2013 ANNUAL REPORT DEPARTMENT OF LAND MANAGEMENT & RECORDS. Mission Statement

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1 PIERCE COUNTY, WISCONSIN DEPARTMENT OF LAND MANAGEMENT & RECORDS PO Box 647, 414 West Main St, Ellsworth, WI Planning Office Zoning Office Fax: ANNUAL REPORT DEPARTMENT OF LAND MANAGEMENT & RECORDS Mission Statement To promote a higher quality of life for current and future residents of Pierce County through the exercise of sound planning and zoning by administering and enforcing county land use plans, the zoning and subdivision code, and other development regulations in a fair, efficient, effective and professional manner. Department Staffing The Department of Land Management experienced two personnel changes during Surveyor Technician, Barry Hove retired from Pierce County on February 28, 2013 after 12-years of service. Planning Secretary, Jacki Drier vacated her position on November 8, 2013 after 1-year 4 months service and was hired by Pepin County. Department Policies, Plans & Activities The Department held a public hearing before the Land Management Committee (LMC) to amend Pierce County Zoning Code Ch. 240 to incorporate language to regulate adult entertainment. The proposed amendments were ultimately adopted by the County Board of Supervisors. The LMC also held a public hearing to consider amendments to Section D regarding the height of industrial and commercial buildings. The LMC also approved amendments to the Pierce County Floodplain Zoning Code Ch regarding camping and camping units in the floodplain. The LMC recommended reelection of its two citizen members. 3 new members and 2 new alternate members were appointed to the Board of Adjustment. The Department proposed and the LMC adopted a policy to establish a timeframe within which a town must take formal action to generate a town recommendation for a proposed conditional use permit (CUP) or rezone. The Department also collaborated with the LMC to review and approve the 2014 Land Management Department budget, and to review and approve proposed 2014 expenditures from the Land Records Modernization Fund as recommended by the Land Information Council. Leica survey/gps equipment was purchased along with new ArcView & ArcInfo licenses. The Department and LMC worked in partnership to review and approved 3 site plan reviews, 7 CUP renewals, 8 CUP status reports, 3 rule exception requests, and to address 2 CUP permit compliance issues. The LMC denied an increase to the Department permit fee schedule. The Department collaborated with the Parks Department to initiate the rehabilitation and expansion of the existing Trenton Island Boat Ramp. Construction is slated to occur in The Department collaborated with the Land Conservation Department to develop and finalize Pierce County s Farmland Preservation Plan. Final approval by the Department of Agriculture, Trade & Consumer Protection was also granted. Zoning staff also participated in continuing education to retain existing credentials.

2 Department Revenues The Land Management Department is responsible for the collection of fees for permits and other related activities. Fees totaling $109, were collected in 2013 (see Table 1). Table 1: Department Fees Collected Fee Land use permits $26, $28, $28, $29, $32, CSM - zoning reviews $ $2, $1, $1, $1, CSM - surveyor review $2, $10, $5, $6, $7, Public hearings $9, $8, $8, $10, $10, Sanitary permits $16, $18, $18, $21, $24, Sanitary fees to State* $6, $7, $6, $7, $8, WI Fund Processing $ $ $ $ $ Land Records Modernization $2, $1, $2, $1, $2, Postage $9.20 $9.60 $9.72 $5.75 $5.00 Copies $2, $1, $96.75 $ $ Nonmetallic Mining $12, $13, $14, $14, $15, Mining fees to State ** $2, $2, $2, $2, $2, Sales Tax $ $ $ $93.89 $ GIS Revenue $ $2, $ $1, $1, Soil Test Review $1, $2, $1, $1, $2, Total $84, $98, $92, $98, $109, * Sanitary fees collected; then sent to WI Department of Safety & Professional Services. ** Mining fees collected; then sent to WI Department of Natural Resources. Planning The Department of Land Management continued to provide Geographic Information System (GIS) support to the following county departments: Administration, County Clerk, County Forester, Cooperative Extension, Land Conservation, Public Health, Treasurers Office, Farm Services Administration, Solid Waste/Recycling, County Parks Department, Human Services, Highway, Maintenance, Corporation Counsel, District Attorney, Emergency Management, and the Sheriff s Department. The Department sold, exchanged, or provided data with the following: United States Census Bureau, FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency), Pierce County FSA (Farm Service Agency), Wisconsin DOT (Department of Transportation), Wisconsin DOT Eau Claire, Wisconsin DNR (Department of Natural Resources), Wisconsin State Cartographer s Office, Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Wisconsin Historical Society, Wisconsin Emergency Management, University Wisconsin River Falls, University of Texas at