Soil & Water Conservation District

Transcription

1 Soil & Water Conservation District st Avenue South, Long Prairie, MN Phone: Fax: TODD COUNTY SWCD BOARD WORK SESSION AGENDA Todd Soil and Water Conservation District Board of Supervisors will have a work session following the regular board meeting on Thursday, September 8, The meeting will take place at the Todd County Historic Courthouse (Prairie Conference Room), st Ave South, Long Prairie, MN Call to Order Pledge of Allegiance Act on Approving Agenda Lee Buchholz 1. Review minutes of meeting (HO#1) 2. Defining our approach A important first step is to define how the SWCD Board wishes staff to approach each wetland case. A Balance B Seek to preserve & Understand what is desired in B Seek ways to Protect wetlands and use limits of WCA to accomplish what At every step, every day accomplish A. landowner wants Through every action, every time. In every case 3. Work Session Summary - compiled by NJPA moderator Application Processes Policies Research internal data Legislative work TEP structure 4. Review Resolution (drafted but not passed) 5. Prioritize Follow Up Adjourn Following the work session the board will be attending the awards luncheon at the Hub at 12:00 The next regular SWCD board meeting will be October 13, 2016 beginning at 8:30 a.m. at the Historic Courthouse, (Prairie Conference Room), 215 1st Ave South, Long Prairie, MN To Meet the Public s Needs by Protecting the Land and Safeguarding the Water

2 Todd County SWCD Special Board Meeting Agenda August 4 th, :30 a.m. 12:00 p.m. 1. What s the procedure to set up a local appeal process 2. Complexity navigating the system - Unintended consequences have been created 3. What is the definition of a seasonally flooded basin, and what can it look like? - Provide reference materials and educational aids 4. What is a normal circumstance? - Define normal 5. Non Ag related violations - What can violations like? - Show or describe examples in lake country, in new developments, commercial and industrial areas. 6. What generates complaints? 7. Rural road section drainage opportunities - Possible partnerships can be formed between the DOT/County road departments and the ag community to use the ditch as water storage areas. 8. Wealthy enough to buy their way through application process when need to purchase wetland credits through the bank 9. Local government to provide incentives for wetland credits - Use Lake of the Woods County as a case study 10. Permit process is complex. 11. Resources, assistance, communication needs to be improved. - This comment is regarding the NRCS 12. The importance of assisting applicants through the process 13. TEP is NOT a public meeting 14. Describe this technical advisory board further, explaining its roles and responsibilities 15. There s interest from land owner(s) and other local stakeholders to be present and a part of this meeting 16. County Commissions and NRCS were at one time invited to participate in the panel (invited to attend, may not have been able to speak and participate) 17. How can we move forward with including local stakeholders. 18. Extensive paperwork and required drawings 19. Make GIS and other online platforms and resources easily available and user friendly 20. Can the district/agency assist in filling out the application? Where does the help come from? 21. The amount of complaints is discouraging 22. County to take on SWCD duties? 23. Explain the government hierarchy - Where does BWSR rank amongst all of the other stakeholders involved in WCA 24. Local government support for change 25. Interpretation of the rule is difficult.

3 - 25 year clause??? Use Stearns County as case study 26. Transparent/consistency across the board regarding interpretation and enforcement is important 27. Examples of all project types that go through the process - Show all land use examples, shoreland, R1-Multi family, commercial, industrial, corridor projects, road projects, EIS 28. Delineators, where can they be found and what do they do? When do I contact a delineator, and why would I contact them. 29. Make steps available to residents that outline the local appeal process - Create a step by step guide 30. Define the term help and assist. 31. What can the staff help with? What should they not? Does the county have the resources to provide this assistance? What would that process look like? 32. Conflict of interest with technical staff helping in the completion of an application, and then processing and reviewing the document 33. Applications are too complex; regulating at too broad of a scale. There doesn t seem to be components that can be applied on a local scale 34. Grass roots actions 35. Review and evaluate the resolution drafted in 1994/97?? 36. Develop policies on how to operate, enforce, review, and develop procedures 37. A County Commissioner asked for an employee list. Who works for who? - List the employees and their employer - Possibly provide job descriptions 38. What is your definition of conservation? 39. Where in this process do we use common sense? 40. Next steps: - Compile responses - Review/evaluate - Set up the next forum - Next SWCD meeting on September 18 th, 2016 NJPA Observations 1. Ensure that the land owners take initiative on their applications, and fill out what they can before submitting it. 2. The staff doesn t have the resources (time) to fill out the application for the applicant. 3. Educate yourself on the WCA. There are numerous materials out there either in print form or electronic. Learn why it s there, it s purpose, and it s intent. Learn where your local offices are, who you need to speak to. 4.

4 Identified Opportunity Potential Solutions Next Steps Complexity of Application Process : Determine if SWCD staff time will assist in completing applications Application : Provide Cover Sheet/Check List for Application Process Application : Provide Flow Sheet for Process (if yes, then go here, if no, go here, include all agencies involved) : Provide WACA 101 to all Applicants (include packet of information, cover sheet/check list, applications, handbook, etc.) Application Application Determine what staff simply can not do. Working copy completed needs to be developed This will be about 1" thick Local Appeal Process LGU Provide Additional Wetland Credits Definitions of Terms (Delineators, normal circumstances, seasonally flooded basin, conservation, etc.) What Generates Complaints? Land Owners involvement at Meetings : Have agency employee provide an overview of the components (app, checklist, 101, contacts, timeline, etc.) : Seek out other Local Appeal Processes to try to determine if it is of interest in Todd County SWCD, develop process if necessary, Evaluate how staff is assisting in process to avoid appeal process : Look at Lake of the Woods example and determine if appropriate for Todd County SWCD : Provide Policies and Procedures Handbook where the SWCD defines terms and also clarifies any areas open for interpretation, determine what terms need to be defined (make it comprehensive) : Again, include this in the Policies and Procedures Handbook for clarification and understanding : Again, include this in the Policies and Procedures Handbook for clarification and understanding Application New To Develop Long Term project New To Develop Long Term project : Again, include this in the Policies and Procedures Handbook Explain Government Hierarchy and for clarification and understanding, including government Staffing (BWSR, NRCS, DNR..all the way hierarchy chart with contacts, as well as a staffing chart for down to Todd County and SWCD Todd County and the SWCD, provide job descriptions for employees) Todd County and SWCD employees

5 Transparency around Interpretation and Enforcement Cleary define how the Board wishes to interpret grey areas so staff knows how to interpret and there is consistency in every case, include this in Policies and Procedures Handbook Examples of Projects that go through Process : Include in handbook Define terms "Help" and "Assist" : Include in handbook Mission Statement of SWCD : Include in handbook, improved Non-Ag Related Violations Not : Pull Data to determine Non-Ag violations to Ag-violations to Research Reported see if this is in fact a correct statement Legislative Changes TEP Meetings and Representation Describe TEP Roles and Responsibilities Conflict of Interest within Staff Review Resolution Drafted in 1994 : Determine how to better encourage reporting of non-ag violations, since reporting is the only way to notify the SWCD Research : Begin Grassroots effort to make changes at State and Federal level to simplify process and improve overall "common sense" enforcement : Determine why Todd County SWCD has not been invited or attending, delegate a representative : Again, include this in the Policies and Procedures Handbook for clarification and understanding : What experts sit on the panel, what is their background, what expertise and perspective do they bring to the advisory committee. : Determine if it would be more appropriate to have a Technician Staff person and someone separate who makes decisions to avoid conflict of interest : Determine if it is a good template to work off of and something to approve at some point SWCD Activity

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