CALL TO ORDER:  

A meeting of the Fremont Soil & Water Conservation District Commissioners was called to order by Chairperson Phil Wing at 7:10 p.m. on March 2, 2010 at the USDA Building, Sidney, Iowa.

 

PRESENT:   

Commissioners: Mark Kilpatrick, Harold Mitchell, Sheryl Sanders, and Phil Wing

 

Staff:                   Kevin Brannen, Lucas Forney, Tammy Grebert, Brian Gross, and Shane McNaughton

 

ADOPT AGENDA:  

The agenda for the March 2, 2010 meeting was adopted with the addition as follows:

 

ADDITIONS -

·         Work Session

·         Contractors’ Meeting Update

 

APPROVAL OF FEBRUARY 2, 2010 MINUTES:

23-10     The minutes of the February 2, 2010 meeting of the Fremont Soil & Water Conservation District Commissioners were approved as presented on a motion made by Sanders, seconded by Kilpatrick. Motion passed with all in favor.

 

APPROVAL OF TREASURER’S REPORT:

24-10     It was moved by Sanders and seconded by Kilpatrick to approve the Treasurer’s report of the Fremont Soil and Water Conservation District. Motion carried unanimously.

 

Cost share application requests, application approvals and application amendments/cancellations were accepted as follows:

               

Cost-share requests:

 

Cost share approvals:

               

Cost-share amendment:

                LeRoy Bowman – Extend completion date

                Jean Gee – Extend completion date

                Jerry Head – Extend completion date

 

Cost-share cancellation

               

REAP P approvals:

 

REAP P cancellation:

               

REAP FNG approval:

 

BUSINESS:

Ř  Fred Bolton’s Retirement

                Information was shared regarding Fred Bolton’s retirement.

 

Ř  Farm Bill IX Funding Opportunity

25-10     An application for Farm Bill IX funding was presented. A motion was made by Kilpatrick, seconded by Mitchell to apply for funding for as presented. The motion passed favorably.

 

Ř  Peggy Hirshberg Cost-share Project

26-10     Peggy Hirshberg responded with a letter when returning the amendment to extend the complete date. She still feels that she should receive the cost-share before the trees are removed and the terraces meet specifications. Kilpatrick made a motion to send a letter of response along with a picture of the trees on the terraces and inform her that she will be paid when the project meets specifications. Sanders seconded the motion that showed all in favor.

 

Ř  Cost-share Rates

27-10     Kilpatrick made a motion to increase terrace footage cost from $1.31 to $1.45. Mitchell seconded the motion that passed unanimously.

 

Ř  Scholarships

                Scholarship applications were reviewed and recipients selected.

 

Ř  Sidney High School Spirit T-shirt Sponsorship

28-10     Mimi with Spirit Stop solicited the district to purchase three dozen spirit t-shirts to give away at Sidney School ballgames at the cost of $369.50. The front of the t-shirt would have the school emblem and the back of the t-shirt would have the district advertising. A motion was made by Sanders and seconded by Kilpatrick not to sponsor the Sidney High School spirit t-shirts. Motion carried with all in favor.

 

Ř  Resolution Process

                The process to present a resolution to CDI was reviewed.

 

Ř  Application for Property Tax Exemption – Carolyn Scott

29-10     An Application for Property Tax Exemption was received from Carolyn Scott on February 3, 2010. Sanders made a motion to deny the application because it was received past the deadline of February 1, 2010. The motion was seconded by Kilpatrick and passed unanimously.

 

Ř  Southwest Iowa Farms – Bryan Whitehead, Summer Construction Incentive

30-10     Southwest Iowa Farms – Bryan Whitehead has a state cost-share project that was laid out last fall but the contractor did not get the work started. He would like summer incentive money to complete the project this summer. Mitchell made a motion to amend his application to include the summer incentive. The motion was seconded by Kilpatrick and carried with all in favor.

 

Ř  Work Session

                Grebert is to make arrangements for a work session to be held March 25 or March 26 to work on the Annual Plan.

 

Ř  Contractors’ Meeting Update

                Gross gave an update of the Contractors’ Meeting that was held February 24th in Malvern.

 

SIGNED APPROVALS

        Conservation Plans

                C & C Mincer Farms, Inc.

                Twin Rivers Farm

                Iowa Department of Natural Resources

 

Contracts/Contract Modifications       

                Twin Rivers Farm Co

                Darlene Kemper

                Robert Cimino

 

        Cost-share Certification

               

        Maintenance Agreements

                James Doyle - Amendment

 

        Group Planning Request

 

        Buffer Initiative

 

        Buffer Initiative Maintenance Agreements

                                               

        LWPP Application/Amendment

       

        WRP Long Term Agreement

       

        Stewardship Initiative

               

        Cooperator Agreement

 

        Statement as to Soil Conservation Refund

               

        Application for Impoundment Structure Property Tax Exemption

               

        Information Items

 

MEETING ADJOURNED: 

 

 

/s/                                                                                                                            /s/                                                                           

Secretary                                                                                                               Chairperson

 

Date Approved    April 6, 2010