[00:00:59]
YEAH, YOU NEED EXTRA SLEEP ABOUT THE TIME.
YOU NEED TWO PAIR OF GLASSES,
MR. CRIBS WILL DISCOVER THAT TOO WHEN HE GETS ON.
I DON'T NEED ANY GLASSES YET, YET HE, HE ADDED THE CAVEAT UNDER THE END.
I'LL CALL THIS MEETING OF LAND USE AND PLANNING COMMITTEE TO ORDER.
UH, PLEASE RISE WITH ME FOR A MOMENT OF SILENT PRAYER AND THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
WE WILL START WITH THE MINUTES OF NOVEMBER 20TH.
ARE THERE ANY REVISIONS REQUESTED OR REQUIRED IN THE MINUTES OF LAST, UH, LAND USE AND PLANNING COMMITTEE? SEEING NONE, I WILL CONSIDER THEM AS BEING PASSED.
UH, MOVING ON TO THE CONSENT AGENDA.
WE HAVE A COUPLE OF PASS THROUGH ITEMS. UM, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS ON THESE ITEMS? UM, HEARING NONE, I WILL CONSIDER THEM.
OR DO WE HAVE TO TAKE A MOTION ON THESE, JAMIE? I DIDN'T THINK SO.
MOVING ON TO ITEM NUMBER FOUR.
I DON'T HAVE THE PUBLIC HEARING NOTIFICATION.
DO YOU HAVE THAT? I HAVE THE NOTICE HERE AND I CAN READ THAT IF YOU'D LIKE.
THEN WE WILL OPEN THE, UH, PUBLIC HEARING, UH, AFTER THE READING FROM THE CLERK'S OFFICE.
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT AT A PUBLIC HEARING TO BE HELD AT A MEETING OF THE WASHINGTON COUNTY LAND USE AND PLANNING COMMITTEE IN ROOM 10 19 OF THE WASHINGTON COUNTY GOVERNMENT CENTER.
4 3 2 EAST WASHINGTON STREET, WEST BEND, WISCONSIN.
ON THURSDAY, DECEMBER 18TH, 2025 AT 4:30 PM THERE WILL BE HEARD AND CONSIDERED AN AMENDMENT TO THE SHORELAND WETLANDS, FLOODPLAIN ZONING CHAPTER 2 75.
ORDINANCE IS PROPO PROPOSED TO COMPLY WITH STATE STATUTE CHANGES REGARDING TO WISCONSIN ADMINISTRATIVE CODE AND OUR ONE 15.
THE ORDINANCE AMENDMENT INCLUDES UPDATED WETLAND INSURANCE RATE MAPS, FIRM.
UH, THESE PROPOSED REGULATIONS ARE INTENDED TO PROTECT LIFE, HEALTH AND PROPERTY AND FLOODPLAIN AREAS AND WILL GOVERN, USES PERMITTED IN MAPPED FLOODPLAINS.
THIS WAS PUBLISHED AS A LEGAL NOTICE IN THE WEST BEND NEWS ON THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4TH, 2025 AND THURSDAY, DECEMBER 11TH, 2025.
WE WILL NOW, UH, CONSIDER THIS PUBLIC HEARING AS OPEN.
IF THERE ARE ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO WOULD WISH TO SPEAK ON THIS MATTER, PLEASE LET 'EM COME FORWARD.
THERE ARE ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO WISH TO SPEAK ON THIS
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OPEN, UH, THIS PUBLIC HEARING.PLEASE LET 'EM COME FORWARD AT THIS TIME.
AND ONE LAST CALL FOR PUBLIC HEARING ORDINANCE AMENDMENT, SHORELAND WETLAND AND FLOODPLAINS ZONING ORDINANCE CHAPTER 2 75.
PLEASE COME FORWARD AND BE RECOGNIZED AT THIS TIME.
I WILL CONSIDER THEN THIS PUBLIC HEARING TO BE CLOSED AND WE WILL MOVE ON.
SHORELAND WETLAND AND FLOODPLAIN ZONING.
NEED A MOTION ON THAT IN A SECOND.
MOTION BY CAROL MARY, SECONDED BY BRIAN KREBS.
AND, UH, WHO DO WE REPRESEN PRESENTING? ALL RIGHT, UH, HOPE YOU GUYS GOT TO LOOK THROUGH THAT TREE I GAVE YOU.
SO I JUST KIND OF WANT TO GO OVER, UH, WHAT THE PROCESS WAS, WHY WE'RE DOING THIS, UM, AND WHAT THE REQUIREMENTS ARE.
UM, SO AS YOU KNOW, WE DID OUR MAP CHANGES AND THIS DATE WAS GETTING PUSHED OUT FOR ALMOST A YEAR AND A HALF NOW.
UM, FEMA AND THE DNR FINALLY SAID, ALRIGHT, THE MAPS ARE OFFICIAL.
YOU GOT SIX MONTHS TO ADOPT THESE MAPS.
UM, SO THAT IS CURRENTLY WHERE WE'RE AT.
WE'RE ARE IN MONTH FOUR NOW OF IT.
UM, THE FIRST COUPLE MONTHS WE'RE PUTTING THIS ORDINANCE TOGETHER AND GOING BACK AND FORTH WITH THE DNR ON WHAT CHANGES ARE LEGALLY REQUIRED, WHAT'S PROCEDURAL AND, UM, WHAT'S NOT NEEDED.
SO THE FIRST STEPS OF THIS, THE DNR ESSENTIALLY, UM, WANTS YOU TO ADOPT THE MODEL ORDINANCE.
AND SINCE WE DO NOT ADOPT, WE DON'T HAVE THE MODEL ORDINANCE.
UM, THERE WAS A LOT OF BACK AND FORTH ON THIS.
UM, DNR ALSO REQUESTS TO SPLIT THE ORDINANCE.
SO RIGHT NOW WE HAVE A MIX SHORELAND WETLAND, UM, AND FLOODPLAIN CODE.
UM, DNR ALWAYS SUGGESTS TO SPLIT IT.
AND WE KEPT OUR ORDINANCE TOGETHER.
SO IN ESSENCE, WHERE THIS PROCESS STARTS IS WE FILL OUT A CHECKLIST, WHICH IS IN YOUR PACKET.
UM, IT MIGHT BE FAIRLY SMALL IN THERE.
UM, BUT ALL THOSE ARE NOTES GOING BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN MY DEPARTMENT, UM, THE COUNTY'S ATTORNEY'S OFFICE AND THE DNR, UM, ABOUT
THE FIRST STEPS WERE ABOUT 80% WERE REQUESTED CHANGES THAT THEY WANTED WITH OUR MODEL ORDINANCE.
UM, SO THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT GOING BACK AND FORTH ON THIS ISSUE.
UM, SO WHAT KIND OF OPTIONS DO YOU HAVE? UM, MY GOAL WAS TO KEEP ANY DNR PROCEDURES OUT OF THERE AND STICK TO WHAT WAS REQUIRED BY NR ONE 15 AND THE FEMA REGULATIONS.
UM, AND THAT WAS MY OVERALL GOAL OF THIS.
UM, SO THE OPTIONS OF THIS, EXCUSE ME ONE MOMENT.
COULD YOU GIVE US SOME BACKGROUND, UH, TO THE CIVILIAN, UH, YOUR, YOUR, THE LANGUAGE ON THIS IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT.
WHAT IS THE BASIS OF THE DISCUSSION AND WHAT'S THE DNR WANT US TO DO? BUT PUT IT IN LAY TERMS, PLEASE.
UH, AS OF NOW, THE ORDINANCE IS SET UP WITH THE DNR APPROVAL CURRENTLY.
SO IF YOU PUSH THIS FORWARD, THE DNR WOULD ACCEPT WHAT WE HAVE CURRENTLY.
NOW WITH THAT BEING SAID, A LOT OF IT WAS LANGUAGE CLARIFICATION, SOME LANGUAGE CHANGE.
UM, OUR LAST UPDATE WAS IN THE END OF 2022, A MONTH LATER, THE DNR HAD A NEW MODEL ORDINANCE THAT CAME OUT.
SO WE DID NOT HAVE TO USE THAT LANGUAGE OR ADOPT THAT MODEL ORDINANCE DUE TO THE MAP CHANGES.
IT IS A FORCED CHANGE THAT WE HAVE TO ADOPT THE LATEST MODEL ORDINANCE OR THE LANGUAGE IN IT, OR SIMILAR LANGUAGE.
AND THAT'S CURRENTLY WHERE WE'RE AT NOW.
UH, WE DID NOT ADOPT THE MODEL ORDINANCE.
UM, WE PUT IN THE NEW FIRM MAPS, SO IT HAS THE UPDATED MAPS, BUT THE LANGUAGE HAS TO BE VERY SIMILAR TO THE MODEL ORDINANCE IF WE DON'T ADOPT IT.
SO A COUNTY HAS THE OPTION TO ADOPT THE MODEL ORDINANCE.
THERE'S SEVERAL MODEL ORDINANCES OUT THERE.
THERE'S A SHORELAND AND WETLAND MODEL ORDINANCE.
THERE'S A FLOOD PLAIN MODEL ORDINANCE, WHICH WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TODAY.
AND THOSE ARE THE BARE MINIMUMS THAT THAT STATE REQUIRES US TO ADOPT.
UM, AND THAT'S, IT'S EASIER IF YOU JUST ADOPT IT.
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UM, AND THAT'S WHAT THEY USUALLY TRY TO PUSH.BUT IN THIS CASE, SINCE WE DIDN'T ADOPT THEIR MODEL ORDINANCE WORD FOR WORD, THAT'S WHERE THERE'S A LOT OF BACK AND FORTH.
AND IN YOUR CHECKLIST, IT HAS ALL THE COMMENTS THAT WE WENT BACK AND FORTH.
I BELIEVE IT WAS ABOUT FIVE OR SIX DIFFERENT TIMES ON SOME OF THESE, UH, TOPICS.
SO THE CHECKLIST ITSELF, THAT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE THOSE ARE THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS THAT THE DNR RATERS LOOK FOR, THAT YOU HAVE TO HAVE IN YOUR ORDINANCE.
NOW, SOME OF 'EM, THEY SAID WE DIDN'T HAVE, SO WE'D HAVE TO POINT IT OUT THAT IT WAS LOCATED IN A DIFFERENT SECTION.
SOME REQUIREMENTS WE HAD TO CHANGE 'CAUSE IT WAS DUE TO STATE STATUTE.
UM, AND SOME OF THE LANGUAGE HAD TO BE UPDATED.
UM, IN THE OVERALL UPDATES, I DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING THAT WORRIED ME ON HOW THIS ORDINANCE WAS INTERPRETED OR ENFORCED TO ME, IT STILL STAYS STATUS QUO.
THERE'S A LITTLE BIT MORE DESCRIPTION, SOME SECTIONS AND SOME SECTIONS ACTUALLY MAKE IT A LITTLE BIT MORE LENIENT FOR LANDOWNERS.
BUT I DID NOT SEE ANY SIGNIFICANT CHANGES OTHER THAN THE CAMPGROUNDS.
WE'VE GOT THREE FLOODPLAIN CAMPGROUNDS OR THAT HAVE SOME FLOODPLAIN LOCATED IN 'EM, BUT NONE OF THE CAMPSITES ARE AFFECTED.
SO WE DID OUR BACKGROUND SEARCH ON THAT.
UM, THE OTHER BIG CHANGE WAS ACT 1 75, WHICH THAT DEALS WITH OUR DOINGS WITH DRUID LAKE, AND THAT MAKES IT MORE LENIENT FOR PEOPLE TO BUILD IN THE FLOODPLAIN.
SO, UM, THROUGH THIS PROCESS, LIKE I SAID, IT WAS A LOT OF BACK AND FORTH AND WE CAN STILL BRING CHANGES IF YOU WERE TO PASS THIS FORWARD.
UM, WE CAN STILL BRING CHANGES TO THE COUNTY BOARD OR LOOK INTO SPECIFIC SECTIONS OF THIS TO RUN BACK WITH THE DNR, THE COUNTY'S ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, MY DEPARTMENT.
IF THERE ARE SECTIONS OR WORDAGE IN HERE THAT HAD CONCERNS, UM, I'LL GO THROUGH EVERYONE THAT YOU GUYS WOULD LIKE TO DO.
UM, IS THERE ANY, UH, SPECIFIC QUESTIONS? OTHERWISE I'LL GO QUICKLY OVER THE PROCEDURE OF KIND OF HOW WE DID THIS.
YOU MENTIONED THE DRUITT LAKE SITUATION.
YOU ALSO MENTIONED SOMETIMES IT'S JUST EASIER TO ADOPT THINGS, BUT HOW DO WE KNOW IT'S NOT EASIER JUST TO ADOPT THINGS THAT PUT US RIGHT BACK INTO A DRUID LAKE SITUATION? THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT, WE'RE NOT REPLICATING THAT MISTAKE, ARE WE? NO, I DON'T BELIEVE SO.
UM, THIS WAS RUN THROUGH THE COUNTY'S ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, AND I KNEW THE GOALS OF THIS COMMITTEE.
SO I USED THOSE GOALS AND, UM, VALUES TO FORM THIS ORDINANCE.
AND FROM THE PAST HISTORY, I FEEL VERY CONFIDENT THAT THERE WON'T BE ANY INCREASED REGULATIONS OR CHANGES OF HOW, UM, I WANNA SAY IN A NEGATIVE LIGHT HOW THE ORDINANCE IS INTERPRETED.
UM, I DID TWO WORK WITH THE COUNTY'S ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
THERE WAS A DOUBLE LISTED CHECKLIST IN THERE, OR TWO COLUMNS.
I JUST WANTED TO EXPLAIN THAT BRIEFLY.
ONE WAS OUR 2 75 ORDINANCE, HOW IT STANDS TODAY WITHOUT ANY APPROVALS.
THE SECOND ONE WAS THE CHANGES THAT WERE MADE.
AND WE DID A COMPARISON ON POLICIES, IF WE MET THE STATE REQUIREMENTS, UM, IF THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT CHANGES.
SO EVERY SINGLE FLOODPLAIN RELATED NOTE THAT WE SCANNED IS IN THERE.
UM, SO OUR GOAL, IF THE BIG PART OF IT WOULD BE THAT CONCLUSION, AND OUR GOAL WAS NOT TO HAVE ANY PROCEDURE CHANGES AND TO ADOPT THE BARE MINIMUM REQUIRED BY FEMA AND THE STATE.
UM, THIS AND THIS ORDINANCE DUE, DUE TO THE MAPS.
THE SHORELAND ORDINANCE, WHEN YOU ADOPTED IT, YOU COULD GO BACK AND FORTH FOR A LITTLE BIT WITH FEMA INVOLVED.
