Dane County  
Minutes - Final Unless Amended by  
Committee  
Lakes & Watershed Commission  
Consider:  
Who benefits? Who is burdened?  
Who does not have a voice at the table?  
How can policymakers mitigate unintended consequences?  
Wednesday, August 5, 2026  
5:30 PM  
Hybrid Meeting: Attend in person at 5201 Fen Oak Drive  
Moraine Room; attend virtually via zoom.  
A. Call To Order  
Chair BLAZEWICZ called the meeting to order at 5:32 pm.  
Staff Present: Jeremy Balousek and Amy Piaget  
Others Present: Steve Brooks and Linda Thompson  
8 -  
Present:  
ALAN LEVIN, STEVE GREB, BRETT SCHUMACHER, SHERRIE GRUDER, DAN  
BLAZEWICZ, PATRICK DOWNING, MICHAEL ENGELBERGER and PHIL  
GAEBLER  
2 - DEA LARSEN CONVERSE and RICHELLE ANDRAE  
Excused:  
B. Consideration of Minutes  
Minutes of the July 1, 2026 Lakes & Watershed Commission  
1. 2026  
MIN-152  
Environment and Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee  
Sponsors:  
Attachments: LWC 07-01-26  
A motion was made by LEVIN, seconded by GERUDER, that the minutes from the  
July 1, 2026 Lakes & Watershed Commission meeting be approved. The motion  
carried by a voice vote 8-0.  
C. Fund Transfers  
None  
D. Referrals (Resolutions & Ordinance Amendments)  
None  
E. Items Requiring Committee Action  
None  
F. Presentations  
1. Background and history of the Lakes & Watershed Commission  
BALOUSEK gave a presentation on the history and previous work of the  
commission. The presentation is attached below.  
Background and History of the Lakes & Watershed Commission  
2026  
PRES-108  
Attachments: LWC History  
G. Reports to Committee  
1. 2027 Lakes & Watershed Commission Budget Recommendations  
Draft 2027 Lakes & Watershed Commission Budget Recommendations  
2026  
RPT-164  
Attachments: Draft 2027 LWC Budget Recommendations  
A motion was made by BLAZEWICZ, seconded by GREB, to adopt the Draft 2027  
Lakes and Watersheds Commission Budget Recommendations.  
A motion was made by DOWNING to add a recommendation that the Yahara  
Chain of Lakes be managed at summer minimum levels during the summer  
period.  
DOWNING accepted a friendly amendment to replace the word "managed" with  
"modeled".  
Modified motion to amend: A motion to amend was made by DOWNING to add a  
recommendation that the Yahara Chain of Lakes be modeled at summer  
minimum levels during the summer period.  
Motion to amend failed on a voice vote 2-6.  
A roll call vote was requested.  
In favor: DOWNING and GAEBLER  
Opposed: LEVIN, BLAZEWICZ, ENGELBERGER, GRUDER, GREB, and  
SCHUMACHER  
GREB was excused and left at 6:45 pm.  
Present (7): LEVIN, SCHUMACHER, GRUDER, BLAZEWICZ, DOWNING,  
ENGELBERGER, and GAEBLER  
Excused (3): ANDRAE, LARSON CONVERSE, and GREB  
Original motion by BLAZEWICZ, seconded by GREB, to adopt the Draft 2027 Lakes  
and Watershed Commission Budget Recommendations carried by a voice vote  
7-0.  
2. Chapter 49 Ordinance Amendment update  
PIAGET gave a presentation on the current status and proposed updates to  
Chapter 49. The presentation is attached below.  
Chapter 49 Ordinance Amendment Update  
2026  
RPT-295  
Attachments: Chapter 49, DCCO  
H. Future Meeting Items and Dates  
1. Next Lakes and Watershed Commission meeting tentatively scheduled for September 2,  
2026 starting at 5:30 pm.  
Commission members requested the following items for a future meeting.  
- field trip to see commission related work  
- presentation on the county's erosion control and stormwater management  
program and the fee-in-lieu study  
- presentation and discussion on nitrogen.  
I. Public Comment on Items not on the Agenda  
BOOKS spoke on the community effort to keep Bernie's Beach clean from  
algae and aquatic plants. He requested that the commission ask the county for  
new harvesting equipment that can operate in shallower water than the existing  
equipment.  
THOMPSON stated that she lives on Lake Monona where Buckeye Road ends  
and is dealing with a large accumulation of aquatic plants. She requested that  
the commission ask the county for new harvesting equipment that can operate  
in shallower water than the existing equipment.  
J. Such Other Business as Allowed by Law  
None  
K. Adjourn  
A motion was made by LEVIN, seconded by SCHUMACHER to adjourn. Motion  
carried unanimously.  
Meeting adjourned at 6:54 pm.  
Minutes respectfully submitted by Jeremy Balousek and are subject to action at a  
future meeting.  
Note: If you need an interpreter, translator, materials in alternate formats or other accommodations to  
access this service, activity or program, please call the phone number below—preferably at least three  
business days but no fewer than 24 hours prior to the meeting.  
Nota: Si necesita un intérprete, un traductor o materiales en formatos alternativos o cualquier otra  
adaptación para tener acceso a este servicio, actividad o programa, llame al número de teléfono que  
puede encontrar a continuación — de preferencia con al menos 3 días de anticipación y como mínimo  
24 horas antes del evento en cuestión.  
Sau tseg: Yog koj xav tau ib tug neeg txhais lus, txhais ua ntaub ntawv, cov ntaub ntawv uas nyob rau  
lwm yam kev lawm los sis lwm yam kev pab nkag rau qhov kev pab no, kev ua si los sis kev pab cuam,  
thov hu tus xov tooj rau hauv qab no—xav kom hu li peb hnub ua ntej tuaj tab sis tsis pub tsawg tshaj  
24 xuab moos ua ntej rau lub rooj sib tham no.  
ل
تصا
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أو
 
نشاط
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أو
 
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حصول
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أو
 
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بصيغة
 
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أو
 
شفوية
 
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خ
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برق
.  
Paul Eder or Amy Warner, 608-224-3730 TTY WI RELAY 711