Baraboo Range Commission Meeting Minutes


DATE: January 30, 2008

PLACE:
Rm. 213
West Square Building
505 Broadway
Baraboo, WI

The Baraboo Range Commission met in a rescheduled regular session, January 30, 2008 at the Sauk County West Square Building in Baraboo, Wisconsin.

Members present: Ashford, Beard, Kowalke, Persche, Steinhorst, Turnquist and Wenzel. Also present: Dave Tremble, Sauk County Planning and Zoning, and Audrey Parker.

Chairperson Ashford brought the meeting to order at 8:30 AM., and asked members to review the meeting agenda. Motion to adopt the agenda by Steinhorst, second by Wenzel.
Motion carried.

Ashford asked members to review the draft minutes from the December 12, 2007 Commission meeting. Motion to approve by Persche, second by Steinhorst.
Motion Carried.

Communications

None to report

Public Comment

Ms. Audrey Parker shared information related to the Wisconsin Open Meetings statutes and recent Supreme Court cases dealing with the conduct and notice of closed sessions.

Staff Report

Tremble reported that two conservation easements had recently been completed, for the Evert Family Trust property in the Town of Honey Creek, and for the Scott Weber and Martha Barrett property in the Town of Baraboo. He then briefed members on the status of completion of local comprehensive plans and the County Comprehensive plan, as well as the County Outdoor Recreation Plan. Tremble reminded members that the Smithsonian traveling exhibit "Between Fences" is scheduled to open at the Sauk Prairie River Arts Center in late February. Tours of the Badger Army Ammunition Plant will be conducted as part of the "Fences" program on three Saturdays in March. Finally, Tremble informed members of a possible May effort by AmeriCorps volunteers to remove invasive plants in the Baraboo Hills, and discussed the potential interest of conservation easement landowners in participating.

Unfinished Business

Tremble reported on the status of the proposal to relocate the existing building right on the Patricia Hackett property. He reported no changes, but mentioned that Mr. Jerome Thiessen had submitted a proposal to WisDOT to redesign the new bypass alignment to follow a different route which would substantially affect protected lands west of the existing right of way, and that WisDOT was currently reviewing the proposal.

New Business

Turnquist moved to convene a closed session, pursuant to s. 19.85 (1)(e): "Deliberating or negotiating the purchase of public properties, the investing of public funds, or conducting other specified public business, whenever competitive or bargaining reasons require a closed session." For the purpose of discussing negotiations with private landowners. Second by Beard.
Motion Carried unanimously.

The Commission convened in closed session.

Members present for the closed session: Ashford, Beard, Kowalke, Persche, Steinhorst, Turnquist and Wenzel.

Also present: Dave Tremble, Sauk County Planning and Zoning.

The Commission returned to open session immediately following the closed session.

Tremble read from draft Baraboo Range Commission resolutions recommending to the Sauk County Board of Supervisors the purchase of development rights for six properties in the Baraboo Range. Motion by Beard to approve the resolution for the Muriel Halweg property, second by Steinhorst.
Motion Carried.

Motion by Persche to approve the resolution for the Larry and Mary Halweg property, second by Steinhorst. Motion Carried. Motion by Beard to approve the resolution for the Louis and Lowell Goette property, second by Persche.
Motion Carried.

Motion by Beard to approve the resolution for the Michael and Gloria Leatherberry property, second by Persche.
Motion Carried.

Motion by Beard to approve the resolution for the Kevin Goette property, second by Ashford.
Motion Carried.

Motion by Turnquist to approve the resolution for the Ron and Sue Goette property, second by Beard.
Motion Carried.

Members discussed revisiting the project priority rankings at the next meeting.

The next subsequent meeting is tentatively scheduled for Wednesday February 27, 2008.

Motion to adjourn by Wenzel, second by Kowalke.
Motion Carried.

The meeting adjourned at 9:42 a.m.

Respectfully submitted: Dave Tremble Sauk County Dept. of Planning and Zoning