IT PUTS THAT SIX MONTH TIME CRUNCH VERY SERIOUS.
IT INVOLVES FLOODPLAIN INSURANCE FOR RESIDENTS.
UM, BUT IF THERE IS SIGNIFICANT ISSUES, WE CAN ALWAYS GO BACK AND AMEND THIS ORDINANCE IF NECESSARY WITHOUT THAT DEADLINE OR TIME CRUNCH BY THE FEDS OR, UM, THE WISCONSIN STATE GOVERNMENT.
UM, IS THERE ANY QUESTIONS ON SPECIFICS ON ANY PORTIONS AT ALL? IT'S ALL A GOOD TIME.
UM, COULD YOU FIRST START BY EXPLAINING THE TIME CRUNCHES WITH FEMA? CORRECT.
BUT ALL THESE NOTES ARE TALKING ABOUT DNR REQUESTS, RIGHT? WHAT, WHAT DOES THE DNR REQUEST HAVE TO DO WITH FEMA? HOW DOES, WHERE, WHERE IS THE CONNECTION THERE ACTUALLY? YEAH.
THE DNR, UM, ULTIMATELY ENFORCES THEIR SIDE FOR FEMA.
SIMILAR HOW WE ENFORCE THE STATE'S REGULATIONS.
SO IF YOU KIND OF TAKE A STEP BACK, WE ENFORCE FOR THE
[00:15:01]
DNR ESSENTIALLY AND THE DNR ENFORCES FOR FEMA IN THE BIG PORTION OF THIS.UM, SO IN THE NOTES TOO, THERE ARE THREE OR FOUR SECTIONS, WHICH THIS HAS TO STILL GO TO FEMA IF IT PUSHES THROUGH OR IT GOES THROUGH.
SO WE STILL HAVE
IS THAT RIGHT OR WRONG? I, I DON'T KNOW.
BUT UM, SO WOULD IT BE FAIR TO SAY PART OF FEMA'S CHECKLIST IS, IS THAT THE STATE IS HAPPY WITH OURS? CORRECT.
THAT WE ARE MEETING THE STATE REQUIREMENTS, UM, OR MEETING THE LATEST MODEL ORDINANCE LANGUAGE.
UM, IF THE STATE IS HAPPY, THEY WILL THEN PUSH THE ORDINANCE TO FEMA FOR THEIR APPROVALS AT THE END OF THIS PROCESS.
UM, BUT THE STATE WILL NOT PUSH IT FORWARD TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IF THEY BELIEVE WE'RE NOT MEETING THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE STATE.
SO ULTIMATELY, WE EITHER CONFORM WITH THE STATE OR WE FALL OUT OF THE GRACE OF FEMA.
SO WE GOT A GREAT CHOICE HERE.
UM, THAT WAS MY, ONE OF THE QUESTIONS I HAD WRITTEN DOWN IS WHAT HAPPENS IF WE JUST DON'T PASS IT? SURE.
BECAUSE READING THROUGH THIS, SO IT'S ALL DNR REQUIRES DNR REQUESTS AND RIGHT.
AND IT SCARES ME THAT THAT'S, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION THERE TOO.
SO SAY THE COMMITTEE DOES NOT APPROVE THE ORDINANCE AND SAY WASHINGTON COUNTY SAYS THEY WILL NOT ADOPT OR MAKE THESE CHANGES THAT IS REQUESTED ULTIMATELY IN STATE STATUTE, THEY CAN FORCE YOU TO MAKE THE CHANGES OVER A YEAR, YEAR AND A HALF, UH, THROUGH LEGAL TERMS. UM, AND I CONFIRMED THAT WITH THE COUNTY'S ATTORNEY'S OFFICE TOO, TO SAY IF WE DON'T DO ANYTHING, AND THAT'S THE ULTIMATE RAMIFICATIONS.
SO IF FEMA WOULD PULL THEIR FLOOD INSURANCE PROGRAM, THEY WOULD NOT FUND FOR FLOOD NATURAL DISASTERS OR OTHER NATURAL DISASTERS, BUT ALSO WITH REDUCED FLOOD RATES FOR RESIDENTS.
AND ALSO FEMA CAN THEN, YOU KNOW, SEND THEIR FINES TO US.
SO IF YOU WERE TO GAMBLE, MISS SUPERVISOR KREBS, I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO INSTEAD ADOPT SECTION 2 75, 14 C OFFICIAL FLOODPLAIN MAPS.
AND THEN WE WOULD, IN THEORY, THEY WOULD, FEMA MAY BE SATISFIED WITH THE UPDATED MAP PROVISIONS AND THAT COULD WORK.
WOULD, WOULD YOU AGREE WITH THAT? I, I DISAGREE WITH THAT.
UM, WE WOULD NOT GET THE, THE STATE APPROVAL, WHICH FEMA WOULD BE LOOKING FOR.
UM, THAT WOULD BE BETWEEN US AND THE STATE AND SEE HOW FAR IT PUSHES OUT.
UM, THE FEMA REP, OR I SHOULD SAY THE DNR REPRESENTATIVE FOR WISCONSIN IS DIRECTLY TIED WITH FEMA.
UM, SO WE WOULD HAVE TO GET THEIR APPROVAL TO ESSENTIALLY GET TO THE NEXT STEP WITH FEMA, UM, AND MEET THEIR LANGUAGE CHANGES.
ULTIMATELY, THEY SOMEWHAT REVIEW THE ORDINANCE FOR FEMA.
FEMA PUTS THE BLESSING ON IT IF THE DNR DECIDES IT MEETS THE REQUIREMENTS.
UM, I HAVE A VARIETY OF QUESTIONS.
MOST OF 'EM ARE PRETTY MINOR OR MORE JUST LOOKING FOR THE BACKGROUND OR SURE.
THERE ARE TWO OR THREE THINGS THAT I RAISE MY EYEBROW A LITTLE BIT MORE.
UM, ONE OF THEM WAS THE CAMPGROUND STRUCTURES, BUT AFTER I READ THROUGH IT, I HAD TO REMIND MYSELF, THIS IS STRICTLY FOR, UH, THE AREA, THE SECTION I WAS LOOKING AT.
AT LEAST IT WAS PERTAINING TO FLOOD PLAIN ZONING.
IT'S NOT GENERAL ZONING OF LIKE CAMPGROUNDS IN GENERAL.
COR A HUNDRED PERCENT CORRECT.
'CAUSE LIKE THERE'S A PART WHERE MAX IS OUT THE SIZE OF YOUR, UH, DECK AND IT HAS TO BE REMOVABLE AND PUTS ALL TYPE OF LANGUAGE IN THERE.
BUT THAT'S ONLY IN FLOOD PLANE ZONING AREAS, NOT GENERAL CAMPGROUND ZONING.
AND, UM, FROM OUR LOW ANALYSIS WE DID ON CAMPGROUNDS IN WASHINGTON COUNTY, THERE ARE NO SITES LOCATED IN THE CURRENT FLOODPLAIN MAPS.
UM, SO IF IT'S, IT'S IN OUR ORDINANCE, BUT IS IT REALLY APPLICABLE TO ANY, AND THAT, THAT WAS THE QUESTION IS, IS HOW MANY IS THIS ACTUALLY AFFECTING? OR IF THERE ARE EXISTING CAMPGROUNDS, HOW DO YOU ACTUALLY START TO ENFORCE THESE NEW REGULATIONS IF THEY'RE EXISTING? RIGHT.
BUT IF THERE AREN'T ANY, THEN IT'S A LITTLE BIT YEAH.
THREE, THREE CAMPGROUNDS HAVE SOME FLOOD PLAIN DESIGNATION ON 'EM, BUT NONE WERE IN THE CAMPSITES ITSELF.
WERE ON STRUCTURES, WHICH MEANS THAT THIS ORDINANCE IS, I DON'T WANNA SAY NULL AND VOID, BUT DOES IT HOLD UP TO ANYTHING? I, I DON'T BELIEVE SO.
UM, I GUESS ONE AREA, THE NEXT AREA THAT WAS A LITTLE BIT MORE CONCERNING WAS THE BOAT BOATHOUSE SECTION, WHICH IS ON PAGE IN THE
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FRONT AND THE PACKET ONE 12.UM, AND IT REMOVES YOU, I SHOULD JUST GO TO IT.
SO I DON'T EVEN TRY TO GO OFF OF MEMORY WHAT I WAS READING, BUT IT BASICALLY SAYS THAT YOU CAN'T MODIFY THEM TO BRING THEM INTO CONFORMANCE AND KEEP 'EM IN THE FLOODPLAIN, IF I REMEMBER READING IT RIGHT.
UM, THERE WAS A LOT OF BACK AND FORTH WITH THE DNR THAT, WITH THE DNR ON THAT.
SO OUR ORDINANCE BEING MIXED, THE SHORELINE STILL ALLOWS YOU TO BUILD BOAT HOUSES WITH THE SHORELINE SIDE OF THE ORDINANCE.
NOTHING CHANGES THERE WITH WHAT A BOATHOUSE IS, HOW TO USE IT.
THE SIZING THAT ALL STAYS A HUNDRED PERCENT THE SAME.
NOW, THE DNR DID NOT LIKE THE BOATHOUSE LANGUAGE IN OUR FLOODPLAIN BECAUSE IT STILL HAS TO COMPLY WITH BEING RAISED ABOVE THE FLOODPLAIN LEVELS.
AND IF YOU DO REPAIRS AND, OR I SHOULD SAY MAJOR IMPROVEMENTS, YOU HAVE A VALUE ON THAT THAT YOU HAVE TO FOLLOW.
LAKE ISSUES WHERE THEY WERE AFRAID WITH, THEY ASSESSED VALUE.
AND THAT'S HOW MUCH WORK YOU COULD PUT INTO IT.
NOW ALREADY IN THE LAST YEAR, WE'VE ISSUED TWO BOATHOUSES IN THE FLOODPLAIN.
UM, SO IT DOESN'T CHANGE FROM A STAFF LEVEL HOW THESE ARE APPROVED, BUT THE DNR HAD CONCERNS BECAUSE A BOATHOUSE STILL IS A STRUCTURE IN THE FLOODPLAIN AND STILL HAS TO BE AT THE FLOODPLAIN LEVEL OR ELEVATED ABOVE.
SO WE'RE CURRENTLY, WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO BUILD IN THE FLOODPLAIN BOAT HOUSES.
Y YOU CAN ONLY IF YOU RAISE, ONLY IF ONCE YOU HAVE TO COMPLY BY RAISING THEM UP AND OUT OF IT.
UM, SINCE IT'S AN ACCESSORY STRUCTURE, WOULD JUST HAVE TO BE AT THE FLOODPLAIN LEVEL, THE BASE FLOOR, UM, WHICH WE CURRENTLY ISSUE A COUPLE PERMITS A YEAR IN FLOODPLAIN BOAT HOUSES.
'CAUSE THE STRIKEOUT SAYS BOAT HOUSES MAY NOT BE RECONSTRUCTED, NOR IF THE FOOTPRINT IS NOT INCREASED, THE BOATHOUSE SHALL BE LOCATED TO THE OUTER BOUNDARY OF THE FLOODPLAIN.
OR AS FAR AS POSSIBLE, LIKE, I'M, I'M CONFUSED THEN BY STRIKING THAT OUT, WILL WE BE ABLE TO BUILD BOAT HOUSES AND FLOODPLAINS OR NOT? YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY WITH RIGHT.
THE UNDERSTANDING OF CONFORMING OF THE RAISING OF THEM, WE, I I LOOKED AT IT LIKE THEY WERE TRYING TO NOT ALLOW BUILDING OR IN THIS CASE, RECONSTRUCTION OF THEM AT ALL.
NO, AND THAT'S A HUNDRED PERCENT VALID QUESTION THAT THAT IS A CONVERSATION.
AND PART OF THIS IS, THIS DOESN'T HAVE TO BE APPROVED AS IS EITHER.
WE DO HAVE SOME TIME TO MAKE AMENDMENTS TO THIS AS SUGGESTIONS FOR COUNTY BOARD.
UM, THAT COULD BE KEEPING THAT LANGUAGE IN THERE.
I COULD PUT, TRY TO PUSH IT THROUGH THE DNR AND SEE THE LEGAL RAMIFICATIONS OF THIS AND CHECK WITH THE COUNTY ATTORNEY AND WE COULD TRY TO LEAVE THAT IN THERE IF POSSIBLE.
I GUESS HOW MORE THAN WILLING TO DO THAT.
HOW, HOW DO YOU INTERPRET IT AS PRESENTED WITH ALL THAT LANGUAGE BEING STRUCK OUT? BECAUSE IT SAYS BOATHOUSE, BOATHOUSES MAY BE RECONSTRUCTED, BUT IT'S STRUCK OUT.
SO WHAT HAPPENS IF, IF PASSED AS STRUCK OUT LIKE THAT? ARE WE NOT ALLOWED TO BUILD THEM EVEN IF WE WOULD BE PROPOSING ON RAISING THEM? THEY SH YEAH, NO, I SEE WHAT YOU MEAN.
IT'S STILL AN ACCESSORY STRUCTURE BECAUSE THIS IS A MINI DREW LAKE ISSUE, OTHERWISE, WHERE PEOPLE ARE SAYING THAT THEY'RE GONNA EVENTUALLY LOSE THEIR HOUSES BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T MAINTAIN 'EM OR REPLACE 'EM.
PEOPLE ARE GONNA LOSE THEIR BOAT HOUSES LONG TERM.
OR THE ABILITY TO, POSSIBLY TO HOW YOU INTERPRET THIS TEAM AND TO BUILD THEM TO START WITH.
I THINK MAYBE WE SHOULD CHANGE THE LANGUAGE OF THAT SECTION.
AND, AND I DON'T KNOW IF SINCE IT'S, AND JUST A GENERAL NOTE IN GENERAL YEP.
WHAT MOTION, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S WORTH MAKING A MOTION TO MODIFY THIS DOCUMENT HERE MORE JUST YOU GUYS HEAR OUR FEEDBACK, RIGHT.
BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY YOU HAVE TO GO BACK AND HAVE A OTHER CONVERSATIONS MM-HMM
AND JUST TO SEE IF WE CAN FIND SOME COMMON GROUND WHERE THE, IF BY ALTERING THAT TO HOPEFULLY BRING CLARITY TO IT, UH, WOULD, DO YOU BELIEVE THAT WOULD PRESENT A PROBLEM PASSING IT WITH DNR IF WE AMENDED IT LATER? COULD WE DO THAT? IF, IF YOU GO BACK AND WANT TO AMEND JUST THE FLOOD PLAINS ORDINANCE IN THE FUTURE, THEN YOU COULD HAVE A DEEPER LEGAL LOOK INTO THIS AND YEAH.
