Lincoln SWCD

PO Box 32

Ivanhoe, MN  56142

P-507-694-1630, x3

F-507-694-1850

lincolnswcd.net

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LINCOLN SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT

Minutes of the Lincoln Soil and Water Conservation District, Regular Meeting, USDA Building, Ivanhoe, MN, December 17, 2008.

Meeting called to order by the Chairman, Daniel Christianson, at 2:10 p.m.

Members Present:                  District Staff Present:                               NRCS Staff:

Daniel Christianson, Chair      Pauline VanOverbeke, Dist. Manager      Dennis Johnson, District Cons.

Glen Sorensen, Vice Chair     Terry Dybsetter, Education Coord.          Randy Sheik, Soil Con. Tech.

Conrad Schardin, Secretary   Ron Madsen, Engineering Tech.               Nathan Blankers, Soil Con.

Joe Weber, Treasurer            Dale Sterzinger, Cons. Tech.                   

John Boulton, PR&I Randy Kraus, Farm Bill Assist.                             

AGENDA: An updated agenda was distributed.

MINUTES: The minutes from the November 19, 2008 meeting, were approved as mailed.

TREASURER’S REPORT: Motion by Sorensen, seconded by Weber to approve the Treasurer’s Report for November, 2008. Affirmative: Christianson, Sorensen, Schardin, Weber and Boulton.  Opposed: None.  Motion Carried.

BILLS: Motion by Weber, seconded by Schardin to approve the payment of the bills for $32,700.77 (see attachment) and to approve the staff to sign year-end checks/bills.  Affirmative: Christianson, Sorensen, Schardin, Weber and Boulton.  Opposed: None.  Motion Carried.

WORKING LANDS INITIATIVE BILLS: Motion by Boulton, seconded by Sorensen to approve the WLI Payments as follows.  Affirmative: Christianson, Sorensen, Schardin, Weber and Boulton.  Opposed: None.  Motion Carried.

·        Circle S Properties LLC                       FY08-03                      $32,472.00               Incentive Payment

·        Hanson Brothers                                   FY08-04                      $25,582.86               Incentive Payment

·        James Kraus                                         FY08-02                      $  5,451.52               Incentive Payment

·        Randy Kraus                                        FY08-02                      $  5,451.52               Incentive Payment

·        Jean Ray                                              Project Exp.                 $  2,649.40               Seeding

·        Gill Sook                                              Project Exp.                 $  3,236.95               Restoration

                                                                  Totals                           $74,844.25

STATE COST-SHARE PAYMENT: Motion by Sorensen, seconded by Weber to approve the State Cost-Share payment for Contract #FY08-03 for Fehl Farms for a WSCB Project, C-S amount of $4,000.00.  Madsen was the Technician for the project.   Affirmative: Christianson, Sorensen, Schardin, Weber and Boulton.  Opposed: None.  Motion Carried.

TRANSFER OF FUNDS: Motion by Sorensen, seconded by Schardin to approve the transfer of $8,000 from the Money Market Savings Account to the Checking Account and to approve the staff to make an additional transfer to cover year-end bills if needed.  Affirmative: Christianson, Sorensen, Schardin, Weber and Boulton.  Opposed: None.  Motion Carried.

 

 

C.D. RENEWALS: Motion by Schardin, seconded by Boulton to renew the following C.D.’s for another 7 Months: CD#857190 for Purchases in the amount of $9,969.30; and CD#857968 for Compensated Absences in the amount of $11,293.29.  Affirmative: Christianson, Sorensen, Schardin, Weber and Boulton.  Opposed: None.  Motion Carried.

ACTUAL AND BUDGETED INCOME AND EXPENDITURE STATEMENT: VanOverbeke handed out the monthly and yearly actual and budgeted income and expenditure statement for November, 2008.

