Mar 24, 2026 Board of Commissioners

[Call Board of Commissioners Meeting to Order]

[00:00:06]

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.

WELCOME, EVERYONE. FIRST ITEM IS BUSINESSES TO SILENCE CELL PHONES.

AND THEN AFTER THAT, WE'LL MOVE TO THE APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA. THE AGENDA WAS

[Approval of Agenda]

I'LL MOVE IT. SECONDED.

ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. NEXT ITEM IS APPROVAL OF THE CONSENT AGENDA.

[Approval of Consent Agenda]

[Public Appearances]

GIVE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS. MY NAME IS TIM WEIBEL, 45438 541ST AVENUE, PORTLAND, MINNESOTA.

I'M HERE IN REGARDS TO DITCH 86.

WE HAVEN'T HEARD NOTHING FROM THE COUNTY ON THIS.

WE ALL KNOW THAT THE THE DILEMMA THAT IS IS OUT THERE.

CAN ANYBODY SAY ANYTHING? CAN YOU HAVE A MEETING WITH US PROPERTY OWNERS OR ANYTHING ABOUT THIS? YOU KNOW, TO ME, IT'S RIDICULOUS. WE HAVE A BRAND NEW BUILDING.

WE JUST HAD A NEW BUILDING PUT OVER A BRAND NEW BUILDING, AND WE HAVE TO PAY FOR THIS BECAUSE OF WHY? THAT'S A QUESTION I HAVE.

I PAID FOR A NEW BUILDING AND HAD TO HAVE A NEW BUILDING PUT OVER IT BECAUSE THE EXISTING THE NEW BUILDING THAT INITIALLY WAS PUT THERE, LEAKED SO BAD THAT THAT WAS THE OPTION THAT WAS MOVED FORWARD.

IT'S INCREDIBLE AND WE HEAR NOTHING ABOUT IT.

ZERO. I'M I'M PEOPLE DON'T HAVE ANY IDEA HOW FRUSTRATED I AM.

YOU KNOW, WE TALK ABOUT THE KINGS.

YOU GUYS ARE KINGS. MOVE IT FORWARD.

LET US PROPERTY OWNERS KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON.

WE DON'T KNOW NOTHING.

ZERO. THAT'S ALL I'M ASKING.

JUST KEEP US INFORMED.

HAVE A MEETING. LET EVERYBODY KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON.

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR, IF I MAY.

I'M JUST. TIM, WHILE YOU'RE THERE.

WHEN YOU'RE WHEN YOU'RE ASKING FOR INFORMATION, ARE YOU ASKING FOR INFORMATION SPECIFICALLY ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT WHERE WE'RE AT IN TERMS OF LITIGATION WISE WITH THE WITH 86 A OR JUST IN, IN, IN GENERAL ABOUT WHAT'S ACTUALLY BEING DONE WITH.

80 6AI WOULD SAY THAT YOUR STATEMENT THERE IS PROBABLY INTERTWINED.

I WOULD SAY ALL OF THE ABOVE.

OKAY. ARE WE JUST, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF QUESTIONS OUT THERE BY A LOT OF FOLKS LIKE MYSELF ON THIS SYSTEM, AND WE GET NO RESPONSE.

YOU KNOW, WE DON'T KNOW FROM THE LAST TIME THAT WHENEVER THIS WAS TALKED ABOUT THE LAST TIME. I DON'T KNOW. BUT YOU KNOW, WE'RE IN AN ENVIRONMENT, EVERYBODY IN THE WHOLE ROOM HERE WITH THE COST OF LIVING THINGS THE WAY THEY ARE.

IT'S LIKE, FOR CRIMINY SAKES, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NOT A LOT OF PENNIES OUT THERE TO MOVE AROUND ANYMORE.

AND THAT'S A HUGE CONCERN OF MINE BECAUSE I KNOW WE'RE NOT AT WE'RE WE'RE AT THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG AS FAR AS THE COSTS OF, OF, OF THINGS GETTING CLEARED UP AND GETTING EVERYTHING FIXED ON THIS SYSTEM.

BUT THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

OKAY. WELL, I'M GOING TO GO OUT ON A LIMB HERE A LITTLE BIT ON NUMBER ONE IN TERMS OF LIKE THE LAST THING THAT'S BEEN DONE AND TALKED ABOUT WITH 86 A IN TERMS OF THE BUILDING, I KNOW WE ARE AGAIN WITH OUR NEW CONTRACTOR, WE'RE HAVING SOME TROUBLES WITH THEM FINISHING UP SOME PUNCH LIST ITEMS ON FINISHING THAT BUILDING OVER THE BUILDING. I UNDERSTAND YOUR PAIN IN TERMS OF HOW IT'S ARRIVED AND STUFF, BUT I MEAN, I KNOW IT'S BEEN TALKED ABOUT.

THEY THEY AGAIN, TRYING TO WORK WITH THE ONE AND ONLY CONTRACTOR THAT WE GOT A BID ON TO GET THAT BUILDING DONE, TO TRY TO AT LEAST ALLEVIATE THE PROBLEM WITH THE ELECTRICAL IN THE WATER.

WE KNEW WE HAD TO GET THAT DONE.

THE PUMPS HAVE BEEN PUT BACK IN FOR THE SPRING.

I KNOW THAT WE'RE WAITING ON.

WE'RE WAITING ON. I THINK I, I THINK THE CONTRACTOR, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, WE'VE GOT A CONTRACTOR ON THE SLIDE.

THE SLIDE GATES HAVE BEEN ORDERED AND WE'RE JUST THAT'LL, THAT'LL BE A TIMING ISSUE OF WHEN WE CAN PUT THEM IN.

WE OBVIOUSLY CAN'T DO THE WORK IN THE SPRING BECAUSE WE'RE NOT GOING TO TAKE YOUR PUMPS OUT AND ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF.

SO I MEAN, IT HAS BEEN TALKED ABOUT.

I MEAN, I GUESS IF WE HAVEN'T DONE A VERY GOOD JOB OF OF COMMUNICATING THAT, I MEAN, I KNOW WE, WE TALK ABOUT IT AT THE, AT THE BOARD MEETING OR AT THE DITCH MEETINGS WHEN, WHEN THEY HAPPEN OR WHEN THEY GO.

SO I KNOW THAT THEY ARE STILL DOING THINGS AND LOOKING AT TRYING TO RESOLVE THE ISSUES NOW. YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF CONTINUING THE THE REPAIRS AS OR IMPROVEMENTS,

[00:05:03]

AS FAR AS THE LITIGATION PORTION OF IT, I THINK, I MEAN, I THINK WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO FIND, THERE'S NOT REALLY GOING TO BE ANY COMMUNICATION ON THAT ON, ON THE LITIGATION LITIGATION.

AND I'D PROBABLY JUST LET MICHELLE ANSWER AGAIN, IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT SHE CAN SAY IN TERMS OF, OF, OF THAT. I MEAN, THERE ISN'T ANY CHANGE IN THE LITIGATION DISCUSSION OR POSITION SINCE WE LAST HAD THAT CONVERSATION.

SO THAT THAT THAT IS THE SAME AS IT WAS THE LAST TIME WE HAD THE CONVERSATION.

BUT THERE AGAIN, YOU TELLING ME THIS, THAT'S FINE, BUT WHAT ABOUT THE OTHER? I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY PROPERTY OWNERS ARE ON THAT 50.

I'M GUESSING WITH THE BUILDING SITES AND STUFF THAT SHOULD COME FROM YOU GUYS, NOT FROM ME. WHICH PART? THE PART ABOUT WHAT'S BEING DONE. OR WHAT ABOUT THE THE LITIGATION PIECE? I THINK ABOUT I THINK OF EVERYTHING WHY WHY PEOPLE GOT THESE ADDITIONAL COSTS FROM ASSUMING THAT THEY HAD PAID FOR A SYSTEM THAT WAS INSTALLED AND WAS APPROVED AS OPERATIONAL, WHICH IT REALLY DEFINED OPERATIONAL.

IF THERE'S SO MANY. THINGS WATER, THE WATER PUMPS, BUT LOOK AT ALL THE STUFF THAT HAS TO BE FIXED TO MAKE IT RIGHT.

SO IT SHOULD FUNCTION LIKE IT SHOULD.

AND I DON'T THINK IT'S THE JOB OF ONE INDIVIDUAL LANDOWNER OR TWO INDIVIDUAL LANDOWNERS TO CONTINUALLY COME AND, YOU KNOW, TALK TO YOU GUYS AND THEN GO BACK AND TALK TO OUR NEIGHBORS.

I THINK IT'S IT'S THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE PARTY THAT IS IN CONTROL OF IT.

AND AT THIS TIME, IT'S A DITCH AUTHORITY THAT'S IN CHARGE OF IT.

WELL, I'LL JUST ONCE AGAIN, I JUST WANT TO KIND OF NOTHING ABOUT ANY OF THOSE. THOSE THINGS HAVE BEEN ABOUT THESE REPAIRS AND THE REPLACEMENTS.

NONE OF THOSE THINGS HAVE BEEN REALLY DISCUSSED OUTSIDE OF BOARD MEETINGS, YOU KNOW, AND I MEAN, IF YOU'RE ASKING FOR AND AGAIN, I MEAN, I'M NOT SAYING WE'RE THAT WE'RE RIGHT IN WHAT WE'RE DOING, BUT IF YOU'RE ASKING THAT WE SHOULD PUT ANOTHER BECAUSE WE'VE HAD PUBLIC MEETINGS TO GO THROUGH ALL OF THOSE THINGS, WE INVITED EVERYBODY TO GO THROUGH THE PUNCH LIST AND DECIDE, YOU KNOW, INPUT.

WE'VE DONE ALL THAT AT PUBLIC MEETING, YOU KNOW, SO THEY'VE HAD THAT PUBLIC MEETING.

AND WE WHEN WE HAVE THEM, WHEN WE HAVE THAT DISCUSSION AND STUFF AT, AT DRAINAGE AUTHORITY MEETINGS, WE DISCUSS THEM OPENLY AND IN PUBLIC.

I MEAN, THE ONLY THING I COULD THINK OF THAT YOU WANT US TO DO IS HAVE ANOTHER MEETING AND JUST REITERATE THAT WHAT WAS ALREADY DISCUSSED AND PUT IN THE BOARD MINUTES.

YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? I YOU KNOW, IF THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE ASKING FOR, I SUPPOSE WE COULD TRY TO SUMMARIZE THAT AND DO THAT.

BUT BUT IT'S, IT'S REALLY IN A PUBLIC RECORD ALREADY.

YOU KNOW, I MEAN, OUR PUBLIC RECORDS AVAILABLE TO EVERYBODY.

YEAH. THEY'RE PUBLISHED ON.

THAT'S NOT WHAT I WAS TOLD.

IS THAT A BIG HOLD BACK ON SOME RELEASES, SOME PUBLIC RECORDS? WELL, THE ONLY THING THAT WOULD BE BEEN HELD BACK OR ANYTHING, THE ONLY THING THAT WOULD BE HELD BACK WERE MATTERS THAT WOULD BE RELATED TO LITIGATION.

ANYTHING ELSE IS ALL PUBLIC RECORD.

AND IN, IN THE IN THE MINUTES, I MEAN, AM I AM I NOT AM I MISSING SOMETHING THERE MANDY OR IS THAT.

YEAH, I MEAN, IT'S ALL PUBLIC RECORD EXCEPT FOR ANYTHING THAT WOULD BE RELATED TO LITIGATION. THE THE BOARD MINUTES.

AND I BELIEVE THE AUDIO AND VISUAL OF THOSE PRIOR BOARD MEETINGS ARE ALL AVAILABLE ON THE COUNTY'S WEBSITE. SO, BUT IN OTHER WORDS, WHEN YOU GUYS SPEAK ABOUT IT, THOUGH, THAT IS NOT PUBLIC.

WHEN I, WHEN I SAY THAT IF YOU GUYS GO INTO A CLOSED SESSION AT ALL AND SPEAK ABOUT SOMETHING, THERE IS NO, NO AVAILABILITY OF THOSE MINUTES TO THE PUBLIC. CORRECT. IF IT'S TO DISCUSS LITIGATION, THE WHAT HAPPENS IN THOSE CLOSED SESSIONS ARE PROTECTED BY ATTORNEY CLIENT PRIVILEGE.

SO THOSE WOULD NOT BE AVAILABLE.

BUT ANYTHING THAT IS TALKED ABOUT IN OPEN SESSION THAT COMES BEFORE THIS BOARD FOR DECISION MAKING, THAT IS ALL RECORDED ON THE WEBSITE.

OKAY. SO WHAT I'D LIKE TO ASK THOUGH, IS I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT THE PROPERTY OWNERS ON THIS SYSTEM ARE AWARE.

YOU KNOW, WE GOT THIS STATEMENT.

WHENEVER IT WAS OCTOBER, WHATEVER LAST YEAR WITH WHAT WE HAD TO PAY.

AGAIN, I DON'T THINK PEOPLE ARE AWARE THAT WE'RE GOING TO.

THAT'S JUST THE TIP OF AN ICEBERG.

YOU KNOW, I'M SITTING HERE TODAY PAYING INTEREST ON MONEY THAT I SHOULDN'T BE PAYING INTEREST ON. THAT'S THE WAY I LOOK AT IT.

[00:10:01]

LET'S SEE WHAT OUR BILLS ARE GOING TO BE. AND THEN LET'S HAVE THAT MEETING AND TELL PEOPLE THIS IS WHY WE'RE PAYING AN ADDITIONAL AMOUNT OF MONEY ON TOP OF WHAT WE INITIALLY THOUGHT WE PAID FOR WAS A COMPLETE SYSTEM.

AND I THINK WE DID. EVERYBODY WAS UNDER THAT UNDERSTANDING.

AND NOW IT'S BECAUSE OF SO MANY FAULTS IN THIS SYSTEM THAT WE ARE PAYING FOR SOMETHING AGAIN. THAT'S ALL I'M ASKING.

THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU.

ANYBODY ELSE WANT TO ADDRESS THE COMMISSION AT THIS TIME. ALL RIGHT.

MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ITEM IS ADMINISTRATION.

[Administration]

SO. WE'LL HAVE TO MAYBE REARRANGE THE AGENDA.

OH, OKAY. DO YOU WANT TO MOVE TO SETTING THE PUBLIC HEARING? I CAN GO ON TO THE OTHER ITEMS THAT I HAVE LISTED.

UNDER ADMINISTRATION TO BEGIN WITH.

SO THE FIRST ONE I HAVE IS REGARDING THE SETTING OF THE HEARING DATES FOR RIFLE USE FOR DEER HUNTING. WHAT I'M ASKING IS ORIGINALLY CONSIDER APRIL 14TH AT 10 A.M.

FOR PUBLIC HEARING TOGETHER.

JUST SOME DISCUSSION. COMMENTS, MAYBE TO CONSIDER THAT MEETING AT 630 AT NIGHT TO ALLOW MAYBE SOME ADDITIONAL ATTENDANCE OR PARTICIPATION WITH IT.

AND THEN I WOULD ALSO ASK TO SET APRIL 28TH AT 10 A.M.

FOR A PUBLIC HEARING WITH THE BOARD TO CONSIDER A POTENTIAL ORDINANCE FOR A SHOTGUN ONLY WITHIN NICOLLET COUNTY FOR THE 2026 DEER HUNTING.

SO JUST TO SUMMARIZE, I WOULD BE ASKING FOR THE BOARD TO CONSIDER PUBLIC HEARINGS AT APRIL 14TH AT 6:30 P.M.

IN THIS ROOM, AND THEN APRIL 28TH AT 10 A.M.

IN THE BOARDROOM FOR DISCUSSION AND CONSIDERATION OF ORDINANCES RELATED TO THE SHOTGUN, ONLY FOR THE 2026 DEER HUNTING SEASON.

MOTION. I'LL MAKE A MOTION.

I'LL SECOND IT. MOTION TO SECOND TO SET THE INITIAL PUBLIC HEARING ON APRIL 14TH AT 630.

AND THEN TO HAVE THE FOLLOW UP PUBLIC HEARING AT ON APRIL 28TH.

ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? IF NOT ALL IN FAVOR? AYE, AYE.

OKAY. NEXT ITEM IS CONSIDERED NICOLLET COUNTY GOVERNMENT CENTER ROOF PROJECT BID.

YES. THIS WAS A PROJECT THAT WAS IDENTIFIED WITHIN THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN FOR THE 2026 2030 OR THE CIP. IT WAS ESTIMATED AT 500,000 AND WAS NOTED TO USE RESERVE FUNDS.

YOU DO HAVE A COPY OF THE BID TAB WITHIN YOUR GREEN FOLDER AT YOUR SPOT THAT I'LL BE REFERRING TO AS THE DISCUSSION, AS WELL AS A COPY PUT IN THE PACKET AT THE BACK OF THE ROOM. THE BOARD HAS DISCUSSED THE ROOF PROJECT AT SEVERAL BOARD WORKSHOPS TO DETERMINE THE TYPE OF ROOF REPLACEMENT, WHETHER IT BE A BALLASTED ROOF, WHICH IS CURRENTLY IN PLACE OR FULLY ADHERED ROOF.

THE CONSENSUS WAS TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE BIDDING OF THE BALLASTED ROOF REPLACEMENT, ONLY DOING SO WOULD LIMIT MANY UNKNOWN CONDITIONS.

FOR YOU COST FOR BILLS AND STILL PROVIDE THE COUNTY GOOD ROOFING SOLUTION AND MANUFACTURER WARRANTY. IT COULD ALSO ALLOW THE ARCHITECT TO RELEASE THE DRAWINGS SOONER IN HOPES OF BETTER BIDS. OVERALL CLARITY OF SCOPE AND CONSTRUCTION PRIOR TO SUMMER SCHOOL WORK ON MARCH 3RD, A PRE-BID MEETING WAS HELD TO EXPLAIN THE PROJECT DETAILS, ANSWER QUESTIONS AND COMPLETE A VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE ROOF FOR INTERESTED CONTRACTORS. ON MARCH 17TH, THE BID OPENING WAS HELD.

