VILLAGE OF ELLSWORTH BOARD PROCEEDINGS

VILLAGE OF ELLSWORTH, WISCONSIN

BOARD PROCEEDINGS 2/6/2012

Village Pres. Gerald DeWolfe called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. in the Board Room located in Village Hall.

Members present: Trustees Curt Wandmacher; Rick Sweig; Dick Hines; Kenny Manfred; Michael J. Steele, absent Neil Gulbranson

Staff present: Clerk/Treas.; Peggy Nelson, Chief of Police; Greg Place, Public Works Director/Zoning Administrator; Greg Engeset

Others present: Attorney; Robert Loberg, Cedar Corp.; Wendy Sander and Russ Kiviniemi, Ellsworth Community Schools; Barry Cain

Approval of minutes:MSC Steele/Manfred to accept minutes of regular meeting 1/9/12 as submitted. Unanimous.

Approval of bills:MSC Wandmacher/Sweig to approve payment of vouchers submitted for audit to date. Unanimous. #22939-22989, 22991, 23014-23072

General fund - $108,357.90, Water fund - $18,495.60, Sewer fund - $762,119.94

Public comment on non-agenda items: None

Barry Cain - School Step Program:Barry gave an update on the (S.T.E.P.) Senior Tax Exchange Program approved by the School Board in November, noting all local districts offer this program. Program allows senior citizens at least 62 yrs. of age to directly participate in the education of students or operation of the school district. In exchange for work completed senior citizens will receive a specified payment up to the value of their local school property taxes. $20,000 has been allocated for the 2011-12 school year, funds come from the Community Service Fund and are not part of the general budget. Currently they have 18 seniors signed up. Interested seniors can contact the school district office at 715-273-3900.

Greg Johnson - Assisted Living Project update:Greg updated the board on the status of the project looking at a April construction timeframe. An appraisal of the property is in progress for finalizing the financing with a verbal commitment rec'd from the bank, closing will happen 30 days after final approval. They have modified the building plans for Ellsworth to internally revise and improve the building from feedback they have rec'd from the Mahtomedi project, which opened last fall. Discussion held on rebidding of the watermain and turn lane improvements, board agreed with parties involved to wait until fall to rebid which will be after the golfing season with Golf Course Lane being the only access in and out of the golf course. Greg informed the board that they can start building construction in April as planned.

Sesquicentennial (150th)/Cheese Curd Festival celebration:Pres. DeWolfe informed the board that he has appointed a joint committee of the board being the Health, License, Welfare and Parks, Recreation, Development to work with the Cheese Curd Festival Committee and Sesquicentennial (150th) Committee to approve their event layout plan and license for use of the East End Park and surrounding area for June 22-24, 2012. MSC Hines/Manfred to authorize this joint committee to approve plan and Ellsworth Area Chamber of Commerce Temporary Class "B"/"Class B" Retailer's License and Dance License for the event. Unanimous.

Zoning Administrator 2011 Annual Report:

Reviewed report. No new house permits issued. Total Building Permit reported value $3,682,047.76. Remodeling Permits issued by the Village Clerk's Office reported value $682,148.00.

Adopt Ordinance #620 amendment to Section 12.13 (Taxi cabs):

MSC Manfred/Wandmacher to adopt. Unanimous.

Approve moving forward with process to designate TID 4 a donor district to TID 7:MSC Steele/Wandmacher to proceed with the necessary meetings and paperwork to designate TID 4 a donor district to TID 7. Unanimous.

Approve moving forward with process to create TID 10 for Midway Project:MSC Wandmacher/Steele to proceed with the necessary meetings and paperwork to create TID 10. Unanimous.

COMMITTEE REPORTS/RECOMMENDATIONS:

Salary & Labor:

MSC Wandmacher/Sweig to confirm 1/26/12 first full payroll check date for public works employees WRS deduction and credit deduction amount taken on 1/12/12 payroll check due to some of the wages being 2011. Unanimous.

Clerk Nelson has sent a letter to Health Partners requesting retirees be allowed to remain under the Village Plan until they are Medicare eligible.

MSC Wandmacher/Manfred to hire Jordan M. Zimmer, part-time police officer. Unanimous.

Police Union Contract has been finalized and signed for 2012-13.

