St. Croix County Board authorizes DNR stewardship grant application for Homestead Park
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By LeAnn R. Ralph
HUDSON — The St. Croix County Board has authorized the community development director to apply for a $286,000 stewardship grant from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources for Homestead Park.
St. Croix County has been pursuing a DNR stewardship grant for the past few years for Homestead Park, said Jason Kjeseth, director of community development, at the St. Croix County Board’s April 1 meeting.
The DNR stewardship grant is a 50-50 matching grant, which would require the county to contribute $143,000 toward the project of replacing two existing portable bathrooms at the Homestead Part beach area on Perch Lake, Kjeseth said.
The permanent facilities would include showers, changing rooms and American with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant restrooms, according to the resolution approved by the county board.
If the grant is awarded, the matching funds of $143,000 would come from the park operating fund or the county’s fund balance, and the project would be completed in 2026 or 2027, Kjeseth said.
The resolution notes that the permanent structures also would serve as storm shelters during inclement weather since the beach area is located far from the park entrance building and other covered facilities.
Paul Berning, county board supervisor, asked if the restroom facilities improvements would offset maintenance costs.
The two portable bathrooms must be pumped out a couple of times per week, and the satellite toilets also must be pumped out frequently, Kjeseth said, noting that the goal would be to reduce pumping costs to one time per year.
According to St. Croix County’s website, Homestead Parklands is nine miles north of Hudson and five miles south of Somerset.
The park is located along the northern half of Perch Lake, which has depths reaching to 90 feet.
Homestead Parklands has a fishing pier, picnic shelters, playground, swimming beach, hiking trails, scuba diving and watercraft rentals, such as canoes, paddleboats, kayaks and paddleboards.
Winter activities include ice fishing, sledding, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing on trails that are not groomed.
The St. Croix County Board unanimously approved the resolution on a vote of 17 to 0 supporting the 2025 Wisconsin DNR stewardship grant application for the Homestead Park shower and restroom facilities.
County board supervisors Paul Adams and Dave Ostness were absent from the meeting.
Trail improvements
In additional business, the St. Croix County Board approved a resolution supporting the 2025 Wisconsin DNR Recreational Trails Program grant application for Orf Family Overlook Trail improvements.
The grant money comes through the DNR but it is federal money, so it is not known now if the money will be available for the grant, Kjeseth said.
The trails program grant is an 80/20 split, so for a total grant amount of $96,00, St. Croix County would pay $19,200, he said.
The trails are mown grass, so the improvements would include resurfacing, Kjeseth said.
Other business
In other business, the St. Croix County Board:
• Approved a resolution supporting grant applications for the Snowmobile Trail Aids Program for 2026, 2027, 2028 and 2029. St. Croix County is a pass-through for the funds that go to the snowmobile club for trail improvements, Kjeseth said, noting that St. Croix County receives between $70,000 and $75,000 per year in snowmobile trail aids.
• Approved an ordinance amending Chapter 1, citations and general provisions, of the St. Croix County code of ordinances. The ordinance is part of a continuing series of amendments to clean up the ordinances and make them uniform, Berning said.
• Approved an amended vehicle usage policy for St. Croix County employees. Personal use of county vehicles is generally prohibited, except in certain circumstances where county employees must take a vehicle home. Since the employee is using the county vehicle to commute to work, the Internal Revenue Service considers that to be a fringe benefit that must be reported as taxable. The amended policy also adds “vaping” as a prohibited activity in county vehicles.
