Badger Interim Oversight & Management Commission

DATE: October 1, 2009

The Badger Interim Oversight Management Commission (IOMC) convened at the Badger Army Ammunition Plant Bldg 207 for its regular meeting on Thursday, October 1, 2009.

Chairman Bill Wenzel called the meeting to order at 6:37 pm. Staff affirmed compliance with Open Meetings Laws.

Attendance:

Others present: Mark Steward, Sauk County Dept. of Planning and Zoning, Gail Lamberty, the Sauk Prairie Conservation Alliance, David Serafy-Cox, Terre Carlson, Noah Anderson and other members of the public.

Wenzel asked members to review the agenda. Motion by Grant to adopt the agenda as amended, seconded by Schmelzer.

No minutes from the previous meeting.

Public Comment:

Gail spoke about the railroad. She passed out an article from the Sauk Prairie Eagle. She thinks the Commission should discuss this article. Grant asked that this matter be on the next meeting agenda. Discuss the railroad and invite the railroad to attend. Robkin wants a cost-benefit analysis. Wenzel - ask the paper to take special interest in the matter and publicize it and invite the Villages to attend.

Grant - read an article about Camp LaJune Marine base in North Carolina about water contamination.

Commissioner Reports:

Craig Karr, DNR - willing to answer questions about report that was sent out. Army has come to landowners and asked for input on 3 issues: 1. Possibility of contractor coming in to harvest black top. Which roads to keep for future use? 2. Boundary fences may be saleable to sell for scrap. Do the future landowners want to keep the fences? 3. Reservoirs - Army may abandon the water sources. Do we want to drain them or keep the water there? Salamanders are located in this area and use the water. Does the Commission want to weigh in on these 3-points. Grant - grind and reuse asphalt. Grant - the Commission should support the landowners desire for fences. Robkin - keep the perimeter fence and hire a security company to monitor. Work is being done to study the salamanders. No work on an inventory of species inside the fence. Nobody is replicating the work done by the Nature Conservancy. Army would get the money from the sale of asphalt and fences. The reservoirs are 20 - 25 feet deep. Once drained they may crack and crumble, and the underground water will heave the concrete base of the reservoirs. The reservoirs are seen as a safety problem. Craig will continue the discussion with the Planning and Land Use Committee. Craig stated that about 1800 acres should be transferred to DNR. The documents were finalized before the end of the fiscal year. Now they are negotiating the final deed requirements. MSA will be contracted to handle the sewer rebuild. They inquired about volume. 15-inch and 8-inch pipe being installed to handle up to 5000 people per day.

Ho Chunk Nation - Want to make amendment to section 106 agreement with GSA, Army, State Historic Preservation Association, Sauk County and Badger History Group. Minor changes to propose various amendments: 1. change affective date of sewer project; 2. Include archaeological monitoring of the disturb burial site and not disturb others sites. Burial site - sk0311.

Town of Merrimac - Nothing to report. Time to report that the Town of Merrimac applied for the pump station within Badger. DNR got the pump station in exchange for the Town getting the Klingman property. Town has named a road Ruthy Badger Lane. The present Town Chair Steve Peetz and Administrator Tim McCumber will represent Town while Dick is in Arizona.

Town of Sumpter . Not in attendance.

Bluffview Sanitary District . Not in attendance.

Sauk County . Nothing pertinent to Badger going on at the County level. Dave Tremble no longer with the County and staff support will come from Steward and Templin. Need to repopulate the email list. Dick Grant not on list. To line - commission members, cc line - everyone else. Dick Grant asked about funding. Bill Wenzel talked to Congresswoman Baldwin about possible funding. May take a year and a half to possibly receive grants. Money is tight. What ideas do people have for staff support? Need money to meet the need of support person for BIOMC. Possible agenda item for next meeting. Metcalf - This topic should be put on Executive and Finance Committee agenda for discussion. Need to have a smooth operation through an organized structure with some type of administrator.

Discussion centered around the By-Laws and who is designated as a commissioner. Is there a revised version of the By-Laws? Alene will check into it.

Add agenda item for Liaisons.

