PLAN COMMISSION MEETING
2024 MAY 13
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Town of Barksdale Plan
Commission Meeting Minutes

Barksdale Town Hall
29025 East Ondossagon Rd. 
Ashland, WI  54806

Date: May 13, 2024

Plan Commission Members Present: Susan Jacobson, Lynn Divine, John Ganske, John Nyara and Jayson Nohl

Absent Members: Mike Bark and Bob Sanger

Public Present: Deb Jack, Tim Jack, Jeff Johnson, Jerry Thompson, Dakota Schwauke, Mike Sturgul, Mark Richardson, Cheryl Nohl, Caren Kreinbring, Jim Kreinbring, Dane Kreinbring, Marsha Sorensen,  Jayson W. Nohl, Dave Kreinbring, Theresa Margetta, John McCue, Brenda Buss, Susan Sanders and Dennis Pocernich

Call to Order: The meeting was called to order at 6:00 p.m. by Chairperson Susan Jacobson after determining a quorum was present.

Verification of Posting: Jayson Nohl verified the meeting notices were posted at the Lake Shore Drive, Bono Creek Landing, Barksdale Town Hall and the Town Website.

Reading and Approval of meeting minutes from:  March 11, 2024 motioned to dispense with reading the minutes and approve them as written by John Nyara, Lynn Divine second the motion all were in favor, motion passed.

Discussion and Possible Action on a Conditional use permit ATF: from Todd’s Redimix Concrete LLC. 71255 State Highway 13 Ashland, Wi 54806. Todd’s would like a conditional use permit (ATF) to use portions of parcel tax ID #333 to the north for stock piling materials for use on parcel tax ID #332 for the concrete plant, they also want to use a portion of 333 for parking equipment such as trucks and end loaders and employee parking. Johnson went on to say they have installed a new air quality control monitoring system and it isn’t working yet but will be in the near future. Todd’s would also like to construct an 8 foot berm on the south side of 333 to help eradicate the dust and the noise. This is why we are asking for a CU permit.

Chairperson Susan Jacobson asked if anyone had any questions for Johnson. 

Cheryl Nohl spoke in opposition to granting the permit because of all the dust that is created when they crush and when the material was trucked out from the site. The trucks tracked the wet muddy concrete dust out onto the highway and we were dusted every time a car and truck went by. There were clouds of dust that came on to our property. She went on to say that Todd’s representatives were notified twice of the problem and Todd’s did nothing to clean it up.

Jayson Nohl added, in March I notified Mike Sturgal about the dust problem. Nothing was done about cleaning up the shoulders of the road. The crushing event in November lasted 3 days, the trucking event lasted 60 days at least and it wasn’t until April 27th and 28th when we got a good rain to wash the concrete dust off the shoulders. Right now I am paying the price for it with headaches and a bad cough. We also have several people along the road here that have respiratory problems, one has had three surgeries to remove scar tissue from having so many sinus infections, another has asthma, and another has had pneumonia twice in the last 7 years, the second time he nearly didn’t survive. His wife is also very sensitive to dust and had allergy shots for it. This problem with dust has gone on for years and Todd’s hasn’t done anything to eradicate it.

John McCue spoke and said he drove by the area and saw the mess on the road into Todd’s and along the highway. He said he is very concerned for the residents that live in the near proximity of the plant. Silicosis is caused by dust, concrete dust is very bad for the respiratory system and suggested the people along the road and around the concrete plant should have a Pulmonary Function test done. He went on to say that he feels the plant is in an inappropriate place and there are better sites for this plant.

Tim Jack spoke in opposition to granting the permit because of them claiming they monitor the air but don’t, I feel you guys are a bunch of liars, you guys better wake up and start doing what is right.

Jim Kreinbring spoke in opposition to granting the permit, the dust is terrible the dust is everywhere, the noise is terrible. Todd’s has failed to control the dust, they take profit before the health and well being of the residents and he asks the Plan Commission to deny the permit.

Marsha Sorensen lives across from the plant on highway 13 north. She said this is a tourism area and a recreation area with natural resources, sensitive areas, Lake Superior, Whittelsey Creek and the National Wildlife Refuge. I ask you to deny this permit.

Susan Sanders read a letter and spoke in opposition to the permit request stating she contacted a former employee of Todd’s, he told her he worked at the site for 14 years and only once did someone come out to monitor the air with a portable monitoring system and they were there for only half of the day.