Arlington, Minnesota Homeland Security and Emergency Management, Minnesota Geospatial Information Office, Metropolitan Council, River Falls Ambulance, St Croix County, Dakota County Surveyors Office, Goodhue County Sheriff s Department, Village of Ellsworth, Village of Elmwood, Town of River Falls, Town of Clifton, Prescott School District, River Falls School District, City of Prescott, City of River Falls, City of Red Wing, Prescott Ambulance, Red Wing Ambulance, River Falls FD, Elmwood PD, Ellsworth PD, Pierce-Pepin Cooperative, Kinnickinnic Land Trust, Computer Information Systems, INTRADO, Zuercher, Wisconsin Industrial Sand, Northern Natural Gas, First American CoreLogic, Natural Resources Group, Mapping Solutions, Wisconsin Energy, Wisconsin AT&T, GRAEF, Cedar Corporation, SEH, Comcast, Mapping Solutions, Code Red, Bridge Interactive Group, Potter Lawson, Mi-Tech Services, Montana Mapping, Diggers Hotline, Xcel, S & L Consulting, and Stevens Engineering. The Department provided support for the installation and maintenance of the mapping component of the CAD (Computer Aided Dispatch) and Reverse 911(City Watch as purchased by ECN) systems in the Sheriff s Department. The Department continued to incorporate, verify and update the MSAG (Master Street Address Guide) updates with INTRADO (911 Mobility Service) and AT&T GIS tasks and projects: Applied for a WLIP (Wisconsin Land Information Program) grant and received $2,798 Applied for 2014 Wisconsin Land Information Program & Training Grant, received $17,103

3 Developed and maintained Dispatch Center CAD (Computer Aided Dispatch) 911 & Reverse 911 System mapping data sets Developed and maintained data sets for county website and map services Assigned new addresses and updated the (UAN)Universal Address Number database Continued to update geo-coded centerline data in towns, cities, and villages. Coordinated GIS related involvement for reverse notification procedures with UWRF, City of River Falls, and the City of Prescott. Assisted the sheriff s department and emergency management migration from City Watch to CodeRED notification system Revised town zoning maps Coordinated migration to new map server, map service, and Land Management ArcGIS Desktop Completed Town of Trimbelle & portion of Town of River Falls COGO project Provided staff support for Land Management Committee Assisted County Surveyor in remonumentation project Maintained Reference Monument Maps for County Surveyor Agreed to participate in US Census C-BAS survey for Pierce County Developed reverse notification lists and maps for Emergency Management, Dispatch Center, and emergency responders as requested GIS tasks and projects: Coordinate parcel updates for the Town of River Falls Apply for 2015 Wisconsin Land Information Program and Training Grant Update Land Records Modernization Plan Maintain Website and Map Services digital land records data Support and coordinate Orthophotography and LiDAR projects Provide GIS support for Sheriff s Department Dispatch Center Continue to provide support to county departments for special GIS projects Provide GIS support for development of CodeRED reverse notification lists Provide support for the County Surveyor s remonumentation program Maintain and update Land Management and Zoning data Provide staff support for Land Management Committee Provide GIS support and data to citizens, and public agencies upon request Maintain current GIS data in all relevant databases Assist county surveyor in development of PLSS control layer on the website Complete US Census C- BAS survey for Pierce County Surveying 2013 Accomplishments: Acquisition and implementation of a new GPS survey system. Resurveying* the remainder of the Town of Trimbelle and completion of maps for distribution by Rand Kluegel. Approximately 10% of the Town of River Falls was resurveyed. About 1/2 of the 2300 Section Corner Tie Sheets were scanned into digital format by Tricia McGrath; this process will eventually lead to all tie sheets being available on our web site. 18 county monuments were partially or fully maintained or set during Approximately 1/4 of The Pierce County Reference Monument Network was updated to the 2011 datum. This database consists of a spread sheet and map that reports the x, y and z coordinates of 200 County, USGS, NGS, WDOT and other reference monuments in the County that have been surveyed by our Department. 38 Certified Survey Maps with 44 lots and 6 outlots were reviewed. Completion of a Bridge Benchmark map and draft spreadsheet; the survey/gis data for each benchmark will be completed in the future. Processed many requests for information from citizens and private and government surveyors. During the resurvey work in the Towns of River Falls and Trimbelle, we completed some special projects, in response to requests. Those projects were: 1. Drafting an access easement over part of the Highway Department s Stogdill pit 2. Expert witness regarding title/possession line discrepancy in Section 14, Town of Maiden Rock.

