[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6092791,"mediaKeyId","2852324-ed128acb2b4c218af22b51953f587e85","parentId",2852324,"title","County staff report progress on phosphorus, septic replacements and groundwater; RPC offers alternate population projection for land-use plan","audioSeconds",1328,"startMs",3517000,"endMs",4845000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2852324-ed128acb2b4c218af22b51953f587e85&start=3517&end=4845","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2852324-ed128acb2b4c218af22b51953f587e85/thumbnail_3517000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6092791/Marathon-County/Wisconsin/County-staff-report-progress-on-phosphorus-septic-replacements-and-groundwater-RPC-offers-alternate-population-projection-for-land-use-plan","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6092791-e7d17fdbd9367a79ee36397b6b9fb511/orig.mp4?Expires=1771073232&Signature=cZVCWbVdX8Kk-uZNaFx2MfT8E~051FTHZzem~q8lpr9zCGdvAnJu4xm9lzIKMUuOqs91AnXRKv8UOrvlXfwJD56kBI-fNdwa2J18DOCo~PZrgwPuw4HKvQ-zFLuG-NdRgr4DWZ-1CYChQqLfGDFerbPkqvRMuJzJ0YZ9XRwUiuDCp5p4H2C1YIk3MJAKt8c4UcvvwQf-1pMnKBwqz0iya92sm7sNx~j-lYirbVfuFXAXmu82inyyfJ4OsZJivFuIUHJaU6NWtqryAq~OAPiVw08WV34OlTyeIBxwYI6Uk4lKqdBhQSVVfnCJjY5U6Wg~hn6rW3VQ3QOYp25D9ld9eA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Marathon County, WI","date","2025-04-02T09:43:51Z","article","Marathon County conservation and planning staff briefed the Environmental Resources Committee on April 1 about progress on several multi-year programs — including phosphorus reductions in the Fenwood Creek watershed, septic-system replacement work, a groundwater protection plan in development — and presented a working draft of Chapter 9 (land use) of the county comprehensive plan. The regional planning commission offered an alternative population-projection model the county may use for planning.

Fenwood Creek phosphorus reduction
Conservation manager Kirsty Heidenreich reported that the Fenwood Creek pilot project has reduced phosphorus but remains short of the committee’s 2024 strategic-plan target. \"We have reduced, we lehi to about a 13% reduction in the watershed, which is about 8,980 pounds of phosphorus,\" Heidenreich said, and noted the committee’s original goal was a 20% reduction (14,016 pounds). She cited funding constraints that limited the county’s ability to scale the incentive-based pilot across the whole watershed; staff plan further outreach and funding requests.

Septic-system replacement and maintenance
Land resources manager Shad Harvey told the committee the county has replaced 835 failing systems from February 2018 through 2024. Harvey said the county currently tracks about 360 known failing systems remaining and anticipates that number may increase as more systems enter the county maintenance program and are inspected. \"This year, we just finished getting the rest of our systems into our maintenance program,\" Harvey said; staff said maintenance inspections commonly reveal additional failing systems.

Groundwater protection and wellhead inventory
Staff reported completion of the county’s groundwater sampling effort (roughly 1,000 samples) that will feed a groundwater protection plan the county expects to bring forward this year. Heidenreich said the county is compiling GIS layers of wellhead protection areas and recharge areas and described a pilot in the Village of Athens to convert cropland around municipal wells to prairie and perennial cover to reduce nitrate loading.

Budget and grants update
The county finance director reviewed first-quarter fiscal-year 2025 general-fund and grants fund reports for Conservation, Planning & Zoning (CPZ), Parks, and Solid Waste. CPZ general-fund revenues year-to-date were reported at $1,810,009 (about 49% of budget) and expenditures at $595,433 (about 16% of budget) through March; grants are reported on a separate grants fund page. Parks and Solid Waste reports were described as within expected ranges for the first quarter.