IT'S, THE HARD PART IS IT'S GONNA BE HOW THE INTERPRETATION IS WITH THE DNR IN WASHINGTON COUNTY.
UM, AND WHAT I'M THINKING WE COULD DO FOR THE FLOODPLAIN SECTION IS KEEP BOAT HOUSES IN THERE AND LEAVE IT AS SIMPLE AS A
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BOATHOUSE MUST COMPLY WITH THE FLOODPLAIN REGULATIONS AS WELL AS THE SHORELINE REGULATIONS.UM, MAYBE MAKING IT SOMETIMES CLEAR OR CLARIFICATION CAN BE BAD.
MAYBE MAKING IT MORE GENERAL WOULD BE THE WAY TO GO ON THIS TO HAVE IT CLEARLY IN OUR ORDINANCE STATING SOMETHING ALONG THE LINES AS BOATHOUSE IS LOCATING THE FLOODPLAIN CAN BE CONSTRUCTED AND THEN HAVE THE REQUIREMENTS OF, WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE FLOOR MUST BE AT THE FLOODPLAIN LEVEL.
UM, YOU CAN'T STORE HAZARDOUS MATERIALS IN THERE, THE NORMAL ACCESSORY STRUCTURE, FLOOD PLAIN LANGUAGE MM-HMM
WOULD, DO YOU THINK THAT WOULD SUFFICE OR YEAH.
I'M JUST NOT LOOKING FOR ALL RIGHT.
HOW IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S A BAN ON 'EM.
YOU KNOW, AND I THINK I, I NEVER KNOW WHAT THE DNR OF WHAT THEIR, UH, THEIR MOTIVES ARE WITH SOME OF THIS STUFF.
DEPENDING ON THE ADMINISTRATION AT THE TIME.
SO IT'S JUST THAT ONE WAS A RED FLAG.
UM, OTHER THAN THAT, I GUESS I CAN RULE JUST, JUST POINT OF CLARIFICATION.
SO IS THERE CONSENSUS FROM THE COUNTY BOARD COMMITTEE THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT CHANGED, THAT GIVES STAFF DIRECTION AND A CONSENSUS FROM ITS ELECTED BODY TO WORK ON THAT BASICALLY A HEAD NOD BETWEEN FOR WHAT WOULD THEN GO, COME BACK AS A REVISED DOCUMENT FOR THE FULL COUNTY BOARD? IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR? YES.
THAT, AND WE WILL BE ABLE TO SAY TO THE DNR THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT THIS SECTION BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE SUPPORT FOR THIS ORDINANCE AS WRITTEN.
UM, AND LET ME GET THIS, THAT I'M UNDERSTANDING IT IS IF SOMETHING HAS TO BE REBUILT, IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? LIKE, SO THE BOATHOUSE IS NON-CONFORMING AND YOU'RE SAYING THAT THEN IT WOULD END UP, WELL, THIS PARTICULAR SECTION HERE, AND I SHOULD GO BACK AT THE PREVIOUS PAGE.
WHAT PAGE ARE YOU ON? I, THE STRIKE RED STRIKEOUT IS ON THE PDF PAGE ONE 12.
IT'S SECTION, IT'S THE LAST PARAGRAPH OF CHAPTER 16.
AND I APOLOGIZE, IT TAKES SO LONG TO SCROLL BACKWARDS.
YEAH, I SEE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
SO THE SECTION STARTS BY SAYING ANY EXISTING STRUCTURE IN THE FLOOD FRINGE MUST MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF 2 17 19 2 75 19.
AND THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE SUGGESTING IS JUST THE PUNCHLINE.
WHY ARE WE TALKING ABOUT BOAT HOUSES IS THE QUESTION, RIGHT? UM, YEAH, KNOW ESSENTIALLY HOW IT'S INTERPRETED, HOW I BELIEVE IT'S INTERPRETED IS THAT IT JUST MUST MEET THE REQUIREMENT OF ANY OTHER STRUCTURE, UM, ACCESSORY STRUCTURE IN THE FLOOD PLAIN, AS LONG AS IT'S NOT HABITABLE.
UM, HAVING THAT BASE FLOOR IS REALLY THE ONLY TRUE REQUIREMENT OF ONE OF THESE.
UH, A STRUCTURE LIKE THIS ARE SIMILAR TO THIS.
UM, THE D THE DNR ON, UH, I SEE THEIR CON THEIR CONCERN ON THIS WAS THAT IT WOULD BE CONSTRUCTED WITHOUT COMPLYING WITH THE FLOODPLAIN ORDINANCE, IS HOW I SEE.
CHAPTER 16 IS THE FLOOD FRINGE DISTRICT.
AND WHAT WE'RE LOOKING, I SCROLL TO THE TOP OF 16.
THE, THE BOLD HEADING IS FLOOD FRINGE DISTRICT FF SO TECHNICALLY THEN YOU GOTTA SCROLL DOWN A PA A COUPLE PAGES TO GET TO THE END OF CHAPTER 16 IN THAT SECTION.
THEN THAT STRIKEOUT REALLY, IT STARTS BY SAYING MAY BE RECONSTRUCTED, BUT THAT'S WHAT'S BEING REMOVED.
SO IT'S NOT REALLY TALKING ABOUT BUILDING BOAT HOUSES THERE.
IT'S ABOUT THE REPLACEMENT OF 'EM.
SO THIS IS LIKE, IF PEOPLE ALREADY HAVE HAD 'EM, IT, IT COULD BE OLD LANGUAGE TOO, BECAUSE IF YOU RECALL, WE UPDATED OUR SHORELAND ORDINANCE WHEN THE BOAT LAW BOATHOUSE LOSS CHANGES MM-HMM
I I THINK A SIMPLE SOLUTION ACTUALLY IS THAT WE COULD ADD THAT STRICKEN LINE BACK IN AND WE'LL DO, THIS IS JUST MY SUGGESTION ON THE FLY, BUT BOW HOUSES MAY BE RECONSTRUCTION RECONSTRUCTED IF THEY COMPLY WITH, UM, THESE CHAPTERS IN 2 75.
SO THE ACCESSORY STRUCTURE SECTION AND LEAVE IT AS SIMPLE AS THAT.
BECAUSE YEAH, THEY, YOU WOULD HAVE TO OBVIOUSLY COMPLY NOT ONLY WITH ONE CHAPTER, ALL CHAPTERS THAT COULD HAVE, I DON'T THINK THE DNR THOUGH KIND OF ASK ME WHY DO I WANT THAT IN THERE? THAT'S GONNA BE THEIR RESPONSE.
BUT TO ME IT'S JUST EXTRA LANGUAGE.
AND IF THAT SECURES THAT BOATHOUSE LANGUAGE, IT MAKES IT THE, IF THE RESPONSE, IF THEY ASK WHY WOULD WE WANT IT IN THERE? IS, IS CURRENTLY THE PUBLIC HAS THE RIGHT TO REPLACE RIGHT.
OR RECONSTRUCT IN THE SAME FOOTPRINT.
[00:30:02]
WE DON'T WANT TO TAKE THAT AWAY FROM A PROPERTY OWNER.I THINK THIS JUST CLARIFIES THAT TOO.
UM, DEFINITELY WITH ALL THE FLOODPLAIN, UM, TALK THAT HAS BEEN GOING ON LAST YEAR AND A HALF OR SO, UM, I THINK THAT JUST CLARIFIES THAT BOAT HOUSES ARE STILL ALLOWED.
UM, YOU CAN BUILD A NEW ONE, YOU CAN RECONSTRUCT IT, YOU JUST GOTTA MEET THAT REALLY THAT ONE REQUIREMENT OF THE FLOOR.
IT'S NOT THIS PARTICULAR SECTION, BUT JUST BOAT HOUSES IN GENERAL.
ANY LAKE PROPERTY, IF IT'S LARGE ENOUGH TO PLACE ONE ON, PEOPLE HAVE PROBABLY PAID A FAIR MARKET VALUE FOR THAT, KNOWING THAT THEY HAVE THAT POTENTIAL.
SO I JUST DON'T WANNA SEE ANY RESTRICTION ON, YOU KNOW SURE.
TAKING AWAY OF PERSPECTIVE THINGS JUST BECAUSE THEY HAVEN'T ACTED ON THE ACTUAL CONSTRUCTION QUICK ENOUGH.
SO, AND THEN DOES THAT, EXCUSE ME, DOES THAT SUBSTANTIALLY CHANGE? UH, DO YOU FEEL THAT THAT WOULD BE A PROBLEM WITH THE DNR OR, I, I THINK WE WOULD STILL HAVE DNR APPROVAL ON THAT.
UM, AS BOATHOUSES ARE STILL ALLOWED IN THE FLOODPLAIN, WE'RE JUST MAKING AN EXTRA STATEMENT SPECIFICALLY ON BOATHOUSE, WHICH IN THE BROAD EYES OF INTERPRETATION, IT'S AN ACCESSORY STRUCTURE.
ONCE, ONCE IT'S RAISED TO THE CERTAIN LEVEL, THAT'S WHAT IT IMMEDIATELY BASICALLY BECOMES, IS JUST ACCESSORY STRUCTURE.
NO LIVABLE SPACE, NOT REALLY ANY SAFETY CONCERNS WITH IT.
YOU MEET THOSE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS, YOU COULD BUILD A BOATHOUSE IN THE FLOODPLAIN.
YEAH, I CAN GO ALONG WITH THAT THEN.
I MEAN, IF IT'S, YOU KNOW, CLARIFIES IT, BUT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MOVE US AWAY FROM WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO, WHICH IS MODEL OUR ORDINANCE CORRECTLY FOR THE DNR AND THE WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO, OR WE HAVE TO DO.
WELL, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO, TO MAKE A WHOLE LOT OF FIGHT OVER THAT, YOU KNOW? I MEAN, UH, YOU DON'T WANNA GIVE THEM EVERYTHING THEY ASK FOR TOO SIMPLY
AND I DON'T WANT TO USE THE TAXPAYERS DOLLARS TO FIGHT FOR SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GONNA NOT WIN IN THE END EITHER, YOU KNOW? UM, SO THAT'S JUST HOW I SEE IT.
BUT, UM, BUT CERTAINLY, HOPEFULLY THAT ADDRESSES YOUR CONCERNS THAT, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE? THAT WAS PROBABLY MY BIGGEST CONCERN, OR LIKE BIGGEST ISSUE.
THE OTHER STUFF IS MORE JUST CLARIFICATION OR ASK WHY THE CHANGE IN THE NUANCES.
UM, I'LL JUST ROLL IN ORDER SO IT'S EASIER FOR EVERYONE TO FLIP THROUGH.
IF YOU GO TO PAGE 17 OF THE PDF, I GOT SOME OF THEM WROTE MY PAGE NUMBERS DOWN TO MAKE THIS PAIN LESS PAINFUL.
UM, IT'S CHAPTER ONE, BOTTOM OF THAT PAGE, UH, ACCESSORY STRUCTURES IN FOR FLOODPLAIN ZONING ARE NOT ATTACHED TO THE PRINCIPAL STRUCTURE AND ARE ASSESSED, ASSESSED FOR SUBSTANTIAL, IMPROVED, SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE SEPARATELY.
WHY IS, UH, WHY ARE ACCESSORY STRUCTURES VIEWED DIFFERENTLY IN FLOODPLAIN ZONING DIFFERENT THAN JUST NORMAL ZONING? MM-HMM
BECAUSE THIS ONE SPECIFICALLY SAYS ARE NOT ATTACHED TO THE PRINCIPLE STRUCTURE.
IN MY WORLD, ACCESSORY STRUCTURES ARE NEVER ATTACHED TO THE PRINCIPLE STRUCTURE, OTHERWISE, IT'S JUST A LARGER PRINCIPLE STRUCTURE.
LEMME READ OVER THE DEFINITION QUICK.
AND WHILE HE'S READING THAT, JUST, THIS IS THE TYPE OF STUFF THAT EITHER THE LAWYERS OR THE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT, THESE ARE THE DEFINITIONS THAT PEOPLE READ WHERE THEY GOTTA MAKE A RULING ON IT LATER.
SO WITH THAT LINE, THAT IS, FIRST THIS WAS A DNR REQUIREMENT FOR THIS LANGUAGE.
NOW GOING BACK TO STATE STATUTE, IF WE FIND SOMETHING SIMILAR THAT MEETS THE REQUIREMENT OF THIS REWORDED, WE CAN DO THAT.
UM, THAT'S WHAT WE DO THROUGHOUT THIS ORDINANCE QUITE A BIT.
UM, BY NOT ADOPTING THE EXACT WORD FOR WORD OF THE MODEL.
NOW HOW I INTERPRET THIS ACCESSORY STRUCTURES FOR FLOOD PLAIN ZONING ARE NOT ATTACHED TO THE PRINCIPLE STRUCTURE.
THAT'S JUST STATING FOR MY, FROM A FLOODPLAIN MANAGEMENT STANDPOINT, THAT IF SOMEONE WANTS TO REBUILD THEIR NON-ATTACHED DECK, WE'LL SAY, WE'LL SAY IT'S A FREESTANDING DECK THAT'S AGAINST THE HOUSE THAT HAS A SEPARATE VALUE THAN THE HOUSE ITSELF.
THE DECK DOESN'T GET LUMPED IN WITH IT.
SO SAY SOMEBODY WANTED TO REPLACE A DECK THAT HAS A SEPARATE VALUE, AND THAT'S HOW THE ASSESSORS FOR ALL THE TOWNS ASSESS THE STRUCTURES.
THIS IS A JOINT DEFINITION AND THIS IS A JOINT PROBLEM.
AND, AND THIS IS A JOINT DEFINITION TOO, DUE TO HAVING A MIXED, OR YEAH, THAT'S A GREAT, GREAT POINT.
SO THE, SO THE REASON THEY WANT IT IS BECAUSE WE HAVE A JOINT ORDINANCE.
WE HAVE THAT FIRST LINE IS, WELL, HOW WE HAVE IT DEFINED IN FLOODPLAIN AND SHORELAND, IT SAYS EITHER ATTACHED OR DETACHED.
AND THEIR POINT IS, IN FLOOD PLAIN ZONING, IT HAS TO BE NOT
[00:35:01]
ATTACHED.AND SO THEREFORE THEY'RE SAYING IT'S DIFFERENT.
WHAT'S THEIR BACK ANGLE ON IT? THE QUESTION.
SO ANOTHER OPTION TOO IS AT SOME POINT YOU COULD MAKE DEFINITIONS FOR JUST THE FLOODPLAIN SECTION OF THIS ORDINANCE.
AND THE SHORELAND, THE FLOODPLAIN ZONING IS USUALLY A LITTLE BIT MORE RESTRICTIVE.