4 3. Investigation of the Village of Maiden Rock Limits. 4. Deed interpretation and surveying at the Elmwood Highway Shop property. 5. Continuation of a 2011 survey of the Highway Department s Plum City Pit. Planned projects for 2014: Complete the resurvey of the Town of River Falls. Complete scanning of the Tie Sheets and begin the scanning process for the Survey Maps on file. Calibrating and updating the Pierce County Reference Monument Network to the 2011 datum. Expansion of the above Reference Network to include vertical control (benchmarks) on all bridges in the County. Witness and replace monuments as needed due to construction and fencing projects. Set and reference section corners and lines per requests. *Resurveying includes setting/resetting each of the 110+/- section corners and their ties in each Township and obtaining coordinates on them. The following estimates the resurveying completion year for each of the remaining Townships: Town of River Falls by 2014, Town of Oak Grove by 2015, and Town of Clifton by Maintenance will commence in each Township after the resurveying is completed. Maintenance refers to replacement of these monuments and their accessories as needed after the resurvey. Zoning Land Use Permits: A total of 237 Land Use Permits were issued in 2013 (Table 2 below). Towns with the largest total number of Land Use Permits issued were Oak Grove (31), Clifton (30), and Gilman (26). Of the 237 Land Use Permits issued in 2013, 38 new dwelling permits were issued and 199 Land Use Permits were issued for additions, accessory structures, businesses, and other various uses in the unincorporated area of Pierce County. The Town of Gilman and Hartland tied with the same number, or a total of seven (7), new dwelling permits issued. Ten percent of issued land use permits were reviewed and field checked by staff for compliance. Permits are being issued electronically and county property files are being scanned and indexed into electronic property files. Table 2: 2013 Land Use Permits Addn to Dwg New Accessory Bldg Addn to Accesso ry Bldg Business Misc. Total Town New Home Const. Value New Dwg Clifton $1,959, Diamond Bluff $ Ellsworth $544, El Paso $590, Gilman $1,173, Hartland $1,113, Isabelle $ Maiden Rock $532, Martell $240, Oak Grove $775, River Falls $ Rock Elm $102, Salem $205, Spring Lake $1, Trenton $390, Trimbelle $ Union $ Total $7,625, Sanitary Permits: A total of 105 state and county sanitary permits were issued in 2013, with a total of 95 being State Sanitary Permits (Table 3a) and 10 being County Sanitary Permits (Table 3b). The most common sanitary permit was issued for the replacement

5 of an older system with a mound (29) or conventional (19) system. A sanitary permit allows the owner s hired WI Licensed Plumber two years from the approval date to install a septic system. A total of 92 septic systems were installed and inspected in Department staff issued 6 orders to correct failing systems in The Department of Safety & Professional Services audited our Department in 2013 for compliance with the State plumbing code requirements. The first audit review was of the files to make sure we are issuing permits properly and the second segment was on-site looking at past and present systems installed in the County. WI Legislature mandated all septic systems to be on an electronic inventory by 2017 and we are 80% completed with the inventory. The department held their 7 th Annual sanitary system maintenance seminar and also presented at the Wieser Concrete Product s annual Onsite Wastewater Training Seminar. Table 3a: 2013 STATE Sanitary Permits Mound NPIG At-Grade HT IGP N<24" N 24" R N R N R N R N R Other Mod. Tank/HT Replace Only Renewal Total Town Clifton Diamond Bluff Ellsworth El Paso Gilman Hartland Isabelle Maiden Rock Martell Oak Grove River Falls Rock Elm Salem Spring Lake Trenton Trimbelle Union V of Maiden Rock V of Plum City City of Prescott V of Spring Valley Totals N=New System; R=Replacement System; IGP=In-Ground Pressurized; IGNP=In-Ground Non-Pressurized; Mod=Modifications; HT=Holding Tank