Caren Kreinbring spoke in opposition to granting the permit request, because their home is located just 500 feet from the main plant of operation. She is concerned because of the high water table with their well being only 56 feet deep, and Lake Superior is only 1000 feet from the plant. The neighborhood has been covered in dust many times over the past 20 years. "There is something different about the dust around Grandma’s home;" her grandson Levi can not spend a night at her house because of the dust. This is an AG-1 area and inconsistent with the Barksdale Comp Plan and she asked for the Plan Commission to deny the request. 

Jayson W. Nohl spoke, "I am owner of Mission Springs Resort, why did you exceed your permit limit of 4000 tons?" Jerry Thompson spokes person replied, "we didn’t know that was our limit." Nohl replied, "well how long have you been in business? The watering system you proposed and the 8 foot berm you are proposing will do nothing to eradicate the problem with noise and dust, it will still come right across the highway. I really agree with someone who spoke earlier that back 20 years ago this CU permit should have never been approved and Todd’s should be looking for another location."

Cheryl Nohl spoke briefly and said "you haven’t followed the permitted rules for years why should we believe that you will do what you propose now?"

Jayson Nohl commission member spoke and told Todd’s reps you have been dumping and breaking the concrete and piling it up. Every step of the process makes concrete dust and it lays on the ground when trucks drive in and out of the site the dust blows everywhere, it is in our vehicles, we can’t even open our windows because then it is in our homes and the ventilation systems. You have to remember there is a residential area right across the road. When you crush and pile the material and the wind blows our trees get full of it and then when it rains it falls on our homes, cars, decks leaving quarter size white and gray spots, this is why people are upset. None of us choose to live by a concrete plant.

Mike Sturgal explained why they need the extra space for storage. We need to have 1 quad axle truck haul 10 loads a day that’s around 1 load an hour, this keeps enough stocked material for the plant. If we didn’t haul everyday then we would have to put more trucks on. 

Jerry Thompson from Todd’s told the audience they had to stabilize the slope to the north and west and doing so made the area in the bottom of the hole smaller so we had to move our stock pile elsewhere.

Susan Sanders asked Thompson if the permit doesn’t get approved where would you stock pile the materials? Thompson replied we would have to figure that out. 

Jayson Nohl told Todd’s reps, "last week I had the pleasure of talking with an environmental scientist and we talked about this plant and the one just down the road from his office in Brainerd MN. The plant there is located in an industrial park and they don’t crush recycled concrete, they are not allowed too. I told the scientist about the crushing here at Todd’s site and told him I am very concerned as to what will happen in the future 20 years down road. He told me don’t look into the future, but look at what causes the problem, and you get rid of it."

Chairperson Susan Jacobson advised everyone that when we review a permit we compare the request to the 10 elements of our comprehensive plan to see if it conflicts with the elements or supports the elements. After review of the elements of the comprehensive plan the commission found there are 6 conflicts that don’t support the comprehensive plan.

Lynn Divine made a motion to recommend to the Town Board to deny the permit, John Ganske second the motion, all were in favor. Susan Jacobson, Lynn Divine, John Ganske, John Nyara and Jayson Nohl all voted to deny the permit.

Dennis Pocernich walked into the Town Hall and asked if everyone had a map that was provided in Todd’s brief, he doesn’t feel this permit request will cause any more dust, truck traffic, noise. Jerry Thompson spoke and said he doesn’t plan to bring in any more concrete to crush and there will not be any more crushing onsite.

Dennis Pocernich told everyone that he is looking at facts and that is how they will look at that Thursday night and it will pass on Thursday night. 

The Plan Commission put on record reasons for denying the permit: inconsistent with our Comprehensive Plan and land use map. Dust, noise from trucks, end gates banging, no turn or by pass lanes on highway 13 north near the entrance of the plant. The Plan Commission then moved on.

Discussion and possible action on rewriting the Town Comprehensive Plan: Lynn Divine reported she will get all the commission members a copy of the plan booklet before the next meeting in June so everyone can read through it before the meeting.

Dennis Pocernich made the point that there are two Town Board members on the Comprehensive Plan and it doesn’t look good when the two make a recommendation to the Town Board to deny the permit. He feels that maybe when the Comp Plan terms are up in April there maybe should be some changes made.

Bono Creek Update: The County will be doing some rip rapping with rock where the shoreline has been washing. The town road foreman will be patching the bigger holes in the black top. 

Next meeting is June 10, 2024 at 6:00pm 

John Ganske motioned to adjourn Lynn Divine second the motion all were in favor motion passed. Meeting adjourned at 8:10pm. 

Respectively Submitted:

Jayson Nohl, secretary