Minutes of Regular Monthly Meeting
August 4, 2010
Chairman Ron Heikkinen called the meeting to order at 8:01 A.M.
Also Present: Pete Bartelt, Eric Holm and Linda Hertig, Price County Forestry and Parks Department, Kyle Schmidt, DNR and Kathy Reinhard, Tourism Department.
Public Comment and Correspondence – Forestry and Parks:
Included in the committee’s packet were the following:
Vouchers: Motion by Palecek/Janssen to approve Forestry and Parks Expenditure Vouchers 24-10 to 28-10 in the amount of $12,174.28; Payroll Vouchers 14-10 to 15-10 in the amount of $16,271.61 and Journal Entry 07-10 in the amount of $769.16. Total Vouchers: $29,215.05. Motion carried.
Project Forester Application Approval: Motion by Palecek/Walasek to approve application.
Georgetown ATV-1746: Pete updated the committee. We are still waiting for about $51,000.00, which is the balance due Price County on the grant. There is a hold up at the state level.
Park User Fees: Pete explained the revenue that would be generated by charging user fees of $5.00 per day per vehicle or $20.00 for a season pass to enter the parks.
Journal Entry: Pete explained that the budget amendment in the last month’s meeting is really a journal entry, not a budget amendment.
Solberg ATV Trail: Pete updated the committee on this project. We received a letter from the Army Corp. of Engineers stating they are satisfied about the fill that was removed. We are still waiting for DNR approval. The County was awarded a grant for this project. We will be putting the project out for bids to be opened at next month’s meeting.
2011 Budget—Forestry and Parks: Motion by Palecek/Walasek to approve and forward to Executive Finance. Motion carried.
Variable Acreage Resolution: Motion by Palecek/Walasek to approve and forward to full County Board. Motion carried.
Project Loan Resolution: Motion by Walasek/Palecek to approve and forward to full County Board. Motion carried.
Capital Improvement Fund—Big Falls Resolution: Motion by Palecek/Walasek to approve and forward to full County Board. Motion carried.
Surplus Revenue Resolution: Motion by Palecek/Janssen to approve and forward to full County Board. Motion carried. John Walasek opposed.
Administrator’s Report: Chairman Heikkinen accepted the Parks and Forestry June 28, 2010 Administrator’s Report.
Approve minutes of Tourism/Forestry and Parks meeting of July 7, 2010: Motion by Janssen/Palecek to approve the minutes as presented. Motion carried.
Next Meeting Date: Wednesday, September 1, 2010, at 8:00 A.M. in UW Extension Conference Rooms A & B, Normal Building, Phillips, WI.
Hertig turned over minute taking to Reinhard at 9:40 a.m.
Tourism Public Comments and Correspondence: Correspondence received from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation regarding rest area literature distribution was reviewed.
Tourism Vouchers: Motion made to approve vouchers in the amount of $1,146.25 (Janssen/Walasek). All ayes. Motion carried.
Monthly Tourism Budget Report: The monthly budget report was reviewed.
2011 Tourism Department Budget: A copy of the proposed 2011 budget was reviewed. Motion made to approve the proposed 2011 Tourism Department budget as presented and forward it to the Executive/Finance Committee (Janssen/Walasek). All ayes. Motion carried.
Tourism Directors Report: Chairman Heikkinen accepted the Tourism Director’s Report.
Adjourn: Motion made to adjourn at 10:35 A.M. (Janssen/Palecek). All ayes. Motion carried.
Administrator’s Report
July 27, 2010
Revenue and Expenditure Reports for July 2010 and Trial Balance Accounts will be brought to the meeting.
Petty cash fund balance as of July 27, 2010: $39.30
July stumpage being charged interest: $0.00
1. We had an error in the timber stumpage revenue figures, attached are the correct amounts. (see attachment)
2. Attached is the state forestry equipment for rent. (see attachment)
3. Alexander Fox has contact us about doing an Eagle Scout project at Smith Lake, he will be putting in horseshoe pits.
4. We had an outstanding week of camping at Solberg over the 4th. We are experiencing some problems with geese at Solberg; they are vacationing on the beach.
5. The Extension Office used our ATV and sprayer to do some invasive control in the Park Falls area.
6. I attended the Town of Catawba meeting and discussed our 4-10 hour work days. I also presented them with a proposal that they take over the Catawba Firelane; they stated they would consider it.
7. We had water over the Catawba Firelane in several places with one small culvert washed out. Our overflow on Hobbles Creek worked fine.
8. I attended the WCFA Legislative/Certification meeting in Tomahawk on July 14th; discussion took place about the Native Americans self-regulating their gathering rights on State Forest. This will become an issue for the County Forest program.
9. I discussed with the DA Mark Fuhr, his letter regarding the lack of time for his office to prosecute cases involving the Parks and Forests ordinance, note the $2,000 of addition money in our legal budget line item.
10. I continue preparing information for and attending Revenue and Finance Manager meetings.
11. The Geld-Wen crew was at Big Falls and Ray said they did a great job painting the restrooms.
12. Corey and Tom have been doing lots of pruning in Solberg, Timm’s Hill and Wisconsin Concrete Park.
13. We received and recorded the road easement from the Rafko/Timmer’s property off the end of Buck Run Road.
14. Eric, Corey and Tom cleaned up a couple of trees that came down in Solberg Park during one of the heavy rain events; the only damage was one broken board by the RV Dumping Sanitary Station.
15. The annual DNR/County Forest partnership meeting was held on July 22, we are definitely pleased with the assistance we receive from DNR Forestry staff, primarily Kyle Schmidt!
16. We are renting a Highway Department tractor and boom mower to do some roadside mowing on Cranberry Road.
AGENDA NOTES AND TOURISM DIRECTOR’S REPORT AUGUST 2010
Public Comments & Correspondence: A letter regarding from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WDT) regarding literature distribution at the WDT Rest Areas is enclosed for your review.
Monthly Financial Report: The report is enclosed for your review (buff paper).
2011 Tourism Budget: A copy of the proposed 2011 budget is enclosed for your review (gold paper).
Revenue Committee Information Request: Per Jean Gottwald: The revenue committee made a request of every department that charges discretionary fees. They want a list that would include each item broken down by:
Item
Fee
Annual Revenue
Fee w/10% increase
Reasonable fee increase
if 10% doesn’t work*
New Annual Revenue
Net Increase
*if a 10% increase gives you an amount that is not workable, please determine what would work. Example: If a charge for a report is $3.00 and a 10% increase would put it at $3.33, perhaps a reasonable increase would be to $3.50 or $4.00.
A copy of the information that I submitted is enclosed for your review (white paper).
International Trade Business and Economics Committee: The minutes from the June 11, 2010 meeting are enclosed for your review (yellow paper).
Official Price County Highway ATV Routes July 20, 2010: Enclosed is a copy of the revised route map. I have requested that the Price County ATV Association inform my office when these routes have been signed and are open for operation.
Natural Wonders of Wisconsin – Timms Hill: Meteorologist Matt Benz of Rhinelander TV-12 selected Timm’s Hill as one of the Natural Wonders of Wisconsin Wisconsin. The two minute feature story ran as an Environmental Extra on the evening and morning news during the week of July 12, 2010. The clip is on our website at
http://www.pricecountywi.net//attractions/historical-and-scenic-sites/timms-hill-county-park/.
Inquiry Packets Mailed/Calls Received/Website Access: Enclosed for your review are the statistics for packets mailed, calls received and website access (gray paper). These statistics assist us in planning and timing future marketing and advertising campaigns. The statistics show that there is an increase in inquiries and website research being done. This interest could be signaling a rebound in travel for the upcoming months.