IT'S USUALLY FOR SAFETY, YOU HAVE FEDERAL CODES YOU HAVE TO MEET.
SO AT SOME POINT YOU COULD SEPARATE THESE TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE LENIENCY IN THE DEFINITION FOR ACCESSORY STRUCTURE FOR SHORELAND AND ACCESSORY STRUCTURE FOR FLOODPLAIN.
THAT'S AN OPTION TO DO IN THE FUTURE.
I DON'T HAVE MUCH OF AN OPINION ON SOME OF THESE MORE, IT'S JUST CURIOSITY.
SOME OF THIS, BECAUSE IT DOESN'T SEEM SURE.
LIKE THERE'S A REAL REASONING OR PURPOSE WITH SOME OF 'EM OTHER THAN IT SATISFIES A BUREAUCRAT SOMEWHERE ELSE.
UM, NEXT ONE WOULD BE ON PAGE 21.
CAN I, CAN I JUST COMMENT ON THAT COMMENT? UM, THANK YOU.
SO ONE OF THE COUNTY EXECUTIVES POINTS ON THIS ORDINANCE IS WE WENT DOWN THE PATH OF SEPARATING BECAUSE IT'S EASIER TO ADOPT THE MODEL ORDINANCE.
WE WENT BACK THE OTHER DIRECTION SO THAT THE BOARDS WOULD ALWAYS HAVE TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION.
AND SO IT FORCES THE CONVERSATION WITH THIS COMMITTEE, WITH FUTURE COMMITTEES, WITH FUTURE COUNTY BOARDS TO GO BACK THROUGH IT.
IT'S KIND OF COMMINGLED AND, AND UNIQUE TO WASHINGTON COUNTY.
SO THE THING WITH THE MODEL ORDINANCE IS, IS YOU CAN JUST FLIP IT IN AND OUT, RIGHT? SO IF THE BUREAUCRATS CHANGE THE DEFINITION AND THEN WE JUST SAY, ADOPT OUR NEW MODEL.
WE'RE RUBBER STAMPING CORRECT.
SO, SO THE STAFF REALLY, OUR, IN OUR CASE, I THINK DID A GOOD JOB OF TRYING TO BALANCE THOSE COMPETING INTERESTS OF, WELL, WE DON'T WANT YOUR LANGUAGE JUST BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT YOUR LANGUAGE AND WHAT REALLY IS AN ACTUAL ISSUE MM-HMM
NO, THAT MAKES NO, AND I AGREE.
A LOT OF THE LANGUAGE WAS OUR FIRST TIME THROUGH, WE MADE BARELY ANY CHANGES.
SOME OF THESE, WE DIDN'T MAKE ANY CHANGES, AND WE JUST KEPT PUSHING IT BACK THROUGH TO 'EM.
AND THEN EVENTUALLY WE ASKED FOR, WHERE IS THIS IN STATE STATUTE? WHERE'S THIS REQUIREMENT? AND THEN THEY'D SHOW US, AND IT KIND OF PUTS US IN A HARD PLACE WHERE, WELL, DO WE NOT PUSH THIS THROUGH DUE TO A WORD CHANGE? MM-HMM
THAT'S A LOT OF THESE SITUATIONS WE GOT AND WAS VERY SIMILAR.
SAME WITH LIKE THE DEVELOPMENT, MANMADE VERSUS ARTIFICIAL.
WAS IT WORTH FIGHTING 'EM AND GETTING AN ATTORNEY INVOLVED? WELL, IN CASE OF DEVELOPMENT THERE, MY QUESTION IS, IS WHEN I THINK DEVELOPMENT AS A LAY PERSON MM-HMM
DEVELOPMENT IS LIKE SOMETHING NEW, SUBSTANTIAL CHANGE TO SOMETHING.
BUT WITHIN THERE, IT, IT SAYS THE REPAIR OF A DAMAGED STRUCTURE.
WELL, IF YOU'RE REPAIRING SOMETHING THAT'S NOT DEVELOPMENT IN MY EYES, BUT BY THIS DEFINITION IT IS.
SO I'M WONDERING WHAT, WHAT'S THEIR ANGLE TO IF SOME STRUCTURE OF, LET'S GO BACK TO A BOATHOUSE IS DAMAGED AND YOU WANT TO DO REPAIR TO IT, BUT IF IT'S COATED A DEVELOPMENT, IS THAT GONNA STOP THEM, STOP US FROM BEING ABLE TO MAKE A, A REPAIR.
ULTIMATELY, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT THE COUNTY HAS THE INTERPRETATION ABILITY ON THESE TO DETERMINE WHAT A REPAIR IS.
I DON'T THINK THAT CHANGES HOW WE WOULD VIEW A REPAIR.
I KNOW THEY LIKE THAT IN THEIR DEVELOPMENT DEFINITION, BUT A REPAIR STILL FOLLOWS THE, THE SAME FEDERAL REGULATIONS.
UM, I DO AGREE ON THE LANGUAGE.
THERE'S A LOT OF, UH,
THAT DOUBLE MEANING WITH THINGS ARE LIKE, WHERE DEVELOPMENT TO ME SAYS SOMETHING NEW, SOMETHING IMPROVED, LARGELY IMPROVED IN A SUBSTANTIAL MANNER VERSUS REPAIRS MORE STATUS QUO.
I JUST QUESTION IF THAT'S GONNA CATCH OUR DR.
LAKE RESIDENTS LATER ON WITH SOMETHING.
AND I THINK WE HAVE A PRETTY, UM, I WANNA SAY LOOSE INTERPRETATION OF WHAT A, WHAT DEVELOPMENT IS IN A GOOD WAY.
UM, SO IF SOMEONE WAS TO COME INTO OUR OFFICE AND THEY WANTED TO REPAIR, YOU KNOW, THEIR SIDING OR THE ROOF, NEVER, AND WE STILL WON'T COUNT THAT AGAINST THE VALUE OF THEIR HOME FOR FUTURE DEVELOPMENT.
NOW IF THEY WANT TO ADD ON A ROOM, THEN THAT'S HOW WE WOULD INTERPRET DEVELOPMENT.
I THINK A LOT OF THESE GET GRAY, AND IT JUST DEPENDS ON WHO'S INTERPRETING THESE CODES AND, UM, WHICH I, WHICH I HOPE AT THE COUNTY LEVEL, WE CAN CONTINUE THAT.
THAT WAS MY, THAT WAS MY BIGGEST WORRY, WAS HOW THIS WAS GONNA BE INTERPRETED FROM A STAFF LEVEL.
AND IF ANY OF THESE CHANGES WOULD SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACT PEOPLE.
[00:40:01]
THE ONE I SAW FIRST WAS THE CAMPGROUND, AND THEN I REALIZED, ALL RIGHT, THERE'S REALLY NO FLOOD PLAIN CAMPGROUND, SO THIS WON'T AFFECT PEOPLE.ACT 1 75, THAT WAS ANOTHER ONE.
NO, THIS WILL BENEFIT, UM, ANYONE IN THE FLOODPLAIN, FLOODWAY, FLOOD FRINGE.
UM, AND THAT WAS GOING THROUGH EACH ONE OF THESE POINTS, EVERY RED LINE WE WENT THROUGH MULTIPLE TIMES TO SAY, OKAY, FROM AN INTERPRETATION OF HOW WE DO THINGS CURRENTLY, IS THIS GONNA AFFECT OUR PROCESS? AND I CAN HONESTLY SAY THERE WAS NOTHING THAT TRULY LIKE SPARKED SOMETHING WHERE I THOUGHT, THIS IS GONNA CHANGE HOW PEOPLE, UH, APPLY FOR THESE PERMITS ARE ABLE TO DO STUFF WITH THEIR LAND.
I FEEL PRETTY COMFORTABLE WITH IT, AND ULTIMATELY THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO HEAR, OR WOULD HOPE WOULD CONTINUE.
UM, ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF IT WAS THEN ON PAGE ONE 18, WHICH WAS A NON-CONFORMING STRUCTURE SECTION.
AND THERE AGAIN, IT, IT BROUGHT UP THE STRUCTURAL REPAIRS WAS SOMETHING THAT COULD NOT BE MADE, IF I REMEMBER RIGHT.
HOW I, I DON'T, I ONLY TOOK A QUICK NOTE ON IT.
AND THERE AGAIN, IT SAYS, NO MODIFICATIONS OR ADDITIONS TO NON-CONFORMING STRUCTURES SHALL BE PERMITTED ON US TO COMPLY WITH THE ORDINANCE.
BUT THEN LATER AFTER THAT, WHEN IT STARTS LISTING TO THINGS OUT, IT TALKS ABOUT STRUCTURAL REPAIRS OR REBUILDING AGAIN.
SO THERE AGAIN, IT'S LIKE, WE'RE NOT LOOKING FOR PUTTING A BEDROOM ADDITION ON OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, BUT MORE, I'M LOOKING LIKE STRUCTURAL REPAIR.
IF A TREE FALLS ON THE HOUSE, CAN WE FIX THE TRUSSES TO IT AND, YOU KNOW, PUT IT BACK TO HOW IT WAS.
NO, I, I MEAN, EVEN CONTINUING OFF THE MAINTENANCE SIDE AT THE END, I THINK FROM AN INTERPRETATION VIEW IS THAT THOSE ITEMS THAT ARE LISTED CAN BE DONE WITHOUT, UM, AFFECTING THE PROPERTY VALUE OR AFFECTING THAT VALUE OF THE HOUSE.
WHERE, YOU KNOW, THE BIGGEST FEAR IS GETTING SOMEONE TO THAT 50% WHERE THEY HAVE, YOU'RE FORCING THEM TO RAISE THEIR HOUSE ABOVE THE FLOODPLAIN AND COMPLY.
IN THAT CASE, DEFINITELY THE MAINTENANCE SIZE, I THINK THAT CLARIFIES IT, THAT THOSE ITEMS DO NOT AFFECT THAT 50%.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT A RESIDENT CAN DO WITHOUT REALLY GETTING A PERMIT TECHNICALLY.
UM, I THINK IT MAKES IT, IT MAKES IT EASIER FROM A REGULATING STANDPOINT OF, NO, YOU DON'T NEED ANYTHING.
UM, THIS ISN'T ACCOUNT, THIS DOES NOT ACCOUNT YOUR, AGAINST YOUR 50% VALUE.
IF YOU WANNA PUT NEW SIDING ON, YOU CAN DO THAT.
YOU'RE NOT PENALIZED FOR THAT.
JUST, JUST FOR CLARIFICATION MM-HMM
AS THIS IS PROPOSED OR PRESENTED, THAT 50% RULE STILL WILL BE IN EFFECT.
BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE A FEDERAL RULE, SO MM-HMM
JUST MAKING SURE THAT THAT WASN'T BEING CHANGED.
UM, ONE AREA I JUST WANTED YOUR EXPLANATION GENERAL ON IS PAGE 1 7 1 25.
IT'S, UH, CHAPTER 19, THE TOP OF THE PAGE.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN JUST THAT PARAGRAPH H YEAH.
I REALLY DON'T EVEN UNDERSTAND WHAT IT'S TRYING TO GET AT.
FULLY, SO, FULLY ENCLOSED AREAS BELOW THE LOWEST FLOOR OF REPAIR OR RECONSTRUCTION OF NON-CONFORMING STRUCTURES AND SUBSTANTIAL IMPROVEMENTS IN ZONE A ONE 30 AE.
AND, AH, SO IN OUR EYES, WE REALLY ONLY WORRY ABOUT THE AE THAT ARE USABLE SOLELY FOR PARKING OF VEHICLES.
BUILDING ACCESS OR STORAGE MUST BE DESIGNED TO ADEQUATELY EQUALIZED HYDROSTATIC FORCES ON EXTERIOR WALLS BY ALLOWING FOR THE ENTRY AND EXIT FLOOD WATERS.
MOST OF THAT WAS ALREADY IN OUR EXISTING ORDINANCE, WE'RE REQUIRED TO HAVE THAT IN THERE.
NOW, THE PART THAT WAS HAD TO BE ADDED DUE TO THE MODEL WAS SUBSEQUENT IMPROVEMENTS TO REPAIRED OR RECONSTRUCTED NON-CONFORMING STRUCTURES MUST NOT INCREASE THE DEGREE OF THEIR NONCONFORMITY.
UM, SO THIS, IN THIS STATE, IF YOU ARE, IF YOU ARE USING OTHER METHODS IN THE FLOODPLAIN, THEY'RE STATING THAT THOSE METHODS CAN'T, CAN'T INCREASE.
THAT'S A GOOD WAY, THE NON-CONFORMING STATUS.
SO YOU CAN'T BE BUILDING THINGS THAT ARE NON-CONFORMING IT, BECAUSE ULTIMATELY THE ORDINANCE IS TO GET YOU TO CONFORM AS BEST AS POSSIBLE.
THIS IS JUST STATING THAT YOU CAN'T INCREASE THE NON-CONFORMITY.
UM, IF THAT'S ADDING A ROOM ON OR ADDING
[00:45:01]
A SAFETY FEATURE THAT'S NOT TRULY A SAFETY FEATURE.UM, THAT, THAT'S HOW I INTERPRET THAT.
WHAT'S THE VERY BEGINNING? WHAT IS A FULLY ENCLOSED AREA BELOW THE LOWEST FLOOR? YEAH.
I ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT LIKE A GARAGE UNDERNEATH THE HOUSE ONCE IT'S BEEN RAISED, LIKE ON STILTS OR SOMETHING, OR, RIGHT.
LIKE, I, I COULDN'T FIGURE OUT WHAT TYPE OF A SCENARIO WE'RE EVEN AT AT THIS POINT.
I, I HAVE NEVER SEEN THIS DONE, UM, BEFORE, BUT THIS TIES IN WITH ACT 1 75, WHICH ALLOWS YOU TO BUILD A FLOOD PROOFED, NON INHABITABLE STRUCTURE AS LONG AS IT DOESN'T LET WATER IN.
UM, BUNKER PRETTY, PRETTY MUCH.
UM, I HAVE, I HAVEN'T SEEN ONE, UM, EVER SINCE DOING THIS.
UM, BUT THAT'S JUST STATING THAT THE STRUCTURE, THE, THE IMPROVEMENTS ARE, UM, RECONSTRUCTED, NON-CONFORMING STRUCTURE.
SO IF YOU WERE TO REBUILD LIKE A PARKING GARAGE YEAH, YEAH.
IT, THAT'S ALL I COULD THINK OF IS LIKE A PARKING AREA.
A CELLAR, BUT, OR I DON'T, RIGHT.
GARAGE IS PRETTY MUCH WHAT I THINK OF THIS AS GOING DOWN KIND OF
BUT, UM, THAT'S WHY I HAD NO OPINION ON THIS ONE.
