2.         Analysis titled: 2006 Land Conservation Department, Recycling Program Budget Analysis, (8/25/05).  The analysis explains how the recycling budgets were developed within the prescribed budget guidelines. 

            Revenue:

•           As responsible unit (RU), the County maintained its current portion of 2006 recycling grant (20% of allocation).  The remainder will be distributed to municipalities using the current distribution formula.

                        •           Applied the annual 2006 Recycling Efficiency Grant award to temporarily offset the County tax levy. 

Note:  With regard to the use of $35,832 in anticipated revenue from the Recycling Efficiency Incentive (REI) grant, followed the LCC directive established through  motion (3/17/05) to “Apply the 2006 grant revenue , if received, to temporarily offset the 2006 County tax levy, with the understanding that if this grant is not received in 2006, the tax levy will be returned to the historic levy allocation used to fund the recycling program before it was first deferred using REI grants in 2003".

                       •           Maintained the City of Chippewa Falls contract at the current rate through December, 2006.  Propose to negotiate the contracted rate and clarify the job duties for the next contract, effective January, 2007.

            Expenses

                        •           Absorbed the salaries/fringes step increase for Recycling Coordinator.

                        •           Maintained and adjusted service contract with Midwest Recycling Association for staff services.  (Increased by 3%).

                        •           Adjusted contracted services with Waste Research and Reclamation for the Clean Sweep program.  (Decreased by 13%).

                        •           Adjusted Information/Education line item for special recycling programs.  (Decreased by 13%).

D. Masterpole reported that the 2006 Land Conservation Department budgets have been prepared according to Finance Committee guidelines (3% levy increase). 

D. Masterpole distributed and the Committee reviewed the following material (mailed 8/23/05):

1.         Summary table titled: Draft 2006 Budget Summaries, Chippewa County Land Conservation Department (8/23/04).  The table is a spreadsheet which shows line item expenses and revenues for the following proposed LCD budgets:

                        #100-52-57410  Land Conservation Department

                        #100-52-57416  Nonpoint Source

                        #100-52-57417  SWRM

                        #100-52-57423  Gravel Pits

                        #100-52-57424  Farmer’s Fund

                        #100-52-57425  CREP Fund

                        #100-52-57414  Plan/Zone Project

2.         Analysis titled:  2006 Land Conservation Department, Conservation Program Budget Analysis, (LCC 8/23/05).  The analysis explains how the Land Conservation Department budgets were developed within the prescribed budget guidelines.

            •#100-52-57410 - Land Conservation Department.

                        Revenues

                        •Maintained locally generated revenue sources at existing levels.

                        Expenses

                        •Implemented the final phase of the LCC Five Year Staff Transition Plan (Will

                        eliminate 1.0 FTE Resource Inventory Specialist position (25% levy funded).

                        •Will replace 1.0 FTE Project Engineer position at hire rate (55% levy funded).

                        •Have applied the personnel savings from these staff adjustments to:

                                    A.        Partially offset the negotiated increases in salary and fringe benefits.

                                    B.         Adjust select line items in operations budget.

                        •Froze all remaining line items in operations budget.

                        •Deferred all capital improvement requests.

            •54717 - Local Assistance Staffing Grant (SWRM)

                        Revenues

                        •Planned for anticipated reductions in state generated staffing grants.  (Staffing grant

                        reduced from $283,082 in 2005 to $177,000 in 2006, staffing grants allocated to county

                        based on state’s new 100% - 70% - 50%  - 50% formula.)

                        Expenses

                        •Implemented final phase of the LCC Five Year Staff Transition Plan.  (Will eliminate

                        1.0 FTE Resource Inventory Specialist position - 75% state grant funded).

                        •Cut hours of part time service support from 3,120 hours to 1,200 hours - 1 FTE.

                        •Will replace 1.0 FTE Conservation Specialist at hire rate (100% state grant funded).

                        •Cut contracted service support (community outreach, records management, and

                        computer program applications).

            •Non Tax Levy Accounts (#100-52-57425 - CREP, #100-52-57416 - Nonpoint Source,

            #100-52-57424 - Farmer’s Fund, #100-52-57422 - Stormwater, #100-52-57414 - Lakes

            Planning, #100-52-57423 - Gravel Pits).  No tax levy is allocated to these accounts.

            Expenditures equal revenues.

                        Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program Budget

                        •$2,000,000 grant has been awarded to the LCC for conservation easements, 15 year

                        agreements and cost share payments to agricultural landowners. 

                        •There is no direct funding for staff or program support.  Expenses are absorbed

                        through the LCD conservation program budget.

                        Agricultural Nonpoint Source Pollution Control Budgets

                        •These accounts are used to distribute cost share grants which enable landowners to

                        control nonpoint runoff pollution.  (State cost share grant has been reduced from

                        $399,305 in 2005 to $60,000 in 2006.

                        Urban Stormwater Planning Budget

                        •County is obligated to develop stormwater management plan.  Plan being funded

                        through state grant.  Anticipate project completed in 2005.

                        •Developed 2006 stormwater permit fee structure.  Fees will be used to offset cost of

                        DNR WPDES permit and information/education component of new stormwater

                        management program.

                        Lakes Planning Budget

                        •Will apply nonlapsing funds ($25,000) to pursue Lakes Protection Grant for Wild

                        Lakes Initiative (property or easement acquisition).

                        Gravel Pit Reclamation Budget

                        •County is obligated to insure non-metallic mines are reclaimed.

                        •Funded by industry (100%).

                        •Increased fees by 4% to adjust for inflation.

                        •Fees will be used to partially cover staff expenses of Project Engineer (45%) and an

                        industry sponsored site specific reclamation demonstration project.          

There was general discussion regarding the management approach and assumptions used in preparing

the budgets.   Additional discussion focused on the specific line item expenses and revenues as

proposed. 

Motion to adopt the Recycling and Land Conservation Department budgets at 3% and forward these

budgets to the Finance Committee: Rineck/Dahl.  Motion carried.

The Committee reviewed budget guidance pertaining to Committee requests for long-term capitol

improvement projects.

D. Masterpole distributed and the Committee reviewed a proposal titled:  A Funding Proposal to

Pursue Corporate Matching Grants Using New Appropriations to the Chippewa County Stewardship

Fund, (LCD 8/24/05).

The proposal provides the following information as it applies to the County Stewardship Fund.

            •Background of Stewardship Fund.

            •Program Structure and Utility.

            •Fund Appropriations.

            •Past Use of Fund.

            •Overview of Year 2006 Proposal.

Under the proposal:

•A three (3) year funding allocation is requested to resume the funding allocations (initially planned

under a 10 year funding schedule) established in 1998. 

A $100,000 allocation is requested for each of the years 2006, 2007, and 2008.  In the event corporate

or outside matching grants are not gained, annual requests will be deferred.

•This allocation will be used exclusively to exercise the external matching provisions of the Chippewa

County Stewardship Fund.  Under this approach, County funds would be used as local match to

access grant programs offered by corporate interests and nationally based non-profit organizations and

endowments.

•To assure cost efficiency, the appropriated funds will be targeted toward high priority areas of the

County to achieve land use and resource management objectives, as defined in the Chippewa County

Land and Water Resource Management Plan, and the Chippewa County Forest and Parks 10 Year Plan.

There was general discussion regarding the proposal. 

There was general agreement that action on the proposal be deferred until the next LCC meeting.

The next LCC meeting was scheduled for Thursday, September 15, 2005, at 7:30 a.m.

Motion to adjourn: Michels/Rineck.

The meeting was adjourned at approximately 9:05 a.m.