Linn Sanitary District — Minutes

MEETING MINUTES LINN SANITARY DISTRICT September 10, 2026 5:30 p.m. Linn Town Hall, Zenda Present: Ted Peters, Jim Livingston, Rob Eppley 1. Ted Peters called the September 10, 2026, Linn Sanitary District business meeting to order at 5:40 p.m. 2. No public comments. 3. Motion to approve the August 12, 2026 meeting minutes. R. Eppley/T. Peters. CU. 4. Motion to approve the August 2026 Treasurer’s Report. R. Eppley/T. Peters. CU. 5. Old Business a. Ted has a meeting scheduled with Walworth County on 9/22/26. Holly from GLEA will be there to lead the discussion on the Hillside Creek contamination and planned testing. b. Code enforcement. The latest code enforcement list included external property issues but nothing septic or POWTS system related. c. Ted has had no success asking UWW or other government sources for help in creating a survey. Ted will ask Mark at Baxter & Woodman about creating another online survey. d. After reviewing the proposal from GLEA, the commissioners decided to budget for either option 1 or 2. The proposal is attached to the minutes. Motion to approve the adoption of the Hillside Creek sampling and seasonal plan. T. Peters/J.Livingston. CU. 6. New Business a. Motion to pay the bills as presented totaling $16,872.63. J. Livingston/R. Eppley. CU. b. Motion to accept the financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2025, prepared by Patrick Romemesko. T. Peters/R. Eppley. CU. 7. Discussion concerning the 2027 budget was held. Changes included increasing the GLEA funding by $1,500 to $46,500; adding $12,000 for the Hillside Creek study project; increasing the information and education fund by $4,400 to $9,500 to be able to fund four mailings in 2027. The total budget increases from $65,700 to $83,600. The increase will be offset by a projected carryover of $4,311.36 from 2026 and a draw from reserves of $15,000. Motion to accept the preliminary budget for publishing. T. Peters/J. Livingston. CU. 8. Future agenda items: Budget Hearing, 3, 4, 5.a, 5.b, 5.c, 5.d, 6.a, Budget Adoption. 9. Next meeting date. October 14, 2026. 5:30 p.m. 10. Motion to adjourn. 6:45 p.m. T. Peters/J. Livingston. CU. The Linn Sanitary District will hold the 2027 Budget public hearing on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, at 5:30 pm at the Linn Town Hall, W3728 Franklin Walsh St., Zenda, Wisconsin, 53195 At the District's 2026 October business meeting following the public hearing, the Linn Sanitary District will act on adopting the Linn Sanitary District 2027 Proposed Budget as its 2027 budget. 2025 2026 2026 2026 2027 % Actual YTD 9 mo. Projected Budget Proposed Change EXPENDITURES GLEA 45,000.00 33,750.00 45,000.00 45,000.00 46,500.00 3.33% Accountant 2,097.00 2,065.00 2,065.00 2,200.00 2,200.00 0.00% Salaries 5,596.44 4,197.33 5,596.44 6,000.00 6,000.00 0.00% Attorney 850.00 507.50 3,000.00 3,000.00 3,000.00 0.00% Public Notices 314.84 0.00 0.00 400.00 400.00 0.00% Payroll Taxes 927.20 695.40 927.20 1,000.00 1,000.00 0.00% Office/Misc. 748.59 222.00 1,500.00 1,500.00 1,500.00 0.00% Hillside Project / Well Testing 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 12,000.00 POWTS Inspection Program 0.00 0.00 0.00 1,500.00 1,500.00 0.00% Information and Education 3,245.66 3,672.52 3,300.00 5,100.00 9,500.00 86.27% Total 58,779.73 45,109.75 61,388.64 65,700.00 83,600.00 27.25% LINN SANITARY DISTRICT 2027 Proposed Budget Hillside Creek: Sampling Options & Seasonal Plan September 2026–June 2027 1. Purpose The purpose of the Hillside Creek investigation is to better identify where E. coli concentrations or indicators of human wastewater consistently increase along the creek, narrow the areas requiring additional investigation, and provide Linn Sanitary District with information that can help guide septicsystem follow-up. The investigation is intended to: • Develop a picture of conditions from upstream to downstream. • Compare dry-weather, rain-influenced, seasonal, and occupancy-related patterns. • Identify repeatable increases between sample locations. • Use more intensive sampling to progressively narrow areas of concern. • Confirm suspected areas through repeat sampling before property-level follow-up. The sampling program is investigatory. Results may help identify reaches where additional investigation is warranted but are not intended, by themselves, to establish responsibility for an individual property. 