UM, BUT IF YOU WERE TO REBUILD THE STRUCTURE, SO ESSENTIALLY IF YOU WERE TO REBUILD A GARAGE AND YOU WANNA MAKE IT INTO, LET'S SAY A WATERTIGHT BOX OX, YOU CAN'T, YOU WOULD FOLLOW THOSE RULES THAT AS STATED, BUT WHILE RECONSTRUCTING IT, YOU CAN'T MAKE THE STRUCTURE MORE NON-CONFORMING THAN IT WAS, IS HOW I READ THAT, WHICH I GET THAT PART.
IT WAS MORE, IT WAS JUST THE WHOLE BELOW THE LOWEST FLOOR LINE.
LIKE IT DIDN'T SAY BELOW THE FIRST FLOOR LINE, IT SAID THE LOWEST FLOOR LINE.
SO IT'S LIKE THE FLOOR BELOW THE BASEMENT.
SINCE, SINCE WASHINGTON COUNTY ADOPTS ACT 1 75, IT TECHNICALLY ALLOWS PEOPLE TO DO THAT.
NOW, IF WE DID NOT ADAPT, ADOPT ACT 1 75, IT WOULD BASICALLY BE RAISING YOUR FLOOR TO, AT THE FLOODPLAIN ELEVATION LEVEL.
THIS IS LIKE ANOTHER OPTION THAT ALLOWS PEOPLE TO DO A, GET CREATIVE IF THEY REALLY WANT TO AND DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS.
BUT I THINK IN THE END, WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO MONEY, IT'S CHEAPER JUST TO RAISE IT UP INSTEAD OF MAKING A WATERPROOF BOX.
WHICH I, YEAH, I WOULD AGREE WITH YOU ON THAT STATEMENT.
UM, THE NEXT ONE I HAD WAS PAGE 1 28, SECTION M.
AND IT TALKS ABOUT IN THE, THE PART OF THE RED UNDERLINED AREA THAT'S THEN HIGHLIGHTED IN GRAY TALKS ABOUT, UH, THE 3D BUILDING ENVELOPE MUST BE DETERMINED.
SEE, I'M, YOU'RE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.
I DON'T, I DON'T GO THROUGH THE VIEWER.
I JUST, I JUST GO TO THE COUNTY'S WEBSITE AND PULL UP WHAT THE PUBLIC WOULD SEE.
UM, IT SAYS YOU, UH, IT MUST NOT, I GUESS I'M NOT EVEN QUITE SURE I WAS, PART OF, PART OF IT WAS I WAS, THERE WAS A WORDING IN THIS WHOLE SECTION WHERE IT WAS TALKING ABOUT HOW YOU BASICALLY CAN'T MAKE THE FLOODING WORSE.
WHEN YOU'RE MAKING IMPROVEMENTS OR ADDING FILL.
I WAS, AND IT TALKED, THERE WAS SOME, AND SOMEWHERE IN HERE, I DON'T KNOW WHERE IT IS RIGHT NOW.
IT'S, IT TALKED ABOUT THE AFFECTING THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
MY QUESTION IS, IS WHAT'S THE NEIGHBORHOOD, THE NEIGHBORHOOD WOULD
IT'D BE ANYTHING LOCATED IN THAT SECTION OF FLOODPLAIN.
UM, SO A CONTIGUOUS, CONTIGUOUS FLOODPLAIN LINE THAT WOULD BE, AND SAME GOES FOR LIKE FLOOD STORAGE, LIKE DRILL LAKE.
THEY'RE THEIR OWN LITTLE FLOODPLAIN ENTITY.
THAT'S KIND OF WHAT THAT GOES AFTER.
SO FOR SUBSECTION M, DUE TO THE MAP STUDY, I DON'T BELIEVE WE HAVE ANY ZONE A LEFT, WHICH IS AN UNSTUDIED AREA, WHICH YOU HAVE TO PAY FOR A HYDRAULIC STUDY TO BE DONE.
SO IN MY EYES, IT'S KIND OF IRRELEVANT TO WASHINGTON COUNTY AT THIS POINT.
IT'S REQUIRED TO BE IN THERE, AE AND THAT'S THE ONE WHERE ALL OF OUR TOWNSHIPS ARE UNDER.
NOW IF THIS IS APPROVED OR THESE FIRM MAPS ARE APPROVED.
AND I GUESS I WASN'T EVEN LOOKING AT WHICH PARTICULAR ZONE.
I WAS JUST MORE LOOKING AT IN GENERAL WHERE IT'S TALKING ABOUT HIRING, UH, ENGINEER TO ASSESS THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND IT'S LIKE, THAT SOUNDS, WHAT, WHAT'S, WHAT'S OUR BAR THAT WE
[00:50:01]
HAVE TO MEET? AND OBVIOUSLY I THINK YOUR ANSWER WOULD BE IS YOUR INTERPRETATION AT THE LOCAL LEVEL IS GONNA BE, THERE'S A LITTLE MORE DIALOGUE WITH MM-HMMPARTICULAR SITUATION ON WHAT THE PROPERTY OWNER WOULD HAVE TO DO TO SATISFY YOUR DEPARTMENT.
WHAT'S THE NEIGHBORHOOD
AND, AND THE GOOD THING ABOUT THAT COMES THROUGH THIS STUDY.
IT, IT PROVIDES MORE DATA AND IT PUTS US IN THAT AE CATEGORY, WHICH MEANS ANYONE THAT WAS IN THE ZONE A REALLY WAS, I MEAN, IT, IT'S, THEY'RE VERY LIMITED OR YOU HAVE TO SPEND A LOT OF MONEY TO HAVE HYDRAULIC STUDIES DONE, ENGINEERING AE IT'S ALREADY BEEN ESTABLISHED THOSE FLOODPLAIN LEVELS.
SO IT'S A LOT EASIER FROM MY DEPARTMENT TO BE ABLE TO ISSUE A PERMIT, BUT IT ALSO MAKES YOU HAVE BASELINE INFORMATION TO START WITH.
ZONE A, THERE'S NO BASELINE ESSENTIALLY.
AND YOU'RE MAKING THAT COMMUNITY OR OR NEIGHBORHOOD PAY FOR THAT TO FIGURE IT OUT ESSENTIALLY.
WHICH WE WILL NOT HAVE THAT ISSUE ANYMORE.
UM, NEXT SECTION IS, IT'S PDF, PAGE 1 37 OR CHAPTER 21.
UM, IT JUST IMMEDIATE CAUGHT MY ATTENTION WHEN IT SAYS THE COUNTY OF LAND USE AND PLANNING COMMITTEE SHALL NOT GRANT VARIANCES TO THE TERMS OF THE ORDINANCE IN PLACE OF ACTION BY THE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT OR AMEND THE TEXT OR ZONING MAPS IN PLACE OF OFFICIAL ACTION BY THE GOVERNING BODY.
IT IMMEDIATELY SAYS WE WILL NOT GRANT ORDINANCES VARIANCES.
I'M SORRY, WHAT'S THE POINT OF A BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT THEN IF THEY DON'T GRANT VARIANCES? BECAUSE I'M LATER ON IN A LOWER SECTION LATER ON, LIKE 10 PAGES LATER.
IT GIVES OUT, IT GIVE OUTLINES THE PROCESS OF HOW TO GRANT A VARIANCE.
I THINK IN THIS CASE, IN THAT SECTION, IT'S JUST STATING THAT THIS COMMITTEE CANNOT ISSUE A VARIANCE ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT OR ACTING AS THE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENTS.
THE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENTS STILL CAN.
SO THEN GOING DOWN, THAT'S THE PROCEDURES THE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT MUST FOLLOW.
SO IF SOMEONE CAME TO YOU AND SAID, I WANT TO DO THIS.
IT DOESN'T MEET THE ORDINANCE, I COULDN'T GET SOMETHING TO WORK.
STATING THAT YOU DON'T HAVE THE POWERS OF THE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT TO ISSUE IT.
THAT, THAT MAKES ME FEEL I'M ON THE SAME PAGE NOW.
I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT
UM, PAGE 1 41, WHICH IS STILL IN CHAPTER 21, AND I'M LOOKING AT SUBSECTION F OH F DOESN'T LOOK RIGHT.
UM, IT'S THE RED E THAT'S BEEN THEN STRUCK OUT.
AND IT TALKS ABOUT DATA TO DETERMINE IF THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT WILL CAUSE AN OBSTRUCTION TO FLOW OR AN INCREASE IN REGIONAL FLOOD HEIGHT.
IT CONTINUES ON AND IT'S MORE GENERAL QUESTION OR COMMENT TO YOU THERE AND DATA TO DETERMINE WHAT DATA DO YOU NEED.
YOU KNOW, I'M TRYING TO LOOK AT IT IF I'M AN APPLICANT TO DO, DO WHATEVER THIS IS TALKING ABOUT.
YOU KNOW, IT'S A OPEN-ENDED QUESTION OF WHAT ARE WE PROVIDING OR, SO I THINK, AND DON'T QUOTE ME FOR THIS, WE'D HAVE TO GO LOOK IN THE ORDINANCE, BUT THAT 2 75, 14 D FOUR AND THE 2 75 15 C, IT POINTS BACK TO THAT HYDRAULIC STUDY THAT'S REQUIRED.
AND THAT'S THE DATA THAT COMES IN THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO USE.
ARE THERE LIKE STANDARDS OF HYDRAULICS FOR RIGHT.
IT STATING AN ENGINEER HAS TO DO IT.
YOU CAN'T RAISE THE, UM, FLOW THIS MUCH.
UM, IT ALSO STATES WHO'S EXEMPT SUCH AS, YOU KNOW, YOUR HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT AND PUBLIC UTILITIES DON'T HAVE TO MEET THE REQUIREMENTS.
IT POINTS ALL BACK TO THAT SECTION.
I THINK THAT'S ABOUT ALL I HAD THEN.
I SKIPPED OVER A COUPLE OF 'EM, BUT THEY'RE KIND OF SIMILAR SCENARIOS, JUST KIND OF REPEATING.
I APPRECIATE THE, SOME OF THE CLARIFICATIONS.
AND ALSO I WANTED THANK SUPERVISOR KREBS.
UM, YEAH, I JUST HAD TWO CONCERNS, BUT THAT HE HAS ADDRESSED THAT THE, THE BOATHOUSE CONCERN, THAT LANGUAGE.
YOU KNOW, MY CONSTITUENTS WERE LIKE THAT ADDED BACK IN AND THEN THAT, UM, VARIANCE CLARIFICATION.
[00:55:01]
SO, UM, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.ANYBODY ELSE QUESTIONS ON THIS, MR. CHAIRMAN? ANYTHING
UM, SO WHAT ARE WE DOING WITH THAT PART? DO WE NEED TO AMEND THAT OR HOW DO WE NEED TO HANDLE THAT? YEAH, WE, AS A MOTION YOU COULD PUT IT THROUGH, IT COULD BE A REVISION FOR THE COUNTY BOARD TO ADD THAT BOATHOUSE SECTION BACK IN.
UM, SIMILAR TO HOW WE TALKED, UM, AS LONG AS I ASSUME IF THE DNR HAS A ISSUE WITH IT, THAT THAT COMES DOWN TO WHAT, WHAT THE COMMITTEE BELIEVES.
I WOULD SAY I WOULD JUST MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE DOCUMENT AS PRESENTED AND IF BEHIND THE SCENES, IF YOU HAVE FURTHER CONVERSATIONS WITH THE COUNTY, WITH THE DNR AND IF THERE'S ANY LEEWAY OR THINGS THAT, THAT WE CAN SURE.
I WOULD SAY JUST A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT OR AMENDMENT AT THE COUNTY BOARD LEVEL WOULD BE, I'M PERFECTLY FINE WITH THAT.
AND THAT SEEMS, WAS THERE ANY OTHER AMENDMENTS YOU'D LIKE ME TO LOOK AT OR JUST THAT? NO.
I THINK THE OTHER POINTS WERE JUST CLARIFICATION.
SO CLARIFICATION THAT, OR I, I KNOW I AM NOT GOING UP AGAINST THE DNR ON SOME OF THE OTHER ISSUES.
UH, SO I GUESS I, SO WITH THAT, I WOULD MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE ORDINANCE AS PRESENTED.
SO WE HAVE REFERENCE THE DISCUSSION AND WE HAVE, WHAT'S THAT? OR REFERENCE THE DISCUSSION OR WHATEVER.
THAT CAN BE PROVIDED A MOTION.
IF YOU HAVE WHATEVER WITH, DO WE HAVE A MOTION BY MARY AND SECONDED BY CREBS.
SO, UM, SO YEAH, IT'S, IT'S BASICALLY BEEN MOTION WHEN WE OPENED IT OH, OKAY.
SO AT THIS POINT, WE CAN NOW GO TO APPROVAL.
UM, SO, UH, WE HAVE ON THE FLOOR AS, UH, AS WRITTEN AND YOU WILL LOOK AT, UH, THE CONCERNS OF SUPERVISOR KREBS AND DETERMINE, UM, POSSIBLY AS A FRIENDLIER, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
I MEAN, WE CAN MOVE THAT FORWARD, BUT FOR, FOR TONIGHT'S PURPOSES, UH, WE WILL BE MOVING THIS FORWARD AS IT IS WRITTEN.
SO I'LL SIGNIFY BY SAYING A I OPPOSED.
I DID TALK WITH, UH, COUNTY ATTORNEY STERN THIS AFTERNOON.
HE DIDN'T KNOW IF THIS WAS ALL GONNA BE READY AND SO WE HAD A CONVERSATION AND UM, YOU KNOW, HE DIDN'T COME TONIGHT BECAUSE HE THOUGHT IT WOULD FLY THROUGH WITH ANY PROBLEMS, BUT HE'S TOTALLY WILLING TO DO WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE IF WE HAVE SOME SORT OF AMENDMENT.
SO, ALRIGHT, NOW YOU KNOW WHERE YOU CAN TAKE IT.
I'VE VISITED HIM QUITE A BIT ON THIS
MOVING ON FROM THAT, UH, ITEM FIVE B, AGRICULTURAL AND INDUSTRIAL SOCIETY ANNUAL REPORT PRESENTATION.
WE HAVE STACY HOLLAND HERE TO PRESENT.
SORRY TO KEEP YOU WAITING SO LONG.
HONESTLY, I DON'T LIVE ON A LAKE, BUT I'D LIKE TO AND SOMEDAY I'LL BE, KNOW HOW TO NAVIGATE, UM, A BOATHOUSE IF I SEEM TO HAVE ONE.
SO IT'S VERY IMPORTANT JUST BUY A PRE-BUILT
THE PROPERTIES THAT HAVE PRE-EXISTING BOATHOUSES ARE CERTAINLY WORTH MORE.