SEVEN BIDS WERE SUBMITTED AND REVIEWED, AND ROOFING AND COATINGS WAS A LOW BIDDER AT $215,603. THERE ARE THREE ADDITIONAL ALTERNATES THAT MAY BE CONSIDERED AT THIS TIME DUE TO THE NATURE OF THEIR WORK.

ALTERNATE ONE OF $8,025 FOR SCAFFOLDING FOR CREATING AN EXTERIOR STAIRS, WHICH WOULD ALLOW WORKERS TO ACCESS THE ROOF WITHOUT HAVING TO GO THROUGH THE BUILDING, AND WOULD ALLOW THEM TO WORK OUTSIDE OF WORK HOURS.

NORMAL WORK HOURS. ALTERNATE TWO WOULD BE $3,544, AND THAT WOULD BE OVERHEAD PROTECTION OF THE ADA RAMP ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE BUILDING SO THAT IT COULD BE CONTINUED TO BE USED.

AS WELL AS ALTERNATE FOUR OF $11,415.

THIS IS CONCERNING THE METAL PANELS THAT THE COURTS BUMP OUT AND A BETTER PRODUCT COMPARED TO ALTERNATE THREE. THE RECOMMENDATION IS TO INCLUDE ALTERNATES ONE, TWO, AND FOUR FOR A TOTAL PROJECT OF $361,145.82.

MR. CHAIR, I'M REQUESTING THE BOARD APPROVE THE BID TAB FOR THE ROOFING PROJECT AT THE

[00:15:01]

I HAVE A MOTION. I'LL MAKE THE MOTION.

A SECOND SECONDED. FURTHER DISCUSSION.

IT'S BEEN PRETTY WELL DISCUSSED AT OUR PREVIOUS MEETINGS, BUT. SO STILL LESS THAN WHAT WE WERE ANTICIPATING.

SO I THINK THAT'S A GOOD BIT.

SO WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE THE BALDWIN ROOFING CONTRACT 361,000.

ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. OKAY.

THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. AND THEN WE HAVE THE RESPONSES TO PUBLIC COMMENTS.

THE NEXT ITEM IS REFERRING TO THE COMMENTS THAT WERE RECEIVED DURING THE FEBRUARY 24TH, 2026 PUBLIC APPEARANCE PORTION OF THE BOARD MEETING.

FIVE INDIVIDUALS SPOKE WITH GENERAL CONCERNS OF THE ONE BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL AND THE PRESENCE OF U.S. IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT, OR ICE AND NICOLLET COUNTY.

FOLLOWING THE OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW AND RESEARCH THE COMMENTS, I WAS ABLE TO IDENTIFY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS THAT I'M ABLE TO RESPOND TO AT THIS TIME.

THE FIRST QUESTION I'D BE REFERRING TO IS THE.

HOW MUCH IS THE US IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT OR ICE ACTIVITY COSTING THE COUNTY AND WHAT IS THE IMPACT OF PUBLIC SAFETY AND BUSINESSES? I WAS ABLE TO CONFIRM WITH THE SHERIFF THAT NO ADDITIONAL STAFF TIME BEYOND A STANDARD SHIFT HAS BEEN ATTRIBUTED TO THE US ICE RESPONSE.

THIS ALSO APPEARS TO BE THE SAME FOR THE SAINT PETER POLICE DEPARTMENT. HOWEVER, I AM NOT SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF THEIR DEPARTMENT AND WOULD ENCOURAGE INTERESTED INDIVIDUALS TO CONTACT THE CITY DIRECTLY FOR CONFIRMATION.

AS FAR AS THE BUSINESS IMPACT, I DID REACH OUT TO THE CITY OF SAINT PETER, CONFIRMING THE FINANCIAL IMPACT OF BUSINESSES AND THE ABILITY TO SHARE THE CITY'S PLAN BASED ON CITY COUNCIL DISCUSSION AND REQUESTS, AND AFTER CITY STAFF RECENTLY VISITING SEVERAL LOCAL FOOD AND DRINK ESTABLISHMENTS.

IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT SOME BUSINESSES ARE EXPERIENCING A LOSS OF BUSINESS REVENUE, WHICH COULD BE ATTRIBUTED TO THE INCREASED FEDERAL AGENCY PRESENCE DURING THE DECEMBER 20TH 25TH FEBRUARY 2026 TIME FRAME.

A NUMBER OF BUSINESSES REPORTED A SIGNIFICANT DROP IN REVENUE DUE TO THE LOWER CUSTOMER TRAFFIC YEAR OVER YEAR AS A RESULT OF THE SITUATION.

MANY BUSINESSES HAVE SEEN SIGNIFICANT REDUCTIONS IN CASH FLOW WHICH THREATEN THEIR ABILITY TO MEET THEIR IMMEDIATE NEEDS.

IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT SOME BUSINESS CHANGES CAN BE ATTRIBUTED TO THE INCREASED COMPETITION AND SEASONAL TRENDS.

TO ASSIST LOCAL BUSINESSES, THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT PREPARED AN OUTLINE OF AN EMERGENCY LOAN PROGRAM TO ASSIST BUSINESSES THROUGH THE IMMEDIATE SOLUTION SITUATION. A COPY OF THE DRAFT GUIDELINES FOR THE UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCES MICRO LOAN PROGRAM, ALONG WITH THE APPLICATION, IS INCLUDED IN THE MARCH 16TH CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP PACKET.

BY. THE IDEA FOR THIS PROGRAM CAME FROM AN INCREASE IN FEDERAL AGENTS AGENCY PRESENCE.

IT CAN BE USEFUL TO BUSINESSES FOR A VARIETY OF UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCES, INCLUDING NATURAL DISASTERS, INFRASTRUCTURE FAILURES, PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCIES, SUDDEN REGULATORY OR LEGAL CHANGES, OR OTHER LOCALIZED EMERGENCIES.

THE PROGRAM WAS DESIGNED SIMILARLY TO THE CONSTRUCTION MITIGATION MICRO LOAN PROGRAM THAT WAS IMPLEMENTED IN THE 2009.

WHILE HIGHWAY 169 WAS CLOSED FOR RECONSTRUCTION AND THE COVID 19 HOSPITALITY MICROLOAN PROGRAM IN 2020 2021.

MANY SAINT PETER BUSINESSES TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THE PROGRAMS AND WERE ABLE TO REMAIN OPEN UNDER THE PROPOSED GUIDELINES.

SAINT PETER BUSINESSES WOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR LOANS UP TO $10,000, WHICH WOULD BE OFFERED AT 0% INTEREST, SIMILAR TO THE 2009 PROGRAM.

THE REPLACEMENT OF THE LOAN COULD BE DEFERRED OR EXCUSE ME, THE REPAYMENT OF THE LOAN COULD BE DEFERRED.

CITY STAFF PROPOSES A MAXIMUM OF SIX MONTHS DEFERRAL BECAUSE THE FIRST MONTHLY PAYMENT IS DUE WHEN PAYMENT BEGINS.

THE LOAN WOULD BE REPAID AT A RATE OF 100 TO $200 PER MONTH, REGARDLESS OF THE LOAN AMOUNT.

IT IS ESTIMATED THAT UP TO TEN BUSINESSES MAY TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE LOAN FOR A MAXIMUM OF $100,000 BEING ENCUMBERED.

THE FOLLOWING BUSINESS TYPES ARE ELIGIBLE TO APPLY FOR THE LOAN COCKTAIL LOUNGES, FITNESS, HEALTH CLUBS, RESTAURANTS, HOTEL MOTELS, CLUB LODGES. STUDIOS. GALLERIES.

RETAIL SALES, DAYCARE, CHILD CARE CENTERS, CULTURAL SERVICES, PUBLIC ASSEMBLIES, SALONS, SPAS AND BARBERS.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY, OR THE EDA, HAS REVIEWED THE PROPOSED EMERGENCY LOAN PROGRAM, AND IT IS ANTICIPATED THE EDA WILL REVIEW THE ENTIRETY OF THE PROGRAM AT AN UPCOMING MEETING WHERE THEY COULD MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO THE COUNCIL.

ULTIMATELY, THE APPROVAL AND START OF THE PROGRAM WOULD BE DETERMINED BY THE COUNCIL.

WILL THE COUNTY PROHIBIT ICE FROM USING COUNTY PROPERTY PARKING SPOTS? I HAVE NOT RECEIVED A FORMAL REQUEST FROM U.S. IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT USE COUNTY PARKING LOTS, NOR HAS THE COUNTY PROHIBITED OTHERS FROM USING COUNTY PARKING

[00:20:01]

AS FAR AS THE REMAINING COMMENTS RELATED TO THE ONE BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL AND US IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT.

I HAVE REVIEWED THE ASSOCIATION ASSOCIATION OF MINNESOTA COUNTY'S LEGISLATIVE POLICY FOR 2026. THE ASSOCIATION OF MINNESOTA COUNTIES FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES OF 2026, THE NICOLE ANALYSIS OF TAX PROVISIONS AND THE ONE BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL, THE NICOLE AMERICAN COUNTY PLATFORM AND RESOLUTIONS 2025 AND 2026 TO SEEK GUIDANCE AND OR REVIEW OF ESTABLISHED PRIORITIES AND POSITIONS.

I WAS NOT ABLE TO LOCATE LANGUAGE SUPPORTING A POSITION ONE WAY OR ANOTHER TO ADDRESS THE REMAINING COMMENTS. I UNDERSTAND THE CONTENT OF THE DOCUMENTS I MENTIONED MAY BE CONSIDERED TO BE LIMITED IN SCOPE AND DIRECTLY RELATED TO COUNTY PROGRAMS AND SERVICES. AT THIS TIME, I HAVE NOT SHARED ANY INFORMATION RELATED TO THE REMAINING CONCERNS RAISED ON FEBRUARY 24TH OF THE IMPACTS OF THE ONE BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL, SPECIFICALLY EDUCATION FUNDING SOURCES AND TAXES AND ICE, WHICH WOULD BE THE COOPERATION AND SAFETY AND WOULD WELCOME DIRECTION FROM THE BOARD FOR FUTURE DISCUSSION AND CONSIDERATION.

LASTLY, I WOULD ALSO NOTE THE COUNTY HAS NOT TAKEN A FORMAL POSITION ON THE ITEMS. OKAY. QUESTIONS? COMMENTS.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU FOR THE SUMMARY.

ALL RIGHT. SO WITH REGARD TO ITEM A, ARE WE EXPECTING SOMEONE FROM THE DNR? YES. THE DNR WAS SUPPOSED TO.

HERE, I'LL EMAIL CHECK MY EMAIL JUST TO CONFIRM.

OKAY. SO AT THIS TIME, WE OUR NEXT ITEM IS TO TAKE ON THE PUBLIC HEARING AND THAT STARTS AT 10:00.

SO WE NEED TO TAKE A RECESS.

YES. I THINK WE HAVE THE BEST ACTION FOR THE BOARD TO CONSIDER A RECESS UNTIL AT LEAST 10 A.M. WHEN THE ZONING ORDINANCE PUBLIC HEARING WOULD START.

AND I'LL CONFIRM WITH THE DNR IF THEY'RE COMING IN EARLY, WE CAN WE'LL. SO AT THE MOMENT, WE'LL TAKE A RECESS.

THANK YOU. ITEM NUMBER SIX AND CONSIDER A MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES LAND ACQUISITION AND RESOLUTION.

SO WE'LL WELCOME OUR DNR REPRESENTATIVE.

GOOD MORNING. THANKS FOR HAVING ME HERE TODAY. CAN YOU INTRODUCE YOURSELF? YES, I'M TIM KOPPELMAN, I'M THE ACTING AREA WILDLIFE SUPERVISOR OUT OF THE NICOLLET WILDLIFE OFFICE. YOU MAY HAVE WORKED WITH STINE IN THE PAST.

HE RETIRED LAST JUNE, SO I'VE BEEN ACTING SUPERVISOR SINCE THAT TIME. GREAT. WELCOME. YEAH.

THANKS FOR HAVING ME AGAIN. LIKE I SAID MY PURPOSE HERE TODAY IS TO INFORM YOU OF AN UPCOMING LAND ACQUISITION IN NICOLLET COUNTY.

SO THE DNR HAS BEEN WORKING WITH THE PRIVATE LANDOWNER WHO WISHES TO CONVEY A PARCEL IN SECTION 30 OF CORTLAND TOWNSHIP THAT WOULD BECOME AN ADDITION TO THE SWAN LAKE WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA. SO YOU HAVE THE MAP POSTED THERE. IT'S THAT YELLOW HIGHLIGHTED. TRACK SIX A OF THE OF THE CORTLAND WEST UNIT.

THIS PROPERTY CONSISTS OF ABOUT 40 ACRES NORTH OF THE CITY OF CORTLAND.

IT JOINS THE EXISTING 232 ACRES OF THE CORTLAND WEST UNIT OF THE SWAN LAKE.

W.M.A. THIS PROPERTY CONSISTS OF 42 ACRES OF RESTORED UPLAND GRASS AND WETLAND, 40 ACRES OF WHICH ARE ENROLLED IN A CONSERVATION EASEMENT.

AND THIS ALSO INCLUDES ROUGHLY SIX ACRES OF THE THE NON MEANDERED WETLAND KNOWN LOCALLY THERE AS KESTER SLOUGH.

THIS PROPERTY OFFERS ADDITIONAL HABITAT FOR A VARIETY OF WILDLIFE SPECIES AND WILL ALLOW ADDITIONAL CONSERVATION, WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AND PUBLIC OUTDOOR RECREATION OPPORTUNITIES.

IT WILL BECOME PART OF MINNESOTA'S OUTDOOR RECREATION SYSTEM, AVAILABLE FOR DISPERSED, NON-MOTORIZED, WILDLIFE BASED RECREATION SUCH AS BIRD WATCHING, HUNTING AND TRAPPING.

AS FAR AS OUR STATE LAND MANAGEMENT GOAL IS TO ENSURE PUBLIC LANDS MEET THE RECREATIONAL NEEDS OF MINNESOTA CITIZENS.

WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE CLEAN AIR AND WATER, SUPPORT NATURAL RESOURCE BASED ECONOMIES, AND MAINTAIN FISH AND WILDLIFE HABITAT.

SPECIFICALLY THIS THIS WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THIS PARCEL.

THE SPECIFIC GOALS THAT THIS ONE MEETS TO CONSOLIDATE STATE LAND TO CREATE MORE CONTIGUOUS BLOCKS OF PUBLIC LAND.

IT IMPROVES ACCESS TO THE EXISTING PUBLIC LAND THERE. THE EXISTING SWAN LAKE MAY ALSO PROVIDE MORE HIGH QUALITY OUTDOOR RECREATION OPPORTUNITIES.

AGAIN, WE'RE ALSO PROTECTING SIGNIFICANT NATURAL RESOURCES, GROUNDWATER AND HABITAT.

AND THIS IS A TARGETED CONSERVATION TARGETED SELECTED PARCEL OF MINNESOTA'S PRAIRIE AND GRASSLANDS. THIS THIS PARTICULAR UNIT IS PART OF A PHEASANT COMPLEX GOING BACK TO OUR STATEWIDE PHEASANT ACTION PLAN.

IT'S A SPECIFIC COMPLEX WITHIN EACH COUNTY CONSISTING OF A BLOCK OF CONTIGUOUS HABITAT.

SO WE'RE EXCITED BECAUSE IT'S IN A PHEASANT COMPLEX.

IT RANKS EVEN HIGHER THAN, SAY, OTHER PARCELS.

SO AGAIN, WHY I'M HERE TODAY.

A COUNTY BOARD RESOLUTION IS IS REQUIRED FOR MINNESOTA DNR DIRECT ACQUISITIONS.

AS, AS ALWAYS DNR PAYS THE PAYMENT IN LIEU OF TAXES, THE PILT THAT WILL BE MADE TO NICOLLET COUNTY WHEN THIS PROPERTY BECOMES STATE LAND.

ESTIMATED PILT IS INCLUDED IN THE NOTES HERE WILL BE $1,440 ANNUALLY.

[00:25:04]

BY COMPARISON, THE 2025 PAYABLE TAXES FROM THE FOR THE CURRENT LANDOWNER WAS $388.

AGAIN, WE WERE EXCITED TO ADD THIS LAND TO OUR STATE SYSTEM.

THIS PROPERTY HAS MANY DIVERSE HABITAT FEATURES THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO WILDLIFE POPULATIONS AND WETLAND CONSERVATION AND WATER QUALITY.

THANK YOU AGAIN FOR HAVING ME HERE TODAY. ALL RIGHT.

QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? ALL RIGHT. THIS IS WE'RE REQUESTING APPROVAL OF THIS.

DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE? SO MOVED. SECOND. ALL RIGHT.

FURTHER DISCUSSION? YEAH.

I JUST HAVE A COUPLE QUICK QUESTIONS ABOUT IT. OBVIOUSLY THIS YOU SAID THIS WAS THIS HAS ALREADY BEEN ENROLLED IN A IT WAS ALREADY A NONAGRICULTURAL.

IT'S ALREADY REMOVED FROM AG LAND.

CORRECT. IT'S OBVIOUSLY A WILLING, WILLING LANDOWNER WILLING PRIVATE PARTY.

IT'S ALREADY IT'S ALREADY RESTORED. SO BASICALLY IT'S A TURNKEY PROPERTY THAT MEETS OUR GOALS. SO REGISTRATION NEEDS ARE ALREADY THERE.

YEAH, THAT'S MY QUESTION.

IT IS TURNKEY BASICALLY.

YEAH. IT'S ALREADY RESTORED INTO WETLAND AND GRASSLAND. SO DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION? JUST ONE. WHAT IS THE PLAN FOR WEED MANAGEMENT? SHOULD THERE BE SOME PROBLEMS OR SOMETHING.

SO LOOKS LIKE IT'S PRETTY MUCH SURROUNDED BY ROW CROPS.

IT IS. YEAH. WE WILL RESPOND TO THOSE AS AS NEEDED AS THEY COME UP, I AM NOT. I APOLOGIZE, I'M NOT AS FAMILIAR WITH THIS PROPERTY.

THIS IS MY MY STEIN WAS INVOLVED WITH THIS ACQUISITION BEFORE HE RETIRED QUITE A BIT.