2. Sample Locations & Sampling Schedule GLEA has already established 16 sample locations in Hillside Creek. For routine E. coli monitoring, sampling would initially focus on approximately those 16 locations that have most consistently produced elevated E. coli results. After they have been sampled consistently for three weeks, GLEA will continue sampling the ones that are testing the highest. If an optical-brightener probe is used, GLEA could conduct a much more detailed survey beginning near the lake and continuing upstream through the accessible creek. Approximately 50 or more readings could be collected during a sampling event, including closely spaced readings and additional measurements immediately upstream and downstream of pipes, culverts, seeps, inflows, or noticeable changes in fluorescence. If Linn Sanitary District would also like GLEA to investigate groundwater, springs, seeps, or other groundwater inputs, those sample locations would be established jointly based on E. coli levels in the creek, proximity to home sites, site conditions, and property access. Period Proposed Frequency Primary Focus Sept.–Oct. Establish spatial patterns; compare dry and rain-influenced Monday & Thursday 2026 conditions; begin narrowing repeatable increases Nov. 2026– Establish winter baseline and evaluate snowmelt/thaw or Twice monthly March 2027 continuing signals April–May Evaluate spring recharge, rainfall, higher flows, and Monday & Thursday 2027 renewed seasonal occupancy Monday & Thursday or Continue intensive sampling or shift to confirmation of June 2027 targeted as warranted priority areas Weather, creek conditions, access, and results from previous sampling events may require adjustments. Each event would document relevant conditions such as recent rainfall, snowmelt, flow conditions, visible discharges, wildlife evidence, and other observations that may help interpret the results. 3. Testing Options GLEA is evaluating three primary tools for the investigation. These could be used individually or in combination. Optical-Brightener Probe In-House E. coli Laboratory E. coli Measures Fluorescence associated with optical E. coli using brighteners found in many household E. coli (MPN/100 mL) laboratory method products Approx. capacity/event Approximately 16 Approximately 16 50+ readings per sample samples samples Result timing Approximately 24 Approximately 28 Immediate hours hours Primary value Dense screening and rapid narrowing Repeated quantitative Repeated quantitative of areas of interest E. coli testing E. coli testing Optical-Brightener Probe An optical-brightener probe measures fluorescence associated with compounds used in many laundry detergents and related household products. In a septic-source investigation, elevated fluorescence may help identify portions of the creek influenced by household wastewater. Its primary advantage is the ability to collect many closely spaced readings during a single creek walk without paying a laboratory charge for every location. If fluorescence begins increasing within a particular reach, GLEA could immediately collect additional readings upstream and downstream to better define where the change occurs. The probe does not measure E. coli and is not specific enough to independently identify a failing septic system. For that reason, repeatable fluorescence increases should be paired with E. coli sampling periodically to show proof of elevated E. coli levels. In-House E. coli Testing GLEA could conduct quantitative E. coli testing in-house using a defined-substrate method such as Colilert-18 with Quanti-Tray/2000. The primary advantage is the ability to conduct repeated batches of approximately 16 samples without paying an outside laboratory fee for every sample. Results would generally be available within approximately 24–28 hours, allowing sampling locations to be adjusted relatively quickly as patterns develop. This option requires an initial investment in testing equipment as well as ongoing reagent, tray, qualitycontrol, staff, and maintenance costs. GLEA-produced results may also not provide the same independent or certified- laboratory documentation that Linn may want for certain follow-up decisions. External Laboratory E. coli Testing GLEA could continue collecting E. coli samples and submitting them to a qualified laboratory. This provides independent analytical results and avoids the need for GLEA to purchase and maintain E. coli testing equipment. However, it has the highest recurring per-sample cost and provides less flexibility for intensive or rapidly changing sample-location strategies. 