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July 18, 2006 Regular Board Meeting
Regular Town Board Meeting of July 18, 2006 Chairman Jeff Long called the meeting to order at 7:34 p.m. Also present were Supervisors Christgau and Schuenemanmn, Clerk/Treasurer Smith and 17 guests. MOTION/SCHUENEMANN: SECOND/CHRISTGAU: To accept the agenda as posted. MOTION CARRIED. Public Forum: Elector Ken Ehle requested the board put on the August agenda increasing the board members from 3 to 5. Chairman Long said it will be done. The Treasurer’s Report for June, 2006 was reviewed. MOTION/CHRISTGAU: SECOND/SCHUENEMANN: To accept the Treasurer’s Report as presented. MOTION CARRIED. The board reviewed the minutes of the June 20, 2006 meeting. MOTION/SCHUENEMANN: SECOND/LONG: To accept the minutes. MOTION CARRIED. New Business: Bruce Beilfuss, owner of Jolin’s Marine made a request to the board to close Highway K in front of his business on Saturday, September 2, 2006, for two hours for a special event he is having at his establishment. He asked that the traffic be detoured for the two hours to give the event a more festive atmosphere. They will do the labor of barricading and manning them. Chairman Long feels the board must take a closer look for the request because of setting a precedence and must balance this for possible future requests. This would be the first time ever the board is considering allowing closure of a road by a private party. And it being a holiday weekend there is usually heavier traffic. The County Hwy Dept Commissioner has stated the decision would be up the town board. Mr. Beilfuss stated the event will go on even though the road would not be closed and it could create more of a bottleneck than the inconvenience of a detour. Elector Steve Duba suggested the board consider closing half of the street as an option. The board felt more time is needed to investigate the matter. The request will be tabled to old business at the August 15th meeting. Chairman Long thanked Mr. Beilfuss for his attendance and presentation of the request. Fire Chief Dennis Westphal introduced his ambulance replacement committee of Ken Raupach, Rick Walden and Paul Newberg. They have been meeting since February and Ken has been doing a lot of the investigative work on replacing the ambulance. He passed out sheets with the five quotes. The department is recommending the Med-Tec unit for $104,450.00. The trade-in allowance would be $28,000 leaving a balance of $76,450. The department has been saving for the ambulance replacement for and has approximately $70,000 and the department will pay the difference and any additional add-ons. The fund may be up to the $76,450 amount by the time the ambulance arrives, approximately 6-9 months. The department also has the flexibility to sell the ambulance outright up to two weeks before delivery. Chief Westphal wanted to commend the efficiency of the department and the fiscal responsibility and setting good standard over the years in saving for this replacement and would like the blessing of the Town Board to proceed. There would not be any costs to the taxpayers for this purchase. All the quotes have the same chassis of a Ford F450. Lac du Flambeau, HYMC and Vilas County have this unit. MOTION/CHRISTGAU: SECOND/LONG: To approve the fire department to order the Med-Tech Ambulance for $104,450 less trade-in value of $28,000, balance due of $76,450. MOTION CARRIED. Operator License applications for Richard Indermuehle, Amy Wheeler, Mary Rodman, Terri Winter and Thomas Van Steenderen. MOTION/LONG: SECOND/CHRISTGAU: To approve operator licenses. MOTION CARRIED. Chairman Long and Clerk Smith explained the need for the Cooperative Agreement with Vilas County and any Vilas County Municipality Requesting a Resource Sharing Relationship for the Purchase of Handicapped Accessible Voting Equipment. This allows the county to purchase the voting equipment for the town and supplies not to exceed the grant allowance of $6000 (which is the amount allocated to each community by the State of Wisconsin for a handicapped voting machine). MOTION/LONG: SECOND/SCHUENEMANN: To approve this agreement. MOTION CARRIED. Applications for Temporary Picnic Licenses were reviewed for the BJ Historical Society, BJ Lions Club and the BJ Gun Club. MOTION/LONG: SECOND/CHRISTGAU: To approve the applications. MOTION CARRIED. Molly Hegeman presented a list of names for the County M Bike Trail North Committee: Mark Haag, Mike Shober, Pete Rondello, Rich Ackman, Jay Christgau, Cindy Bauer, Sally Hegeman and herself. Alternates: Lisa and Steve Coon, Jackie and George Knowles, Colleen Swanson and Lori Kerecman. She felt since the summer is in full swing and everyone is busy, it may be fall before the committee actually meets. MOTION/LONG: SECOND/CHRISTGAU: To approve the names for the committee and alternates, but not limited to them only. MOTION CARRIED. Elector Wally Krueger on Local Ethics Code: He doesn’t want to criticize the board but recommends the board unilaterally adopt the Wisconsin Statute 19.59. He feels there is a lot of disharmony in the community. The code would then take care of any dirty laundry. He feels he gets excuses not answers. 1. He feels the board does not follow democratic principals of government. A lengthy discussion ensued. 2. Ethics – Mr. Krueger again asked about audits and feels he did not get answers but excuses from Chairman Long and Clerk Smith. A lengthy discussion ensued. Elector Ken Ehle again asked questions and made accusations against the board regarding the audits. A lengthy discussion ensued. Elector Jim Galloway felt that all the accusations in the newspaper ads were proved to false. Supervisor Christgau felt if there were to be a lecture on ethics he would choose to believe those who do not make innueondoes or newspaper ads. He feels it does not need to be fixed and requests that it stops. Elector Ehle asked Chairman Long on specifics of no bid contracts. Chairman Long gave examples of a past purchase of a piece of equipment for the Transfer Site and the Town shop roof repair. Elector Ehle made comment to board at how he feels Chairman Long runs the meetings. He feels Chairman Long needs more decorum at meetings and should stop outbursts. Lengthy discussion ensued. Elector Ehle also questioned board as to why savings account were over $400,000 for several years. Chairman Long answered with information on budgets and designated funds and stated he felt most citizens want this type of budgeting. Elector Galloway stated he felt people were clear at the meetings they were happy with the board. He feels Chairman Long is someone who will listen to you and not just make promises. No action was taken on ethics code at this time. Elector Krueger again asked to the board to consider and unilaterally adopt the WI State Statute 19.59 with a full concensus of the board. Committee Reports: Supervisor Christgau gave an update on the kiddie park. They will be looking for a crane to place the climbing rock as soon as it is shipped to us. Correspondence: Letter from Horton Group on insurance renewal for the town advising us they will be sending the statement of premium shortly. Approval of bills payable in the amount of $80,179.03 were approved. MOTION/SCHUENEMANN: SECOND/CHRISTGAU: To adjourn the meeting at 9:37 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Lois J. Smith Clerk/Treasurer He asked Chairman Long if he disclosed at the annual meeting that the audit was not done? Chairman Long said “No”. Chairman Long feels audits are one additional safeguard of our clerk/treasurer combined position . Mr. Krueger again feels this is an ethical problem. The subject of snowplowing again was discussed and Chairman Long feels if the subject came up at the November Budget Hearing and electors wanted to take and vote and discuss snowplowing, they could do so. They could then vote to put it on the agenda at the annual meeting and ask should the town continue to snowplow?