SO I'M NOT AS FAMILIAR IF THERE'S BEEN ISSUES ON THIS ONE, BUT THAT'S SOMETHING WE WOULD ADDRESS AS THEY COME UP AND WE KEEP TABS ON IT AND, AND RESPOND AS NECESSARY.

SO ANY NOXIOUS WEED COMPLAINTS? YEAH. FOLLOWING FOLLOWING STATE LAW OR.

YEAH, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, I THINK IT'S IT'S IT'S BORDERED.

IT'S ONLY BORDERED MAYBE ON 1 OR 2 SIDES BY ANY ROW CROP RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE IT'S BASICALLY RIGHT WITHIN THAT MANAGEMENT AREA JUST TO THE NORTH, THE NORTH BOUNDARY, THE WEST IS THE EXISTING W MAYOR AND THEN YOU HAVE THE SLU TO THE SOUTH. YEAH, THE RESIDENTS KIND OF IN THAT THE DOGLEG THERE THAT L.

SO AND IT'S BEEN KIND OF ESTABLISHED IN THAT NOW FOR US.

YES. MY RECOLLECTION IS FOR NOTES WHEN THAT REGISTRAR. BUT IT'S BEEN IN FOR A WHILE, QUITE A WHILE ALREADY. YEAH.

SO THE DISCUSSION. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. ALL RIGHT. MOTION CARRIES.

THANKS FOR YOUR TIME. WE APPRECIATE YOU COMING DOWN TO CHAT WITH US. ALL RIGHT.

SO GOT A COUPLE MINUTES TO GO.

JUST WAITING FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING TO START AT 10:00.

SO WE GOT ABOUT FIVE MINUTES AND THEN WE'LL GET GOING ON THAT NOTE STARTING EARLY.

YEP. I KNOW HOW SHE IS.

OKAY. ARE YOU REALLY? OKAY. YEAH. OKAY.

LET'S DO THAT. ALL GOOD, SIR.

GOOD. HOW ARE YOU? IT'S GOOD.

THIS IS YOUR FIRST YEAR.

JUST TAKE SOME TIME. OKAY? IF ANYTHING COMES UP, JUST LET US KNOW.

WHEN DID YOU. WHEN DID YOU.

I'M JUST ACTING RIGHT NOW.

I KNOW. I WASN'T INVOLVED WITH THAT.

WAS. IT REALLY VARIES.

IT WASN'T SOMETHING.

OH, YOU HAVE THIS KIND OF NICE, KIND OF CONTENTIOUS 110.

THEY WERE UNDER. WILL YOU UNDERSTAND THIS? 107. SO. WE ALREADY GOT STARTED ON IT.

I WAS THE ASSISTANT MANAGER BEFORE THIS.

YOU'RE STILL HERE? I'VE BEEN HERE SINCE 2015.

IT ISN'T BAD. IT'S JUST.

YEAH. OKAY, SO I GOT IT.

SO I COVERED THE SEWER.

OR YOU'LL JUST. YOU'LL JUST.

NICE TO MEET YOU. DO NOT RESPOND TO EMAIL, BUT WE'RE,

[00:30:02]

OH, NO, I DIDN'T EXPECT I KNEW NEW YEAR. THANK YOU.

YEAH. YEAH. OKAY.

OKAY. YES. YES. YES. THANK YOU.

OKAY. ALL RIGHT. I THINK.

SO. YES. OKAY. YEAH. I GUESS IT WOULD BE DIFFERENT IF OUR PLANNING COMMISSION PEOPLE WERE IN TOWN. THEY ARE.

THAT'S OUR BIGGEST. CONCERN.

RIGHT? YEAH. I THINK. SO. SO.

WHEN? I WAS LOOKING AROUND.

IT'S KIND OF JUST A BIT. YEAH, IT WAS FINE.

YOU DON'T GET OUT MUCH.

RIGHT. WE'RE GOING TO CALL THE MEETING BACK TO ORDER,

[Property Services]

AMENDMENTS AND RESOLUTION.

OKAY, GREAT. OH, JUST.

GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING, MR. CHAIR. MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.

SO TODAY WE HAVE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE NICOLLET COUNTY ZONING ORDINANCE.

SPECIFICALLY, WE HAVE THE SECTIONS REGARDING THE FLOODPLAIN REGULATION AND THEN REGARDING SEPTIC AND SEWAGE TREATMENT REGULATION.

SO UP UNTIL NOW, YOU GUYS HAVE ALREADY SEEN THE PROPOSED VERSION OF THESE CHANGES.

ON JANUARY 20TH AT THE BOARD WORKSHOP.

AND THEN PREVIOUSLY LAST WEEK, LAST MONDAY, MARCH 16TH, THESE CHANGES WERE RECOMMENDED FOR APPROVAL BY THE NICOLLET COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION.

SO WE CAN JUST RUN THROUGH THOSE BRIEFLY AGAIN.

ORDINANCE 610. YOU KNOW, THERE ARE CHANGES THROUGHOUT THE ORDINANCE BECAUSE THERE WERE YOU KNOW, WE TOOK THIS AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO CATCH TYPOS. AND THERE WERE ALSO, YOU KNOW, A FEW TERMINOLOGY CHANGES THAT WERE SCATTERED THROUGHOUT THE ORDINANCE, BUT MOSTLY THE CHANGES ARE.

REGARDING THREE MAIN SECTIONS.

SECTION 610 SPECIFIES BASICALLY WHAT IS PERMITTED AND CONDITIONALLY PERMITTED FOR THE FLOODPLAIN ZONING DISTRICT AND GIVES DEFINITIONS OF WHAT DEFINES THE DISTRICT.

716 IS THE STANDARDS FOR ANYTHING HAPPENING IN THE FLOODPLAIN ZONING DISTRICT.

AND THEN. 734 DESCRIBES THE PERMITTING PROCESS AND DEFINES STANDARDS FOR SEPTIC SYSTEMS. SO FOR THE CHANGES IN THE FLOODPLAIN ORDINANCE, A LOT OF THESE REALLY THEY CAME FROM THE DNR.

SO THEY WERE THAT TERMINOLOGY THAT THE DNR HAS USED AND THEIR DEFINITIONS HAVE CHANGED.

OR DEFINITIONS FROM FEMA IN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAVE CHANGED.

SO FOR DEFINITIONS THAT WERE BEING UPDATED IN THE ORDINANCE, PROBABLY THE ONES THAT MAKE THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE ARE THAT THERE IS AN EXTENSION TO THE DEFINITION OF ACCESSORY STRUCTURES, THAT ACCESSORY STRUCTURES IN THE FLOODPLAIN CANNOT BE USED FOR HUMAN HABITATION.

SO THEY'RE ONLY SUPPOSED TO BE FOR REALLY PASSIVE STORAGE AND NOT ANYWHERE THAT ANYONE WOULD SPEND ANY TIME. ALONG WITH THAT, THERE IS A NEW UPDATED DEFINITION FOR HABITABLE. SO HABITABLE IN THE FLOODPLAIN MEANS ANY SPACE OCCUPIED OVER TIME.

THERE'S A CLARIFICATION THAT RECREATIONAL VEHICLES ARE NOT MANUFACTURED HOMES, SO THAT RECREATIONAL VEHICLES ARE PERSONAL PROPERTY THAT IS MOBILE AS LONG AS THEY ARE LICENSED AND ROAD READY.

WHEREAS MANUFACTURED HOMES ARE BASICALLY HOMES AND COUNT AS PERMANENT STRUCTURES.

ADDITIONALLY, THERE'S A DEFINITION FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION, MEANING ANYTHING THAT HAPPENS AFTER THIS ORDINANCE WOULD BE APPROVED.

AND THERE'S A CHANGE IN THE WORDING FOR ORDINARY HIGH WATER LEVEL.

PREVIOUSLY, OUR ORDINANCE SAID ORDINARY HIGH WATER MARK IN MANY PLACES.

SO THAT HAS NOW BEEN UPDATED AND MADE CONSISTENT THROUGHOUT THE ORDINANCE.

THE ONLY MAJOR CHANGE.

SO THOSE WERE THE DEFINITION CHANGES.

THE ONLY MAJOR CHANGE IN THE 610 REGARDING THE DIFFERENT USES IN THE ZONING DISTRICT IS THAT ACCESSORY STRUCTURES ARE NO LONGER A CONDITIONALLY PERMITTED USE IN THE FLOODWAY.

[00:35:05]

THOSE ARE JUST COMING FROM THE DNR AND FEMA.

ACTUAL CHANGES IN REALLY HOW THE ORDINANCE WOULD WORK.

THERE'S A REQUIREMENT FOR THAT NO RISE BE DETERMINED BASED ON THE 100 YEAR FLOOD SO THAT STRUCTURES WOULD NOT CAUSE AN IMPACT ON THE 100 YEAR FLOOD.

CURRENTLY OUR ZONING ORDINANCE SPECIFIES THE 500 YEAR FLOOD.

HOWEVER, IN PRACTICE, WE ALREADY WERE REQUIRING CERTIFICATIONS FOR NOT HAVING AN IMPACT ON THE 100 YEAR FLOOD, SO THIS REALLY JUST CODIFIES WHAT WE WERE ALREADY DOING. AND THERE'S A STATEMENT THAT RECREATIONAL VEHICLES MUST BE TRAVEL READY.

HOWEVER, THIS DOES NOT CHANGE THE DEFINITION OF THE FLOODPLAIN, WHICH IS STILL BASED ON THE 500 YEAR. THE TOTAL SCOPE OF THE 500 YEAR FLOODPLAIN.

AND FINALLY, ACCESSORY STRUCTURES CAN BE 600FT INSTEAD OF 576FT.

AND THAT WAS JUST AN UPDATE IN SQUARE FOOTAGE THAT CAME FROM THE DNR.

MOVING ON TO 734. IN SECTION 730, WHICH IS THE, THE SEPTIC SECTION. SECTION 730 4.4.

WE HAVE THE, THE COMPLIANCE TIMELINE IS UPDATED FROM FIVE YEARS TO TWO YEARS.

SO THAT MAKES THE TIMELINE THE SAME FOR BOTH SHORELAND AND NON SHORELAND DISTRICTS.

LICENSED INSTALLERS HAVE 20 DAYS TO SUBMIT REQUIRED PAPERWORK.

PREVIOUSLY IT WAS 15 DAYS.

IN 730 4.5 PERMIT EXTENSIONS HAVE BEEN LIMITED TO SIX MONTHS.

THERE'S A REQUIREMENT FOR THREE SOIL OBSERVATIONS FOR INITIAL AND REPLACEMENT AREAS FOR SEPTIC SYSTEMS, AND THERE ARE SOME NEW TRIGGERS FOR COMPLIANCE CHECKS. SO CURRENTLY WE WOULD REQUIRE SEPTIC COMPLIANCE CHECKS.

IF SOMEONE IS YOU KNOW, IF THERE ISN'T A VALID COMPLIANCE ON RECORD THAT WOULD BE WE REQUIRE THOSE FOR CONDITIONAL USE PERMITS FOR VARIANCES YOU KNOW, PROPERTY TRANSFERS, ANYTHING HAPPENING IN SHORELAND AND BEDROOM ADDITIONS. SO THESE UPDATES WOULD ADD TO THAT.

PROPERTY THAT IS ON SUBSTANDARD OR NON-CONFORMING LOTS PROPERTY WHERE WE DON'T HAVE ANY SEPTIC RECORDS AT ALL.

AND THEN PROPERTY WHERE THE SYSTEM WAS INSTALLED MORE THAN 20 YEARS AGO AND THERE IS NOT A VALID UPDATED CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE ON RECORD.

AND SO THAT WOULD BE SUDDENLY PERMITS WOULD TRIGGER CHECKS UNDER THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES, WHEREAS CURRENTLY MOST OF THE PERMITS DON'T TRIGGER CHECKS UNLESS IT'S IN THE SHORELAND OR THEY'RE ADDING A BEDROOM ADDITION.

MOVING ON. THERE HAVE ALSO BEEN SOME CHANGES TO THE THE REQUIRED SETBACKS.

SO NOW WE WOULD BE ADDING TEN FEET FROM TYPE 1 TO 2 WETLANDS.

75FT FROM TYPE SEVEN AND EIGHT WETLANDS.

AND THEN 100FT FROM DRAINAGE DITCHES.

AND THIS IS REALLY THE ONE MAJOR CHANGE THAT HAS HAPPENED SINCE YOU WOULD HAVE SEEN THIS AT THE BOARD WORKSHOP. THE ORIGINAL PROPOSAL WAS 50FT.

AND THEN THERE WERE SOME CONCERNS THAT WERE COMMUNICATED TO US FROM THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT. SO WE CHANGED THAT FROM 50FT TO 100FT, WHICH MATCHES OTHER SETBACKS THAT WE HAVE FOR STRUCTURES FROM DRAINAGE DITCHES.

THEY WOULD BE PROHIBITED FROM UNSTABLE BLUFFS 25 FOOT FROM A CEMETERY, 15FT FROM A POOL. AND THEN ADDITIONALLY, THIS IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE MORE MAJOR CHANGES THAT THERE WOULD BE A 25 FOOT SETBACK FROM ALL ROADS, PRIVATE AND PUBLIC. CURRENTLY THERE ARE THREE DIFFERENT TIERS OF THAT, AND THEY ARE STRICTER 35FT FOR THE PRIVATE AND TOWNSHIP ROADS, 50FT FOR COUNTY ROADS, AND THEN 85FT FOR STATE HIGHWAYS.

BUT THIS WOULD JUST MAKE IT A UNIFORM 25FT FOR ALL OF THOSE DIFFERENT ROAD TYPES.

C FOR PERMITTING, WE HAVE THAT, YOU KNOW, ONCE AGAIN, WE HAVE THAT PERMIT EXTENSIONS WOULD ONLY BE SIX MONTHS INSTEAD OF THE CURRENT 12 MONTHS.

WE WOULD HAVE, THE DEPARTMENT WOULD HAVE 15 DAYS TO ISSUE AN OPERATING PERMIT INSTEAD OF THE CURRENT TEN DAYS. APPLICANTS WOULD NEED TO APPLY FOR A RENEWAL AT LEAST 30 DAYS BEFORE THE EXPIRATION OF THEIR OPERATING PERMIT, AND THEY WOULD REQUIRE OPERATING PERMIT APPLICATIONS TO COMPLETE A COMPLIANCE INSPECTION IF THE DEPARTMENT DOES NOT HAVE A VALID CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE.

AND THEN FINALLY, IN THE ENFORCEMENT SECTION, BASICALLY, THAT IS HAS BEEN REWRITTEN TO REALLY SPELL OUT WHAT THE ENFORCEMENT PROCESS IS THAT WE START WITH NOTICE OF VIOLATION, MOVE ON TO CEASE AND DESIST ORDERS.

WE WOULD NOTIFY THE MPCA AND M N O P S OF VIOLATIONS, AND THEN EVENTUALLY THAT COULD LEAD TO PROSECUTION IN THE EVENT THAT A VIOLATION CANNOT BE RESOLVED. AND YEAH, THAT WOULD REALLY,

[00:40:01]

SO TODAY FROM YOU, WE WOULD BE LOOKING FOR YOU KNOW, APPROVAL OF THE ZONING AMENDMENTS AND BASICALLY SIGNING THE RESOLUTION FOR ADOPTING THESE AMENDMENTS. COMMENTS, QUESTIONS.

I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION.

SO MOVED. SECOND. DO WE NEED TO READ THE RESOLUTION INTO THE RECORD? I DON'T THINK IT WOULD HURT. IT'S A QUITE A SHORT ONE. OR UNLESS THE STAFF WOULD LIKE TO JUST SUMMARIZE WHAT THE RESOLUTION CONSISTS OF.

I'M HAPPY TO READ IT. OR YOU CAN.

WE'LL HAVE YOU READ IT, IF THAT'S ALL RIGHT. SURE. ALL RIGHT. ALL RIGHT. I'LL READ THE RESOLUTION. RESOLUTION OF THE ADOPTION OF THE AMENDMENTS TO THE NICOLLET COUNTY ZONING ORDINANCE.

THE COUNTY BOARD OF NICOLLET COUNTY ORDAINS.

WHEREAS MINNESOTA STATUTE 394.21 AUTHORIZES A COUNTY TO CARRY ON PLANNING AND ZONING ACTIVITIES. AND. WHEREAS, MINNESOTA STATUTE 394.25 AUTHORIZES THE FORMS OF CONTROL, INCLUDING THE ADOPTION OF ORDINANCES AND.

WHEREAS, NICOLLET COUNTY HELD PUBLIC HEARINGS ON MARCH 16TH, 2026, DURING THE PLANNING AND ZONING ADVISORY COMMISSION MEETING AND ON MARCH 24TH, 2026, DURING THE NICOLLET COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS BOARD MEETING TO DISCUSS THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS AND THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED.

THE NICOLLET COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ADOPTED THE AMENDMENTS TO THE ZONING ORDINANCE ON MARCH 24TH, 2026, AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, THE SUMMARY OF THE ADOPTED ORDINANCE WILL BE PUBLISHED ON APRIL 2ND, 2026 IN THE SAINT PETER HERALD PURSUANT TO MINNESOTA STATUTES 331, 8.01 AND 3.75.51, DATED MARCH 2426.

ALL RIGHT. WE'LL NEED A ROLL CALL ON THAT, PLEASE.

MR. CHAIR, IF I COULD.

SURE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR REPORT TODAY.

IF THERE'S ONE THING THAT HAS COME UP IN MY WORK AS A REAL ESTATE AGENT, IT'S BEING ABLE TO BUILD NEAR A RIVER.

OKAY, SO WHAT ARE THE WHAT ARE THE SETBACKS MOVING TO NOW? WELL, AS FAR AS THE SITUATION FOR FLOODPLAIN NOTHING IS REALLY CHANGING IN TERMS OF SETBACKS FOR FLOODPLAIN. I MEAN, SO OUR ZONING ORDINANCE DOES NOT ALLOW FOR NEW DWELLINGS TO BE BUILT ANYWHERE IN OUR FLOODPLAIN ZONING DISTRICT.

SO FOR THE PRACTICE OF THAT, THE ONLY THING REALLY CHANGING IS THAT YOU WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO PUT AN ACCESSORY STRUCTURE IN AN AREA CONSIDERED FLOODWAY.