4. Potential Combined Approach The three options are not mutually exclusive. A combined approach could provide the greatest ability to narrow potential sources while controlling long-term analytical costs. E. coli samples alongside probe readings to determine whether areas with elevated optical-brightener readings also show elevated E. coli levels. This would help confirm whether the fluorescence is consistent with wastewater influence and provide additional support for identifying areas that may warrant further investigation. If both E. coli and optical-brightener results repeatedly increase within the same portion of the creek, that area could be prioritized for Linn Sanitary District's additional investigation and, where appropriate, more source- specific testing. A single elevated result would not be used to draw a conclusion. GLEA would look for repeatable patterns across multiple sampling events and conditions before recommending additional follow-up. 5. Planning Quantities If routine E. coli sampling includes approximately 16 samples per event, the following represents the maximum planning quantity under the proposed schedule: Period Approx. Events Samples/Event Maximum Samples Sept.–Oct. 2026 — once weekly 9 16 144 Nov. 2026–March 2027 — twice monthly 10 16 160 April–May 2027 — once weekly 9 16 144 Total through May 28 16 448 June 2027 — once weekly 4 16 64 Potential total through June 32 16 512 These are maximum planning quantities. Actual sample numbers may be lower depending on weather, frozen or dry creek conditions, holidays, access, and results that support shifting from broad monitoring to more targeted investigation. If cost limits the amount of routine E. coli sampling Linn Sanitary District can support, GLEA could reduce the sampling frequency while continuing to monitor the same 16 sample locations. Under this reduced schedule, sampling would occur twice monthly in September and October, once monthly from November through March, and twice monthly from April through June. Period Sampling Frequency Approx. Events Samples/Event Maximum Samples Sept.–Oct. 2026 Twice monthly 4 16 64 Nov. 2026–March 2027 Once monthly 5 16 80 April–May 2027 Twice monthly 4 16 64 Total through May 13 16 208 June 2027 Twice monthly 2 16 32 Potential total through June 15 16 240 This reduced schedule would lower the potential number of routine E. coli samples from 512 to 240 samples through June, while still providing sampling across fall, winter, spring, and early summer conditions. Optical-brightener readings would not be limited to 16 locations per event and could be collected much more densely where conditions warrant. 6. Preliminary Cost Comparison Final costs will depend on the testing approach selected by Linn Sanitary District. 7. Decisions Before Sampling Begins GLEA and Linn Sanitary District should confirm the following before launching the expanded investigation: 1. Testing approach: Optical-brightener screening, in-house E. coli testing, laboratory E. coli testing, or a combination. 2. Sample locations: Complete a review of the map or do a joint creek walk and confirm the initial routine sample locations and areas where closer investigation may be warranted. 3. Groundwater investigation: Determine whether springs, seeps, groundwater inputs, or other potential pathways should be included. As well as identify any property-access needs and locations that may present seasonal or winter-access limitations. 4. Review points: Review results after October 2026 and again after March 2027 to determine whether sampling locations, frequency, or testing methods should be modified. The overall goal is to use repeated sampling to progressively move from identifying a broad area of elevated results to narrowing the portion of Hillside Creek where additional sanitary-system investigation is most warranted. Cost Category Optical-Brightener Probe In-House E. coli Laboratory E. coli Initial equipment $5,400 $13,000 $0 Consumables/testing cost $47/sample Additional Testing $1,500 (lab E. coli) Estimated Sept.–June cost $6,900 $13,000 $24,064 GLEA help with equipment +$2,000 +$2,000 Total Cost $4,400 $11,000 $24,064 If half the amount of sampling $11,280 If GLEA Board wants staff time covered $2,800 $4,200 $3,360/$1,440