May, 2022 Meeting Minutes

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STEPHENSON SOIL & WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT BOARD

MEETING MINUTES

MAY 18, 2022

CALL TO ORDER: Stephenson Soil & Water Conservation District Chairperson Jim Hutchison called the meeting to order at 8:02 a. m. on Wednesday, May 18, 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 Abby Mielke (Soil Conservationist); City of Freeport employee Wayne Duckman (Community & Economic Development Director).

Not in attendance: Mark Binger

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Review, discuss, and possible action of the minutes from the April 20, 2022, Stephenson Soil & Water Conservation District Board of Directors meeting.

Schlachter moved to approve the minutes from the March 16, 2022, Stephenson Soil & Water Conservation District Board of Directors meeting, Wenzel 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 April 2022.

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

REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF EMPLOYEE TIMESHEETS: Review, discuss, and possible action of Aaron Dinderman and Trina Orr employee timesheets for Pay Periods 8 and 9.

Klinger moved to approve Aaron Dinderman and Trina Orr employee timesheets for Pay Periods 8 and 9; Hutchison 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 (Wayne Duckman)

  • Modern Plating is requesting a rezoning for 7 acres with future plans of building solar panels.
  • FEMA & IEMA grants for Pre-Disaster Mitigation in flood areas cover 111 east side Freeport demolitions.

SWCD RESOURCE CONSERVATIONIST REPORT (Aaron Dinderman)

  • Tree Sale Recap
    • 122 Customers
    • 10,732 Trees Sold
    • $22,720.50 Income
    • $15,017.14 Expenses
  • Fish Sale Recap
    • 34 Customers
    • 4,179 Fish Sold
    • 318 pounds of Fathead Minnows Sold
    • $9,825.23 Income
    • $7,944.15 Expenses

NRCS – EQIP REPORT (Abby Mielke)

  • EQIP is at a 24% acceptance rate for this year.

NRCS – CSP (Abby Mielke)

  • CSP is at a 23% acceptance rate for this year.

NRCS – CRP (Abby Mielke)

  • CP23s and CP23As, wetland restorations, are ineligible to reenroll due to lack of hydric soils.

NRCS – Compliance Reviews (Abby Mielke)

  • Abby, Luke, Hannah, and Aaron have each been assigned 7 reviews to complete.

PHEASANTS FOREVER & QUAIL FOREVER UPDATE REPORT (Jared Trickey)

Nothing to report.

Review, discuss, and possible action of Stephenson County Board Report, NRC-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 May 16, 2022.

Klinger moved to approve the reports as e-mailed in the Board of Directors packet on May 16, 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 FY2021 Cost-Share projects (CPP). (Aaron Dinderman)

Klinger moved to approve FY2021 PFC Cost-Share Projects as follows:

  • Stephen Klever – Well Decommissioning (351) Hand Dug $55.35/ft Drilled $6.04/ft
  • Ralph Campbell – Conservation Cover (Pollinator) Monarch Species Mix (327) Scenario #22 $891.56/ac Scenario #55 $215.62/ac
  • Fork Creek LLC – Cover Crops (340) Basic $70.14/ac Winter Kill Species $46.54/ac
  • Mark Toepfer – Conservation Cover (Pollinator) Monarch Species Mix (327) Scenario #22 $891.56/ac Scenario #55 $215.62/ac
  • James Bechtold – No-till/Strip-till (329) $40.00/ac
  • Casey Colling – No-till/Strip-till (329) $40.00/ac
  • Gary Lolling General Trust – No-till/Strip-till (329) $40.00/ac
  • David Cox – No-till/Strip-till (329) $40.00/ac
  • Kory Gerbick – Well Decommissioning (351) Hand Dug $55.35/ft Drilled $6.04/ft
  • Dennis Thorn – Conservation Cover (Pollinator) Monarch Species Mix (327) Scenario #22 $891.56/ac Scenario #55 $215.62/ac
  • Scott Johnson – No-till/Strip-till (329) $40.00/ac
  • Kentland LLC – No-till/Strip-till (329) $40.00/ac
  • Brian Wenzel – No-till/Strip-till (329) $40.00/ac
  • Seth Wenzel – No-till/Strip-till (329) $40.00/ac
  • Bob Reeter – Filter Strip Native Species Warm Season Grasses (393) $250.64/ac Introduced Species Cool Season Grasses $184.02/ac

Conservation Plan Approvals: Review, discuss, and possible action to approve Conservation Plans. (Aaron Dinderman)

None to approve. No motion.

EXECUTIVE SESSION – No Executive Session needed.

ADJOURNMENT – Having no other business, Chairperson Hutchison adjourned the meeting at 9:14 a. m., Klinger moved to adjourn the meeting. Schlachter seconded the motion.

Notes recorded by Trina Orr