Land Management moves to former office

Rock County Land Management (LMO) will move its offices to an area that’s familiar for its office personnel.
At their Tuesday, June 16, meeting, County Board members approved moving LMO operations to space within the Rock County Ag Service Center at 311 W. Gabrielson Road.
According to board discussion, the move was prompted by a need for more office space, privacy and a new lease offer from the building’s owners.
“It’s a hard space to rent,” said Kellee Valnes, who attended the meeting with her father, Don Walgrave. “This makes it nicer for you and nicer for us.”
The new 10-year lease agreement begins Aug. 1.
Valnes and Walgrave agreed to a five-year lease at $10 per square foot for the 2,850-square-foot office area. After five years the lease will undergo an inflation increase for the remainder of the lease
The lease is contingent upon the Farm Service Agency staying in its current office space within the same building.
The LMO used to be located in the rear office area but moved to the smaller office area in the building’s front about 10 years.
Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will still have its offices in front.
When LMO moved to the front, Rock County Opportunities was located in the building’s rear office until five years ago, when it moved to its new facility on West Main Street. The rear office area has been empty since then.
Once the LMO is moved, the former front office space will be leased.
Returning to the rear of the building gains LMO additional office space, a meeting/lunch room and two reception areas. Among the office space are five private offices.
LMO Director Eric Hartman said the current office space lacks privacy for discussions with landowners and/or producers and, if additional staff is necessary, no office space is currently available.
Hartman said he is anticipating at least one full-time position will be needed immediately in the office based on upcoming projects.
“Just the buffer work alone is going to increase our workload,” he said.
The recently completed special session of the state’s legislators passed more funding for local SWCDs to help landowners meet the state’s 50-foot vegetative buffer mandate along perennial streams in the next two years.
Hartman estimated 894 out of the county’s 8,708 would be impacted by the buffer strip requirement. In order to comply with the mandate, landowners would meet and work individually with LMO personnel.
While exact funding increases are yet to be determined, Hartman said the LMO would be administrating two additional state programs that may also require additional staff.
Rock County received a $2.4 million flood relief grant that includes the construction of waterways, terraces and sediment basins along with the promotion and implementation of conservation practices.
The LMO is also partnering with the state Department of Agriculture for phase II implementation of the Rock River Terrain Analysis Project.
The project addresses locations within the Rock River Watershed with high-erosion potential by working with landowners and producers on possible solutions.