TRANSFER $1,800 FROM DISTRICT DOLLARS (FUNDS) TO THE DISTRICT COST-SHARE (STATE COST-SHARE) FY2008 SHORTAGE: Motion by Boulton, seconded by Sorensen to transfer $1,800 from the District Funds to the District C-S for FY08 State C-S Funds/Shortage.  Affirmative: Christianson, Sorensen, Schardin, Weber and Boulton.  Opposed: None.  Motion Carried.

STATE COST-SHARE APPROVALS: Motion by Schardin, seconded by Boulton to approve the following State Cost-Share Contracts:  Holly Barber, FY08-08 for $1,458 and John Drietz, FY08-09 for $2,324; both are tree practices and Sterzinger is the Technician for both projects/contracts.  Affirmative: Christianson, Sorensen, Schardin, Weber and Boulton.  Opposed: None.  Motion Carried.

RECOMMEND COST-SHARE CONTRACT TO RCRCA FOR APPROVAL: Motion by Weber, seconded by Schardin to recommend to the RCRCA the Cost-Share Contract for John Nibbe for WSCB’s for approval by the RCRCA Board and to authorize Sorensen to sign the contract on behalf of the SWCD.  Affirmative: Christianson, Sorensen, Schardin, Weber and Boulton.  Opposed: None.  Motion Carried.

STEP-INCREASES AND COST-OF-LIVING INCREASES: Motion by Boulton, seconded by Weber to approve the regular 3% Step-Increases for Madsen and Kraus and to approve a 3% Cost-of-Living increase to all employees.    Affirmative: Christianson, Sorensen, Schardin, Weber and Boulton.  Opposed: None.  Motion Carried.

SUPERVISOR COMPENSATION RATE INCREASE: Motion by Boulton, seconded by Sorensen to raise the Supervisor Compensation to $75.00 per meeting.  Discussion.  Affirmative: Sorensen, Schardin, and Boulton.  Opposed: Weber and Christianson.  Motion Carried.

MILEAGE RATE CHANGE: VanOverbeke explained that the mileage rate has been changed from $.585 per mile to $.55 per mile starting January 1, 2009, per the policy of the board to change whenever the IRS rate changes per guideline.

FLEXIBLE SPENDING ACCOUNT: Motion by Boulton, seconded by Sorensen, to leave the Flex Checking Account Balance at $5,000 and to raise the employee contribution to $3,000; contribution year being January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2009; and to have AFLAC administer the Flexible Spending Account.  Affirmative: Christianson, Sorensen, Schardin, Weber, and Boulton.  Opposed:  None.  Motion Carried.

MASWCD COMMITTEES: The MASWCD Committees request form was distributed to the Supervisors.

LINCOLN-LYON SWCD/WLI2009-#2 STATE OF MN ENCUMBRANCE WORKSHEET: Motion by Schardin, seconded by Sorensen to approve and sign the Lincoln-Lyon SWCD/WLI2009-#2 State of MN Encumbrance Worksheet for $100,500.  Affirmative: Christianson, Sorensen, Schardin, Weber and Boulton.  Opposed: None.  Motion Carried.

MN DOT-LIVING SNOW FENCE AGREEMENT NO.93795 AND RESOLUTIONS: Motion by Weber, seconded by Schardin to approve and sign the MN DOT Living Snow Fence Agreement #93795 and Resolutions.  Affirmative: Christianson, Sorensen, Schardin, Weber and Boulton.  Opposed: None.  Motion Carried.

 

 

OTHER ITEMS OF BUISNESS/HANDOUTS: VanOverbeke passed around MCIT Outstanding Loss Ration Excellence Certificate; and handed out copies of the BWSR Board Conservationist Areas and WCA Areas; and the MASWCD Lessard Outdoor Heritage Council Members.

JANUARY, 2009 REGULAR BOARD MEETING DATE: The January Regular Board Meeting has been changed to January 28, 2009, due to the RC&D meeting on January 21, 2009.  Brain storming meeting to follow on the Clean Water, Land and Legacy dollars.

REPORTS:

COUNTY COMMISSIONER’S REPORT: Curt Blumeyer, County Commissioner’s report follows:

· Finalize the budget on Thursday and working through the labor contract.

