Want free criticism? Then stand or run for public office— it’ll come, sure as the morning.

In that vein, the River Falls Council met via Cisco Webex on Tuesday December 8, accomplishing many things prior to adjournment just 37 minutes later. Among the Council’s chief topics for discussion was the renewal of farmland leases, which also became the source of criticism for missed opportunities. First the bills!

“Mr. Mayor, I move that we approve the bills in the amount of $1,363,617.10, subject to the Comptroller,” Scott Morrissette made the motion.

“Second,” alderperson Sean Downing said.

“Questions or comments on this?” Toland asked. “Kristi, we have a first and second on the bills.”

Upon a roll call vote taken by the bills passed unanimously.

“Ok, next we’ll move on to public comments,” Toland said, the soundman confirming there was someone in the Council chambers.

“Hello (this is) Benjamin Fox,” the commenter said. “In your packet tonight, it has the agricultural leases with surrounding farmers and entities. One of the principles of community development is best use,” Fox shared. Among the pertinent issues that he felt was at hand was a grant related to water and soil development the UW-System had received, of which $2 million had reportedly gone to UW-River Falls.

“…and it’s disappointing that there’s nothing in this packet to increase soil and water quality,” Fox told the Council members. Saying that the City of River Falls was looking at a half-million dollars to remove sediment from Lake Louise, this had real consequences and cost, Fox said. One of the UW-RF leased properties had monitoring wells while another had steep slopes and erosion possible. Meanwhile, the University had reportedly said it was doubling tillage all across its property “with no way of controlling” erosion Fox said. “In the future land use of Mann Valley there are herbs, easements, and everything else that could easily use a study edge of field, water quality, phosphorous and nitrogen. So as you sit here and look at the City’s cost—even right now— looking at different wastewater treatment plants, and how you can get phosphorous and nitrogen out of the ecosystem to productive uses. I think it’s important for the City to realize that…as the owners that you have responsibilities to the greater environment. Thank you.” With no further public comment Ben Plunkett undertook to answer the critic of Council.

“Mr. Fox, you really do bring up an important issue there, in that the University in the problem soils department has had, at least in the past, people that took a pivotal role in these issues…and I thank you for bringing to the Council’s attention the importance of proper land management and soil practices. Hopefully we can move from that towards the Wisconsin Idea, using that incredible resource we have in the University Extension for the benefit of the state at large. Thank you.”

Pulled from the consent items by Sean Downing and Plunkett for discussion, the three leases were put to City Administrator Scot Simpson. “How was the figure of $200 arrived at?” Downing asked of one lease. “What was the equation used?” Simpson replied that he had been asked for direction and that given everything the City was facing his direction had been to continue terms “as is.” Each had been entered into at a different time, with “the only one competitively bid being Mann Valley,” the others being considered ‘neighbor leases, including one where the land was otherwise cut off from others, access- wise. “So my direction was not to go out for bid or seek big escalators at this point,” Simpson said. Per farm maps retained by the City, each had different soil types with Mann Valley being the only ‘good’ yield spot, the others being “marginal” or “ok” in their crop production capacity.

“We were looking for caretakers on most of these properties, the exception being Mann Valley,” he said. By leasing out the land the City could avoid maintenance costs and keep it in at least as good a condition as it had been.

Downing then asked whether the individuals leasing the properties were satisfied, to which Simpson replied mostly in the affirmative. Although there had been some feedback from three lessees in Mann Valley as to whether the prices should be lowered based on yields, neither the Johnsons or the Petersons as the other two lessees had expressed dissatisfaction that Simpson was aware of.

“In the case of the Johnson’s that property was quite a mess. And so in the first years they sort of ‘tamed the land,’” Simpson said, with Downing appearing satisfied and moving to approve the agreements.

By the end of roll call, all three lease agreements had been re-approved.