We are setting up our Website, click below to get to it. Photos are still being uploaded.

http://VoteMenaKaehler.org

I am looking forward to greeting all the District 3 citizens in the upcoming weeks.

Thank you to the many that have thrown their support to me - especially Bruce Speltz. It is incredibly uplifting and enjoyable when a former opponent and I are now working on the same team!

Here are some other great shots at parades and events:

Gladiolus Days:

The bottle calf was a great hit! Too bad you can't see the Super H that John N let us use! Thanks, John.

Goodview Days:

The kids were sure happy to hear that at the next parade, they could ride on the wagon!

Rollingstone Days:
 

 Getting the banner ready:

Lined up and ready to roll. Awesome Oliver - Thanks, Tom and Olivia!

 
A sandal mishap - good thing zip ties are so versatile!

Winona County Fair:


 Little did Cliff's college buddies know what they were getting into when they stopped on their cross country trip!

 Thanks, guys, for your help.





 
Final K-LER Cattle/County Commissioner booth. I forgot to get in the photo.

 2011 Gladiolus Days Parade:

A riding Steer??!!
We purchased the ribbon in the Winona Co 4-H Blue Ribbon Auction. 

Aug 29 Commish Corner

What does Non-Conformity Mean?

            The Great MN Get Together is in full swing. If you did not have the opportunity to attend 4-H weekend, you still have a few days to go celebrate with fellow Minnesotans.

            There still exists misinformation about the updated Winona County Zoning Ordinance (WCZO). People have contacted me about concerns on aspects such as the 40-acre density & the “Non-Conforming” language. Their perception was not accurate, and they were relieved once they had the facts.

The latest in misunderstanding is what “Non-Conforming” means. Yes, it is in the WCZO. That is because the state requires counties to address non-conformities in their ordinances. The old ordinance had Non-Conforming language as well.

Non-conformities are non-conforming uses or structures that may have been constructed prior to certain regulations or permit requirements. For example, say a feedlot was in the center of town before zoning. If the town later adopted an ordinance, which listed the area as residential, the ag use would not be “conforming”. Once the ordinance was adopted, that feedlot would be allowed to continue, but it would be listed as a “non-conforming use”.  Additionally, structures may fall into similar situations.

Winona County’s old ordinance also had sections related to non-conforming uses and structures. The updated WCZO has basically the same ones. The board made a concerted effort to work with structures that sat on bluffs and steep slopes setbacks. To address this, we developed the Rural Heritage overlay district. If these parcels were legally built under the old ordinance, they are exempt from the new setback rules.

There are concerns that property values were affected due to the updated WCZO. Steve Hacken, our County Assessor, can be contacted to assure you that that is not true. He can be reached at: 507-457-6300.

Check the ordinances from all counties, and they have similar language. So, if there are issues with non-conformities regarding values, titles, deeds, banks, etc., they would be issues for all of counties.

Another constant misunderstanding regards the number of acres needed to build a home. Every Zoning Ordinance needs a density standard, ours is 40 acres. You can build on less than 40 acres in Winona County with a conditional use permit which in part, assures protection of prime farmland. In fact, we had a couple from Whitewater Township request to build on 1 acre. They want to farm with parents. It made sense to build near the existing well and stay out of prime ag land. The couple was asked why they did not build on the part of the farm that was in Wabasha County. Their response was, “It is too restrictive. There you need 80 acres to build.”

For some reason, misinterpretations continue to surface. I encourage people to check the facts with our County personnel. Jason Gilman and Eric Johnson are always willing to explain the ins and outs of how the ordinance works. They can be reached at: 507-457-6335, or via email at: jgilman@co.winona.mn.us and ejohnson@co.winona.mn.us . We want the citizens to understand how the ordinance is applied.

To all students: I hope the year goes well for you. Education is an opportunity to better yourself. I hope you take advantage of it.

If you have any questions or issues on the county, please contact me.

Mena Kaehler

mkaehler@co.winona.mn.us

August 13 Commish Corner

State Fair & Sand

            The fall-like temperatures were a welcome relief for many, after enduring scorching heat. Some of us, including me, melt in the humidity. I am always thankful for cooler weather.

            August is almost half over – which means state fair, fall sports, and school are just around the corner. Next Wednesday, our State Fair 4-Hers head to the Great MN Get Together. The kids are honing their showmanship skills and getting final clipping done with their livestock, carefully packing their projects and their suitcases. Winona County is always well represented. If you have not had the chance to visit the fair, I encourage you to do so. If you take the opportunity to go, try to attend during the 4-H days. There you will see our next generation proudly presenting their work. 

            All of the State Fair happenings can be found at the website: http://www.mnstatefair.org/

            One other update has to do with the sand mining. This Thursday, the Nisbit sand mine request will come before the Planning Commission. This is the first Conditional Use Permit request to come before them since the moratorium on intensive sand mining was lifted in May.