SO JUST AS AN EXAMPLE, THE PROJECT THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN AFFECTED BY THAT RECENTLY WAS NEW ULM'S PROPOSAL FOR BUILDING.

YOU KNOW, THE ACCESSORY STRUCTURE TO BE THE THE WELLHEAD HOUSE.

SO THAT WOULD HAVE FACED A HIGHER BAR FOR GETTING A VARIANCE WITH THE NEW ORDINANCE BECAUSE PREVIOUSLY IT WAS THAT YOU KNOW, THAT ACCESSORY STRUCTURE WHAT WE STILL HAVE IS THAT ACCESSORY STRUCTURES ARE ONLY SUPPOSED TO BE BUILT ON FLOODPLAIN LOTS WHERE THERE IS AN EXISTING DWELLING.

SO IN THAT CASE, THE VARIANCE WAS JUST TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A NEW ACCESSORY STRUCTURE WITHOUT HAVING A DWELLING ON THAT LOT.

SINCE THERE WAS NO DWELLING ON THE PROPERTY OWNED BY THE CITY OF NEW ULM HOWEVER, NOW IT WOULD ALSO BE THAT THAT THAT TYPE OF STRUCTURE WOULD NOT BE ALLOWED IN THAT LOCATION AT ALL BECAUSE THOSE WERE LOCATED IN THE FLOODWAY.

SO NOT JUST THE 100 YEAR FLOODPLAIN, BUT TECHNICALLY THOSE SITES FOR NEW ULM HAD BEEN IDENTIFIED AS PART OF THE THE RIVER'S FLOOD WAY.

AND SO THAT WOULD HAVE THAT WOULD HAVE KIND OF CHANGED WHAT WAS GOING ON WITH THAT VARIANCE A BIT. OTHERWISE, THERE ARE NO MAJOR CHANGES EXCEPT THAT IN THEORY, UNDER THE OLD ORDINANCE, SOMEONE WITH A HOUSE COULD TRY TO BUILD SOMETHING LIKE A A LITTLE COTTAGE OR A GAZEBO OR AN ART STUDIO OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT AS AN ACCESSORY. AND NOW ACCESSORY WOULD ONLY BE UNDERSTOOD TO BE LIKE A GARAGE OR A STORAGE SHED WHERE PEOPLE WOULD NOT SPEND ANY TIME.

BUT IN TERMS OF THE SETBACKS FOR FLOODPLAIN, NOTHING'S REALLY CHANGING.

THE BIG SETBACK CHANGES ARE FOR THE SEPTIC SYSTEMS FROM THE, THE PUBLIC ROADS. SO MISTER CHAIR MEMBERS, COUNTLESS TIMES I'VE HAD MY COLLEAGUES IN THE BUSINESS SAYING, WHY CAN'T WE BUILD THERE? WHY CAN'T WHY IS NICOLLET COUNTY SO PROHIBITIVE? IT'S A GOOD REASON THAT WE HAVE THAT KIND OF SETBACK BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY IT'S DANGEROUS TO BUILD THAT CLOSE TO A WATERWAY.

IT JUST IS. SO I JUST WANTED TO HAVE YOU SAY THAT OUT LOUD.

OH, SURE. WELL, AND I WOULD SAY THAT I THINK, YOU KNOW, DURING OUR 20, 24 FLOODS, THOSE WERE REALLY AS SEVERE AS THE FLOODS WE HAD IN THE 1990S, BUT THAT WE DON'T HAVE AS MANY HOUSES IN THE FLOODPLAIN BECAUSE OF HOW STRICT OUR ORDINANCES. AND THAT REALLY, I THINK, REALLY

[00:45:01]

THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. BEFORE YOU HAVE A ROLL CALL VOTE, COULD YOU INQUIRE IF THERE'S ANY INDIVIDUALS IN THE AUDIENCE THAT WOULD LIKE TO MAKE COMMENT? YES.

THAT'S FINE. IS THERE ANYONE FROM THE PUBLIC THAT WOULD LIKE TO COMMENT ON THE ORDINANCE CHANGES? ANYONE WANT TO COMMENT ON THE ON THE ORDINANCE CHANGES THAT WE ARE CONSIDERING TODAY? ALL RIGHT. ANYONE WANT TO COMMENT ON THE ORDINANCE CHANGES? ALL RIGHT. SEEING NONE I WILL ASK FOR THAT ROLL CALL.

VOTE, PLEASE. COMMISSIONER.

ZINS. YES. COMMISSIONER.

HELGET. YES. COMMISSIONER.

DRANTTEL. YES. COMMISSIONER.

KOLARS. YES. COMMISSIONER.

DEHEN. YES. ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU. THEY ARE. THIS PASSES FOR THE RESOLUTION.

PASSES. THANKS, JOHN. THANK YOU.

THANKS FOR COMING, GUYS. ALL RIGHT.

WITH THAT, WE'LL MOVE ON IN OUR AGENDA. THE NEXT ITEM IS THE COUNTY ATTORNEY UPDATE.

[County Attorney Update]

IT WAS A REALLY GOOD TWO PART SERIES TO TALK ABOUT AND MEET WITH OTHERS ABOUT HOW TO FORM THOSE RELATIONSHIPS IN THE EVENT OF A NEED TO ADDRESS THE COMMUNITY CONCERNS.

AND SO I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY.

THANK YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU.

ALL RIGHT, THEN WE'LL ASK FOR COMMISSIONERS REPORTS.

[Commissioner Committee Reports, Meetings & Conferences]

ALSO MET WITH THE LEADERSHIP NICOLLET COUNTY GROUP AND.

BOARD. WORKSHOP. COMMISSIONER.

PERSONNEL. HOUSING AND REDEVELOPMENT.

AUTHORITY. REGION NINE.

LIBRARY AND THE BOARD WORKSHOP.

COMMISSIONER. HELGET. I HAD THE SOUTH CENTRAL WORKFORCE COUNCIL MEETING AND THE AMC LUNCH AND LEARN WORKFORCE REALITY MEETING.

NACO RURAL ACTION COUNCIL NACO CENTRAL REGION UPDATE MVAC.

THE GOOD NEIGHBOR GROUP AND AQUA MET A BUNCH.

VERY GOOD. COMMISSIONER. KOLARS. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. DIVERSITY BOARD, THE ATP SEVEN MEETING, AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT FOLKS KNOW THAT REGOS IS GOING TO BE RETIRING OUR MANKATO MDOT DIRECTOR FOR NINE YEARS AND 38 YEARS IN MNDOT.

SO HE'S DONE GREAT SERVICE AND BEEN A GOOD PARTNER FOR US HERE AT NICOLLET COUNTY.

THE WORKSHOP ON THE 17TH, THE AMC ZOOM YESTERDAY ABOUT MY GOODNESS, THERE WAS ABOUT 40 PEOPLE ABOUT THE LABOR MARKET IN MINNESOTA.

AND I CAN FILL IN MORE DETAILS AT ANOTHER TIME.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU. I HAD THE GMG ANNUAL MEETING.

[Chair’s Report]

[Approve Per Diems and Expenses]

ALL RIGHT. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.

ALL RIGHT. AND WITH THAT, I'LL ADJOURN THE MEETING.

[Adjourn Board of Commissioners Meeting]

[Call Drainage Authority Meeting to Order: Chair]

IS THERE ANY CHANGES TO THE AGENDA? MR. CHAIR, THERE ARE NO CHANGES TO THE AGENDA. OKAY.

ALL IN FAVOR OF THE APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA.

MOTION TO APPROVE. SECOND.

ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. ALL RIGHT, THEN I HAVE THE APPROVAL OF THE CONSENT AGENDA, WHICH IS ONLY THE DRAINAGE AUTHORITY MINUTES FROM THE LAST SESSION. MOVE IT.

SECOND. ALL RIGHT. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. OKAY. AND WITH THAT ANYBODY ANY PUBLIC APPEARANCES FOR THE AUTHORITY THAT ARE NOT RELATED TO COUNTY DITCH 76 A REPAIR.

ANYONE ANYONE TO ADDRESS THE COUNTY OR THE AUTHORITY ON ANYTHING BESIDES THE 76 A REPAIR. ONE MORE TIME.

ANYBODY WANT TO ADDRESS THE COMMISSION ON ANYTHING OTHER THAN 76 REPAIR.

WITH THAT, I'LL MOVE ON TO PUBLIC SERVICES AND WE WILL MOVE INTO THE 76 REPAIR REPORT AND LANDOWNER INFORMATION MEETING. OKAY.

WELCOME. GOOD MORNING, MR. CHAIR. MEMBERS OF THE BOARD AND STAFF.

I'M HERE TODAY TO CONTINUE OUR REPAIR REPORT DISCUSSION ON COUNTY DITCH 76 A.

IF YOU RECALL, THIS IS REPAIR REPORT 25 032, WHICH GENERATED THIS.

AND THIS IS A RESULT OF SOME A RAIN EVENT WE HAD LAST LATE SUMMER, EARLY FALL RELATING TO COUNTY DITCH 76 A WHICH I GUESS I WOULD SAY RESULTED IN CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THE BERM AND THE STRUCTURE AND THE PUMP STATION LOCATION THERE AND GOING INTO MIDDLE LAKE.

IT RESULTED IN SIGNIFICANT EROSION AND DAMAGE TO THAT.

[00:50:02]

SINCE THEN, THE DITCH AUTHORITY HAS RETAINED HOUSTON ENGINEERING TO COMPLETE A REPAIR REPORT ON THIS PUMP STATION AND PROVIDE THE LANDOWNERS AND AS WELL AS THE DRAINAGE AUTHORITY INFORMATION ON POTENTIAL REPAIR OPTIONS.

SO TODAY WE HAVE CHRIS OTTERNESS AND DENNIS MCALPINE FROM HOUSTON ENGINEERING TO PRESENT THAT INFORMATION. ALL RIGHT.

WELCOME, GENTLEMEN. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. MEMBERS OF THE BOARD AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC.

AGAIN, THIS IS A INFORMATIONAL MEETING.

NO DECISIONS INTENDED AT THIS TIME OR REQUEST AT THIS TIME.

NEXT SLIDE. A LITTLE BIT ON THE BACKGROUND OF THIS.

THIS IS AGAIN AS COUNTY DITCH 76, A LOCATED ON THE WEST SIDE OF MIDDLE LAKE.

IT ACTUALLY DRAINS FROM THE SYSTEM ITSELF, WHICH INCLUDES BOTH THE OPEN DITCH AND TILE DRAINS FROM WEST TO EAST.

OVER IN GRANBY TOWNSHIP AND SECTIONS 15, 16, 21 THROUGH 23, AND THEN AT THE NEAR THE OUTLET WHERE IT GOES INTO MIDDLE LAKE, THERE IS A PUMP STATION THAT'S THERE, WHICH IS KIND OF THE SUBJECT OF WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT. WE DID NOT SPEND ANY TIME LOOKING AT THE CONDITION OF THE DITCH TO ANY GREAT EXTENT. I'LL GIVE A LITTLE HISTORY ON THE SYSTEM.

IT WAS ACTUALLY CONSTRUCTED IN 1944.

THE ORIGINAL DITCH AS JUST SIMPLY AN OPEN DITCH AT THAT TIME.

BUT THEN IN 1976, THERE WAS AN IMPROVEMENT IMPROVEMENT INCLUDED A FEW DIFFERENT THINGS AND INCLUDED DEEPENING OF THE CHANNEL THAT HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN EXCAVATED ADDING THREE DIFFERENT BRANCHES THAT WERE TILE AND THEN THEY ADDED A PUMP STATION AT THAT TIME WHEN THEY CREATED THAT PUMP STATION, THEY DID THE EXCAVATION, THE ORIGINAL PLANS ACTUALLY SHOWED A 0% GRADE GOING ALL THE WAY BACK TO HIGHWAY 111.

SO THAT IS KIND OF AN UNUSUAL GRADE FOR A TYPICAL DRAINAGE SYSTEM, BUT NOT SO UNUSUAL WHEN YOU ARE DEALING WITH A OPEN DITCH THAT'S UPSTREAM OF A PUMP SYSTEM. I'LL GET INTO THAT IN A LITTLE BIT.

AT THAT TIME WHEN THEY CONSTRUCTED THAT, THE PUMPING STATION CONSISTED OF 220 HORSEPOWER ELECTRICALLY DRIVEN PUMPS.

AND THEN SOMETIME LATER, WE BELIEVE IN THE MIDDLE TO LATE 1980S, A TRACTOR PUMP WAS ADDED.

WE DON'T HAVE MUCH FOR RECORDS ON THE PURCHASE OR START OF THAT TRACTOR PUMP.

FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE LANDOWNERS HERE, I'M GOING TO GO OVER A LITTLE BIT SOME INFORMATION REGARDING THE ROLE OF THE DRAINAGE AUTHORITY AND WITH THE PROCEEDINGS SIMILAR TO THIS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THE DRAINAGE AUTHORITY DOES MANAGE THE SYSTEM ON BEHALF OF THE BENEFITING LANDOWNERS.

BUT THE DRAINAGE AUTHORITY DOES NOT PER SE OWN THE DRAINAGE SYSTEM.

THE SYSTEM IS ACTUALLY OWNED BY THE LANDOWNERS THEMSELVES.

THE DRAINAGE AUTHORITY ACTS AS AN ADVOCATE ON THEIR BEHALF.

AND THEN AS THAT ADVOCATE, THE DRAINAGE AUTHORITY INSPECTS THE SYSTEM, COMPLETES MAINTENANCE AS NEEDED.

AND ESSENTIALLY IT BANKROLLS THE COST OF THE WORK DONE ON THE SYSTEM.

AND CHARGES THAT WORK BACK TO THE BENEFITING LANDOWNERS.

IN A CASE LIKE THIS WHERE YOU HAVE A REPAIR AND WE REFER TO AS A MAJOR SYSTEM REPAIR, WHICH WOULD INCLUDE REPLACEMENT OF COMPONENTS THAT CAN BE INITIATED EITHER BY A PETITION BY LANDOWNERS OR BY THE DRAINAGE AUTHORITY ITSELF.

AND WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT WHAT WE REFER TO AS A REPAIR AND IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT TERM BECAUSE IT'S IDENTIFIED AND DEFINED IN THE STATUTE AS.

AND I HAVE THE LANGUAGE IN HERE ON THE SCREEN HERE TO RESTORE ALL OR PART OF A DRAINAGE SYSTEM AS NEARLY AS PRACTICABLE TO THE SAME HYDRAULIC CAPACITY AS ORIGINALLY CONSTRUCTED AND SUBSEQUENTLY IMPROVED.

SO IN A NUTSHELL, AND PARTICULARLY WITH REGARD TO THIS SYSTEM, IT MEANS IF WE'RE GOING TO RESTORE THE CONDITION OF THE SYSTEM TO HOW IT WAS IMPROVED IN 1976, AND POTENTIALLY ANY IMPROVEMENTS THAT OCCURRED AFTER THAT TIME, INCLUDING THE CONSTRUCTION OR THE INSTALLATION OF THE TRACTOR PUMP, THOSE THINGS WOULD BE CONSIDERED TO BE A QUOTE UNQUOTE REPAIR ON THE DRAINAGE STATUTE.

[00:55:04]

AND SO FOR AN IMPROVEMENT, THOSE GET INITIATED IN A MUCH DIFFERENT WAY.

THE DRAINAGE AUTHORITY CANNOT INITIATE AN IMPROVEMENT BY ITSELF.

IT REQUIRES AN INITIATION BY A PETITION OF 26% OR MORE OF THE BENEFITING LANDOWNERS OR OF THE BENEFITING LANDS.

AND THERE'S ACTUALLY FOUR DIFFERENT WAYS TO EVALUATE THAT.

I WON'T GET INTO THAT NOW, BUT IF ANYBODY HAS A QUESTION ON THAT I OR CERTAINLY A ATTORNEY CAN TALK MORE ON THAT.

SO I'M A TRANSITION NOW TALKING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE AS CONSTRUCTED FUNCTION, AND MAYBE I'LL TURN IT OVER TO DENNIS SO HE CAN TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT WITH REGARD TO THE PUMPING STATION.

YEAH. THANKS, CHRIS. SO ON THE RIGHT YOU'LL SEE A PICTURE.

THIS IS FROM THE ORIGINAL CONSTRUCTION PLANS.

AND THE SYSTEM CONSISTS OF TWO TWO PUMPS.

THESE ARE A VERTICAL AXIAL FLOW PUMPS.

THE STATED VALUES THAT WE PUT ON THERE IS.

EACH PUMP HAS A CAPACITY OF 3000 GALLONS PER MINUTE.

NOW THAT'S AS NEW OUT OF THE BOX CONDITION AS IT WAS INITIALLY INSTALLED.

THE THE CURRENT CONDITION OF THE SYSTEM.

IT DOES PUMP QUITE A BIT LESS.

THE ACCESSORY TRACTOR PUMP AT 8000 GALLONS PER MINUTE.

WE, WE DETERMINED THAT VIA COORDINATION WITH AN ACTUAL PUMP MANUFACTURER OF TODAY.

THE INSTALLER OR THE MANUFACTURER OF THAT PUMP BACK IN THE DAY IS NOW OUT OF BUSINESS.

SO WE'RE PRETTY CONFIDENT THAT 8000 GALLON PER MINUTE NUMBER.

SO THERE IS MANUAL OPERATIONS FOR THIS ONE, ONE OF THE PUMPS DOES OPERATE ON A FLOAT AND ONE IS JUST MANUALLY CONTROLLED HAND A HAND OPERATOR AT THE, AT THE CONTROL PANEL IN TERMS OF THE TOTAL CAPACITY.

I'LL LET CHRIS TALK ABOUT THE DRAINAGE.

SURE. SO WHEN WE'RE DEALING WITH DRAINAGE SYSTEMS, WE'RE VERY OFTEN TALKING ABOUT A CAPACITY IN TERMS OF A DRAINAGE COEFFICIENT.