Wisconsin Land and Water funding request
Staff said Wisconsin Land and Water had asked county conservationists to present brief testimony to the Wisconsin Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee at a listening session in Wausau. According to staff, the statewide request discussed by Wisconsin Land and Water would seek $20,200,000 for county conservation staffing from the state; conservation director staff said they would appear and use a common script to support the request and invited committee members to attend the listening session.

Comprehensive plan — land-use chapter and growth projections
Staff presented a working draft of Chapter 9 (land use) and sought committee input on data and projection choices. The Wisconsin Department of Administration (DOA) county population projections, released this year, show a decline in Marathon County population (the DOA figure cited in staff remarks was roughly a 5.5% decline across the projection period). The North Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission (RPC) provided an alternative projection used in a recent regional comprehensive plan: an approach that carries recent population growth rates forward, producing an alternative increase (staff cited a 15% increase in one example derived for the regional plan). Christian (RPC) said the RPC included both DOA projections and an alternative model in the regional plan \"to provide counties with an option that reflects recent local growth trends.\" Committee members asked for documentation and staff agreed to follow up with RPC and provide the underlying numbers for committee review.

Why it matters: These reports influence county budgeting, conservation priorities, land-use planning, and grant strategies. Progress on water-quality targets and failing-system replacement affect public health and regulatory compliance.

Next steps: Staff will bring a groundwater protection plan later in 2025, provide additional detail on the comprehensive-plan population-projection options, and return to ERC with updates from the animal-waste work group and the Fenwood Creek outreach efforts.

Attribution: All program numbers, goals and staff statements are drawn from the April 1 ERC meeting transcript and staff reports presented on the record.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Marathon County Environmental Resources Committee Meeting - 4/1/2025","oneSentenceSummary","At the April 1 Marathon County ERC meeting staff reported a 13% phosphorus reduction so far in the Fenwood Creek pilot, early success replacing failing septic systems, progress on a groundwater protection plan and a working draft of chapter 9 of the comprehensive plan with alternate growth projections from the regional planning commission.","taxTitle","Marathon County, Wisconsin","taxId",4560,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6092796,"Residents press for regular water testing as county forms animal waste work group",259,86000,345000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2852324-ed128acb2b4c218af22b51953f587e85&start=86&end=345","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2852324-ed128acb2b4c218af22b51953f587e85/thumbnail_86000.jpg","/articles/6092796/Marathon-County/Wisconsin/Residents-press-for-regular-water-testing-as-county-forms-animal-waste-work-group","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6092796-06811ac524283379d1469e05a4711451/orig.mp4?Expires=1771073232&Signature=aIyiuk775vD6yE4IXfGxPIc0Pfj-9LtCzGGqYAKw237ba3oPfQjFOjZNvitg-OfRejybeCCcMpsua-NzNTDn0phoD346qSv~1luflcJz6ud3oDODAS83R5OR1YsRGxSrHWhOA8Qy29Z5mOR7FSRATf3lH4TG5HEm5abIUCcn9xGjst8QJNRSvMTFxheqSr7zvcxuztL8XyzxGd9PDt~tr~ItzzfGtOEPlI~55lE353V3g68wCP~uH6EqlhOJJeYM8DefB8rZGj--2ocHPARPP7Fr08qx9QlPp-ijNLPtDP0SyLGsme-etj1nVQg9I7ihHdd3PPAie3QH9TvbWTXH1g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Two residents spoke at public comment during the Marathon County Environmental Resources Committee meeting on April 1, calling for verification and more research into elevated nutrients in local waterways, and county staff reported the formation of a 25-member animal waste ordinance work group to begin meetings in April.

Kevin Schmiedke (first-reference: “Town of Day, Kevin Schmiedke”) told the committee he had paid to test five local water samples for phosphorus and urged the committee to adopt a simple, recurring verification program. “I guess alls I ask for out of the committee is if we're going to research something, can we trust but verify?” Schmiedke said, offering his results and asking staff how to submit them to the county record.