            Another related, but separate project is the proposed sand facility east of St. Charles. Many have heard about it. To date, no official project has been presented to the Township, City or County. Additionally, the presentations have changed over time. The new owners are holding public informational meetings to let everyone know their thoughts and intentions.

One piece of the puzzle is the Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW). It has been determined by the Environmental Quality Board (EQB) that the County can be the Responsible Government Unit (RGU) for the EAW. (Sometimes I think we live in an alphabet soup.) At any rate, the concerns about proper oversight of the EAW have been alleviated by the EQB. The applicants have submitted a formal request to the County to serve as the RGU, which will be determined next month by the Winona County Board after Planning Commission review August 16^th. This project amplifies how very vital correct information is. It is up to the new owners to present a complete and accurate project to the community. Until that is done, there are rumors and opinions that are driving discussion. Please understand that NOTHING has been officially proposed to the County. If and when it is, we will carefully vet the project with facts and data, as we do with all permits.

This week should be an enjoyable weather week. I hope students take advantage of the last few days of vacation. Perhaps clean the house without your parents asking. That would be a great end of summer surprise!

Please contact me with any questions of concerns about the County. I do appreciate all citizen input. If we are unaware of a situation, there is little we can do about it. Citizen involvement has been especially high with regards to our sand industry.

Mena Kaehler

mkaehler@co.winona.mn.us

Primary: Tues, Aug 14th

Working for the County

I am proud to be a part of the positive change the Winona County team has made since I took office. The board sets the vision and goals; the staff gets us there. 

Check the facts.

Winona County Achievements since 2009.

      

Reduced tax levy trend every year since elected, reversing 15 years of increases. 
2010 : 0%, 2011: - .83%, 2012: -  4%    

From  '00 - '09, our county saw an 86% increase in the Levy! Had we not addressed our structural deficit and worked to reverse this trend, Winona County property taxes would have increased 7.7% every year.

 Reduced annual structural deficit from $2M+ to less than $500,000, with reductions continuing. 

      Done while adding on to our County Office Building, which generated local jobs and improved service to citizens in a difficult economy.

  Reduced the size of our County Government by 35+ FTE positions (w/o layoffs or reduction in services). Consolidated departments (from 23 to 13).  

        Improved efficiencies. Cross-trained employees.

v  Implemented the LEAN model (process improvement), resulting in $150,000+ yearly savings from 7 projects.

v  Adopted a new zoning ordinance that reduced variances in favor of CUP's for greater flexibility (building on less than 40 acres) and planned development.

v  Adopted a Silica sand mining CUP, for intensive use mines, that balances economic development with road use and environmental protection.

v  Cooperated with Fillmore Co with a shared Community Services Director. Incorporated

E-Docs (computer software) leading to more cooperation among counties.

 

Association of MN Counties (AMC):

My Leadership positions in the Association of MN Counties (AMC) show the confidence fellow commissioners have in me.

Ø  AMC Board of Directors; Chair Environment & Nat’l Resource Policy Committee; District 9 Vice Director; Past Vice Chair Agricultural & Rural Issues Advisory Committee

Ø  FUTURES Task Force member: Statewide Think Tank of County leaders bringing forward ideas to redesign government.

Ø  Greater MN Advisory Panel (GMAP) (1 of 3 Commissioners on the panel) Panel made up of Local Gov’t, Legislators, and Governor’s Office.

AGRICULTURE & BUSINESS LEADERSHIP

v  Co-Own 5th Generation Family Farm

§ Purebred Beef Cattle Producer

§ Agriculture Products Export Co.

v  Minnesota Agriculture & Rural

Leadership Program (MARL) Class IV

v  Promote MN Agriculture worldwide

v  MN Dept of Ag Excellence Award for International Marketing

v  Food & Hotel China Trade Show delegate

v  Minn. Corn & Soybeans Associations

v  Local, State & National Cattlemen Assns.

v  Farm Bureau

v  Re-Elect  Winona County’s Promoting Modern Ag Charter Committee

BACKGROUND

v Century Owned Farm & Ag Export Co-owner

v Mathematics BS, Colorado State Univ.

v 7-12 Mathematics Teacher

v St. Charles Borromeo Church

v 2 sons  - Cliff (23) and Seth (21)

v Celebrating 25 years of marriage to Ralph

Seth, Ralph, Mena, Cliff

 This site is paid for (although there are no costs) and approved by, Mena Kaehler.

Winona County Commissioner District 3

 

Thank you, District 3, for your confidence in me. 

On Tues, May 22, 2012, I filed for re-election to County Board. 

I ask for your support in the August 14th Primary.

The last 3.5 years have been very rewarding. I choose to run in 2008, not because I had a personal agenda, but because I feel all citizens should give back to their communities.  Some serve through the military; civil service is my venue.

There is much going on in the County. We have made some huge strides in the last three years. There is a great synergy between the board and staff. The board set the policy, but the staff made it happen. We have a stellar staff working for the county.