· Audit for 2007 will begin in January.

· Two new County Commissioners January, 2009.

DISTRICT MANAGER’S REPORT: Pauline VanOverbeke, District Manager’s report follows:

· Internet/2-year contract with Frontier.

· SWCD Year-End Reporting: Compliance requirements will consist of submitting annual financial statements, submitting an annual report via eLINK, having an up-to-date comprehensive plan or a current resolution adopting an unexpired county local water plan; submitting an annual work plan along with the information provided in the 2008 SWCD Guidebook.

· Audit update; deadline for submission of 2007 audits is December 31, 2008.  BWSR will not penalize the SWCD if the delay is caused by the State Auditor.  Our audit is complete and per Holmberg has been sent to the State Auditor and to BWSR.

· WLI Update; 1099’s will need to be completed on all WLI Incentive payments.

· Will be working on W-2’s; W-3’s, Financial reports, annual plan, etc.

· Brain storming meeting to discuss clean water, land and legacy dollars and how the SWCD could spend money on projects if they had the money to do so.  Have discussed this with the staff.  Will meet after the January 28th board meeting and then will need to meet with the surrounding districts to discuss projects on a watershed basis.

· Handed out the Clean Water Councils recommendations for the Constitutional Amendment Dollars.

· LincPass for District employees will be from January 19-30, 2009 in Marshall.

· LCCMR News release and allocation recommendations handed out.

· Thank-you from Steve Sunderland for a good job done at the State Convention.

· Thank-you from John Jaschke for VanOverbeke participating in the eLINK 4Web testing phase.

· MCIT Divident is $2,328.

· Will need to pay Sales and Use Tax before the year-end.

· PERA 1-1-09 Employer increase from 6.5% to 6.75%.

· Upcoming meetings: RC&D on January 21, 2009.

EDUCATION COORDINATOR’S REPORT: Terry Dybsetter, Education Coordinator, reported that she has an education presentation and has been working on computer and printer setup.

ENGINEERING TECHNICIAN’S REPORT: Ron Madsen, Engineering Technician, report follows:

· Wrapping up contracts.  Would recommend that Bill Moldestad seek an amendment to the Darrell Thomsen C-S contract through RCRCA due to problems with the original outlet location/condition.

· 10-foot Haybuster NTD through the DNR Program has become available for us.  They will take the Truax back.  Motion by Boulton, seconded by Schardin to accept the 10’ Haybuster NTD and release the Truax NTD.  Affirmative: Christianson, Sorensen, Schardin, Weber and Boulton.  Opposed: None.  Motion Carried.

·  

 

· Sterzinger reported that he checked into the purchase of other drills.  Results: Great Plans 10’ Drill-$27,680 and a Truax 12’ Drill-$23,568.

CONSERVATION TECHNICIAN’S REPORT: Dale Sterzinger, Conservation Technician, report follows:

· Accounts Receivable (2008) of $133.93.

· Trees: Riparian buffer-19,000 trees; 3-living snow fence projects.

· WCA: Developed a form for WCA for use starting January 1, 2009; Kane Radel will be on the WCA Technical Panel; Finished tile requests.

· Shaokatan Sportsmen Club Dollars (approx. $30,000) will be used for projects around Lake Shaokatan.

FARM BILL ASSISTANT’S REPORT: Randy Kraus, Farm Bill Assistant reported on the WLI Payments.

DISTRICT CONSERVATIONIST’S REPORT: Dennis Johnson, District Conservationist, report follows:

· EQIP signup early winter; file the projects.

· Audit for every NRCS office-86 contracts audited in Lincoln County.

· Signature on contracts.

The next meeting of the Lincoln SWCD will be on Wednesday, January 28, 2009 at 10:00 a.m. with a brain storming meeting to follow on the Constitutional Amendment (3/8 of 1% tax)

The meeting declared adjourned by the Chairman, Christianson, at 3:20 p.m.

APPROVED:    ______________________________     _________________________________

                                                  DATE                                                       SIGNATURE