1000 Islands Environmental Center Committee

1000 ISLANDS ENVIRONMENTAL CENTER 1000 ISLANDS COMMITTEE City of Kaukauna Nature Center Building 1000 Beaulieu Court, Kaukauna Thursday, August 21, 2025, at 6:30 PM MINUTES Members Present White, Breitzman, Eggleston, Jakel, Manion, Pautz, West, and VanBerkel Not Present Rumbuc and Hietpas Also Present Brad Garrity, Terri Vosters, and Cassie Kohls White called the meeting to order at 6:34 PM. A quorum was present. Public Appearances None July 17, 2025, Committee Meeting Minutes Manion moved to approve the meeting minutes. Motion was seconded by Pautz. Motion carried. July Financial Reports The July 2025 Financial Report was reviewed. Pautz inquired about the timing of the Kaukauna School District’s payment. West indicated it is typically received in October but will confirm the exact timing. The Committee raised a question regarding the balance in the 5499-Miscellaneous account, which showed a July actual amount of $98,684.07. Due to the need for further clarification, the Committee postponed approval of the report. Staff will coordinate with the City of Kaukauna’s Finance Department to better understand the details of this amount and report back at the next meeting. Van Berkel moved to table the discussion until the next meeting, with Manion seconding. Motion carried. Additionally, the Committee reviewed the 1000 Islands Endowment Fund statement from the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region. Van Berkel moved to approve and place the statement on file, seconded by Manion. Motion carried. Donation Report Pautz asked about the intended use for the donated pelts. Garrity explained that the pelts will be used for educational programming rather than display. Some of the pelts currently in the back hallway may be replaced with donations from the Site Manager’s father, and their location may also be reconsidered. West moved to accept and place the Donation Report on file, seconded by Breitzman. Motion carried. Friends of 1000 Islands Report In Hietpas’ absence, Garrity presented the Friends Report. The Friends group met on Monday and discussed the field trip bussing subsidy. Half of the allocated funds have already been used. Garrity noted that schools outside the Kaukauna School District may be considered for the subsidy at the Naturalist’s discretion, using a cost-share model. If a school cancels due to transportation issues, staff may offer the subsidy to help facilitate the trip. The Friends remain committed to bringing students to the Nature Center. The Friends group also gave a verbal commitment to sponsor the National Eagle Center for Eagle Days 2026. Time constraints continue to be a challenge for Friends members. To support outreach efforts, Garrity volunteered to compile the Friends membership list. He will also help relaunch the Cattails Newsletter as a quarterly email publication. After six months, Garrity plans to transition outreach responsibilities back to the Friends group. The overarching goals are to boost engagement, recruit new members, and develop membership incentives. Naturalist’s Report Carol Van Boxtel has authored a new children’s history book, with editing support from Kohls and Garrity. The book is now owned by the Kaukauna Public Library. Pautz is leading a project to install an eagle nest viewing camera, with a target completion date of November. Several details are still being finalized, including camera placement, installation logistics, and establishing Wi-Fi access on the island. The Friends group has expressed interest in sponsoring the camera. The Wisconsin DNR confirmed that no formal approval is required and shared information from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service indicating that no permit is needed for the installation. The American Eagle Foundation noted that while eagle nest cameras exist in western Wisconsin, there are currently none in the eastern part of the state. Ahlstrom Tech Services is being considered as a potential partner to help provide Wi-Fi connectivity to the island. Sadly, Steve Keller has passed away, and his Celebration of Life will be held at the Nature Center. Carl hopes to continue presenting the Steve Keller Snake Show moving forward. Twenty new crayfish nets were purchased; however, there was an overcharge on shipping. A $200 credit was issued due to the overcharge and was used to acquire 10 additional smaller nets, with no shipping cost applied. To prevent loss or misplacement of crayfishing nets, a sign-out procedure has been implemented. Staff now collect the name and phone number of individuals borrowing nets, as some had previously been found left along the river. Basic Survival Camp was successful despite air quality. The Nature Center entryway project is scheduled for 2026. The initial design from McMahon will be revisited by both the Building & Grounds and Admin-Finance Sub-Committees. Volunteer engagement has been strong, with two consistent youth volunteers contributing throughout the summer. Additional support came from SOAR Fox Cities and a team of 10 employees from Frito Lay. The Community Foundation recently rented the Nature Center and provided positive feedback regarding both the staff and the facility. Pautz asked about the status of Truck 19. Garrity reported that the brake pads have been replaced, and the caliper still needs to be inspected. There have been reports of a few geese missing feet. Coyotes were spotted on the blacktop trail, though it’s unclear whether they were responsible for the injuries to the geese. Admin and Finance Sub-Committee Garrity noted a correction to the header of the meeting minutes, which should reference the “Admin-Finance Sub-Committee.” Window replacements are scheduled for 2027. Security camera upgrades have been moved up to 2028 in the Capital Improvement Plan. With a quorum of the Admin-Finance Sub-Committee present, members reviewed the meeting minutes from August 14, 2025. Van Berkel moved to approve the minutes with the noted header correction and place them on file, seconded by Pautz. Motion carried. The 1000 Islands Committee also reviewed the Admin-Finance Sub-Committee minutes from August 14, 2025. Jakel moved to approve and place the minutes on file, seconded by Breitzman. Motion carried. Education Sub-Committee No meeting was held, but the committee will meet on September 3, 2025, at 11:30 AM. Building and Grounds Sub-Committee No meeting was held. A property walk will be held on September 10, at 4:30 PM. All are welcome; no need to be a Buildings and Grounds member. Old Business None New Business Ordinance Amendment – Section 1.44: Vosters explained the proposed wording changes to the ordinance. Since 1000 Islands is a City entity, the language was updated to reflect the Committee’s role as advisory in nature. Eggleston pointed out a grammatical correction, noting that all references should read “1000 Islands” rather than “1000 Island.” Eggleston moved to approve the ordinance amendment with the following corrections:  Add an “s” to all singular references of “1000 Island”  Remove the apostrophe “s” after “Committee” in the second paragraph  Eliminate the second instance of the word “creation” in paragraph two Manion seconded the motion. Motion carried. Existing policies will remain in effect until they are revised and formally approved. Good for the Center Intern Maddie’s final day will be August 29, 2025. She will be pursuing a degree in law enforcement at Fox Valley Technical College. Benches have been installed along the boardwalk. Garrity is currently working on creating plaques for each bench and coordinating with the Mayor’s office to schedule a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the boardwalk. Jakel shared that her article about the goats at 1000 Islands was published in Appleton Monthly magazine. The publication is free and available at local grocery stores. Garrity has been invited to speak on the In the Know of 920 podcast in October. The episode will focus on engaging both new and longtime residents. Vosters announced that the Civil War Encampment will take place at Grignon Mansion over the weekend, featuring raffles, tours, and refreshments. Next Committee Meeting The next Committee Meeting will be on Thursday, September 18, 2025, at 6:30 PM in the Nature Center building. Adjournment There being no further business, Pautz moved to adjourn the August 21, 2025, Committee Meeting at 7:31 PM. Seconded by Breitzman. Motion Carried. Cassie Kohls