I'M GONNA GET RID OF MY EMAIL AND PUT THE PRESENTATION UP.
UM, AND THEN WE HAVE THE PRESENTATION UP.
SO I'M GIVING THE ANNUAL UPDATE FOR THE AGRICULTURAL AND INDUSTRIAL SOCIETY.
UM, I'M PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE A, WHAT I WOULD CONSIDER A SUCCESSFUL 2025, UM, YOU KNOW, SUCCESSFUL ON SEVERAL LEVELS.
UM, WE'LL, WE'LL DIVE INTO THOSE, BUT I THINK, UM, UM, THE BIGGEST SUCCESS WAS CERTAINLY THE WASHINGTON COUNTY FAIR.
SO WE'RE GONNA DIVE INTO THAT.
[01:00:01]
I JUST ALWAYS WANT TO RE-ORIENT THIS GROUP AND THE OTHER GROUPS THAT I TALK TO ABOUT OUR MISSION, UM, AND WHAT THE, HERE SUMMARIZED STRATEGIC GOALS ARE SO THAT WE MAINTAIN FOCUS ON THE, UH, WORK THAT WAS AHEAD OF US AND IS AHEAD OF US.UH, SINCE BOTH THE A IS BOARD HAD SPENT QUITE A BIT OF TIME ALONG WITH SUPPORT FROM THE COUNTY AND, AND CONSTITUENTS IN THE COMMUNITY ON DEFINING THAT MISSION AND, UM, THEN SUBSEQUENTLY REFINING OUR STRATEGIC GOALS.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE, UM, PRESENT THOSE FIRST AND FOREMOST.
AND I DO THAT EVERY TIME I PRESENT TO YOU.
UM, AND AS I SAID, A LOT OF GOOD THINGS HAPPENED IN 2025.
UM, IF, IF YOU WERE ABLE TO COME, I KNOW I, I WAS ABLE TO SEE SOME OF YOU THERE IF YOU, YOU WERE NOT THERE.
I, UM, I, I FEEL BAD FOR YOU 'CAUSE IT WAS GREAT.
IT WAS HOT, UH, BUT IT WAS GREAT.
BUT THE 2025 WASHINGTON COUNTY FAIR, UM, A LOT OF GREEN ARROWS ON THIS SHEET.
UM, AND I I JUST WANNA TOUCH ON A FEW POINTS HERE.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE WERE VERY THOUGHTFUL, UH, WITH THE IS BOARD ON WANTING TO, UH, YOU KNOW, CREATE AN EXPERIENCE.
WE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO BRING IN, UM, YOU KNOW, A VERY EXPENSIVE BAND.
I WILL SAY THAT ON FRIDAY NIGHT.
UM, AND WE HAD TO DO A FEW THINGS TO MAKE SURE THAT ECONOMICALLY WE DIDN'T PUT OURSELVES IN JEOPARDY.
UM, BUT WE WERE SUCCESSFUL IN DOING THAT.
SO, UM, I THINK FOLKS THAT CAME OUT ANYTIME DURING THE WEEK, I HOPE HAD A GREAT TIME AT THE FAIR.
UM, BUT WE, WE CERTAINLY WERE ABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY EXECUTE THE POKER CHIP THAT WE LAID ON THE, ON THE TABLE BY, BY PUTTING OUT, HONESTLY, QUITE HONESTLY, IT WAS ABOUT, UM, A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS MORE, UM, IN TERMS OF LIKE THE HIGH END OF THE BAR OF WHAT WE USUALLY SPEND ON THE NATIONAL ENTERTAINMENT.
SO THAT'S NOT A SMALL AMOUNT TO HAVE TO RECOUP.
AND I'M GLAD TO SAY THAT THE FAIR, YOU KNOW, WAS SOLVENT IN AND OF ITSELF AS AN EVENT.
SO THANKFULLY THAT ALL TURNED OUT.
UM, SO OUR ATTENDANCE, UH, WAS DOWN YEAR OVER YEAR.
UH, WHEN I LOOKED AT AVERAGE TEMPERATURES FROM 24 TO 25, I HAVE A WHOLE GRAPH ON THAT THAT I SHARED WITH THE BOARD.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE SAW SOME SUBSTANTIALLY HOT DAYS AND THAT WAS REFLECTED IN THE ATTENDANCE ON THOSE DAYS.
WEDNESDAY WAS HOT, THURSDAY WAS VERY HOT, SUNDAY WAS EXCRUCIATINGLY HOT.
SO I THINK THAT WAS PROBABLY THE THEME.
IT WAS VERY HOT AND RAINY ON SATURDAY.
LUCKILY THE SKIES CLEARED, UM, BY ABOUT TWO OR THREE O'CLOCK AND SATURDAY NIGHT WAS BEAUTIFUL.
UM, AND, AND ALSO A GREAT NIGHT FOR THE FAIR.
UM, AGAIN, OVERALL REVENUE WAS UP DESPITE ATTENDANCE BEING DOWN.
HOW DO YOU DO THAT? UM, WE ADDED 500 SEATS, UM, TO THE SILVER LINING AMPHITHEATER.
SO WE INCREASED THE SEAT CAPACITY WITH A NEW LAYOUT, UM, THAT INVOLVED MOVING SOME THINGS AND, UM, OUR GUYS CUTTING SOME METAL.
UM, BUT WE SUCCESSFULLY DID THAT AND, UM, CREATED A NEW VIP EXPERIENCE, KIND OF GOT SOME OF THE THINGS OFF THE PAD THERE.
SOME GREAT THINGS THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY EXPAND ON NEXT YEAR.
UM, AND THAT ADDITIONAL PAID TICKET REVENUE IS WHAT HELPED US COVER THE COST OF THE BAND.
UM, AND, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, HELP MAKE THE FAIR SUCCESSFUL WITH HIGHER REVENUE YEAR OVER YEAR.
AS WELL AS A FEW OTHER LEVERS THAT WE PULLED ON, ON THE FINANCIAL SIDE TO KINDA SQUEAK THINGS OUT.
UM, I, YOU KNOW, DON'T SLEEP DURING THE FAIR, BUT DEFINITELY DIDN'T SLEEP UNTIL ALL THE NUMBERS CAME IN.
'CAUSE UM, LIKE I SAID, WE PUT THAT POKER CHIP OUT THERE AND LUCKILY IT PAID OFF.
AND I KNOW WE GET A LOT OF FEEDBACK FROM FOLKS.
UM, IN ADDITION TO, UM, JUST THE, THE NUTS AND BOLTS OF THE FAIR, WE SAW AN INCREASED LEVEL OF ENGAGEMENT, I THINK BOTH WITH OUR VOLUNTEERS, UH, WITH THIS COUNTY BOARD, WITH THE COUNTY ITSELF.
UM, AND STEPPING UP TO THE PLATE.
WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE SITE IMPROVEMENTS THAT WERE MADE AT THE FAIRGROUNDS, BUT IT WAS ALL HANDS ON DECK.
I WANNA THANK THE LAND USE AND PLANNING COM COMMISSION.
I WANNA THANK THIS COMMITTEE, UM, FOR THE SUPPORT THAT WE RECEIVED IN THE WEEKS LEADING UP TO THE FAIR ON IMPROVEMENTS, THE HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT ON, ON SOME AESTHETIC IMPROVEMENTS THAT WERE DONE OUT THERE.
IT WAS TRULY A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT.
UM, AND, AND OF COURSE, TO NOT BE UNDERSTATED, UM, THE HORSE ARENA RESURFACING THAT WAS DONE ON ALL THREE OF THE ARENAS.
THAT WAS, IF YOU RECALL, SOMETHING THAT THIS, UM, COMMITTEE APPROVED ALONG WITH PRIVATE DONATIONS AND FUNDING, AND, UM, WAS VERY WELL RECEIVED.
SO THE ENGAGEMENT LEVELS WERE UP.
UH, WE DID SOME NEW THINGS AT A IS IN TERMS OF HOW WE SPENT OUR MARKETING DOLLARS.
WE, UM, DID NOT SPEND MORE, BUT WE SPENT SMARTER.
UH, WE PIVOTED ON A FEW THINGS, AND WE HAD WHAT I WOULD CALL A VERY SUCCESSFUL SOCIAL, YOU KNOW, SOCIAL PRESENCE.
UH, WE HAD SOME, UH, BILLBOARDS UP EVEN DOWN IN NORTHERN WAUKESHA COUNTY.
[01:05:01]
IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE DID LAUNCH A NEW FAIR WEBSITE, UM, SHORTLY BEFORE THE FAIR, BUT WE GOT IT OUT AROUND THE BEGINNING TO MIDDLE OF JUNE.AND SO IF YOU HAVEN'T CHECKED THAT OUT, I WOULD STRONGLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO DO SO.
UM, VERY PROUD ABOUT THAT AND, AND LOOK FORWARD TO USING THAT PLATFORM IN THE FUTURE TO DRIVE, UH, FOLKS TO THE FAIR.
UM, RELATIVE TO OUR, OUR OVERALL INVOLVEMENT.
YOU'LL SEE THERE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAD 542 VOLUNTEER HOURS.
WE HAVE LEANED INTO THE HEART AND HOMESTEAD TEAM.
WE RELY HEAVILY ON THAT PROGRAM, AS WELL AS GENERATING, UM, NEW VENUES, COMMUNICATIONS, CONNECTIONS, ORGANIZATIONS, WHATEVER YOU CALL IT.
YOU KNOW, THE HIGH SCHOOLS, THE CHURCHES, UM, INDIVIDUALS.
HE WAS A, UM, UM, UH, ONE OF OUR 542 WORTH OF HOURS VOLUNTEERS AT THE FAIR.
AND WE DID SEE, YOU KNOW, A SLIGHT INCREASE THERE.
AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT, UM, IN INVARIABLY WE NEED MORE OF.
UH, I, I CAN'T EMPHASIZE THAT ENOUGH.
SO THANK YOU TO TO ALL THOSE THAT HAVE VOLUNTEERED, OR EVEN IF YOU AREN'T ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, ASK YOUR NEIGHBORS AND, AND, UM, AND FRIENDS AND SOME OF YOUR ENEMIES, WE DON'T CARE.
UM, WE HAD, UH, NEW SPONSORS THIS YEAR.
UH, LYNCH, BUICK, GMC STEPPED UP TO THE PLATE, AND I DON'T KNOW IF WE'VE HAD THESE IN THE PAST, BUT NOT, I DON'T THINK IN THE RECENT FUTURE, IN THE RECENT PAST.
UM, SO THEY STEPPED UP AS A PRESENTED BY SPONSOR, SO WE WERE THRILLED TO PARTNER WITH THEM.
UH, THEY HAVE, UH, YOU KNOW, VERBALLY AGREED TO CONTINUE THAT PRESENTED BY SPONSORSHIP IN 2026.
UM, SO WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
AND THEN AGAIN, CALLING ON SOME NEW BUSINESSES THIS YEAR.
WE DID HAVE A FEW ATTRITION, UNFORTUNATELY, UM, YOU KNOW, SOME FOLKS, THEIR ECONOMICS HAVE HAD CHANGED IN 2025 AND, AND THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO COME BACK TO US.
UM, BUT WE WERE HAPPY TO HAVE THE 14 NEW ONES THAT WE DID.
WE HAD A SPONSOR FOR OUR T-SHIRTS.
WE HAD A SEMI-TRUCK PARKED UP FRONT, UH, ADVERTISING, HIRING IN LAW FOR TRUNKING TRUCKING OUT OF HARTFORD.
UM, WE HAD SOME PODS DONATED FROM A LOCAL WEST BEND BUSINESS THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, JUST WANTED TO PUT THOSE OUT WITH THEIR NAME ON THE SIDE OF IT.
SO, UM, I, I WAS EXCITED ABOUT SOME OF THE NEW THINGS WE TRIED AND AGAIN, GAINING MOMENTUM IN THAT AREA.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, ALSO WE INVESTED IN THE EXPERIENCES IN THE EXHIBITOR AREA.
WE ADDED IPADS FOR JUDGING IN THE ZIEGLER BUILDING.
WE DID A BIRDHOUSE BUILD OFF COMPETITION, UM, FULLY SPONSORED BY PRIVATE MONEY.
AND WE GAVE AWAY $2,000 TO, UH, COLLECTIVELY THREE DIFFERENT, UH, STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS.
UH, WHAT WE SAW WAS A LOT OF ACTIVITY, UM, FUNDRAISING WITH THE LIVESTOCK AUCTION, AND WE DIDN'T REALLY HAVE ANYTHING COMPARABLE IN THE NON LIVESTOCK EXHIBITORS.
SO THIS, I THINK, CREATED, UM, SOME EXCITEMENT AND ATTENTION, UM, WITH THOSE WONDERFUL YOUTH THAT, UM, HAVE LOTS OF INTERESTS IN FOUR H THAT MAY NOT BE, UM, ANIMAL RELATED.
SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO DOING SOMETHING SIMILAR IN 2026.
UM, AND THEN WE BROUGHT IN SOME NEW VENDORS AND NEW FOOD VENDORS.
IF YOU WERE AT THE FAIR AND YOU DID NOT GET YOUR PICTURE TAKEN WITH THE BLOWN UP LOBSTER, YOU MISSED AN AMAZING OPPORTUNITY.
UH, COUSIN'S MAIN LOBSTER WAS A BIG HIT, AND, UM, THAT BLOW OF LOST LOBSTER, UM, THAT, THAT WAS SUPER FUN FOR ALL.
SO THEY, THEY HAD A GREAT LITTLE BOOTH THERE AMONG MANY OTHER, UM, WONDERFUL VENDORS THAT WE BROUGHT IN IN 2025.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS ON THE FAIR BEFORE I MOVE OFF OF IT? I LOVE REVELING IN IT, UM, BECAUSE IT WAS, UM, A LOT OF FUN.
I HOPE IF YOU DID COME, YOU HAD A NICE TIME.
AND ON THAT NOTE, UM, AND JUST TO HIGHLIGHT HERE, THIS LAST YEAR, SOME OF THE, UM, INVESTMENTS DONE AT THE FAIRGROUNDS.
UM, I'LL, I'LL LEAVE THIS TO THE GROUP, BUT I, I WANT TO, UM, COMMENT THAT, YOU KNOW, NOT ONLY DID THE COUNTY STEP UP THIS LAND USE AND PLANNING COMMITTEE IN APPROVING THE HORSE, UM, THE HORSE ARENAS RESURFACING, WHICH JUST OUTSTANDING AND, AND I THINK WELL DONE MUCH NEEDED, UM, HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT ADDED, UH, IMPROVED SOME OF THE DRIVEWAYS COMING INTO THOSE NEW NORTH PARKING LOTS THAT THE COUNTY RECENTLY INVESTED IN.