Committee Reports:

E&F - No Report

Planning and Land Use : How to engage the members in land use discussions and decisions so that the Commission can weigh in on projects. Discussion on application and flowchart as developed by this Committee. The process is to determine if the project is consistent with the Reuse Plan. The intent is to not approve or disapprove of a planned project but to act as Stewards of the land and make sure that the project is consistent with the Reuse Plan. A recommendation will be made to the full BIOMC for their action. This Committee will not use the words "Approve" or "Disapprove". Possibly use the word "endorse". This is an opportunity for an exchange of information. Ho Chunk is worried about the legality of this document and if there is a conflict of laws with using this document in concert with the Nation's laws and the master plan. Will the County have a liaison that acts as a reporter and produce a newsletter utilizing this proposed land use form.

Education and Outreach : Nothing to report.

Ad Hoc Committees :

Cemetery Committee : In standby waiting for land transfer. This Committee is offering assistance to Town of Sumpter to act as liaison between Sumpter, landowners, Sauk County and historical societies.

Visitors Center Committee : How do people conceive a visitors center? Goc brought form to fill out for people to give input on visitors center. Will send out RFP for feasibility study to study the use of building 200 as a visitors center. Is it savable for reuse? There should be minutes from a meeting in 2007 that discussed in detail the possibility of a visitors center.

New Business:

#1 . Discussion and possible approval of the Concept Plan for Proposed Land Use Development at Badger.

Motion by Grant, second by Hammes to postpone this item and placed on next regularly scheduled meeting for further discussion. Carried.

#2 . Joan Kenney presentation on Sewer project.

Joe O'Bradovic sent email update today. GSA received go ahead to grant easement to DOT for rail easement. 9/30/09 1804-acres of land assigned to DNR. National Park Service will work with DNR to draft documents. Areas include: Parcel K, k1, k2, k3, L, M, M2, W, and River Pump.

Sewer Work - Joan presented on the new sewer system. Bid came in at $1.2 million to redo sewer system. Will this promote development? Potentially could promote development outside the fence. Will take 5 years to remove all the old piping. Should have all the buildings they intend to take down in the next 1.5 years.

#3. Consideration and discussion of action necessary by participants to get the MOU signed.

Should it be Intergovernmental Agreement and not the MOU? Is there a reason why we are still called the "Interim". Put this topic on next Executive and Finance Committee agenda. Has the MOU been signed? 3 reasons why HoChunk not signing MOU: Federal Agency sponsor and only one to make land use decisions. (BIA) If it comes to HoChunk in fee than it is HoChunk land, if it comes as trust then it is federal land. HoChunk cannot sign because they have no legal right to land because sponsored by federal agency. All land issues have to go before the Legislature. HoChunk will not sign until land is transferred and deed language is developed and deed is signed. HoChunk can sign good faith agreements, letters of intent, and other MOA's and MOU's. A good faith agreement is a possibility for the HoChunk to sign. The intent of GSA is to transfer the next land to the BIA/HoChunk. HoChunk will provide a summation of their reasons for not signing the documents. Drop the word "Interim". Alene will look up this language.

#4. Consideration and discussion of Sanitary Sewer issues .

Discussion on item held under item number 2.

#5. Consideration and discussion of DFRC facility.

Rick Walgenbach passed out a building progress report. $4 million in a fund for construction. Currently at 350 lactating cows. There is talk of a manure digester.

#6. TSPCA proposal for Doc Kindschi Prairie sign.

TSPCA is proposing the placement of a sign recognizing Doc Kindschi's designating the prairie with his name. Will submit a concept plan to the Planning and Land Use Committee. Locate at pull out along Hwy 12 replacing the Natural Beauty Council sign. PLU Committee already heard this proposal and is in support of it. Part of parcel W - DNR land. Commission in support of the sign.

#7 . Federal funding support for BIOMC

Wenzel covered this earlier. Propose to put this on the next Executive and Finance Committee. Need Coordinator and funding for educational programs, and DFRC support, support for master planning. Invite Sauk County to be at the meeting because of current vested interest.

#8. Future Meeting Schedule.

Next Meeting - Third Thursday of the Month - November 19 next meeting date.

Motion to adjourn by Grant, second by John Holst. Motion carried.

Future agenda items requests included: Adding public comment to the end of the agenda;

Add general comment period to the agenda for members at the table; Adding liaisons to the list of reports. No more acronyms.

Respectfully submitted by

Richard Grant

Secretary, Badger Interim Oversight Management Commission