBouton, DNR Representatives, Comments.
The DNR staff were not in attendance; however Steve Coffin shared information, via J. Bodine, that the
Barnes forester position has been identified as a priority and will be filled by the end of October.
Adjourned at 6:45 P.M.
Next meeting: Wednesday, October 12, 2011 at 5:30 P.M.
Submitted by,
Pat Bruno