ELLSWORTH – The Ellsworth Village Board voted Monday, Feb. 5 to send two board members and the administrator/clerk-treasurer to Denmark to tour Bigadan’s anaerobic digester facilities. The only one who opposed the trip with a nay vote was Trustee Tom Schutz.

Bigadan is a Danish renewable natural gas company hoping to build an anaerobic digester and nutrient recovery facility in Ellsworth, under the name Ellsworth Bioenergy. Representatives said Bigadan, would design, build, own, operate and finance the site with no cost to the village. The project would occupy 20-25 acres and use anaerobic digestion (without air) to produce renewable natural gas from turkey litter, dairy waste, cheese processing byproducts and similar projects.

The renewable natural gas would be injected into an existing natural gas pipeline system. The process results in nutrient-rich byproducts that can be returned to participating farmers as fertilizers at no cost. The village has been in talks with Bigadan for several months about the project. The project is expected to invest $190 million in the community in five years and create 37 jobs in trucking and at the plant. Since the digester would be considered a utility and utilities are exempt from property taxes, the company is proposing to “voluntarily pay taxes on a yearly basis,” which is called “payment in lieu of taxes,” or PILOT. One hundred percent of that payment would go to the Village of Ellsworth, where with property taxes the revenue would be shared with the school district, county and Chippewa Valley Technical College. Bauer said the details are still being worked out.

Trustee Ryan Bench said whoever goes on the trip, not to exceed $8,000 for board, meals, car rental and airfare, must write a report about their observations and findings.

“It’s only fair to give the community a chance to hear what they learned, what they saw and just making sure we do what we can to make sure we have a fair representation of what the plant would be back here.”

Trustee Andrew Borner said village representatives should talk to the people in the towns and businesses surrounding the digesters to get some unbiased opinions.

“Hopefully there’s not too much of a language barrier,” he said.

“I think it would be important for someone from here to see what the plant looks like. We’ve done our best to work through this process and it’s a big decision,” said Village President Becky Beissel.

Administrator/Clerk-Treasurer Brad Roy said the trip and research could clear up some assumptions about the project, whether they’re positive or negative.

The trip will be paid for from village budgeted economic development fund which would limit what the village can do going forward regarding economic development, Roy said.

It was not decided which two trustee will accompany Roy on the trip.

Other business

The board approved the following actions:

• Temporary Class B retailer’s license, Ellsworth Fire Services Association, March 23 annual chicken feed fundraiser at 427 W. Spruce St.
• Temporary Class B retailer’s license, Ellsworth Area Chamber of Commerce annual Cheese Curd Festival, June 21-22, including Crosscut, Wall and Broadway streets, East End Park, Associated Bank parking lot and alley east of Association Bank (Beissel abstained).
• Street dance license, Cheese Curd Festival, same locations as above (Beissel abstained).
• Street use permit, Cheese Curd Festival, June 19-23, Crosscut Street, Wall Street to Morse Street (leaving lane for emergency vehicle access), all of Broadway, and alley east of Associated Bank (Beissel abstained).
• Certified survey map for Mark Kelly, 630 S. Maple St., to provide more acreage to the lot by adjusting the lot line.
• Certified survey map for Jason Heiss, 205 S. Utility St., to subdivide the existing 3.06-acre lot currently used for Transport Service, resulting in two lots. The lot at 207 S. Utility St. will be sold.
• Variance and certified survey map for Chris Beckler, W6888 490^th, Town of Ellsworth. Beckler owns 32 acres in the Extraterritorial Zone. He plans to split the property into one 8-acre lot and one 16-acre lot.
• Site plan review for a one-story, 2,400-square-foot garage at 163 County Road C for Xcel Energy. The building will be used for staff and equipment storage for repairs and service in the area.
• An agreement with Cedar Corporation for up to $5,000 to update the existing concept plans and cost estimates for East End utility and street improvements.
• Two residents spoke during public comment about their wishes to suspend winter parking rules this season and asked the village to consider amending the ordinance or doing away with it. Another resident expressed concerns about the junior high demolition noise and hours of operation.
• Beissel and other area leaders will travel to Madison Feb. 21 for the Greater St. Croix Valley Legislative Day, where they will speak to representatives about affordable housing and childcare needs, workforce recruitment and retention, broadband, mental health care and tourism.