UM, AND THEN JUST UPDATING THINGS, PAINT.
UM, WE HAD ONE OF OUR, OUR BOARD MEMBERS REPAINT THE LION.
UM, HE GOT A GLOW UP, AS THEY SAY NOWADAYS IN HOLLYWOOD, SO LONG OVERDUE.
AND IT WAS A LOT OF LITTLE THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, THE A A IS STAFF, UM, THEY REDID A LOT OF THE LANDSCAPING OUTSIDE OF THE PAVILION AND DIFFERENT LANDSCAPING AROUND THE BERMS. UM, JUST REALLY CLEANING THINGS UP.
[01:10:01]
UM, THE PUNCH LIST CONTINUES.UM, OUR TEAM REMODELED THE BATHROOMS AND THE SMALL ANIMAL BARN.
AND THEN OF COURSE, AS YOU KNOW, THE NEW CONSTRUCTION PROJECT IS, IS ONGOING AT THE FAIR PARK.
UM, YOU KNOW, THAT IS, UM, REALLY EXCITING.
I THINK THESE, JAMIE'S BEEN DOING AN AMAZING JOB OF, UM, EXTENDING THE COUNTY'S FUNDING FOR THAT IS, UH, YOU KNOW, AS FAR AS IT COULD GO AND, AND, AND KEEPING THINGS DEFINITELY WITHIN AND UNDER, I THINK THE ORIGINAL SCOPE OF BUDGET.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE MOVING FORWARD.
THERE ARE FEW CONSTRUCTION SETBACKS AND TIMING THINGS WE FOUND THAT, UM, WE'VE HAD TO DEAL WITH.
BUT THE COLLABORATION HAS BEEN GREAT.
AND LIKE I SAID, THE EXCITEMENT IS GROWING.
PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FORWARD, UH, TO SEEING THE RENOVATIONS AT THE FAIR PARK.
THEY'RE SUBSTANTIALLY THROUGH MOST OF THE LIGHTING.
I'M NOT SURE IF YOU'VE GIVEN AN UPDATE ON THAT PROJECT TO THE COUNTY BOARD.
THEN I WILL LEAVE IT WITH JAMIE.
UM, BUT, UM, ON BEHALF OF THE RESIDENTS OF WASHINGTON COUNTY AND, AND ON BEHALF OF THE ORGANIZATION THAT RUNS THE EVENT CENTER 12, YOU KNOW, THE 12 MONTHS OUT OF THE YEAR, UM, IT IS A WELCOME INVESTMENT AND, AND LIKE I SAID, UM, WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT, CONTINUING TO MOVE FORWARD.
UM, TALKING ABOUT OUR STRATEGIC GOALS, AGAIN, THIS IS A, A PRESENTATION SLIDE THAT HAS BEEN SHARED, UH, WITH THIS COMMUNITY, THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE AND THE COUNTY BOARD IN THE PAST, AS WELL AS THE A IS MEMBERSHIP AND THE A IS BOARD.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS A LOT OF WORK THAT HAS BEEN DONE, UM, IN THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS.
AND KIND OF WHERE WE ARE ON THAT PATH TOWARDS MEETING OUR MISSION STATEMENT AND ACHIEVING THOSE STRATEGIC GOALS, UM, REALLY IS CONTINUED FOCUS ON OUR PROFITABILITY ACHIEVEMENT.
UM, AND AS WE LOOK AT 2026, UM, TARGETING SHARE GAME, UH, WE CONTINUE TO HAVE VERY HIGH QUOTE LEVELS IN THE LAST FOUR TO FIVE MONTHS.
AND FOR EVENTS THAT ARE NEW EVENTS TO US, AND, UM, THINGS THAT ARE NOT JUST A, I DON'T WANNA SAY JUST, BUT NOT LIKE A PRIVATE WEDDING SPACE OR USE FOR A PRIVATE PARTY.
UH, WE'VE GOT SOME NEW EVENTS COMING IN.
UM, HOTSHOT OVENS IN WEST BEND IS GOING TO BE DOING, UH, A TWO DAY, TWO DAY RENTAL AND A ONE DAY EVENT, UM, FOR THEIR DISTRIBUTORS AND CUSTOMERS KIND OF A COME OUT AND I THINK THEY'RE GONNA BLOW GLASS AND MELT STUFF AND DO THINGS IN THEIR KILNS.
SO THAT'S EXCITING THAT A LOCAL BUSINESS HAS CALLED OUT AND REACHED OUT.
UH, WE HAVE IN 2026, I'VE MENTIONED THIS PREVIOUSLY, A NEW SHOW COMING IN FROM MICHIGAN THAT'S GONNA BE DOING A SHOW HERE THAT'S GONNA BRING, UM, ALL OF THE EXHIBITORS AS WELL AS THEIR CUSTOMERS.
IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S A TRADE FAIR, UM, TO THE COUNTY.
SO THEY'LL BE STAYING IN OUR HOTELS AND EATING AT OUR RESTAURANTS.
UM, SO THAT'S GONNA BE HAPPENING IN MARCH.
THAT SAME PROMOTER HAS REACHED OUT TO ADD A SIMILAR SHOW, UM, IN THE VEIN OF LIKE A SPORTS SHOW, SO BUSINESSES THAT SELL SPORTS GEAR AND SPORTING EQUIPMENT IN JANUARY OF 2027.
SO WE'RE VERY EXCITED THAT WE'RE GETTING SOME OF THESE WINS IN WHAT I WOULD CONSIDER RECURRING INDUSTRY AND BUSINESS TYPE OF EVENTS THAT SEE THE VALUE IN THE LOCATION.
'CAUSE IT'S BRINGING IN PEOPLE FROM IOWA AND MINNESOTA, WISCONSIN, AND NORTHERN ILLINOIS.
THAT'S KIND OF ONE OF THE THINGS WE WANNA LOOK AT.
AND SEEING THE, YOU KNOW, THE VALUE WE HAVE IN, IN THE SQUARE FOOTAGE AND THE SPACE AND THE ACCESSIBILITY.
SO I'VE GOT NUMEROUS EXAMPLES, I WON'T BORE YOU WITH THOSE.
UM, BUT ON OUR STRATEGIC INITIATIVES ARE, YOU KNOW, THAT CONTINUED TARGETED SHARE GAIN FOR WHAT I WOULD CALL, YOU KNOW, GOOD BUSINESS.
IT'S THE KIND OF STUFF THAT WE WANT.
I WANNA ALSO HIGHLIGHT THAT WE ARE WORKING WITH A LOCAL NOT-FOR-PROFIT.
UH, CASA GUADALUPE DOES A LATINA FESTIVAL IN WEST SPEND ANNUALLY IN SEPTEMBER.
SO FOR SEVERAL YEARS I'VE BEEN TALKING WITH THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND THE CA CASA GUADALUPE BOARD, UM, ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF MOVING THAT EVENT.
AND I'M PROUD TO ANNOUNCE THAT EVENT WILL BE MOVING TO THE WASHINGTON COUNTY FAIR PARK IN SEPTEMBER OF 2026.
UM, THEY ARE PLANNING BIGGER AND BETTER.
THEY ARE EXCITED BEYOND BELIEF.
AND WHILE THAT PARTICULAR EVENT IN YEAR ONE WILL NOT BE A BIG MONEY MAKER FOR A ISI DO THINK THAT THE WAY WE'VE STRUCTURED THE RELATIONSHIP AND THE AGREEMENT, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE A NOT-FOR-PROFIT AS WELL.
SO AS THEY CAN GROW THAT EVENT AND ONCE THEY HIT THEIR HURDLE, THEN BOTH ORGANIZATIONS WILL SHARE IN THE BENEFIT OF THAT EVENT GROWING AND GOING OUT TO A NEWER CAMPUS.
'CAUSE THEY LITERALLY COULD NOT DO ANYTHING ELSE WITHIN THEIR CURRENT FOOTPRINT, FOOTPRINT AT RAGNER PARK.
SO, VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT EVENT, VERY EXCITED ABOUT WHAT THAT CAN BE IN SEVERAL YEARS FROM
[01:15:01]
NOW.UM, YOU KNOW, SEEING IT BEING, I DON'T WANNA SAY A MINI COUNTY FAIR, BUT YOU KNOW, IT WILL BE A THREE DAY EVENT, UM, THAT THEY'RE HOSTING.
AND I REALLY LOOK FORWARD TO ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY, UH, TO BRING PEOPLE INTO THE FAIRGROUNDS AND SEE WHAT AN AMAZING CAMPUS IT IS AND UTILIZE IT BOTH INSIDE THE BUILDINGS AND OUTSIDE ON THE CAMPUS.
SO, LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT HAPPENING IN 2026.
UM, WE'VE INITIATED THE NAMING RIGHTS, UH, DISCUSSIONS.
WE, UH, HAVE ONE PROPOSAL OUT THAT WE PITCHED IN OCTOBER, AND WE ARE EXPECTING AN ANSWER BACK, UM, BY THE END OF THE CALENDAR YEAR.
UM, AND WE CONTINUE TO WORK ON WHAT THAT FRAMEWORK LOOKS LIKE, UM, AND WHAT THE PRICE POINTS ARE.
SO WHILE WE HAVEN'T APPROACHED MANY OF OUR CUSTOMERS YET, WE DO HAVE AT LEAST AN INITIAL DESIGN ON, WE HAVE A FRAMEWORK FOR THE PRICING AND AN INITIAL DESIGN ON, UM, WHAT THAT MARKETING PAMPHLET OR BROCHURE OR CONVERSATIONAL PIECE WOULD BE.
UM, SO THAT WHEN WE START 2026, WE CAN GO OUT IN EARNEST AND START MAKING THOSE CALLS WITH MATERIALS IN HAND.
SO WE HAVE MADE SOME PROGRESS THERE, WE'RE MOVING THAT FORWARD.
UM, AND I DO THINK WE WILL GET A POSITIVE RESPONSE, I HOPE, IN ANY CASE, UM, ON OUR FIRST PITCH RELATIVE TO THE NAMING RIGHTS.
UM, AND THEN, UH, AGAIN, LOOKING AT THE FAIR COMMITTEE, WE REALLY, UM, HAVE BEEN WORKING ON OUR BOARD, UH, THE DIVERSITY OF OUR A IS BOARD AND ITS REPRESENTATION.
AND NOW IN 2026, WE ARE GONNA SIMILARLY TAKE THAT SAME ACTION TO THE FAIR COMMITTEE.
UH, WE HAD ABOUT A DOZEN MEMBERS ON THE FAIR COMMITTEE IN THE TWO YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN HERE.
UH, I'M PROUD TO SAY THAT WE'VE ADDED SIX REALLY GOOD PEOPLE, UM, FROM VARIOUS DISCIPLINES AND LOCATIONS IN THE COUNTY TO THAT COMMITTEE.
AND WE LOOK TO PROBABLY AT ANOTHER 10 TO 15 MORE.
SO I LOOK AT PEER COUNTIES AND THE SIZE OF THEIR FAIR COMMITTEES AND WHAT WE NEED TO EXECUTE A FAIR OF OUR SIZE.
AND HONESTLY, WHAT WE NEED IS MORE VOLUNTEERS AND MORE FOLKS.
UM, YOU KNOW, BEING INVOLVED AT A PRE-PLANNING AND EXECUTION LEVEL, UM, WITH THE SMALL STAFF THAT WE HAVE GROWING THAT FAIR COMMITTEE WILL BE PARAMOUNT IN, IN ENSURING THE SUCCESS OF THE FAIR AND ENSURING THE SUCCESS OF THE STAFF AT A IS AND EXECUTING THAT EVENT.
SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO THOSE THINGS IN 2026.
AND THEN LASTLY, UM, I WANNA JUST KINDA LEAVE YOU WITH SOME PRELIM PRELIMINARY NUMBERS.
I KNOW THAT'S WHY YOU PROBABLY ASKED ME TO COME AND SPEAK HERE TONIGHT.
UM, WE HAD A LOSS, UH, YOU KNOW, REPORTED LOSS THIS YEAR.
WHAT I'M PROUD TO SAY IS THAT IT IS, UM, AN IMPROVEMENT YEAR OVER YEAR, WHILE WE JUST HAVE A RANGE.
THIS IS, UH, WE ARE STILL KIND OF FINALIZING THINGS AND GOING THROUGH THE FOURTH QUARTER, UH, FINANCIAL RECONCILIATIONS.
UM, BUT WE ARE, YOU KNOW, WELL ABOVE WHERE WE THOUGHT WE WOULD BE RELATIVE TO THE BUDGET.
UH, I DID NOT SANDBAG JAMIE, AS YOU KNOW, THAT WAS NOT A SANDBAGGED NUMBER.
WE, WE WORKED TOGETHER ON THAT.
UM, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE PROUD THAT WE'RE MAKING PROGRESS.
SO OF COURSE WE WOULD LOVE TO SAY THAT WE'VE GOTTEN TO THE END GAME ON THAT PROFITABILITY ACHIEVEMENT, UM, AS WE WORK FORWARD.
UH, I I AM CONFIDENT THAT IT IS SUSTAINABLE PROGRESS.
THE THREE BULLET POINTS LISTED THERE UNDERNEATH THE GRAPH, UM, IN INCLUDES SOME, UM, INHERENT OPPORTUNITIES THAT WILL JUST EVENTUALLY HAPPEN WITHOUT US HAVING TO DO MORE WORK.
IE WE STILL HAVE CONTRACTS THAT WERE SIGNED PRIOR TO THESE INITIATIVES AND THOSE CONTRACTS WE HAVE TO LIVE OUT.
UM, AND THOSE ARE NOT AT FAVORABLE MARKET PRICES.
THEY ARE SUBSTANTIALLY BELOW MARKET.
UM, AND WE WILL WORK THROUGH THOSE AND LIVE UP TO THOSE COMMITMENTS.
BUT AS THOSE COME DUE AND GO THROUGH THE HORIZON, THOSE WILL BE OPPORTUNITIES TO HELP US CONTINUE TO CLOSE THAT GAP.
UH, WE HAVE ABOUT NINE OF THOSE CONTRACTS LEFT, UM, ON OUR CALENDAR.
WE, UM, ALSO, YOU KNOW, JUST HAD PARTIAL REALIZATION OF SOME OF THE RESTRUCTURING ACTIONS THAT WE TOOK RELATIVE TO HEADCOUNT.
SO WE'LL HAVE A FULL YEAR OF THOSE IN 2026.
AND THEN LASTLY, UM, YOU KNOW, WITH THE CONSTRUCTION, WE DID BLOCK OUT DATES.
SOME OF THOSE WERE IN 2025, BUT WE ALSO HAVE SOME PERIODS AND WEEKS WHERE WE, UM, HAVE NO EVENTS IN SOME OF THE BUILDINGS.
