County Board ultimately rejects $15 million for El-Na Farms

KEWAUNEE COUNTY – The County Board began their regular Oct. 20 meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance and a prayer before moving directly into public comment, where two citizens gave their input on a proposed $15 million industrial development revenue bond for El-Na Farms.

Tyler Frye and Debra Noel both urged the board to reject the proposal, citing a January manure discharge, environmental accountability concerns, karst geology, groundwater risks and the proposed 3,000-cow expansion.

Frye cited downstream E. coli testing of 120,000 MPN per 100 milliliters, more than 120 times the state beach-closure standard and nearly 10,000 times the upstream control sample, following what many considered to be a preventable spill in January. While El-Na Farms was in compliance at the time of the manure application, the city had recently sent out a notice recommending farmers avoid such applications due to the incoming heavy rains.

“My question to this board is: Why are we rushing to extend a $15 million county-backed financial conduit to an operation where the state’s accountability process is completely unresolved, and the county’s own penalty amounts are a mere slap on the wrist?” Frye asked.

Following Frye’s comments, fellow Casco citizen Debra Noel shared her thoughts.

“This farm is also located on a karst topography landscape, which has shallow, fractured bedrock with crevices and sinkholes that are not suitable for agriculture. It’s a very vulnerable area and susceptible to contaminating our groundwater and surface waters,” Noel said.

Noel also questioned whether the Town of Lincoln had been notified of the proposal and if building permits had been issued.

The vote ultimately failed by a vote of 8-9, with Aaron Augustian, Nicholas Guilette, Kim Kroll, Robert Obry, Daniel Olson, John Ortlieb, Brian Patrycia and Linda Teske voting yes and Doak Baker, Scott Browne, Lisa Cochart, Scott Jahnke, Joe Lukes, Gerald Paape, Thomas Romdenne, Wedny Shelton and Paul Zeitler voting no.