Since taking office in 2009, my primary communication (beyond meetings) to the citizens has been through my "Commish's Corner" starting my first month in office. It is published in alternate weeks by the St. Charles Press and Lewiston Journal. 

My blog writings will increase, due to the speed with which I can respond to information during my quest to continue to serve Winona County. 

Good governance is making the difficult decisions for the best of the community, while limiting individual disruptions, rather than invoking fear and grandstanding for votes.

Please contact me with any questions, concerns or issues. 
Good communication is essential. Only through citizen input, can our county work for us all.

Thanks again,
Mena

July 28 Commish Corner

CRP Ground Released & County/City Farm2Rail

            What a pleasant way to end July – much of the county got a needed rain last week.

Two items today, but important issues. One is our lack of rain. On July 24^th, as a board member of the Association of MN Counties, I represented AMC at a USDA/MN Dept of Ag Drought meeting. Producer groups, Legislative personnel, and agencies attended. Among other things, we learned about the following actions by US Sec of Ag, Tom Vilsack.

On July 23^rd , Sec Vilsack, released some of the CRP lands to be opened up for haying and grazing. There are some restrictions, so if you have lands you wish to open up, please contact the FSA office in Lewiston to get things in order before Aug 2^nd. Sec Vilsack also decreased the payment reduction for haying and grazing from 25% to 10%.

If you go to www.usda.gov, to Newsroom, to Latest Releases, you will find the July 25^th Press release that outlines the relaxed requirements regarding loans, EQIP project completions, and much more.

The MN Beef Cattlemen’s Assoc. is encouraging those with CRP to work cooperatively with the Livestock Producers to assist in finding forage for the animals.

            Secondly, at a local coffee shop discussion group, local residents discussed Farm2Rail concerns with me. It reconfirmed the need to clarify the information from the Winona County perspective.

1)   At present, there is no proposal or permit request in front of the County.

2)   At the July 26^th board meeting, the Board voted to support the recommendation of our Planning Department to follow the County’s Comprehensive Plan with regards to this project. The following is our planning coordinator, Jason Gilman’s letter to the City of St. Charles after the board voted to support the plan:

 “The Board revisited and supports it’s guidance in the Comprehensive Plan, noting the Comprehensive Plan recommendations which include but are not limited to the following:

Winona County Comprehensive Plan 2000, Development Goals and Policies, Overall General Growth, p. 15, Policies:

6. Encourage the location of large scale development projects in communities that have the capacity to provide the necessary public utilities and urban services.

7. Coordinate County policies with the adopted policies of cities and townships for extension of their development into the rural County areas.

Winona County Comprehensive Plan 2000, Development Goals and Policies, Urban Expansion Area, p. 19, Policies:

3. Promote the transition of agricultural land to urban use in an orderly manner and in accordance with the local government’s plans for the extension of public utilities and services.

4. Pursue formal cooperative planning between the County, townships, cities and schools within the urban expansion areas, including negotiated orderly annexation agreements.”

           

The rationale behind encouraging the local municipality to take the lead is simple – the applicant has asked for urban services and the project is proposed within a City’s urban growth area, adjacent to a municipality it would greatly impact.  Therefore, those citizens should be the ones that oversee it to ensure the local impacts/concerns are addressed.

3)   The County’s 2000 Comp Plan lists the 300 acres as Agricultural Use. The City’s Comp Plan lists the area as future Industrial Use. These are interests that are dependent on the ultimate jurisdiction given each jurisdictions service provisions, and that brings up some of the confusion.

4)   F2R wants to use city services – such as sewer and water; therefore they would be annexed into the city eventually, as the County does not provide those services.

5)   If this proposal comes before the County Board, we will have one of 2 choices – either approve or deny.

a.     If the majority of the Board chooses approval, we would permit the project. If the land was later annexed into the city of St. Charles, it would be difficult and cumbersome to ensure the conditions placed upon the facility by the County could, or would, be enforced by the city, since they are separate permitting authorities.

b.     If the majority of the board chooses to deny, the F2R owners can either walk away, or they can submit the project to the City and request annexation at that point.

6)   If the City chooses to be the Responsible Government Unit (RGU) on the Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW) that is only one step in the process. That simply analyzes and looks for potential issues of the project. It does not take into consideration the wishes of the city council, the citizens or the developers and it does not obligate local government to approve the project

7)   The Winona County Planning and Zoning Department does the permit reviews Winona County and has been invited to assist the City in it’s permit review of the project. Their recommendations are based upon which entity’s comprehensive plan and regulations they are doing the review for, and it is ultimately up to the respective board or council to act on them.

8)    Farm2Rail has stirred strong emotions – At present, there is no permit requests for the project to address. The scope and information continues to change.

 Many rumors and inaccurate information are being circulated that many thought to be fact. I would encourage everyone to check the facts. Jason and his staff are available for questions and are responsive in returning calls and e-mails.

Please contact me on any items or concerns for the County.

Mena Kaehler

mkaehler@co.winona.mn.us