SO THIS MAJOR WORK, LIKE REPAINTING THE EXHIBIT HALLS, YOU KNOW, INSTALLING WIRING IN THE EXHIBIT HALLS CAN HAPPEN, UM, UPDATING, YOU KNOW, RESTROOMS AND THINGS LIKE THAT THAT NEED LONGER BLOCKS OF TIME TO GET THROUGH.
SO WE CONSCIOUSLY TURNED AWAY BUSINESS IN ORDER TO TRY TO CREATE SOME
[01:20:01]
BLACKOUT PERIODS, UH, YOU KNOW, FOR THE CONSTRUCTION PROJECT, WHICH AGAIN, AS WE LOOK FORWARD, ONCE THOSE WEEKENDS ARE OPEN, YOU KNOW, WE DID TURN AWAY SOME, WHAT I WOULD KIND OF CALL PRIVATE EVENTS, BUSINESS, OUR RECURRING CORPORATE EVENTS AND THINGS THAT WE HOLD DEAR.UM, WE MADE SURE THAT THOSE HAD A SPOT ON THE CALENDAR, BUT SOME OF THE, WHAT I WOULD CALL WALK UP OR DROP IN BUSINESS, YOU KNOW, WE CONSCIOUSLY TURNED AWAY.
SO THOSE ARE SOME NEAR TERM OPPORTUNITIES THAT ONCE WE'RE THROUGH THIS, UM, WE'LL HAVE OPPORTUNITIES FOR HIGHER UTILIZATION.
I WANNA LEAVE THIS BOARD REALLY WITH, UM, OR THIS COMMITTEE REALLY WITH JUST THE, THE ACTION LIST ON THE RIGHT.
UM, THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT I THINK WILL CONTINUE TO CREATE SUCCESS IN THIS PARTNERSHIP WITH THE COUNTY BOARD, THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE AND A IS UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT THINGS GOING IN A GREAT DI DIRECTION.
THESE ARE THE TENANTS THAT WE NEED TO OPERATE ON.
I CANNOT SAY WITH ENOUGH EMPHASIS HOW MUCH THE SUPPORT FROM THIS COMMITTEE AND THE COUNTY BOARD HAS MEANT IN THIS ENDEAVOR.
I DON'T, I KNOW THERE'S SOME HISTORY, BUT I HAD NEVER ONCE FELT ANY OF THAT IN ANY OF THE CONVERSATIONS.
QUITE THE CONTRARY, I FELT EXTREMELY SUPPORTED.
AND I'VE SAID THIS BEFORE, BUT JAMIE HAS BEEN AN AMAZING PERSON TO WORK WITH.
SO THANK YOU TO THE COUNTY BOARD AND THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE FOR, UH, PROVIDING HER TO US IN THE CAPACITY THAT SHE SERVES.
I'M READY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS OTHER THAN SAYING THANK YOU.
AND WE'LL SEE YOU AT NEXT YEAR'S FAIR.
WE'RE ACTUALLY DOWN TO 214 DAYS.
I PULLED THIS OUT YESTERDAY, SO, UM, MARK YOUR CALENDARS.
I'D REC, UH, RECOGNIZE SUPERVISOR, CAROL, MARY.
I THINK ANY THANK YOUS NEED TO GO TO YOU, STACY.
UH, PERHAPS I'VE GOT A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE ON THIS COMMUNITY OR THE COUNTY BOARD WORKING WITH A IS BECAUSE OF THE WAY THINGS EVOLVED OVER A PERIOD OF YEARS.
BUT I THINK YOU'RE THE BEST THING THAT'S HAPPENED TO THE COUNTY FAIR SINCE IT OPENED 26 YEARS AGO.
UH, I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH EVERYBODY HERE KNOWS, UH, THAT SHE SHOULD HAVE BEEN GIVEN HAZARDOUS DUTY PAY BECAUSE THE DAY SHE CAME ON BOARD, IT WAS LANDMINE AFTER LANDMINE AFTER LANDMINE, WHETHER IT WAS STAFF OR IT WAS CONTRACTS THAT WERE STARTED YEARS AGO ON A HANDSHAKE WITH NO PAPERWORK AND TRYING TO GET PEOPLE TO UPGRADE TO MODERN TIMES AND CONTRACTS WITH NO D NO SUNSETS ON 'EM.
AND YOUR, YOUR TURNOVER AT STAFF, UH, YOU'VE BEEN SELECTIVE.
UH, IT'S ABSOLUTELY NIGHT AND DAY FROM WHAT THIS ORGANIZATION HAD TWO AND A HALF YEARS AGO BEFORE YOU CAME ON BOARD.
UH, REALIZE THAT THE FINANCES AREN'T THERE YET, BUT YOU HAVE SET THE STAGE.
I MEAN, YOU PERSONALLY, WITH YOUR PROFESSIONALISM AND YOUR DRIVE AND YOUR ENTHUSIASM, YOU HAVE SET THE STAGE FOR A IS TO DEVELOP THIS INTO THE FUTURE AFTER YOU'VE, YOU'VE LEFT THIS, I THINK EVERYBODY KNOWS HERE.
SHE'S LEAVING THIS, UH, I DIDN'T, DIDN'T SHE GET THE MEMO? THAT LEAVES HAVE BEEN CANCELED CASE EITHER
BUT ANYWAY, UM, THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU BROUGHT TO A IS TO THE STAFF, TO EVERYTHING TO THE IMAGE OF WASHINGTON COUNTY FAIR, FAIR PARK.
UH, YOU STARTED OUT WITH YOUR COMMENTS TODAY, SAY GOOD THINGS.
THAT'S ALL WE'VE SEEN HAPPENING AT THAT PROPERTY ON HIGHWAY 45 SINCE YOU CAME ON BOARD.
GOOD THINGS, UH, WE'RE OBVIOUSLY DOING A GREAT DEAL TO ENHANCE THAT BEYOND MM-HMM
YOUR BEING HERE, BUT I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN SUCH A TREMENDOUS DRIVER.
UH, AND IT'S JUST, I, I WORKED WITH THE STAFF YEARS AGO OR TRIED TO WORK WITH THE STAFF AND ANY UP, UP TO FOUR YEARS AGO, AND THE ATTITUDE, YOU WALK INTO FAIR PARK NOW AND YOU'RE GREETED WITH A SMILE AND PEOPLE ARE ANXIOUS TO SAY, HEY, HOW, WHAT CAN I DO FOR YOU? AS OPPOSED TO, YEAH, WHAT DO YOU WANT? KIND OF SITUATIONS AND OH, THANK YOU.
YOU, YOU, IF, I GUESS I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH AND I'LL JUST SHUT UP, BUT JUST SAY THANK YOU.
YOU'VE DONE A PHENOMENAL JOB AND THANK YOU FOR SETTING THE STAGE FOR THE GROWING A IS INTO WHAT I THINK WE ALL HAVE A VISION IT CAN BE, AND THE FAIR PARK.
SO THANK YOU, STACY, IT'S BEEN A PLEASURE TO HAVE WORKING WITH YOU.
IT HAS BEEN A PLEASURE WORKING WITH ALL OF YOU.
I SAID EARLIER IN MY COMMENTS, YOU KNOW, PRIVATELY THAT, UM, I WANNA THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY.
UM, THE, AGAIN, THE SUPPORT OF THIS COMMITTEE IN, IN FUNDING THIS ROLE IN, IN MAKING THIS HAPPEN.
AND, YOU KNOW, ULTIMATELY SELECTING ME, I FEEL HONORED TO HAVE BEEN IN THAT POSITION.
[01:25:01]
UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S ON YOU.SO THANK YOU FOR THE GRATITUDE, BUT YOU ALL MADE THAT DECISION HAPPEN BECAUSE YOU SAW THAT SOMETHING NEEDED TO BE DONE.
AND ALSO, LIKE I SAID, THANK YOU FOR THE SUPPORT THAT I'VE GOTTEN AND THE, THE MENTORSHIP AND THE, THE COACHING AND GUIDANCE, UM, FROM, FROM JAMIE AND THE OTHERS ON THIS BOARD, VERY MEANINGFUL, COULD NOT HAVE DONE THAT WITHOUT THAT SUPPORT.
UM, TRULY BECAUSE THAT CHANGE IS VERY HARD.
IT IS VERY HARD FOR PEOPLE TO, YOU KNOW, HAVE THOSE CHANGES.
AS YOU KNOW, SOME OF, UM, THOSE CHANGES WERE BROUGHT FORWARD TO THIS BOARD IN TERMS OF DISCONTENT WITH, WITH THAT.
AND SO I APPRECIATE THAT SUPPORT THROUGH THAT CHANGE BECAUSE THAT'S NOT AN EASY THING.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.
I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU, BUT I'M GONNA HAVE COME AND HAVE A GREAT TIME.
AND UH, I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO JUST REITERATE THAT, UM, YOU AND I HAVE CERTAINLY HAD OUR CONVERSATIONS, UM, AND I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU'VE DONE.
UM, AND EVEN BEFORE CAROL'S TIME, I REMEMBER WHAT THE RELATIONSHIP USED TO BE AND IT WAS PRETTY WILD
UM, BUT NOW WHEN YOU LOOK AT, AT WHAT'S GOING ON, WHERE WE'RE AT AND HOW MUCH IMPROVEMENT THERE HAS BEEN WITH A IS AND CERTAINLY THIS COMMITTEE AND THE BOARD AS A WHOLE IN JUST THE RELATIONSHIP, AND I THINK THAT THAT KIND OF DOESN'T GET ACKNOWLEDGED ENOUGH BECAUSE THAT'S SUPER IMPORTANT.
UM, AND, AND, AND CERTAINLY YOU HAD A, A HUGE HAND IN THAT.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH, UM, AND CONTINUE TO SUCCESS TO YOU.
ITEM C 2025, ALPHABET SOUP, WILDLIFE DAMAGE AND ABATEMENT PROGRAM CLAIMS MOST.
HI, I'M MIKE BERG WITH USDA WILDLIFE SERVICES AND I'M HERE TO DISCUSS, UM, THE CLAIM DENIAL FOR GERALD SCHMIDT FOR 2025.
UM, THERE'S BASICALLY TWO REQUIREMENTS THAT NEED TO BE MET IN ORDER TO PAY OUT CLAIMS. ONE OF 'EM BEING A HARVEST OBJECTIVE AND ONE OF 'EM BEING ALLOW PUBLIC HUNTING.
THAT'S WHERE THE FUNDS COME FROM TO PAY THE CLAIMS OUT.
UM, GERALD RECEIVED HIS, HIS, UM, PERMITS IN FEBRUARY AND HE HAD TILL SEPTEMBER 15TH, HE ONLY NEEDED TO REMOVE FOUR DEER.
HE SHOT TWO IN THAT TIMEFRAME.
AND, UM, THAT TYPICALLY IS GROUNDS TO, TO DENY THE CLAIM.
SO I TALKED IT OVER WITH, UM, COUNTY BIOLOGIST STEPHEN PETERSON AND THE HEAD OF THE PROGRAM, UM, CHRIS KAISER.
UM, AND I ALSO DISCUSSED IT WITH GERALD HIMSELF.
GERALD'S BEEN IN THE PROGRAM FOR A LONG TIME.
HE ACTUALLY BROUGHT IT UP TO ME WHEN I WAS OUT ASSESSING HIS OATS THAT HE WAS GONNA BE SHORT ON IT AND HE KNEW THAT THAT WAS A, A POTENTIAL CONSEQUENCE.
SO, UM, EVERYONE'S ON ON BOARD AND, AND KIND OF KNOWS THAT THIS IS THE ROAD WE'RE HEADING DOWN.
BUT, UM, AS IT STANDS NOW, UM, WE'RE PLANNING TO DENY HIS CLAIM FOR 2025 AS A FAILURE TO, TO MEET HIS HARVEST OBJECTIVE.
SO IS THERE ANY, ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW THAT KIND OF PLAYS OUT? SUPERVISOR KRES, IF, IF HE FAILED TO MEET HIS OBJECTIVE OR QUOTA FOR THIS YEAR, IS HE ALLOWED TO PARTICIPATE IN FUTURE YEARS? HE IS.
SO RIGHT NOW HE IS, HE IS ENROLLED IN WHAT WE CALL A WM 40, WHICH MEANS HE HAD A THOUSAND DOLLARS CLAIM AND HE DOESN'T HAVE A 45 DAY HARVEST OBJECTIVE NEXT YEAR.
SO IF THEY HAVE LESS THAN A THOUSAND DOLLARS CLAIM, THEY HAVE TO MEET A 45 DAY OBJECTIVE AS WELL AS THE 80% OBJECTIVE.
HE DOES NOT HAVE TO GO BACK TO TO THAT.
HE INTENDS TO, UM, HE'S GONNA ENROLL JUST AS HE WAS THIS YEAR AND HOPEFULLY REMOVE HIS DEER AND CONTINUE ON.
UM, ONE OTHER QUESTION IS THAT DEER THAT HE REMOVES OR LIKE, IS, AND MAYBE THIS PROPERTY OWNER'S NOT INTERESTED IN IT, BUT CAN OTHERS REMOVE THE PROPERTY ON HIS BEHALF? YEP.
AND MO MOST ALL OF HIS DEER ARE REMOVED BY OTHER PEOPLE AND HE HAS HUNTERS COME IN AND, AND REMOVE 'EM.
UH, CHAIRMAN SLE, ISN'T IT UNUSUAL TO HAVE ONLY ONE CLAIM FOR A YEAR? YEAH, IT, IT ALL DEPENDS ON THE YEAR.
UM, MY NUMBER EN OF ENROLLEES HAS PRETTY MUCH REMAINED THE SAME.
I DID LOSE ONE ENROLLEE THAT PASSED AWAY LAST YEAR, BUT I ALWAYS PICK UP MORE ENROLLEES.
I GUESS ONE THING TO, TO MENTION, A LOT OF NEW ENROLLEES THAT ARE GETTING INTO IT AREN'T ENROLLING FULL PROGRAM.
A LOT OF 'EM ARE ENROLLING, YOU KNOW, ACT DUTY TWO, WHICH IS ONLY, UM, THE HARVEST PERMITS TO REDUCE THE, THE DEER ON THEIR PROPERTY.
UM, IT SEEMS LIKE MORE AND MORE NOWADAYS EVERYONE'S AFTER THE BIG BUCK AND THEY'RE WORRIED THAT, YOU KNOW, OPENING UP TO PUBLIC HUNTING IS, IS NOT GONNA ALLOW THAT OR, OR CHANGE THAT.
UM, THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT WILLING TO PAY A, A LOT OF MONEY TO LEASE LAND NOW TOO.