Clerk Nelson will work on updating the Personnel Handbook And report back to the committee.

MSC Wandmacher/Sweig that the Public Works Department HSA contribution will be handled the same as the rest of the Village employees with Clerk Nelson to update payout procedure in the Personnel Handbook. Unanimous.

Library Board: 1/31/12 Minutes on file in Clerk's Office Board rep. Curt Wandmacher informed the board that Indianhead Federated Library System is requiring the Library do a Long Range Plan, presenting a time-line of the process, board members may be asked to participate in the focus groups.

Finance, Purchasing, Buildings:2/6/12 Trustee Wandmacher - MSC Wandmacher/Manfred to purchase a 2012 Chevrolet Impala from Quinn Motors for $22,709.00. Unanimous.

Police Budget - $17,178 short on 2011 carry over to 2012 Budget for squad car. Budget will be reviewed in 6 months to see status with a budget amendment from undesignated funds to be done at that time if necessary.

Audit expenses will be reviewed when we meet with auditor to review the 2011 Financial Statement with the possibility of putting it out for bids in 2012.

Public Safety: Minutes on file in Clerk's Office. 1/16/12 Ellsworth Fire Services Assoc.

1/17/12 Ellsworth Area Ambulance Service Operating Committee

Reports:

Chief of Police:

Working with Cheese Curd Festival and 150th Committees on parade route and event schedule for June 22-24, 2012.

Public Works Director/Zoning Administrator: submitted a written report -Disposal Plant; RBC shaft broke on 1/10/12, it will be taken out of service so no need to repair, a savings of $40,000. Phase 1 upgrade should be complete 4/15/12, at which time a majority of the new components will be put in use. Upgrade is 85% complete. -Langer Park; tentative date of June 16 set with Lawrence Langer for the park dedication. -Jet Vac truck; pump rebuilt and new check valves installed, cost $2600. Noted that the truck is 28 yrs. old. -TID 8 box culvert project; informed the board that he has recd inquiries if the village is going to install some type of grating on the open area on Morse St. He stated he feels it is a safety issue and grating like what was done in the East End Park would work, done by P.C. Highway Dept. Russ from Cedar Corp. informed the board that fencing would probably be the least cost. Russ to work with Greg. -Insurance Safety concerns; looking at purchasing a new safety platform (OSHA approved) from Farrell Supply for $1940. Need to address traffic exposure and purchase chainsaw safety equipment. -Disposal Plant project safety; Rice Lake Construction Group shut down the project for the week ending 2/11/12 due to violations of company safety policies.

Clerk/Treas.:

-Attending a seminar put on by Ehlers in WI Dells Feb. 16 & 17 on debt refinancing, developer's agreements, economic development and grant/funding sources. -Auditors completed 2011 audit on site work Jan. 30. -Marketing letters sent out from Matchey Marketing with responses coming in. -Working on Post Employment Study update information. - License Committee meeting and Special Board meeting needed to act on a "Class A" license application.

Board will convene into closed session pursuant to: Wis. Stat. § 19.85(1)(e) for the purpose of deliberating or negotiating the purchasing of public properties, the investing of public funds or conducting other specified public business, whenever competitive or bargaining reasons require a closed session and pursuant to Wis. Stat. § 19.85 (1)(g)for the purpose of conferring with legal counsel for the governmental body who is rendering oral or written advice concerning strategy to be adopted by the body with respect to litigation in which it is or is likely to become involved:

Crossing Meadows Business Park

Board will return to open session and take action on the closed session item(s), if required.

7:50 p.m. MSC Hines/Sweig to go into closed session, roll call

Vote taken, unanimous.

8:20 p.m. MSC Hines/Manfred to go back into open session, roll call vote taken, unanimous.

MSC Steele/Hines to set a Health, License, Welfare Committee meeting for 2/27/12, 4:30 p.m. and Special Board meeting for 5:00 p.m. to act on an application for a "Class A" Retailer's License and look to amend the quota on "Class A" License currently 1 per 4000 population. Unanimous.

Adjournment: MSC Manfred/Wandmacher, 8:22 p.m. Unanimous.

Respectfully submitted: Peggy A. Nelson-Clerk

Tags: public notices, general legals