Proposed well: Nicolet College administration hears from Pelican residents

Residents of the town of Pelican had the opportunity on May 20 to let administrative staff and members of the Nicolet College board of trustees know how they feel about a proposed well the city of Rhinelander would like to install on college property which is in the town of Pelican. 

It was the second public meeting on the matter in a week; on May 12, the city held a public information meeting at the college. 

Nicolet College president Kate Ferrel addresses an audience of nearly 60 people, most of them residents of the town of Pelican, during a meeting at the college on Tuesday, May 20.
(Photo by Brian Jopek/Lakeland Times)

At Tuesday’s meeting in the college’s Northwoods building, many of the same people who attended the May 12 meeting — and two prior Pelican town board meetings regarding the matter — were in attendance with several of the same concerns expressed. 

Among those concerns: the unknowns regarding the impact such a well, the third in the area, would have on lakes, wetlands and private water wells in the town of Pelican; what the Pelican residents have heard about not just one well but the potential for others; what Nicolet College was getting in return for having the testing done and the installation of a new well; the expense people would face in the event they would have to have new, private wells constructed should their current well dry up and an item that has come up frequently since an April 23 meeting of the Pelican town board: transparency from the college and the city of Rhinelander. 

At that April 23 town board meeting, one item that was frequently mentioned by town officials and residents was how they didn’t know anything about any negotiations between the city of Rhinelander and Nicolet College about installing a new well on college property until they saw an article in a newspaper about the Rhinelander city council approving a contract with Town & Country Engineering in late March. 

The firm’s staff will be tasked with designing a new well to be constructed where recent testing has been conducted. 

Rhinelander city officials as well as Nicolet College administration have since said at this time, even though there have been discussions, there has been no deal made between the two entities regarding the installation of a new municipal water well on college property. 

That was asserted once again at Tuesday’s meeting, which was nearly 90 minutes long.

Some feedback

During her opening remarks, college president Kate Ferrel said she was “grateful for the passion and the energy that you guys bring forward.”

She referred to comments college board member Bob Martini, a 29-year veteran of service on the board, made earlier about “the level of responsibility, around sustainability and our ecological sensibilities that run through us here at Nicolet College.”

Retiring from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) after 32 years, Martini has said he worked on water quality issues for the agency before retiring.

While no longer with the DNR, he’s been the only person who’s spoken publicly at both Tuesday’s meeting as well as the May 12 public information meeting who could give any insight as to DNR policy and procedure.  

Ferrel said the college finds itself in “a very strange position where we see our neighbors at the city needing to have some assistance and help.”

“In our opinion, we thought perhaps we could help be a solution to a problem,” she said. “So, we embarked upon the investigatory phase of test wells. That’s where it all began and fast forward to about a year later, we’re here today hearing what a decision like that, what that impact might be on people that are really supportive of us, really exceptional neighbors. So, we really are truly grateful that all of you are hear today and willing to share in your research and your opinions as well so that we can go forward and make the absolute best decision possible for our communities.”

Ferrel then mentioned what she said she didn’t “want to call misinformation.”

“At this point, we have not, indeed, entered into an agreement with the city for either a lease or the sale of land,” she said. “I know we’ve gotten some feedback so I want to confirm we are not at that phase at this stage in the game.”

Ferrel also said the college was “doing our due diligence” and collecting its own research “so that leadership and our own board of trustees can make the best decision possible.”

She said the college has hired a Washington, D.C.-based firm, S.S. Papadopulos and Associates. 

The firm’s chief hydrologist, Dr. Christian Langevin, will be doing hydrology studies for the college. 

“Our corporate counsel connected us to those folks,” Ferrel said and she added the college was waiting for Langevin’s report that will include his study of a DNR report regarding its findings for water sources in the area as well as a report that was put together for the city by staff at MSA Professional Services.

“If we do our due diligence as well, we’ve got that independent research done by someone who’s very heavily pedigreed in this field,” Ferrel said. “So, that’s where we sit today.”

The utmost trust

Over the next hour, people shared concerns, touching on the transparency issue more than once, something college officials said they could help address by including people on email lists. 

Toward the end of the session, Rhinelander fire chief Brian Tonnancour, who attended the meeting with city administrator Patrick Reagan, addressed the audience. 

Tonnancour said as a resident of the town of Pelican, he understood many of the concerns people had about the proposed well. 

“I understand people don’t have the utmost trust of the city,” he said. “I can tell you I’ve been a part of quite a few of the conversations and nothing nefarious is going on.”

There has been, Tonnancouer said, one test. 

“No one is going to ack to act on one test on any well,” he said. “Ever. That’s why there hasn’t been a whole lot of information because there is no information to flow out there.”

Tonnancouer said the city at this point doesn’t know if there is the “quality or quantity” of water needed. 

“We don’t even know if it’s viable up here yet,” he said. “There’s a public safety issue here as well. As you can see when you drive in here, the college ... has hydrants out here. Your township fire departments all use those hydrants for fire protection and fire suppression needs. That’s all fed by the city. A stronger city equals a stronger community, stronger townships.”

Mitigation plans?

Pelican town chairman Nick Scholtes in his comments he repeated later in the public comment portion of the college’s board of trustees meeting, said “the biggest thing we have been talking about” through the whole process has to do with “what’s going to happen to residents that are effected by this?”

“What mitigation plans are in place?” he asked. “There had to be mitigation plans ... even if we’re not that far into the process, there should be a process on the city’s part to have something in place that they have a basis to start off from. You can’t do that many wells and gone through the process that many times and not take and have something to bring forward.”

Noting the two functioning city wells already in the town of Pelican, Scholtes said he believes there’s no disputing the city of Rhinelander’s water needs “and that they’re struggling right now.” 

“There’s always talk about being a good neighbor,” he said. “I think Pelican’s been a pretty good neighbor. Two of three existing wells are in the town of Pelican. We all want to see some sort of remedy be found to be able to fit all needs keeping in mind maybe the city could come forward a little sooner than later as to plans to assist the residents should they have any issues with their wells and things of that nature.”

Scholtes referenced the DNR report he’s read through. 

“Everything in there is pointing to there will be some sort of effect on area (water) levels,” he said. “They can’t tell you how much, they’re guessing there’s going to be a one-foot drawdown but again, it’s a guess.”

After the meeting, Scholtes said he believes Nicolet College “put a good foot forward” in the transparency aspect “in giving us an opportunity to let them know where the residents stand and especially the residents that are surrounding Nicolet College.”

“The ones who will see an immediate impact,” he said. 

Scholtes and eight others addressed the college’s board of trustees during the public comment portion of that meeting Tuesday. 

The water well issue wasn’t on the agenda and no decision was made but the town residents who spoke, a couple of them graduates of the college in years past who are now its neighbors, urged the board of trustees to not vote in favor of the well when the matter does come up for a vote. 

Brian Jopek may be reached via email at [email protected].