6 Table 3b: 2013 COUNTY Sanitary Permits Town System Repair Reconnect Terra Lift Privy Total Clifton Diamond Bluff Ellsworth El Paso Gilman Hartland Isabelle Maiden Rock Martell Oak Grove River Falls Rock Elm Salem Spring Lake Trenton Trimbelle Union Totals Permit Summary: Table 4 summarizes land use and sanitary permit activity over the past 5 years. Sanitary Grants: Table 5 summarizes the program over the past five years. Pierce County began participating in the Wisconsin Fund in The program provides financial assistance for homeowners to replace failing sewage systems. In 2013, six (6) applications were awarded a total of $23,260. The department collected $330 processing WI Fund applications. Non-Metallic Mining: Table 6 (below) describes the size of the mines and associated number of permits. There was one application for a new Nonmetallic Mining Reclamation Plan in the Ellsworth ETZ. All sites remained active as there was no completed reclamation on any of the sites. The Annual Reclamation Permits & Fees were collected per Pierce County Code Chapter 241. A total of 39 mining sites were in effect for 2013 with 426-acres mined (unreclaimed acres). The Department collected a total of $15,454 to process mining permits/renewals, where $2,665 was then sent to the Wisconsin DNR. Staff attended regional meetings regarding silica (frac) sand mining to discuss the increase in silica sand mining and strategies to address related issues. Code Compliance: The Department processed numerous code compliance issues. Many of the issues are brought to the department s attention through citizen complaints. The Department then processes the complaints in a timely manner. Zoning staff worked with the Solid Waste Department, the Public Health Department, the Department of Safety & Professional Table 4: Permit Activity Summary Permit Land Use Permits Sanitary Permits State Sanitary Permits - County Application Year Totals Table 5: WI Grant Fund # Grant Applications # Grants Awarded $ Awarded to Citizens $13, * 3 3 $8, $14, $21, $9, $23,260 Totals $89,975 Note: * 2008 Category II Applications later funded in Table 6: 2013 Nonmetallic Mining Mine Size # of Permits 1 to 5 acres 18 6 to 10 acres to 15 acres 4 16 to 25 acres 2 26 to 50 acres 2 51 acres or larger 1

7 Services, and the Department of Natural Resources on several compliance issues. The primary focus of the department is to obtain compliance. The majority of the compliance issues initiated in 2013 were resolved without requiring legal action. Staff is continuing to work with property owners to ensure their property is being used in a manner consistent with zoning regulations. Subdivision of Land: The zoning and surveying office collaborated on the review of 38 new Certified Survey Maps (CSMs) in 2013 that totaled 44 lots and 6 outlots. Of these 38 CSMs, 35 were approved and one (1) was denied. Out of the CSMs approved, all CSMs were considered a Minor CSM, which is a CSM creating 1-2 parcels within a 5 year period. None were considered a Major CSM, which is a CSM creating 3-4 parcels within a 5 year period, and is reviewed by the Land Management Committee. In 2013, zero (0) plats were granted final plat approval by the Land Management Committee. Public Hearings: The Department collected a total of $10,000 in fees for public hearings. The Land Management Committee (LMC) heard six (6) public hearings for map amendments (a.k.a. rezone), where $3,000 fees were collected. The LMC also heard thirteen (13) Conditional Use Permit (CUP) public hearings and $3,900 fees were collected. The type of CUP application requests include the following: 2 farm & home based business, 2 utility facility>1000 sq. ft, 2 filling & grading in the shoreland/floodplain, 2 expansion of an existing nonmetallic mine, 1 nonconforming structure expansion, 1 nonmetallic mine, 1 mining accessory use, 1 private outdoor recreation, and 1 winery. The LMC also held two public hearings regarding ordinance amendments,. One of the amendments was Ch. 240 to incorporate language to regulate adult entertainment. The second amendment was to Ch regarding camping and camping units in the floodplain & Ch D regarding height of industrial and commercial buildings. The Board of Adjustment (BOA) heard seven (7) public hearings, where $3,100 fees were collected. The