AND WHAT THAT MEANS IS IF WE HAVE A HALF INCH RANGE COEFFICIENT, THAT MEANS THAT IF YOU HAVE A HALF INCH OF PURE RUNOFF COMING FROM THE DRAINAGE AREA OF THE SYSTEM, THE CAPACITY OF THE SYSTEM, WHETHER IT'S A TILE OR AN OPEN DITCH OR IN THIS CASE, A PUMP, THAT CAPACITY HAS THE ABILITY TO REMOVE THAT VOLUME OF WATER THAT HALF INCH OVER THAT CONTRIBUTING DRAINAGE AREA IN A PERIOD OF 24 HOURS.

AND SO VERY OFTEN IN MODERN CONSTRUCTION OF TILE SYSTEMS, THAT'S TYPICAL OF WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR IS TO ACHIEVE A HALF INCH DRAINAGE COEFFICIENT.

AND AS IT HAPPENS IN THIS CASE, THE TOTAL CAPACITY OF THE PUMPS AS THEY ORIGINALLY WERE CONSTRUCTED YOU KNOW, THE COMBINED 14,000 GALLONS PER MINUTE, THAT'S VERY CLOSE TO A HALF INCH DRAINAGE COEFFICIENT FOR THIS DRAINAGE AREA IN THE SYSTEM. I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE HOW THAT RELATES TO A LEVEL OF SERVICE OUT IN THE.

ON THE SYSTEM ITSELF. WE TOOK A LOOK AT WHAT THE PEAK FLOWS WERE FOR VARIOUS RAINFALL EVENTS. WE HAVE THAT IN THIS TABLE.

THIS IS INCLUDED IN OUR REPORT.

AND WE LOOKED AT IF WE HAD THESE DIFFERENT FLOWS RANGING FROM THAT HALF INCH DRAINAGE COEFFICIENT FLOW ALL THE WAY UP TO A 50 YEAR FLOW HOW THAT WOULD AFFECT WATER LEVELS AS YOU WORK YOUR WAY UPSTREAM FROM THE DITCH.

AND SO WE PUT THAT INTO OUR MODELING AND WE DETERMINED WHEN YOU GET UP TO LOCATION AT HIGHWAY 111 THAT THE ELEVATION APPROXIMATELY BE AT A 973 .41.

IF YOU WERE USING THE HALF INCH DRAINAGE COEFFICIENT.

AND AGAIN, THIS IS FOR A FULLY FUNCTIONING DRAINAGE PUMP DRAINAGE SYSTEM AND FULLY FUNCTIONING DITCH. AND EVEN AT THAT LEVEL OF CONDITION, YOU'RE STILL GOING TO HAVE SOME WATER THAT'S GOING TO BE UP AGAINST SOME OF THE TILES ON THE DRAINAGE SYSTEM. AND THAT'S AGAIN, RELATED TO HOW IT WAS DESIGNED WITH THAT FLAT GRADE GOING ALL THE WAY BACK TO HIGHWAY 111.

IMPORTANT TO NOTE, THOUGH, THAT EVEN WITH THAT KIND OF CONDITION, EVEN WHEN YOU DO HAVE A TILE OUTLET SUBMERGED, AS LONG AS YOU HAVE SOME GRADE FROM THE FIELD DOWN TO THE WHERE YOUR WATER LEVEL IS IN THE DITCH, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE SOME FLOW GOING THROUGH THAT TILE.

THERE IS A PRESSURE, WATER PRESSURE THAT CAN MAKE THAT FLOW.

IT'S NOT THE TILE MIGHT NOT BE AS HAVE AS MUCH VELOCITY AND AS MUCH

[01:00:04]

YOU HAVE WATER UP AGAINST A TOWEL.

THERE'S NO MOVEMENT. NO, NO, THERE IS MOVEMENT.

IN FACT, WHEN YOU DO HAVE VELOCITY AND A CHANNEL THAT CAN ACTUALLY EVEN CAUSE SOME DRAW. COMING FROM THE OUTLET END OF THE PIPE.

SO IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT.

YOU KNOW, IF YOU WANNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE SYSTEM FUNCTION RIGHT NOW. YEAH.

AS YOU CAN SEE HERE, THIS, THIS IS A TESTAMENT REALLY TO THE LONGEVITY OF THE SYSTEM THAT, YOU KNOW, IT STILL IS OPERATIONAL, ALBEIT IN A DIMINISHED STATE.

IT DOES NOT PUMP. YOU KNOW, THE STATED VALUES, BUT IT IS, IT WAS A PUMP THAT WAS WELL OR A SERIES OF PUMPS THAT WERE WELL SUITED FOR THIS APPLICATION. SO NATE MENTIONED EARLIER, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE CONCERNS ABOUT YOU KNOW, BURN FAILURE.

IT HAS HAPPENED AS PART OF IT.

I THINK WE'LL GET TO IT IN A LATER SLIDE WHERE WE DID TAKE SOME SOIL BORINGS TO IDENTIFY, YOU KNOW, THE MATERIALS UNDERNEATH THE BERM AND HOW THE BERM WAS ACTUALLY CONSTRUCTED. THERE ARE SOME ELECTRICAL CONSTRAINTS TO THE SYSTEM.

WHEN THIS WAS INITIALLY DESIGNED BACK IN THE DAY, YOU KNOW, THEY MAXIMIZED THE AVAILABLE ELECTRICAL POWER THAT THEY HAD FOR IT, AND THAT WITH IMPROVEMENTS AND MODERNIZATION.

YOU KNOW, THAT THAT DOES POSE A BIT OF A CHALLENGE.

SO WE'LL GET INTO OUR ALTERNATIVES A LITTLE LATER.

BUT THAT'S A THAT'S A DECIDING FACTOR IN TERMS OF WHAT, WHAT THE REPAIR COULD BE.

YOU KNOW, OPERATIONALLY FAIRLY, FAIRLY MANUAL INTENT.

YOU KNOW, THE, I, I'M OF THE OPINION THAT THEY MAXIMIZE THESE PUMPS TO THE POINT WHERE YOU PROBABLY COULDN'T TURN BOTH ON AT THE SAME TIME. THAT'S, THAT'S THE EXTENT. SO THAT'S PROBABLY MY GUESS.

MY ONLY ONE IS A HAND OPERATED AND THE OTHER ONE RUNS ON A FLOAT.

SO CAN'T UNDERSTATE REALLY THE DIMINISHED CAPACITY OF THIS.

THEY'RE NOT PUMPING AT 3000 GALLONS A MINUTE.

YOU KNOW, THE ACCESSORY TRACTOR PUMP IS THE WORKHORSE OF THE SYSTEM.

YOU CAN SEE IN THERE THE, THE CONTROLS ARE FAIRLY RUDIMENTARY, BUT, YOU KNOW, RELATIVE OF THE TIME, YOU KNOW, THIS BEING IN THE LATE 70S ROBUST BUT SIMPLE.

SO WHAT YOU'RE SEEING HERE IS THE PROPOSED REPAIR.

REPAIR. THESE PUMPS ARE REALLY SIMILAR TO I BELIEVE THIS IS AN EXAMPLE FROM CD 90.

SO ANOTHER SYSTEM THAT IS WITHIN THE COUNTY.

THERE ARE VERY FEW MANUFACTURERS OF THESE PUMPS.

THIS IS WHERE THESE PUMPS ARE TYPICALLY USED IN SOME TYPE OF STORMWATER APPLICATION WHERE THEY ARE HIGH HIGH VOLUME, LOW HEAD.

SO WE WANT TO PUMP A LOT OF WATER, BUT WE DON'T NEED TO LIFT IT VERY, VERY, VERY FAR. SO THESE ARE AXIAL FLOW CENTRIFUGAL DRIVEN SOLIDS HANDLING.

SO IN TERMS OF AN EFFICIENCY STANDPOINT, NOT THE MOST EFFICIENT FROM AN ELECTRICAL STANDPOINT, BUT THEY WERE ABLE TO HANDLE, YOU KNOW, SOLIDS. HAVE YOU SEEN BACK IN PREVIOUS PHOTOS, THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF DEBRIS THAT IS IN THE DITCH THAT THAT DUCKWEED.

IF YOU WENT WITH A VERY HIGH EFFICIENCY PUMP, YOU WOULD HAVE ISSUES, YOU KNOW, PASSING THOSE MATERIALS.

SO IN TERMS OF THE APPLICATION HERE YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE BASICALLY IDENTIFYING TWO PUMPS THAT ARE JUST A MODERN VERSION OF WHAT WAS INSTALLED, YOU KNOW, 40, 40 PLUS YEARS AGO.

SO THERE HAVE BEEN IMPROVEMENTS MADE TO, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY THE EFFICIENCY EVEN OF THIS TYPE OF PUMP.

SO YOU CAN GET MORE CAPACITY OUT OF IT IN TODAY'S DAY AND AGE FROM THE 1970S.

WE WILL BE IDENTIFYING SOME, YOU KNOW, BERM IMPROVEMENTS.

I THINK IT WAS, IT WAS, IT WAS GOOD TO NOTE THAT, YOU KNOW, THE BERM AS AT LEAST BUILT OVER SOLID, YOU KNOW, COMPATIBLE CONSTRUCTIBLE MATERIALS THAT WHENEVER IT WAS INITIALLY INSTALLED, THEY DID REMOVE IF THERE WAS ANY TYPE OF DELETERIOUS MATERIALS, IT WAS REMOVED WHEN THEY BUILT THE ORIGINAL BERM.

SO THE, THE, THE SHEET PILE OUTLET IF YOU, IF YOU WERE TO GO VISIT, YOU KNOW, CD 90, THESE PIPES ARE KIND OF PROJECTING AND UNSUPPORTED.

THE PROJECT WOULD INCLUDE SOME TYPE OF SUPPORT SO THAT THESE THINGS WOULD JUST BE DANGLING IN TERMS OF THE CONTROLS.

YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE PRICINGS THAT WE'LL PROVIDE IN HERE IS BASICALLY MIMICKING WHAT'S THERE NOW. VERY SIMPLE MOTOR STARTER CONTACTOR.

I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS SOME INTEREST FROM THE COMMUNITY AND LANDOWNERS FOR THE INTEGRATION OF A VFD, A VARIABLE FREQUENCY DRIVE WHICH WE CAN TOUCH BASE LATER. PART OF THE LATER PART OF THE PRESENTATION.

AN INTERESTING NOTE IS THAT THERE ARE PROVISIONS NOW THAT YOU CAN PROVIDE AUXILIARY POWER TO THESE PUMPS VIA A GEAR BOX THAT YOU PLACE UP ON TOP.

THAT CAN BE PTO DRIVEN.

SO I WANT TO SAY THE CD 91 ACTUALLY HAS A GENERATOR PLUG.

SO THE AUXILIARY IS BY POWER.

WE'RE GOING TO PROPOSE AN AUXILIARY FI TRACTOR.

WE'RE PROPOSING, YOU KNOW, REALLY TWO OF THESE ALTERNATIVES.

AN ALTERNATIVE ONE IS TO MAXIMIZE THE THE AVAILABLE POWER THAT'S THERE.

SO YOU ARE LIMITED TO 200 AMPS AND REPLACING THOSE PUMPS SIZE ON SIZE.

YOU DON'T GET TO THE 14,000, THE STATED GALLONS PER MINUTE.

IT'S SLIGHTLY LESS AT THAT AT 11,000, YOU KNOW,

[01:05:03]

SO THE ELECTRICAL SERVICE IS IS DATED.

IT WAS COMMON IN THE DAY FOR THEM TO, YOU KNOW, PROVIDE THE SINGLE PHASE THAT THEY HAD.

AND THEN IT'S CALLED A DELTA Y.

SO THIS IS FAIRLY LOW VOLTAGE AND THEY MAXIMIZE THE SERVICE.

THE SECOND ONE IS THIS FULL, YOU KNOW, AS CONSTRUCTED AND SUBSEQUENTLY IMPROVED CONDITION. AND IN THAT SCENARIO, YOU KNOW, WE CAN UPSIZE THOSE PUMPS TO 250 HORSEPOWER PUMPS AND RESTORE THE 14,000 GALLON CAPACITY.

NONE OF THESE ALTERNATIVES INCLUDED THE ACCESSORY TRACTOR PUMP, I GUESS, IN TERMS OF COORDINATION WITH STAFF, THAT THAT WAS JUST A MANUAL COMPONENT THAT, YOU KNOW, THE THAT THIS REPAIR WE'D LIKE TO, YOU KNOW, TO DO WITHOUT. OF COURSE, YOU WANT TO TOUCH BASE ON THE DRAINAGE COEFFICIENTS. SURE. YOU KNOW, ALTERNATIVE ONE GIVES US A DRAINAGE COEFFICIENT BETWEEN A ONE QUARTER INCH AND A 3/8 INCH.

AND THEN THE OTHER ALTERNATIVE TOO ARE MATCHING THE EXISTING OR THE ORIGINAL DESIGN CAPACITY. WE'RE THEN GOING TO BE PROVIDING A DRAINAGE COEFFICIENT BETWEEN 3/8 AND A HALF INCH. AND THAT WOULD BE CONSISTENT WITH WHAT WE WOULD ANTICIPATE ANY FUTURE PRIVATE OR PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS WOULD BE PROVIDING.

IF THOSE TILES WERE TO BE IMPROVED.

YEAH. JUST BEFORE WE MOVE OFF THE SLIDE, WE'RE LOOKING ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE. THESE ARE THE ACTUAL PERFORMANCE CURVES OF THE, OF THE PROPOSED I GUESS SERIES OF PUMP AND THE TWO ALTERNATIVES. AND JUST TO NOTE, THESE THINGS RUN IN THAT 4 TO 500 RPM RANGE.

SO WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A GEAR CASE, WE'D HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION ABOUT, YOU KNOW, IS THIS GOING TO BE A THOUSAND RPM UNIT WITH A 2 TO 1 REDUCTION, OR WOULD THE ACCESSORY BE IN THAT 500 RPM RANGE, AS NOTED EARLIER? THE TWO ALTERNATIVES CONSIST OF ONE MAXIMIZING THE AVAILABLE POWER, THE 240 VOLT, THREE PHASE 200 AMP DELTA Y.

I MEAN, GENERICALLY SPEAKING, I GUESS NON-TECHNICAL TERM, THIS IS CALLED LIKE FAKE THREE PHASE.

YOU HAVE A WILD LEG. IT WAS COMMON IN THE 70S, BUT IT DOES LIMIT YOU ON WHAT THE CAPACITY OF THE PUMPS ARE.

THERE IS NO MORE CAPACITY BEYOND THE 30 HORSE EVEN TODAY.

SO AN ALTERNATIVE TO WOULD BE AN UPGRADE TO A 490 VOLT THREE PHASE IN IN DEVELOPING THE COST FOR THIS, WHICH WE'LL GET TO ON THE NEXT SLIDE.

WE DID REACH OUT TO BENCO AND WE DID PROVIDE A PRICE FOR THEM TO, TO, TO UPDATE THIS. I GUESS IF YOU GOT SQUINTY EYES, YOU CAN LOOK UP IN THE CORNER THERE. IT TALKS ABOUT $120,000 INSTALL TO BRING FULL THREE PHASE DEDICATED POWER TO THE SITE.

IN THE SUBSEQUENT MONTHS I GUESS A LANDOWNER, YOU KNOW, REACHED OUT TO BENKO.

BENKO TOOK IT UPON THEMSELVES TO GO OUT AND ASSESS THE CONDITION OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT'S THERE. AND THEY NOTED THAT IT IS QUITE DATED AND THAT THE FULL, YOU KNOW, THE FULL COST AND BURDEN TO UPGRADE.

THIS WOULD NOT BE ON THE PROJECT THAT THEY WOULD TAKE SOME THEY WOULD ABSORB SOME OF THAT THEMSELVES. SO THERE IS A, AN ASTERISK ON OUR PRICE WHERE THEY.

BENKO HAS NOW REDUCED THE COST OF THAT JUST TO TO MAKE GOOD ON REPLACING THE INFRASTRUCTURE. SO HERE'S OUR HERE'S OUR OPINION OF PROBABLE COST.

AND REALLY, I THINK WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IS, YOU KNOW, THE DELTA BETWEEN THESE TWO BECAUSE A LOT OF THE COMPONENTS ARE GOING TO BE, YOU KNOW, SIMILAR REGARDLESS OF THE PUMPING CAPACITY, WHETHER IT'S, YOU KNOW, THE BERM IMPROVEMENTS, THE, THE, ANY OF THE KIND OF THE MANHOLE STRUCTURE, THE PIPING, THEY ALL CONSIST OF THE SAME.

THEY'RE REALLY THE BIGGEST COMPONENT OF THIS IS THE ELECTRICAL, WHICH INITIALLY WAS $120,000 ADDER.

NOW THEY'VE REDUCED IT TO 70.

THERE IS SOME MINOR DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE PUMP, BUT THE PUMP TYPE IS THERE'S REALLY NOT MUCH OF A COST.

WE'RE TALKING, YOU KNOW, $10,000 NOT, YOU KNOW, $100,000. SO I GUESS IN SPECIFICS THAT 150 DELTA IS NOT ADJUSTED FOR THE, FOR THE FOR BENKO'S. SO I GUESS IT'S A LITTLE BIT SMALLER OF A COST DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO. SURE. I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE NEED TO CONSIDER AS WE'RE LOOKING AT A DESIGN.

AND ONE OF THE IMPORTANT THINGS THAT WE'VE LEARNED WITH PUMP DESIGN ON A DRAINAGE SYSTEM IS ENSURING THAT WE HAVE PLENTY OF CAPACITY OF STORAGE UPSTREAM OF THE PUMP SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE A REPEATED ON AND OFF, ON AND OFF.

THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S, YOU KNOW, PLAGUED THE CD 86 A SYSTEM THAT ON, OFF, ON, OFF. AND I DO FEEL LIKE THIS IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE REASONS WHY THEY ORIGINALLY DESIGNED THAT FLAT SYSTEM.

IN 1976 SO THAT THEY WOULD HAVE CAPACITY.

YOU KNOW, YOU GOT, YOU KNOW THREE QUARTERS OF A MILE OF DITCH.

