WAUPACA COUNTY

FARMLAND PRESERVATION STEERING COMMITTEE

MEETING MINUTES

                        July 25, 2012

                        City Hall, Manawa

 

Chair Beyer  called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m and gave open meeting statement.

 

The Roll Call sign in sheet was passed.

 

Appointed Members Present:  Margie Schmidt, Art Richardson, Walter Strebe, Dennis Desens, Jackie Beyer, Doug Behnke, Tom Bleck, Glen Newsome, Jim Biddison, Bill Jonely, Gary Marx, Frank Bauer Jr., Bob Opperman, Greg Hanson and Marvin Schneider.

 

Also Present:   Wayne Steingraber, Dean Lashua, Melinda Osterberg, Brian Haase, Patricia Craig and Jane Haasch 

 

Motion made and passed to approve the minutes of the June 20th meeting.

 

Motion made and passed to approve the agenda of the July 25th meeting.

 

Osterberg and Haase reviewed the results of the survey on Land Resource Goal development.  Copies will be sent out at later date.  Higher preference towards prime soil, Agriculture as a use near environmentally sensitive areas and Use of Farmland Preservation to protect open space and other strategic areas were the uses that scored the highest.

 

Osterberg handed out outlines of other recent county FP plans and a proposed outline for Waupaca County.  Discussion occurred on inclusion of local food systems in the plan, shadow FP zones that Washington County had used, as well as the need for FP zones to be compatible with Town Comprehensive Plans.  Areas of non FP within a district need to have justifiable reasons for not being included and not just because of landowner preference.  A show of hands among the steering committee approved looking into the Washington County method of shadow zoning.

 

Haase and Osterberg discussed the role of the steering committee with respect to mapping and plan overview.  Also discussed was some clarification on the tax benefits of the Farmland Preservation Program.

 

Next steps were discussed.  Osterberg and Haase will continue to meet with individual towns to do both informational presentations and work on mapping.

 

Beyer opened meeting to public comment.  Patricia Craig commented that inevitably some people will not like change.

 

The next meeting was set for September 25, 7:00 p.m. in Manawa.

 

Motion by Marx, seconded by Richardson to adjourn at 8:40 p.m.  Motion carried.

 

 

Submitted by,

 

Jim Biddison, Secretary