July 2022 Meeting Minutes

By in

STEPHENSON COUNTY SOIL & WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT BOARD

MEETING MINUTES

JULY 20, 2022

CALL TO ORDER: Stephenson County Soil & Water Conservation District Chairperson Jim Hutchison called the meeting to order at 8:00 a. m. on Wednesday, July 20, 2022, in the Blackhawk room, Stephenson County Farm Bureau in Freeport, Illinois.

ROLL CALL: Present at the time the meeting was called to order: Board members Jim Hutchison (Chairperson), Barb Klinger (Secretary/Treasurer), Seth Wenzel (Vice President), and Matt Schlachter (Board Director Member); District employee Aaron Dinderman (Resource Conservationist), and Trina Orr (Administrative Coordinator); NRCS employee Hannah McWhirter (Soil Conservationist); City of Freeport employee Lorraina Lopez (Community & Economic Development Planner Grants Coordinator); Pheasants Forever employee Jared Trickey (Farm Bill Wildlife Biologist) and Stephenson County Farm Bureau employee Debbie Steinbach (Agriculture Literacy Coordinator).

Not in attendance: Mark Binger

ENVIRONMENTAL READING:

“The Progressive” April/May 2022 Issue Farmers on the Frontlines by Marc Eisen.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Review, discuss, and possible action of the minutes from the May 18, 2022, Stephenson Soil & Water Conservation District Board of Directors meeting.

 Hutchison moved to approve the minutes from the May 18, 2022, Stephenson County Soil & Water Conservation District Board of Directors meeting, Schlachter seconded the motion. There being no further discussion – Voting aye: All. Motion passed.

TREASURERS REPORT AND BUDGET: Review, discuss, and possible action to pay the bills as listed on the monthly budget sheet for May and June 2022.

Wenzel moved to pay the bills as listed on the monthly budget sheet for May and June 2022, Schlachter seconded the motion. There being no further discussion – Voting aye: All. Motion passed.

FISCAL YEAR 2023 BUDGET: Review, discuss, and possible action to approve FY2023 Budget.

Fiscal Year 2023 Budget tabled.

REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF EMPLOYEE TIMESHEETS: Review, discuss, and possible action of July 03, 2022 through July 16, 2022 and July 17, 2022 through July 30, 2022 employee timesheets for Aaron Dinderman and Trina Orr.

Klinger moved to approve July 03, 2022 through July 16, 2022 and July 17, 2022 through July 30, 2022 employee timesheets for Aaron Dinderman and Trina Orr; Wenzel seconded the motion. There being no further discussion – Voting aye: All. Motion passed.

REPORTS

STEPHENSON COUNTY BOARD REPORT (Garrett Miller)

Nothing to report.

FREEPORT CITY COUNCIL REPORT (Lorraina Lopez)

Nothing to report.

STEPHENSON COUNTY FARM BUREAU REPORT (Debbie Steinbach)

  • Reached a total of 139 students through Agriculture in the Classroom presentations.
  • Dairy, Gardening, and Pollinator activities held at Freeport, Pearl City, and Lena libraries.
  • 65 students attended Lena Dairy Day.

SWCD RESOURCE CONSERVATIONIST REPORT (Aaron Dinderman)

  • Well Water training and IDOA Regional Employee training.
  • 13 HEL FSA Compliance Reviews.
  • Completed CPO, Conservation Plan, CRP SU56 Contracts, and CRP SU57 Contracts.

NRCS – EQIP REPORT (Abby Mielke)

  • 9 active EQIP Contracts.

NRCS – CSP (Abby Mielke)

  • 1 new CSP application.

NRCS – Compliance Reviews (Abby Mielke)

  • Compliance Reviews are complete.

NRCS – SOIL CONSERVATION TECHNICIAN REPORT (Luke Tweeten)

  • Conducted Grassed Waterway Design training, attended Agroforestry training and FSA CRP meeting.
  • Streambank Stabilization Survey at Nygren Wetland Preserve.
  • Installed Telematics devices on NRCS’s vehicles.

NRCS – SOIL CONSERVATIONIST REPORT (Hannah McWhirter)

  • Filed HEL WL Determinations.
  • Completed CPO Modifications.
  • Updated IL CRAC Compliance Review instructions.

PHEASANTS FOREVER & QUAIL FOREVER UPDATE REPORT (Jared Trickey)

  • Sponsored Prescribed Fire Workshop on August 13, 2022.

Review, discuss, and possible action of Stephenson County Farm Bureau Report, SWCD Resource Conservationist Report, NRCS-CRP/Conservation Plan/CPO’s Report, NRCS-Contribution Agreement Report, and NRCS-EQIP/CSP Update Reports as e-mailed in the Board of Directors packet on July 15, 2022.

Klinger moved to approve the reports as e-mailed in the Board of Directors packet on July 15, 2022 Schlachter seconded the motion. There being no further discussion – Voting aye: All. Motion passed.

PFC FUNDING PROJECTS: Review, discuss, and possible action to approve FY2022 Cost-Share projects (CPP). (Aaron Dinderman)

Wenzel moved to approve FY2021 PFC Cost-Share Project below Klinger seconded the motion. There being no further discussion – Voting aye: All. Motion passed.

  • Walter Dietrich – Well Decommissioning (351) $235.56

CONSERVATION PLAN APPROVALS: Review, discuss, and possible action to approve Conservation Plans. (Aaron Dinderman)

None to approve. No motion.

SCHOLARSHIP: (Trina Orr)

Review, discuss, and possible action of scholarship approval.

Schlachter moved to approve Stephenson County Soil & Water Conservation District 2022 Scholarship in the amount of $500.00 to Caden Kuberski Hutchison seconded the motion. There being no further discussion – Voting aye: All. Motion passed.

EXECUTIVE SESSION (Jim Hutchison)

Stephenson County Soil & Water Conservation District Chairperson Jim Hutchison called the Executive Session to order at 9:20 a. m. Discussion on employee Trina Orr initial six-month performance review and compensation package. Executive Session ended 9:30 a. m. Return to current monthly Board Meeting. Motion made by Wenzel and seconded by Schlachter to increase Trina Orr’s hourly wage and offer a one-year contract based on initial hire date. Trina Orr accepted offer.

ADJOURNMENT – Having no other business, Chairperson Hutchison adjourned the meeting at 9:45 a. m., Klinger moved to adjourn the meeting. Schlachter seconded the motion.

Notes recorded by Trina Orr