application requests include the following: 4 variances, 1 administrative appeal, and 2 conditional use permit applications. The BOA has 3 after-the-fact requests to be resolved in Accomplished Goals The Land Management Department and Committee sought to further their mission statement in 2013 with the following: Table 7: 2013 Accomplished Goals % Accomplished 1 Maintain and improve relationships with the Townships; assist/provide guidance to towns in addressing planning and zoning issues. On-going 2 Facilitate collaborative relationships with other county departments to increase efficiencies and use of departmental resources. On-going 3 Implement the Pierce County Action Plan. On-going 4 Assist with guidance to Towns addressing the Comprehensive Plan adoption and future goals. On-going 5 Utilize WI DNR grant to update the Shoreland Ordinance ($5,000) On-going 6 Acquire new department vehicle(s). On-going 7 Develop a new farmland preservation plan (Ch. 91, Wis. Stats.) 100% 8 Revise Pierce County code to reflect changes to farmland preservation plan 70% 9 Complete WI Legis. mandated Private Onsite Wastewater Treatment System (POWTS) Inventory. 80% 10 Present 7th annual home owner septic systems & maintenance education seminar. 100% 11 Map all 2013 septic installations with GPS. 100% 12 Recruit candidates for Land Management Committee & Board of Adjustment Committee as needed. 100% 13 Scan and index the remaining county property files. 51% 14 Section Corner Tie Sheets scanned into digital format to be available on the internet 50% 15 Draft bridge benchmark map and spreadsheet 100% 16 Complete resurvey work in the Town of Trimbelle. 100% 17 Complete resurvey work in the Town of River Falls. 10% 18 Acquire, set-up, and calibrate new network GPS surveying system 100% 19 Apply for Wisconsin Land Information Program (WLIP) grant ( received $2,798) 100% 20 Applied for 2014 Wisconsin Land Information Program & Training Grant ($17,103 pending) 100% 21 Revise Wisconsin Land Records Modernization Plan 100% 22 Coordinate Geometry (COGO) in the Town of Trimbelle & portion of the Town of River Falls 100%

8 2014 Goals Land Management Department staff has identified the following goals for 2014: Maintain & improve relationships with the Towns; assist/provide guidance to towns in addressing planning & zoning issues. Facilitate collaborative relationships with other county departments to increase efficiencies and use of departmental resources. Orientate elected board members to the Land Management Committee. Re-elect one citizen member to the Board of Adjustment. Evaluate job descriptions and refill vacant positions as needed. Utilize WI DNR grant to update the Shoreland Ordinance ($5,000). Finalize Pierce County code revisions to reflect changes to farmland preservation plan. Scan and index the county property files. Present 8 th annual home owner septic systems & maintenance education seminar. Complete Wisconsin Legislature mandated Private Onsite Wastewater Treatment System (POWTS) inventory. Map all 2014 septic installations with GPS. Revise Land Records Modernization Plan. Apply for Wisconsin Land Information Program (WLIP) grant. Coordinate geometry (COGO) parcel updates in the Town of River Falls. Complete the resurvey of the Town of River Falls. Complete scanning of the Tie Sheets and begin the scanning process for the Survey Maps on file. Expansion of the above Reference Network to include vertical control (benchmarks) on all bridges in the County. Acquire new department vehicle(s). Amend the zoning code related to cluster development, towers, and Planned Residential Development (PRD). Ensure consistency is maintained between zoning and subdivision regulations and the Comprehensive Plan and the Farmland Preservation Plan. Continue to amend codes as necessitated by State Legislative modifications. To update and amend Pierce County Recreational Plan. Develop a multimodal trail in the Trimbelle Recreational Area by obtaining WI DNR grant funding and WI DNR Ch. 30 permit to construct a bridge across Trimbelle River and to design/construct a multimodal trail for mountain bike, hiking, skiing, and bicycle skills course all within the Trimbelle Recreation Area.