[01:10:01]

AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE DEFINITELY NEED TO CONSIDER AS WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS, THAT WE ARE ABLE TO PRESERVE THAT STORAGE IN THERE SO THAT WE DON'T BURN THE PUMPS OUT RIGHT AWAY. YOU KNOW, THE ISSUE WITH THE VFD AND THE CONCERN, I MEAN, THE SYSTEM CAN RUN ON THIS TRADITIONAL SETUP MOTOR STARTER, YOU KNOW, FLOAT CONTROLLED, BUT IT ALSO CAN RUN ON A VFD IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, THE, I GUESS THE LANDOWNERS WISH TO PROVIDE, IT DOES PROVIDE, YOU KNOW, SOME ADDITIONAL, YOU KNOW, CAPABILITIES FROM A PROGRAMING STANDPOINT WHERE YOU CAN REALLY DIAL IN IT IS TYPICALLY NOT AS ROBUST OF A SYSTEM.

IT RUNS ON A TRANSDUCER.

SO WITH ALL OF THAT, YOU KNOW, CONCERN A LITTLE BIT OF THAT DEBRIS. YOU'D HAVE TO HAVE SOME TRANSDUCER.

YOU KNOW, THERE'S SOMETHING TO BE SAID ABOUT THE ROBUST NATURE OF FLOATS. YOU KNOW, THEY'RE THEY'VE TESTAMENT TO THE SYSTEM THAT'S IN THERE.

LIKE IT'S STILL WORKING ALL THESE YEARS LATER NOW.

SO AT THIS TIME, WE DON'T FEEL THAT HAVING A VARIABLE FREQUENCY DRIVE WOULD BE APPROPRIATE FOR THE SOLUTION. AGAIN, AS HE'S TALKING ABOUT THE FLOATS AND IT REALLY DOESN'T PROVIDE IT'S NOT NEEDED TO MAKE THE SYSTEM PERFORM FROM A LONGEVITY STANDPOINT, IT CAN BE DONE WITH A TRADITIONAL PUMP.

SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE LOOKED AT THAT WE OBSERVED, WE DID DO SOME SURVEY OUT THERE JUST TO IDENTIFY THE ELEVATION OF THE DITCH ALONG THE WAY AND HOW THE, THE DESIGN OF THE PUMP WOULD AFFECT WATER LEVELS AT THE VARIOUS CULVERTS UPSTREAM.

AND DOING SO WE DID NOTE THAT THERE ARE GOING TO BE SOME REPAIRS NEEDED UPSTREAM.

THERE IS SOME SLOUGHING THAT HAS OCCURRED ALONG SOME OF THE DITCH BANKS. THAT'S SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO OCCUR REGARDLESS OF WHAT'S COMPLETED ALONG THE DITCH.

THERE ARE ALSO, I THINK, EITHER 3 OR 4 DIFFERENT PRIVATE CROSSINGS ON THE DITCH BETWEEN THE TOWNSHIP ROAD AND HIGHWAY 111.

THAT WE'RE NOT SURE HOW OFTEN THAT THESE ARE USED.

AND IF THE LANDOWNERS AREN'T USING THEM FREQUENTLY, ANY OF THOSE THAT ARE ABLE TO BE ABANDONED ARE GOING TO HELP WITH THE LONG TERM EFFICIENCY OF THE DRAINAGE SYSTEM.

EVERY TIME YOU HAVE A CULVERT AND A CROSSING, YOU'RE GOING TO GET A LITTLE BIT OF INCREMENTAL WATER CHANGE FROM ONE SIDE OF THE CULVERT TO THE OTHER. SO SOMETHING THAT DEFINITELY SHOULD BE CONSIDERED AND DISCUSSED WITH THE LANDOWNERS IN THOSE AREAS, WHETHER THOSE CAN BE ELIMINATED AND STILL NOT AFFECT THEIR FARMING PRACTICES.

THE FINAL THING I'LL NOTE IS REGARDING THE DNR, WE DO NEED TO ENGAGE WITH THEM AHEAD OF REPAIR.

IN FACT, WE HAVE ALREADY HAD DIALOG WITH THEM SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THERE IS A DISCONNECT BETWEEN THE DNR'S CURRENT WATER APPROPRIATIONS PERMIT FOR THIS PUMP AND WHAT THE CAPACITY THE PUMP SYSTEM IS.

RIGHT NOW, THE DNR APPROPRIATIONS PERMIT LISTS A 3000 GALLONS PER MINUTE PUMPING RATE, WHICH IS FAR SMALLER THAN THE 14,000 OF THE ORIGINALLY DESIGNED CONDITION OF THE SYSTEM.

SO WE'VE HAD A DIALOG WITH THEM ABOUT THAT.

THEY'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT HOW THEIR RELATIONSHIP WOULD BE WITH A, WITH REGARD TO A REPAIR IN THIS AREA, AND WE'LL BE HAVING MORE DISCUSSION WITH THEM. I FIND IT POSSIBLE AND PROBABLY EVEN LIKELY THAT THE DNR WILL REQUIRE A PERMIT FOR THIS, BUT POTENTIALLY A PUBLIC WATERS PERMIT AND ALSO A MODIFICATION OF THE APPROPRIATIONS PERMIT TO DO THIS. SO IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GOING TO NEED ENGAGEMENT WITH THEM ON AND LIKELY WILL BE PROBABLY ONCE WE'RE ONCE A DECISION IS MADE WHETHER OR NOT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE REPAIR, IT PROBABLY IS AT LEAST A TWO MONTH PROCESS WORKING WITH THE DNR TO GET THESE PERMITS IN PLACE.

SO WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? A FEW OF THE NEXT STEPS.

YOU KNOW, THE DRAINAGE AUTHORITY NEEDS TO CONSIDER THE REPAIR REPORT THAT WE PROVIDED.

WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING FOR THAT UNDER THE STATUTE, THE STANDARD OF DECISION IN THIS CASE IS, ARE THE REPAIRS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE AFFECTED LANDOWNERS. AND THERE'S A LOT OF DECISIONS THAT YOU AS A DRAINAGE AUTHORITY BOARD MAY MAKE, SOME OF THESE MAY INCLUDE WHETHER OR NOT THEIR PAIRS ARE NEEDED.

I WOULD SAY LOOKING AT THE CURRENT CONDITIONS, IT'S PRETTY APPARENT THAT SOMETHING IS NEEDED TO BE DONE TO KEEP THIS SYSTEM MOVING FORWARD. ANOTHER CONSIDERATION MAY BE WHETHER OR NOT THERE IS A BETTER REPAIR ALTERNATIVE THAN WHAT WAS INDICATED OR RECOMMENDED.

[01:15:03]

CERTAINLY THE LANDOWNERS MAY HAVE A DIFFERENT IDEA OR INTEREST HERE OF WHAT IT IS THAT THEY NEED FOR PERFORMANCE FROM THIS.

AND THAT PERFORMANCE MIGHT NOT BE ACHIEVED SOLELY THROUGH A REPAIR.

AND AGAIN, THE DRAINAGE AUTHORITY CAN, CANNOT INITIATE A PETITION FOR AN IMPROVEMENT ON THEIR OWN. THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD NEED TO BE DONE BY THE LANDOWNERS IF THEY WERE INTERESTED IN GOING DOWN THAT PATH.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, PART OF THE FEEDBACK YOU MAY BE GETTING HERE TODAY IS WHETHER OR NOT THE LANDLORDS HAVE AN INTEREST IN DOING A PETITION FOR SOME SORT OF AN IMPROVEMENT ON THE DRAINAGE SYSTEM. WE'VE ALREADY HEARD FROM AT LEAST ONE LANDOWNER DISCUSS AN INTEREST IN PETITIONING FOR AN IMPROVEMENT TO LOWER THE DRAINAGE SYSTEM IN FRONT OF THE PUMPING SYSTEM AND ACHIEVE SOME SORT OF GRADE COMING TO THE PUMPING SYSTEM.

AND THEREFORE BE ABLE TO TRY TO GET BETTER PERFORMANCE OUT OF THE OPEN DITCH ITSELF.

NOT NECESSARILY RELATED TO THE PUMPING SYSTEM, ALTHOUGH THE PUMPING SYSTEM, WHEN WE'RE CONSTRUCTING IT, WE DON'T MAKE IT ANY DEEPER THAN WE HAVE TO THERE.

AND THEN, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE BIG RELATED QUESTIONS IS IF THEY DO REQUEST AN IMPROVEMENT OR ARE LIKELY TO REQUEST AN IMPROVEMENT, WOULD THAT BE AN IMPROVEMENT? WORK WITH THE REPAIR THAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING THAT PROPOSED ACTION.

WE'VE INDICATED ON THIS LAST BULLET ON THIS SLIDE THAT SHOULD THE REPAIR.

WE FEEL A MINIMUM TIME FRAME TO, YOU KNOW, FROM THAT MOMENT TO GETTING THE PUMP SYSTEM INSTALLED.

IT'S LIKELY GOING TO BE AT LEAST SIX MONTHS AND THAT'S GOING TO INCLUDE A COUPLE MONTHS.

ENGAGING WITH THE DNR.

IT'S GOING TO TAKE A COUPLE MONTHS TO ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO.

ORDER THE PARTS AND HAVE THEM SHOW UP BECAUSE SOME OF THOSE PARTS NEED TO BE MADE SPECIAL.

PARTICULARLY THE POWER TAKEOFF GEAR REDUCTION THAT WOULD BE NEEDED THERE.

AND THEN IN A. BE ABLE TO HAVE THE CONTRACTOR PROCURED AND TO HAVE THEM GO OUT AND DO THIS WORK. SO THAT'S AT THE MOST OPTIMISTIC WOULD BE PROBABLY THAT SIX MONTH TIME PERIOD.

SO REALISTICALLY, IT'S GOING TO BE.

THERE COULD BE AN OUTSIDE CHANCE OF GETTING IT DONE THIS YEAR, BUT WE'D HAVE TO BE VERY PROMPT IN MAKING A DECISION TO MOVE FORWARD AND TO YOU KNOW, HAVE THE STARS ALIGNED WITH REGARD TO THE REGULATORY SIDE.

SO. AND FINALLY, I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IMPROVEMENT PETITIONS.

THIS IS YOU KNOW, REALLY AIMED AT THE LANDOWNERS THAT ARE IN ATTENDANCE HERE.

AND HAVING THEM KNOW A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT WOULD BE INVOLVED WITH THAT.

SO IF THEY ARE LOOKING TO DO AN IMPROVEMENT PETITION, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, IT DOES HAVE TO BE INITIATED BY 26% OF THE AFFECTED LANDOWNERS AND LANDS.

A PETITION MUST INCLUDE A BOND.

SO THE DOLLARS MUST BE PUT DOWN IN ORDER TO HAVE THIS MOVE FORWARD.

AND THAT BOND IS INTENDED TO COVER THE COST OF ENGINEERING TO GET YOU THROUGH THE PRELIMINARY AND FINAL HEARING PHASES OF A PETITION.

IF THAT PETITION IMPROVEMENT DOES BECOME ORDERED BY THE BOARD, THAT BOND WOULD BE RELEASED.

AND THEN THE COST FOR THAT THE ENGINEERING WORK GOES AND THE VIEWING WORK GOES BACK ONTO THE DRAINAGE SYSTEM. HOWEVER, IF THAT PETITION FAILS, THEN THE PETITIONERS THEMSELVES ARE SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR THOSE COSTS GOING ALL THE WAY UP TO THE PROCEEDINGS.

THERE IS A TOUGHER STANDARD WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT AN IMPROVEMENT PROJECT FOR THAT DECISION. YOU KNOW, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, FOR THE REPAIR, YOU JUST HAVE TO DETERMINE WHETHER IT'S IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE LANDOWNERS FOR THE IMPROVEMENT. WE ACTUALLY HAVE TO HAVE A, A A COMPARISON OF MONETARY BENEFITS VERSUS COSTS. THE BENEFITS ARE DETERMINED OR ESTIMATED BY THE VIEWERS OF THE SYSTEM.

AFTER YOU GO THROUGH THE PRELIMINARY HEARING AND MOVE TOWARD THE FINAL HEARING STAGE.

THE COST OF THE IMPROVEMENT ARE ESTIMATED BY THE ENGINEER, AND THE BENEFITS AGAIN MUST EXCEED THE COST.

OTHERWISE THE BOARD CANNOT MOVE FORWARD WITH THE PROJECT.

[01:20:04]

ALTHOUGH THERE ARE A LOT OF DIFFERENT CONSIDERATIONS THAT THE BOARD MUST CONSIDER AS WELL, PARTICULARLY WITH REGARD TO ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS THAT ARE MORE UNIQUE TO THE IMPROVEMENT STANDARD.

ALSO IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT IMPROVEMENT PROCEEDINGS TYPICALLY TAKE A MINIMUM OF ABOUT TWO YEARS TO WORK ALL THE WAY THROUGH, AND THAT IS RELATED TO THE PROCESS AND THE NUMBER OF DIFFERENT CONSULTANTS AND AGENCIES INVOLVED WITH AN IMPROVEMENT PROCEEDING.

IT AGAIN BEGINS WITH A A PRELIMINARY ENGINEER'S REPORT.

MOVING ON TO A PRELIMINARY HEARING, A FINAL ENGINEER'S REPORT, A VIEWER'S REPORT AND A FINAL HEARING AND ALL OF THAT, ALL THOSE STEPS TAKE A FAIR AMOUNT OF TIME TO WORK THEIR WAY THROUGH.

IF THE LANDOWNERS ARE CONSIDERING PETITIONING FOR AN IMPROVEMENT, A FEASIBILITY REVIEW IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED AHEAD OF A PETITION.

THAT WAY, THE LANDOWNERS CAN HAVE AN IDEA OF WHAT KIND OF COSTS THEY MAY BE LOOKING INTO AHEAD OF TIME AND, AND HAVE THAT AS A CONSIDERATION OF WHETHER THE VALUE PROVIDED BY THE PROJECT WOULD BE WORTH IT TO PROCEED FORWARD WITH, EVEN IN OUR FEASIBILITY REVIEW.

WE CAN'T DETERMINE A MONETARY BENEFIT THAT IS REALLY THE REALM OF THE VIEWERS, BUT WE CAN GIVE AN IDEA OF WHAT THE LEVEL OF SYSTEM PERFORMANCE MIGHT BE.

AND IN THIS CASE, IF THEY WANTED TO LOOK AT THAT, WE COULD TAKE A LOOK AT YOU KNOW IF THEY MADE A CHANGE TO THE SYSTEM, HOW IT MIGHT AFFECT WATER LEVELS UPSTREAM IN THE SYSTEM.

SO AGAIN, OUR A FEASIBILITY REVIEW, IT WOULD TYPICALLY INCLUDE A CONCEPT COST ESTIMATE EVALUATION OF SYSTEM PERFORMANCE, AS I MENTIONED, NOT THAT COST VALUE OF BENEFIT.

SO THAT'S ALL WE HAD FOR OUR PRESENTATION.

I GUESS RIGHT AWAY HERE WE COULD TAKE ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD.

OTHERWISE I WOULD UNDERSTAND WE'D BE OPENING IT UP FOR INPUT FROM LANDOWNERS.

ANYONE FROM THE COMMISSIONERS HAVE ANY COMMENTS AT THIS POINT? I HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS.

WHEN YOU TALKED ABOUT THE POTENTIAL PETITION FOR AN IMPROVEMENT, IF THEY WOULD, THE POTENTIAL PETITION FOR AN IMPROVEMENT.

OR COULD THEY IMPROVE REQUEST AN IMPROVEMENT BEYOND THE HALF INCH DRAINAGE COEFFICIENT? OR WOULD IT BE MORE LIKELY DESIGNED FOR THAT HALF INCH DRAINAGE COEFFICIENT? COMMISSIONERS. AND YEAH, THE THEY CERTAINLY COULD PETITION FOR AN INCREASE IN THE SIZE OF THE PUMPING SYSTEM.

MAYBE THEY CAN YOU KNOW, PETITION FOR ANY NUMBER OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF MODIFICATIONS OF THE DRAINAGE SYSTEM.

WHETHER THAT POTENTIALLY PROVIDE A VALUE TO THEM WOULD BE A DIFFERENT MATTER.

IN MY OPINION, I THINK THAT PROCEEDING WITH A ARE MOVING FORWARD WITH A PETITION TO INCREASE THE CAPACITY OF THE PUMPING SYSTEM WOULD NOT LIKELY PROVIDE A SUBSTANTIAL BENEFIT BEYOND WHAT THEY WOULD BE GETTING FROM THE CURRENT AS CONSTRUCTED SYSTEM CAPACITY. BECAUSE AGAIN, YOU KNOW, MOST OF THE DRAIN TILE UPSTREAM WOULD BE UNLIKELY TO BE SIZED FOR A CAPACITY GREATER THAN A HALF INCH DRAINAGE COEFFICIENT. SO HAVING THAT NEAR HALF INCH DRAINAGE COEFFICIENT CAPACITY ON THE EXISTING PUMPING SYSTEM YOU'RE GETTING REALLY CLOSE TO WHAT WOULD ALREADY BE THERE.

I GUESS IF THEY WERE DOING TO A PETITION FOR AN IMPROVEMENT OF, SAY, THE OPEN CHANNEL PARTS OF THE SYSTEM, AND THEN THEY WANTED TO BUMP UP THAT CAPACITY FROM THE 14,000 GALLONS PER MINUTE THAT WOULD BE THERE NOW TO A 16,000, WHICH WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, PRETTY MUCH EXACTLY THAT HALF INCH RANGE COEFFICIENT. IT MAYBE IT WOULD PROVIDE A SMALL INCREMENTAL VALUE AND PROBABLY NOT A SUBSTANTIALLY LARGER COST.

GIVEN THAT THEY WOULD NEED TO BE GOING THROUGH ALL THE PROCESS PROCEEDING FOR OTHER IMPROVEMENT COMPONENTS.

SO I CERTAINLY THINK I WOULD NOT ADVISE TO MOVE FORWARD ON THAT PATH JUST TO IMPROVE THE PUMP CAPACITY ALONE. YEAH.

[01:25:01]

IT'S COMMISSIONER. ZINS.

YOU HAVE A GREAT POINT THERE.

AND IT'S CERTAINLY QUITE POSSIBLE THAT BY CREATING ADDITIONAL GRADE, YOU, YOU LIKELY WOULD BE LOSING STORAGE ON THE SYSTEM.