Trin Spindler, introduced herself as a small Wisconsin dairy farmer from the Town of Day and a member of the Marathon County Farm Bureau board. She offered research sources and recommended that any ordinance work rely on nutrient-management plans and best management practices that help farmers reduce costs while protecting water.

Why it matters: Residents and farmers are directly affected by any county-level animal waste or manure ordinances; frequent, reliable monitoring data and buy-in from farmers are important to designing effective approaches.

County response and work group
Conservation manager Kirsty Heidenreich told the committee that staff have convened a stakeholder work group to draft proposed amendments to the county’s animal waste ordinance. She said 25 participants have signed up and represent a broad mix of perspectives: regulated confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs), livestock farms, midsize farms, small dairy operators, cash-crop farmers, two town officials (including Supervisor Drabek), Wisconsin DNR representatives, and other stakeholders. Heidenreich said the first work-group meeting was scheduled for April 2 at a town hall and a second on April 24; staff plan to report back to the ERC in May.

Heidenreich described the work group’s goal as producing a short set of shared guiding principles and practical recommendations. She told the committee staff will take thorough notes, share them with participants and provide a robust update at the May ERC meeting.

What residents asked for
Schmiedke presented five phosphorus test results he had paid to have analyzed (each sample cost about $20; total time to collect and process the samples about four hours). He described sample locations and values he said he received (transcript excerpts): 0.37, 0.23, 0.05, 0.38 and 0.11 (units as reported in the samples; county staff would need to verify laboratory calibration and reporting units). Schmiedke asked that the committee consider a modest recurring sampling program so the community “has something to go on” while staff and the work group consider ordinance changes.

Next steps
The committee did not take formal action on the citizen-submitted samples during the meeting. Staff accepted Schmiedke’s offer to submit his paperwork and said staff will share submitted materials with the committee and work group. The work group will meet in April and is expected to provide a summary and recommended principles to ERC in May.

Notes on attribution and evidence: Direct quotes and sample values in this article are drawn from the public-comment portion of the committee transcript (April 1 ERC meeting). The county staff statements about the work-group membership and schedule were reported on the record by conservation manager Kirsty Heidenreich.","Two residents urged more frequent water monitoring amid concerns about elevated phosphorus; county conservation staff says a 25-member animal waste ordinance work group will begin meetings in April to develop recommended amendments.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6092800,"Environmental Resources Committee forwards six rezones and a town solar/wind ordinance to county board",67,1115000,1182000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2852324-ed128acb2b4c218af22b51953f587e85&start=1115&end=1182","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2852324-ed128acb2b4c218af22b51953f587e85/thumbnail_1115000.jpg","/articles/6092800/Marathon-County/Wisconsin/Environmental-Resources-Committee-forwards-six-rezones-and-a-town-solarwind-ordinance-to-county-board","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6092800-18a61a3da7eede8723537656a02974b6/orig.mp4?Expires=1771073232&Signature=Y5O8F~TXk1VSKdQxHNY8-VmB9~kPzgaMNL1O8P7ggMynP0P7uWyMqRgdLSnUiWD0vS-rGP18PqScP8WVGsSedv~QirCy-iGRIE3jCmNmAJJFPJZM-o1AOgrkC6Z2VqMCMmBUwHuipkMwBBVWve7kapIyQqJP~pH5~k9Tw8MtnC3bY6RpwXsVxj5GX1wTu6oCkbjx4cmr5vZjnug5wO5JvBjvSqoYiucy3xt9DBVRtfDO8k2rllNOydgMNpXl50nTAr0mInycEzpWWjopAF1hLDM7xkJT6TZepr-7J2wdqDwtiCjjyigFQSCOaLnMyaqS4VB4JuA~Is2IMBtSnisz2A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Marathon County Environmental Resources Committee met April 1 and voted to recommend approval of six separate zoning change petitions to the Marathon County Board of Supervisors and to forward a town zoning ordinance update on wind and solar to the county board.

