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Land Advisory Council Minutes April 4, 2016

Forest Preserves of Winnebago County

 

Land Advisory Council Meeting Minutes

April 4, 2016

 

Members Present: Ann Marie Cain, , Pam Cunningham, , Lee Johnson, James Marshall, Jerry Paulson, and Dan Williams. Members Absent: Steve Clark, Bill Hoff, Rebecca Olson, Randy Vogel. FPWC Commissioners Present: Judith Barnard and Audrey Johnson. FPWC Staff Present: Tom Hartley

 

Call to order: Chairman Paulson called the meeting to order at 4:15 p.m. at the FPWC offices, 5500 Northrock Drive, Rockford, Illinois.

 

Adoption of agenda: Williams moved to adopt the agenda as distributed; seconded by Cain and approved.

 

Committee matters: Paulson reminded members to fill out the conflict of interest forms with the County Clerk. Hartley will get them sent out to everyone.

 

Minutes of last meeting: Williams moved approval of the minutes of the January 4, 2016 meeting as distributed; seconded by Cunningham and approved.

 

Preserve Addition Priority Options: Paulson said that he presented the “Land Acquisition Summary” sheet of for the seven options, along with the “Preserve Addition Policy Options” and S.W.O.T. analysis to the Forest Preserve District Board at their January 4th meeting. Barnard reported that the Board discussed the options at their January 20th meeting and adopted a resolution directing the Land Advisory Council to pursue Options # 2, 3 and 4 in the development of the Strategic Land Acquisition Plan, but also said that they would consider properties in Options 5-7 if they were important. After further discussion, it was agreed that the LAC will consider any lands in Options 5-7, but that the highest priority will be given to Options 2-4.

 

Strategic Land Conservation Plan: Strategies for Options 2 -4 were discussed:

 

Option 2 – 1) Staff contacts each owner; 2) Determine interest in owner to sell; 3) negotiate purchase to acquire. Determine what bonding authority can be used and the use of some of the host fee money from the expanded landfill.

 

Option 3 – Meet with NLI and other groups to determine what partnerships can be formed to protect important natural areas, then report back to LAC.

 

Option 4 – Talk to Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation about grant possibilities for the property along the Kishwaukee River. Lee Johnson asked that the District work on a public relations campaign to focus on the need to acquire more land before development starts again.

 

Closed Session to Consider Land Acquisition: Williams moved to go into closed session; seconded by Marshall and the motion was approved. Paulson closed the meeting at 5:10 p.m.

 

Reopen Meeting: Williams moved to come out of closed session at 5:45 p.m.; Cunningham seconded and the motion was approved. Paulson noted that no action was taken in closed session.

 

Purchase of Larson and Johnson Properties: Williams moved to recommend that the Forest Preserve District acquire the 38-acre Larson Property, an inholding in KIshwaukee River Forest Preserve, and the 0.97-acre Johnson Property, an inholding in Rotary Forest Preserve. It was seconded by Marshall, and approved. Marshall said that the Larson property should be restored to forest or savanna because it is too small for grassland birds.

 

Potential Purchase of Land on South Kishwaukee River: Williams moved to recommend that the Forest Preserve District pursue grants to fund the purchase of land on the South Branch of the Kishwaukee River for expansion of the greenway along the river. The motion was seconded by Marshall, and approved.

 

Next Meeting Date: It was agreed that the next meeting would be on May 2, 2016 at 4:00 p.m. Barnard thanked the LAC members for all the work done on developing the Strategic Land Conservation Plan.

 

Adjourn: Paulson adjourned the meeting at 5:50 p.m.

 

 

Respectfully submitted,

Jerry Paulson, Chairman