AND SO IN ORDER TO AVOID HAVING THAT REPEATED CYCLING, YOU PROBABLY WOULD HAVE TO OVER EXCAVATE AND DIG A MUCH DEEPER DITCH NEAR THE END OF THE SYSTEM AND BACK AWAYS ALL THE WAY UP PROBABLY TO THE TOWNSHIP ROAD IN ORDER TO DO SO.

AND DOING THAT WOULD REQUIRE EXPANDING OUT THE FOOTPRINT OF THE DRAINAGE SYSTEM QUITE A BIT IN ORDER TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.

AND SO YOU WOULD ESSENTIALLY BE CREATING A BIG STORAGE POND RIGHT THERE NEAR THE THE PUMP SYSTEM. AND NOT THAT IT COULDN'T BE DONE, IT JUST ADDS A LOT MORE EXPENSE TO WHAT YOU'D BE LOOKING AT FOR A PROJECT THERE.

I GUESS THAT'S ALSO A GOOD POINT TO NOTE THAT DEEPENING THE DITCH OF IN ANY LOCATION ON HERE IS NOT NECESSARILY GOING TO BE A SIMPLE MATTER BECAUSE WE ALREADY HAVE VERY STEEP SIDE SLOPES ON THE DITCH RIGHT NOW.

THEY'RE STEEPER IN MANY LOCATIONS THAN A 2 TO 1 SLOPE.

AND SO ONCE WE WOULD DIG ANY OF THAT DEEPER, WE'D HAVE TO RE SLOPE AND MAKE THE DITCH WIDER IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE THE GREATER DEPTH.

SO IT'S GOING TO CREATE A LOSS OF FARMLAND WITHOUT A DOUBT.

I DON'T HAVE THAT A NUMBER SPECIFICALLY ON THAT, BUT IT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT LANDOWNERS NEED TO CONSIDER IS THAT THEY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN WITHIN THEIR CURRENT THE CURRENT DITCH FOOTPRINT AND THEY WOULD BE LOSING SOME OF THEIR ARABLE FARM GROUND.

WELL, LAST ONE, YEAH. I NOTICED TOO, YOU MENTIONED PART OF, AGAIN, IT SOUNDS LIKE THAT THERE IS A BIT OF AN AT ODDS WITH THE DNR IN TERMS OF WHAT, WHAT THEY'RE PUTTING IN, YOU KNOW, THEIR DISCHARGE CAPACITY IS ONLY ON RECORD AT 3000 GALLONS A MINUTE AND WE'RE PUMPING AROUND 14 OR WHATEVER, THOUSAND GALLONS A MINUTE.

I DO TWO QUESTIONS TO THIS.

NUMBER ONE, DO YOU ANTICIPATE THAT WE'RE GOING TO RUN INTO DIFFICULTY GETTING THAT PERMITTING? AND SECONDLY, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE CURRENT DITCH, OR AT LEAST FROM WHAT I'VE SEEN, ONE OF THE POTENTIAL PROBLEMS RIGHT NOW IS BEING ABLE TO MOVE THAT WATER AWAY FROM THE POOL.

IT DISCHARGES INTO. BECAUSE IT'S GOT A.

IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S GOT TO FLOW THROUGH A BUNCH OF CATTAILS TO GET AWAY FROM THERE.

HAS ANYBODY EXAMINED THAT OR WILL THERE BE A POTENTIAL FOR HAVING TO, SO TO SPEAK, OPEN UP A CHANNEL IN THE LAKE MORE TO BE ABLE TO GET THE WATER AWAY FROM IT? I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S A PROBLEM OR NOT.

I'M JUST IT'S ONE I, I SEE RIGHT NOW.

SURE. SO I'LL ANSWER THE SECOND PART FIRST.

GIVEN THAT WE'RE OUR DISCHARGE POINT IS WELL ABOVE THE LAKE.

THERE'S REALLY NO NEED FOR MAINTAINING A, AN OUTLET CHANNEL TO GET THE WATER THERE.

IT'S GOING TO GET INTO THE LAKE REGARDLESS.

SO I'M NOT WORRIED ABOUT THAT ASPECT OF IT.

CERTAINLY YOU KNOW, WE HAVEN'T COME TO ANY CONCLUSION WITH THE DNR ON HOW THE DNR WOULD BE VIEWING THIS. OR. YOU KNOW WHAT IT IS THAT WE'RE EVEN INTENDING TO DO AT THIS MOMENT, BUT WE DID HAVE THAT INITIAL DISCUSSION WITH THEM.

I'M CONFIDENT OF WHERE WE STAND AS FAR AS OUR ABILITY TO DETERMINE THAT THIS IS PART OF THE ORIGINAL SYSTEM. AND AGAIN, I'M NOT AN ATTORNEY, BUT JUST FROM AN ENGINEERING VIEWPOINT, I'M CONFIDENT OF OUR POSITION ON THAT.

AND YOU KNOW, THE DNR THEMSELVES, THEY AREN'T THE DETERMINER OF WHAT IS A REPAIR VERSUS IMPROVEMENT, BUT THEY DO, THEY ARE THE DETERMINER OF WHAT

[01:30:01]

AND SO I CAN'T ENVISION AT THIS POINT WHAT KIND OF CONDITIONS THEY MAY PLACE UPON A PERMIT, BUT WE'LL NEED TO HAVE MORE DISCUSSION.

I, I WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO GIVE YOU A REALLY CONCRETE ANSWER ON THAT.

BUT WHEN WE'RE DEALING WITH THESE KIND OF THINGS FROM A REGULATORY SIDE OF THINGS I'M I CAN'T PROVIDE ANYTHING, YOU KNOW, HARD AND FAST ON THAT.

OTHER QUESTIONS. I HAVE TWO, ONE, JUST AS A RECAP, WE'RE GOING TO A 14,000 CAPACITY.

WHAT IS THE CURRENT CAPACITY IF IT'S MORE THAN THE 3000, BUT WHAT IS IT CURRENTLY? HOW WOULD YOU ESTIMATE. THAT IS REALLY HARD.

WE HAVEN'T EVEN TRIED TO MAKE AN ATTEMPT AT THAT.

I MEAN WOULD YOU SAY LET'S JUST SAY A FACTOR? ARE YOU THINKING IT'S A FACTOR OF 10% LESS NOW 25% LESS NOW, JUST AS A ROUGH ESTIMATE, I'M JUST THINKING OF IF WE'RE SUDDENLY GOING TO HAVE THIS MUCH CAPACITY AND IT'S BEEN DIMINISHED FOR DECADES BECAUSE OF THE WAY IT IS NOW. SO WITHOUT MAYBE DEEPENING THE DITCH, IT'S GOING TO HAVE ADDED CAPACITY JUST BECAUSE THE PUMPS ARE GOING TO BE MORE EFFICIENT. DENNIS, DO YOU THINK IT WOULD BE ACCURATE TO SAY THAT THE PUMP OR THE TRACTOR PUMP MAYBE HAS LIKE A 10 TO 20% REDUCTION AND THAT THE THE ELECTRIC PUMPS PROBABLY HAVE MORE THAN A 50% REDUCTION.

SO YOU'RE GOING TO SEE A SUBSTANTIAL IMPROVEMENT BY GOING TO THE 14,000.

THEY WILL SEE A SUBSTANTIAL ITERATION OF FLOW COMPARED TO WHAT THEY'VE BEEN SEEING FOR SEVERAL YEARS. IT WAS THE BASIS OF ALTERNATIVE ONE THAT IT COULD PROVIDE UTILITY, YOU KNOW, BEYOND WHAT THE TRACTOR PUMP, WHICH AGAIN IS THE WORKHORSE OF THE SYSTEM.

THE ELECTRIC PUMPS ARE I MEAN, THEY'RE TIRED. THEY'RE VERY OLD. OKAY.

AND THEN THE OTHER QUESTION YOU MENTIONED THE BERM REPAIR AND YOU DIDN'T GET MUCH INTO DETAIL OF THAT. IS THAT FAIRLY SUBSTANTIAL OR IS THAT THAT'S PRETTY DOABLE.

THE MATERIALS THAT WE DID TWO BORINGS ON IT AND THEY WERE, YOU KNOW, FAIRLY DECENT MATERIALS.

THERE MIGHT BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO USE SOME OF ADJACENT MATERIALS TO, TO ENHANCE IT, BUT REALLY KIND OF A NON-ISSUE.

OKAY. VERY GOOD. OKAY.

ALL RIGHT. ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? IF NOT, I GUESS WE'LL OPEN UP TO THE LANDOWNERS IF ANYBODY WANTS TO MAKE INPUT ON THIS. ANY LANDOWNERS WANT TO COMMENT ON WHAT THE PRESENTATION.

PLEASE STEP FORWARD. GIVE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS AND LET US KNOW WHAT YOU'RE THINKING AND INFORM OUR ENGINEERS IF THERE'S SOMETHING THEY NEED TO CONSIDER.

COME ON UP.

I'M MARVIN KROHN, AND I WAS THE MAIN TRACTOR PUMP OPERATOR SINCE INCEPTION. UP UNTIL THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, I DECIDED TO RELIEVE MY DUTIES.

BUT THE FACTS OF THE DITCH BEING FLAT AND THE TRACTOR PUMP HAD MORE CAPACITY THAN WHAT THE DITCH COULD DELIVER WATER TO THE PUMP.

AND OVER THE YEARS, IT SEEMED LIKE TO HAVE SOME KIND OF GRADE ON THIS SYSTEM WOULD BE VERY POSITIVE TO GET. AND I HAPPEN TO BE.

OUR FARM IS ON THE WEST SIDE OF 111.

AND SINCE THAT ROAD WAS REBUILT, THEY HAVE HUGE CAPACITY NOW WITH A NEARLY FIVE FOOT CULVERT GOING THROUGH 111.

SO THAT'S PRETTY GOOD.

BUT TO GET THE WATER AWAY FROM THE WEST SIDE OF 111 SEEMS TO BE A HINDRANCE, AND I'M THINKING IT HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE FLAT GRADE.

SO IT WOULD MAKE SENSE TO ME IF A GUY'S GOING TO DO SOMETHING TO AT LEAST GET SOME GRADE.

SO THE WATER CAN GET AWAY FASTER.

SO. I GUESS WITHOUT BEING REPETITIVE, I'M NOT SURE WHAT ELSE I COULD ADD AT THIS POINT. THANK YOU. ANYBODY ELSE WANT TO MAKE A COMMENT? I GUESS THE ONE THE BIGGEST QUESTION, I THINK TO ME ON WHAT THE PRESENTATION WAS, IS IT WORTH THE INCREASE IN ELECTRICAL CAPACITY TO MAKE THIS MORE EFFICIENT TO THE

[01:35:03]

BUT DOES THAT SEEM REASONABLE TO YOU? TO UPGRADE THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.

I'M SEEING A LOT OF HEADS SHAKING. YES.

ANYBODY SAYING NO? OKAY.

ALL RIGHT. SO THAT'LL BE SOMETHING WE'LL TAKE UNDER CONSIDERATION. ANYONE ELSE HAVE ANY OTHER COMMENTS THEY'D LIKE TO SAY? COME ON UP. I JUST HAVE TO COME UP TO THE PODIUM, PLEASE. SO THE RECORDING, CAN YOU JUST GIVE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS, PLEASE? SETH KERWIN 4357 851ST AVENUE IN NICOLLET.

I'M ON THE WEST SIDE OF 111.

I WAS JUST CURIOUS. IT'S JUST A QUESTION.

LISTENING ON THE INITIAL EVALUATION OF THE TOTAL CAPACITY.

I GUESS I WAS ALWAYS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT THE TRACTOR PUMP WAS AROUND 12,000 GALLONS A MINUTE, AND THE OTHERS WERE THREE, WHICH WOULD PUT US AROUND 18 OR SO.

I JUST WONDERING WHAT HOW DID THAT PROCESS OF THAT 8000 COME ABOUT WITH THE PUMP? THE DETERMINATION WAS MADE VIA COORDINATION WITH CRISTOFOLI MANUFACTURING.

SO LIKE I SAID EARLIER, THERE'S VERY FEW PUMP MANUFACTURERS, YOU KNOW, IN THIS JUST FOR EXAMPLE, CD 90, THAT'S MW I PUMP OUT OF FLORIDA, LIKE THERE'S NOT A LOT OF THESE FACILITIES AROUND.

SO, YOU KNOW, WE GAVE THEM THE ALL OF THE FACTS, STATISTICS THERE IS A PLATE THAT'S ON THE ACTUAL PUMP PROVIDED TO THEM AND THEY PROVIDED US THAT DETERMINATION BACK.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. OTHER COMMENTS? OTHER QUESTIONS. COME ON UP.

WE'LL TAKE ONE AT A TIME, SIR.

GO FOR IT. AND THEN MISS KRONE CAN GO SECOND.

RICK RAEMISCH ADDRESS 49 752 COUNTY ROAD 15.

WE FARM ON THE WEST SIDE OF 111 AND WE HAVE A THREE INCH RAIN.

WE PROBABLY LOSE 20 ACRES PRETTY MUCH EVERY YEAR, AND OUR OUTLET IS RIGHT ON THE VERY BOTTOM OF THE DITCH.

AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU KNOW, THE DITCH HAS GOT TO BE TAKEN DOWN A LONG WAYS. I MEAN, WAY UNDER HALF IN ORDER FOR IT TO GET ANY PRESSURE TO FOR OUR WATER TO GO INTO THE DITCH. SO I'M NOT REALLY SURE WHETHER THE INCREASE IN THE PUMPING WILL BE ENOUGH TO OFFSET THAT OR IF IT'S GOING TO NEED A GRADE.

THAT'S A SLIGHT GRADE ON IT.

SO I'M NOT REALLY SURE, BUT, BUT TO US, IT'S A BIG DEAL BECAUSE WE LOSE PROBABLY 20 ACRES EVERY YEAR OR SO.

THAT'S A FAIR AMOUNT. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, MR. KROSCH.

HELLO, MY NAME IS WARREN CRONIN.

I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE DITCH LOWERED SOMEWHAT.

IT'S BEEN SAID FIVE FEET.

I DON'T THINK WE NEED FIVE FEET.

BUT IF WE CAN LOWER IT TWO FEET AND TAKE IT BACK, MAYBE UP TO A MILE AT THAT DEPTH.

AND I KNOW IT HAS TO GO WIDER THAN.

BUT ABOUT A HALF MILE INTO THIS OR THREE QUARTERS OF A MILE, THERE'S A AT LEAST A QUARTER MILE OF PEAT FIELD.

AND THAT STUFFS IN EVERY YEAR RIGHT NOW IT STUFFS IN.

SO IF YOU LEAVE IT AT THE GRADE IT IS.

NOW, AS SOON AS IT SLIPS IN, YOU LOSE GRADE.

SO IF WE COULD TAKE IT DOWN AT LEAST TWO FEET, IT WOULD KEEP THAT TRACK OF LAND OPEN AND IT WOULD GIVE US SOME WATER TO PUMP FROM THAT BASIN THAT WE NEED. THE CULVERT THAT'S GOING THROUGH THE ROAD IS SHOT AND HAS TO BE REPLACED ANYWAY. SO IF THEY COULD PUT A SQUARE CULVERT IN THERE TO GET THE VOLUME OF WATER TO COME THROUGH, IT WOULD HELP A LOT.

AND I HAVE LAND ON THE WEST SIDE OF 111 ALSO, AND THERE'S A CULVERT ABOUT 400FT WEST OF 111.

AND THAT CULVERT IS GENERALLY HALF FULL OR FULLER WAY TOO LONG.

AND THAT'S BECAUSE IT DOESN'T HAVE THE FLOW.

BEFORE THAT, IF YOU CAN BRING THAT DITCH DEEPER TO MAKE SURE THAT SLOUGHED OFF GROUND DOES NOT PLUG IT UP AGAIN, THAT WILL HELP TREMENDOUSLY.

AND YOU KNOW, WE HAVE LAND TOO.

IF YOU GET THE WATER OFF TWO HOURS TOO LATE, THE CROP IS DEAD.

YOU HAVE TO HAVE THAT WATER OFF WITHIN TWO AND A HALF TO THREE DAYS MAXIMUM.

AFTER THAT, WHATEVER'S GONE IS GONE.

SO IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO GET THAT WATER OFF QUICKLY.

SO THANKS FOR THE INSIGHT.

ANYONE ELSE WANT TO MAKE ANY COMMENTS?

[01:40:05]

SO THERE'S A FAIR AMOUNT OF COST IN DOING THAT PROCEEDING ITSELF.

AND THEN AS FAR AS THE CONSTRUCTION OF THAT, THE BIGGEST COST IS, WELL, THERE'S GOING TO BE TWO BIG COSTS. ONE IS YOU KNOW, LAYING THE SLOPES BACK A BIT, YOU KNOW, EXCAVATION.

BUT THEN ALSO DAMAGES TO PROPERTY.

WE'D HAVE TO COMPENSATE LANDOWNERS FOR THE LOSS OF FARMLAND.

AND SO I DON'T HAVE AN IDEA AT THIS POINT OF WHAT THOSE COSTS ARE GOING TO BE.

FOR THAT A LOT OF THAT DEPENDS ON HOW DEEP THE PETITION REQUESTS THE SYSTEM TO BE MADE DEEPER AND TO WHAT EXTENT.

AND YOU KNOW, AGAIN, IT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WE COULD DO HAVE A BETTER IDEA OF IF WE HAD SOME NUMBERS AT THE REQUEST OF THE LANDOWNERS, BUT IT WOULD BE BEYOND WHAT THE DRAINAGE AUTHORITY IS DOING IN TERMS OF REPAIR.

SURE. ASK A QUICK QUESTION.

IS THERE JUST A LOT OF SEDIMENT IN THE BOTTOM OF THE DITCH? LIKE, COULD IT BE THAT, YOU KNOW, IN THE PROCESS OF REPAIRING THE BANKS THAT HAVE ERODED THAT.

JUST CLEANING IT OUT A BIT WOULD IMPROVE SOME OF THE DRAW.

YEAH, CERTAINLY. HAVING THE DITCH CLEANED OUT PROBABLY WOULD PROVIDE SOME BENEFIT.