The committee recommended approval of rezones for parcels in the towns of Tonnable Plain, Elderon, Town Hall, Green Valley, Frankfort and Reed. Committee staff reported that each petition met the county zoning code standards for size, frontage, access and dimension and that most had supporting town resolutions or recommendations. Committee members moved approval by voice vote on each petition; the committee did not record roll-call tallies in the meeting record and each motion carried.

Why it matters: Rezoning changes how land may be used and can permit different future development or conservation options. The committee’s recommendation is advisory; the county board will take final action at a later meeting.

Details of the petitions and committee action
- Zopfi (Zappi/Zotfi) Family Irrevocable Trust (Town of Tonel Plain): request to rezone approximately 77.78 acres from FP (Farmland Preservation) to GA (General Agriculture). Staff reported the site is actively farmed and the town recommended approval. The committee voted to recommend approval and forward conclusions of law to the county board.
- Christopher Fury (on behalf of David and Krista Gruna) (Town of Elderon): petition to rezone from GA (General Agriculture) to RR (Rural Residential). The committee postponed action because a town resolution had not been provided; the hearing was closed and the item will be reopened at a later meeting when complete information is available.
- Daniel Weaver (Town of Hull/Town Hall): petition to rezone from FP to GA. Staff said the rezoning would allow a conditional-use path to regularize an existing equipment rental/storage use; the Board of Adjustment had issued a conditional-use permit that would lapse if rezoning does not occur. The committee voted to recommend approval and forward to the county board.
- Brandon Layer (on behalf of Grama/Brass Properties) (Town of Green Valley): petition to rezone from UR (Urban Residential) to RR (Rural Residential) to allow a larger storage building (rural residential allows up to 2,000 sq. ft.). Staff confirmed on-site septic, well and electrical already exist; committee voted to recommend approval and forward to the county board.
- Christopher Schumacher (on behalf of Marcus and Sarah Nolt) (Town of Frankfort): petition to rezone from GA to C (Commercial). The town recommended approval; the committee voted to recommend approval and forward to the county board.
- Tim Vreeland (on behalf of Mark and Katie Luby) (Town of Reed): petition to rezone from GA to RE (Real Estate) for a parcel described in a preliminary certified survey map. The town recommended approval; the committee voted to recommend approval and forward to the county board.

Town zoning update — wind and solar
The committee also reviewed a revised town zoning ordinance amendment from the Town of Ringgold (listed at the meeting as a Town of Ringo/Ringgold submission) addressing solar energy systems and wind energy systems. County corporation counsel and planning staff had reviewed the draft and advised the town on language that had extended beyond state authority. The town revised the ordinance to make several provisions “recommended” rather than mandatory so the ordinance aligns with state oversight (including the Public Service Commission where appropriate). The committee voted to approve forwarding the amended town ordinance to the county board for consideration.

What happens next: The committee’s approvals are recommendations to the Marathon County Board of Supervisors, which will consider final approval at a future county board meeting. For the petition that was postponed (Gruna/Elderon), the committee closed the hearing and will reopen the record when the town recommendation is available.

Notes: All listed motions passed by voice vote as recorded in the committee’s meeting minutes; the meeting transcript records “motion carries” on each item but does not include a roll-call vote or per-member tallies.","At its April 1 meeting the Marathon County Environmental Resources Committee recommended approval of six rezone petitions and approved forwarding the Town of Ringgold's updated wind and solar zoning ordinance to the County Board; all actions were taken by voice vote and will be considered by the full board.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

County staff report progress on phosphorus, septic replacements and groundwater; RPC offers alternate population projection for land-use plan

Residents press for regular water testing as county forms animal waste work group

Environmental Resources Committee forwards six rezones and a town solar/wind ordinance to county board