YOU KNOW, WE DID IN OUR SURVEY IDENTIFY THAT MOST OF THE SYSTEM IS PRETTY CLOSE TO ITS ORIGINAL GRADE AND PROBABLY THE AREAS THAT ARE WHERE WE HAVE SEDIMENT IN THE DITCH ARE MOST OF THOSE AREAS WHERE WE'VE HAD THE SLOUGHING THAT HAVE DROPPED IN THERE. SO DOING THAT IS CERTAINLY GOING TO HELP.

AND BUT I DON'T KNOW IF IT NECESSARILY WILL ACHIEVE WHAT THE LANDOWNERS ARE LOOKING FOR.

SO IT'S ONE OF THOSE KIND OF THINGS WHERE WE'RE CAUGHT IN THIS WEIRD POSITION OF, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW THAT THE PUMP SYSTEM NEEDS TO BE REPAIRED.

BUT YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN SO LONG SINCE THE LANDOWNERS HAVE HAD A FULLY FUNCTIONING PUMP SYSTEM THAT YOU KNOW IT'S HARD TO TELL MEANINGFULLY WHAT, YOU KNOW, ON ANY INDIVIDUAL LANDOWNER HOW MUCH QUICKER THEIR LAND IS GOING TO BE DRAINED ON, YOU KNOW, A GIVEN RAINFALL EVENT.

AND OF COURSE THAT VARIES WITH EVERY HOW BIG OF A RAINFALL YOU'RE DEALING WITH TOO.

BUT YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE THINGS THAT WE COULD DO TO CALCULATE THAT OF WHAT KIND OF A DIFFERENCE THAT MIGHT BE MAKING.

AND THAT'S SOMETHING WE COULD CERTAINLY PROVIDE AS WELL. CHRIS, YOU HAD MENTIONED THERE WAS A COUPLE OF CROSSINGS THAT WERE POTENTIALLY ABANDONED OR ABANDONED. WILL YOU BE REACHING OUT TO THOSE PROPERTY OWNERS TO SEE IF THEY'RE WILLING TO ABANDON THOSE, OR IS THAT SOMETHING NEEDS TO DO OR.

YEAH, I THINK I'D PROBABLY BE APPROPRIATE FOR A NEED TO HAVE DIALOG WITH LANDOWNERS.

CERTAINLY, YOU KNOW, IT'S POSSIBLE THE LANDOWNER OF THAT AREA MIGHT BE HERE TODAY AND WE CAN HAVE A DIALOG HERE AFTERWARDS.

AND TO THAT, MR. COHEN'S COMMENT ABOUT THE CULVERT IS SHOT.

WOULD THAT BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE PART OF THE REPAIR WITHOUT HAVING TO BE PART OF AN IMPROVEMENT, OR WOULD THAT BE.

SO THE TOWNSHIP ROAD, YOU KNOW, THAT IS GENERALLY THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE TOWNSHIP OR REPLACE THAT.

AND I THINK IT WOULD BE VERY APPROPRIATE AT THIS TIME TO HAVE ENGAGEMENT WITH THE TOWN BOARD TO SEE HOW CLOSE THAT IS ON THEIR RADAR FOR REPLACEMENT.

AND IF IT IS YOU KNOW, WE CERTAINLY WANT TO GET AHEAD OF THAT BEFORE GOING DOWN THE PATH OF SAY AN IMPROVEMENT PETITION.

AND, BUT EVEN, YOU KNOW, FOR THE REPAIR OF THE PUMP SYSTEM, IT'D BE GOOD TO KNOW. AND YOU KNOW, WE COULD COORDINATE TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT WHATEVER THE REPLACEMENT SIZE IS, IS GOING TO BE SUFFICIENT TO PROVIDE THE CAPACITY ON THE PUMP SYSTEM.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT.

JUST FOR CHRIS AGAIN, JUST TO KIND OF REITERATE A LITTLE BIT AND ASK AGAIN IF THE NUMBER ONE IS THERE ENOUGH FALL OR CAN YOU CHANGE THE GRADE ON THIS?

[01:45:06]

CAN YOU GET IF, IF THEY, IF THEY WANTED TO GET GRADE ON THE DITCH, IS THERE ENOUGH SLOPE THERE THAT YOU COULD PUT THAT GET, GET THE GRADE? BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY IF YOU START WEST OF 111, YOU KNOW, AND LOWER THAT, YOU KNOW, A FOOT.

HOW MUCH FURTHER, DEEPER ARE YOU GOING TO BE BY THE TIME YOU GET TO THE PUMP AND HOW MUCH YOU KNOW, THAT'S ONE QUESTION ABOUT IS THERE ENOUGH? IS THERE ENOUGH BALL THERE? COULD YOU LOWER THE GRADE? IF YOU DID LOWER THE GRADE? DOES THAT DOES THAT IMPROVE THE DRAINAGE COEFFICIENT ABOVE THAT, YOU KNOW, HALF INCH? YOU KNOW, THAT'S KIND OF WAS MY MY ORIGINAL BASIS A PART OF MY QUESTION. YOU KNOW, I MEAN, IF THEY'RE GOING TO GET IF THAT IMPROVES THE DRAINAGE COEFFICIENT, WHICH I'M NOT AGAINST, BUT I'M JUST SAYING, DOES THAT CHANGE EVERYTHING ELSE RELATED TO IT IN TERMS OF THE DNR PERMITTING, ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF, WHETHER WHETHER THAT'S EVEN GOING TO BE IF YOU THINK IT CAN BE DONE IS WHAT MY, MY BIGGEST QUESTION IS GOING TO BE.

AND AGAIN, YOU KNOW WHAT, YOU'VE ALREADY TOUCHED ON ANY OF THESE CHANGES THAT THEY'RE ASKING FOR IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, CULVERT SIZE INCREASES, ANY KIND OF GRADE CHANGES, THOSE ARE ALL PUSHED US INTO THE REALM OF IMPROVEMENT FROM REPAIR, WHICH MEANS THAT THE LANDOWNERS NEED TO COME FORWARD WITH THAT IMPROVEMENT REQUEST BECAUSE WE'RE ONLY AT THIS POINT IN TIME DEALING WITH REPAIR.

CORRECT? YEAH. THOSE ARE ALL VERY GOOD QUESTIONS.

SO, YOU KNOW, THE I GUESS THE NICE THING ABOUT A PUMP SYSTEM IS THAT IF YOU DON'T HAVE GRADE, WELL, YOU JUST NEED TO MAKE THE INTAKE FOR THE PUMP DEEPER.

AND YOU KNOW, THAT, YOU KNOW, SEEMS LIKE KIND OF THE EASY BUTTON AND SIMPLE, BUT THEN THERE'S A LOT TO IT IN THAT.

WELL, AS SOON AS YOU START GETTING THE PUMP SYSTEM DEEPER, THEN NOW YOU HAVE TO MAKE THE DITCH TOP BANK WIDER, MUCH WIDER TO GET THAT DEPTH.

AND THEN YOU START DOING THAT.

WELL, THEN YOU KNOW, THE TOWNSHIP ROAD THAT NEEDS TO BE LOWERED, YOU KNOW, AND THEN YOU WORK BACK ALL THOSE OTHER CROSSINGS THAT ARE THERE NEED TO BE LOWERED. AND THEN IF YOU WANTED TO GET BENEFIT ALL THE WAY UP WEST OF HIGHWAY 111, WELL, THEN YOU'D HAVE TO LOOK AT POTENTIALLY LOWERING THE 111 CULVERT.

I DON'T THINK THAT THE LANDOWNERS HAVE TALKED YET ABOUT DOING ANYTHING WEST OF THERE.

THAT WOULD BE A WHOLE NOTHER I GUESS MAGNITUDE OF EXPENSE.

AND I DOUBT THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF APPETITE FOR DOING ANYTHING IN THAT AREA. SO, YOU KNOW, REALLY IT AMOUNTS TO, YOU KNOW, INCREMENTALLY, YOU KNOW, THE DEEPER YOU MAKE IT, THE MORE LAND YOU TAKE, THE MORE EXCAVATION THAT'S REQUIRED.

IT GETS TO BE A BIGGER AND BIGGER PROJECT.

AND WHERE IS THAT TIPPING POINT BETWEEN THE VALUE OF PROVIDES AND THE EXPENSE? WELL, WE JUST DON'T KNOW THAT YET.

AND WE WOULDN'T KNOW THAT UNTIL WE GO THROUGH THE IMPROVEMENT PROCEEDING.

ALTHOUGH AGAIN, WE CAN THROUGH A FEASIBILITY REPORT, IF THERE WAS SOME THAT LENDERS ARE INTERESTED IN, WE COULD YOU KNOW, CRUNCH SOME NUMBERS TO GIVE THEM AN INITIAL IDEA OF WHAT, HOW THE PERFORMANCE MIGHT CHANGE AT DIFFERENT DEPTHS OF EXCAVATION.

SO JUST TO FALL BACK ON THAT.

SO, SO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, THOUGH, WITHOUT GOING THROUGH THE IMPROVEMENT PROCESS, WE COULD REQUEST THIS FEASIBILITY PORTION OF IT TO GIVE THEM A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION TO BE ABLE TO MAKE A DECISION ON WHETHER THEY WANT TO PROCEED WITH A.

IMPROVEMENT REQUEST. IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? WELL, I'M SAYING THAT SOMEBODY COULD ASK FOR A FEASIBILITY REPORT ON THIS.

MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT GENERALLY YOUR BOARD HAS NOT ENGAGED IN FEASIBILITY.

RELATED TO IMPROVEMENTS, I'M NOT CLEAR.

FOR SURE ON THAT I HAVEN'T HAD ENOUGH HISTORY WITH YOU AS A BOARD IN DEALING WITH THAT, BUT YOU KNOW I GUESS THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT THE BOARD WOULD HAVE TO DECIDE IF, IF, IF YOU FEEL IT IS APPROPRIATE TO ENGAGE IN DRAINAGE SYSTEM DOLLARS TO DO THAT.

AND YOUR ATTORNEY PROBABLY COULD PROVIDE OPINION ON THAT AS WELL.

HISTORICALLY, THE BOARD HAS NOT ENGAGED IN THOSE FEASIBILITY.

IT'S BEEN WHEN LANDOWNERS ARE CONTEMPLATING AN IMPROVEMENT PROJECT THAT IS PART OF THEIR ASSESSMENT WORKING WITH THEIR ATTORNEY.

IT'S CERTAINLY SOMETHING WE COULD HAVE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT MOVING FORWARD. BUT HISTORICALLY, HE'S CORRECT THAT THAT HAS BEEN PART OF THE LANDOWNER'S DECISION MAKING PROCESS AS THEY MOVE FORWARD WITH AN IMPROVEMENT PETITION.

OKAY. LAST QUESTION. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE SOMETIME BEFORE WE LEAVE HERE.

[01:50:03]

I MEAN, I'M TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, CONVEY THAT WE NEED TO FIND OUT OR FROM EVERYBODY HERE, IF THEIR APPETITE IS FOR PURSUING THAT IMPROVEMENT, WE SHOULD KNOW IT. YOU KNOW, I MEAN, SOONER RATHER THAN LATER, SO THAT WE KNOW HOW TO PROCEED.

PROCEED WITH THE REPAIR.

SO WHAT I'M HEARING, THOUGH, IS IF WE DO A $600 REPAIR, WE COULD POTENTIALLY DOUBLE THE NUMBER OF GALLONS OVER WHAT'S CURRENTLY HAPPENING.

CERTAINLY FOR LOW FLOW CONDITIONS.

YES. YOU KNOW, ONCE THEY START USING THE TRACTOR PUMP OR THE TRACTOR PUMP'S CAPACITY HASN'T DIMINISHED BY QUITE THAT MUCH.

BUT YOU KNOW. YEAH, YOU'RE CORRECT THAT IT'S, YOU KNOW, OVERALL FOR VERY HIGH FLOW CONDITIONS, IT MIGHT BE ON THE ORDER OF INCREASING COMPARED TO CURRENT CONDITION BY, YOU KNOW, 2530 YEAH, YEAH.

OKAY. BUT STILL A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT COMPARED TO WHAT THEY HAVE NOW.

YES. IT'LL BE UNLIKE ANYTHING THEY'VE SEEN FOR A WHILE.

OKAY. OKAY. FOR THE COMMENTS.

IF NOT WE WILL COME ON BACK UP.

I DON'T KNOW HOW FAR WE CAN GO WITH THIS DITCH BEFORE WE HAVE AN IMPROVEMENT.

CAN WE DROP THE DITCH AT ALL? A FOOT OR TWO AND NOT CALL IT AN IMPROVEMENT OR THAT.

I THINK IN THIS CASE IT WOULD BE TOUGH TO JUSTIFY BECAUSE BECAUSE THE DITCH BANKS ARE SO STEEP. AS SOON AS YOU START LOWERING THE DITCH AT ALL, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO WIDEN IT OUT AND START TAKING PROPERTY.

AND AGAIN, THE ATTORNEY COULD PROVIDE HER OPINION ON THAT, BUT I THINK THAT FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, I WOULD HAVE A HARD TIME JUSTIFYING THAT BEING A REPAIR BECAUSE IT TAKES YOU IN A WHOLE DIFFERENT LEVEL OF I GUESS MAGNITUDE OF WHAT THE DITCH IS. I HAVE A QUESTION I'D LIKE TO ASK THE FOLKS BEHIND US IF HOW THEY WOULD FEEL ABOUT THIS, IF THEY'RE FOR IT OR AGAINST IT.

BECAUSE LIKE I SAID EARLIER, ONCE THE CROP IS DROWNED IT OUT, IT'S TOO LATE. AND THIS TRACTOR PUMP I'M RUNNING AS FAST AS IT DID.

IT WOULD TAKE US A DAY AND A HALF TO EVEN SEE THE WATER START GOING DOWN.

AND THAT'S WHY IT'S SO IMPORTANT TO GET THIS VOLUME GOING.

BUT THEN AFTER A WHILE, IF THE LAST STUFF DOESN'T COME OUT ALL THE WAY TO 111, YOU DON'T HAVE TO DEEPEN THE DITCH ON THE OTHER SIDE OF 111 IF YOU HAVE A GOOD OUTLET FOR IT TO COME DOWN ON.

IT WILL DRAIN, BUT WE HAVE TO HAVE THAT DITCH CLEAN ALL THE TIME.

AND WHERE THERE'S DIRT SLOUGHED OFF, YOU CAN'T GO WITH THE SAME SLOPE.

YOU HAVE TO HAVE A WIDER SLOPE.

AND I THINK EVERYBODY BEHIND US KNOWS THAT.

AND I WOULD THINK THAT THEY'RE ALL GOING TO GO ALONG WITH THAT.

BUT I'D LIKE TO HAVE THAT QUESTION ASKED OF THEM.

SHOW OF HANDS OR WHATEVER.

CERTAINLY. I GUESS I'M OKAY WITH ANYBODY WANTING TO SHOW HANDS.

ARE YOU IN FAVOR OF THAT? I MEAN, WE'RE NOT MAKING A DECISION TODAY, SO YOU HAVE TIME TO HAVE YOUR CONVERSATION AMONGST YOURSELVES AND COME BACK WITH WHETHER YOU WANT TO DO WITH A REPAIR OR AN IMPROVEMENT.

THAT'S SOMETHING HOW MUCH? IT COSTS MORE, BUT THE DITCH HAS TO BE CLEANED ANYWAY.

AND IF YOU DON'T CLEAN THE DITCH WHERE THE PEAT IS, IF YOU DON'T TAKE IT BACK FURTHER AND PAY THAT WHOEVER IT IS FOR THAT LAND, IT'S GOING TO SLOUGH OFF RIGHT AWAY.

BECAUSE DALE WILLIS SAID THEY CLEANED IT TWICE.

THE NEXT YEAR IT SLIPS IN.

IT NEVER WORKS. SO YOU HAVE TO FIX IT THE RIGHT WAY.

ALL RIGHT. DID YOU WANT TO MAKE A COMMENT? I THINK MY OTHER COMMENT WOULD BE YOU KNOW, GIVEN THE CONDITION OF WHAT'S OUT THERE AND THE POTENTIAL FAILURE, WE'VE HAD TO POTENTIALLY LOOK AT MOVING IT FORWARD IN TWO SEPARATE PROJECTS. ONE IS AS A REPAIR AND ONE AS THE IMPROVEMENT.

THAT WAY WE CAN AT LEAST KEEP THE PUMP SIDE MOVING FORWARD WHILE WE FIGURE OUT THE DITCH THING. THE WIDENING AND DEEPENING THE DITCH WOULD ONLY REQUIRE LOWERING OF THE PUMP.

SO THAT WOULD BE THE ONE CHANGE THAT WOULD YOU KNOW, IF YOU DO GO FORWARD WITH THAT PETITIONER DO GET THAT FEASIBILITY AND IT SAYS IT IS FEASIBLE TO GO DOWN, YOU KNOW, MAYBE YOU COULD AT LEAST GET THE PUMPS DONE PRIOR TO THAT, BUT THAT WAY WE DON'T RISK A FAILURE.

LIKE WE KIND OF GOT CLOSE TO LAST YEAR WHEN WE HAD THAT BIG RAIN AGAIN. SO I THINK THAT'S THE ONLY THING IS JUST IF WE'RE GOING TO WAIT TWO PLUS YEARS TO REPLACE THE PUMPS, I THINK THAT'S TOO LONG. I THINK KEEPING THAT MOVING SEPARATE MIGHT BE SMART TOO.

I WOULD CONCUR WITH YOU.

I WOULD THINK THAT ONCE WE THEN YOU'D SEE THE THE EFFECT OF IT, AND THEN YOU WOULD HAVE A BETTER IDEA OF WHETHER IT NEEDS TO BE FURTHER IMPROVED OR NOT. SO. ALL RIGHT. OTHER COMMENTS.

OKAY. ALL RIGHT. WITH THAT, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND CLOSE THIS PORTION.

[01:55:05]

IF YOU HAVE ADDITIONAL FEEDBACK, PLEASE REACH OUT TO NATE AND HE'LL LET CHRIS KNOW WHAT AND, AND WE CAN GO FOLLOW NATO, HELP YOU WITH WHAT THE NEXT STEPS WOULD BE ON YOUR PART. ALL RIGHT. ALL RIGHT.

WITH THAT, WE'LL ADJOURN THE DRAINAGE AUTHORITY MEETING. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.