Minutes: March 11, 2009

Village of Plain

Village Board Proceedings of March 11, 2009

The Regular Monthly meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Village of Plain was held at the Municipal Building on March 11, 2009.  The following members were present: Raymond Ellenbolt, President; David Buchanan; Kevin Kraemer; James Liegel; Duane Meise; and, Robert Neuheisel, Trustees. Trustee Merry Lynn Riek was absent.

Others present: Erik Henningsgard of General Engineering; Josh Straka of Strand Associates, Inc.; Chris Raught; Robert Schweiss; William Gruber; Ron Ruhland; Gary Ilminen of the Home News; and, Nick Ruhland, Public Works Director.

Notice of this meeting, along with the agenda, was posted at the following locations in the Village of Plain: the Municipal Building; the Plain Post Office; and, The Peoples Community Bank on Monday, March 9, 2009.  Notice was emailed to the Home News and the Baraboo News Republic on the same date.

The meeting was called to order by President Ellenbolt at 7:30 p.m.

Meise motioned to approve the minutes of the February 11, 2009 Regular Board Meeting. Trustee Liegel recommended that Committee meeting notices be emailed instead of mailed since all Trustees are receiving all notices. Trustees were reminded that if they are not a part of the Committee that is holding the meeting, they are not required to attend. President Ellenbolt had been confronted regarding Library bonuses. He wanted to clarify that the library employees were probably deserving of bonuses. It just wasn’t a good time to issue bonuses considering the state of the economy. Buchanan seconded the motion, and it carried unanimously.

Ron Ruhland was in attendance to confront the board regarding the Biggers home not being completed. Buchanan explained that his building permit did expire. He received a warning and then a fine. He has applied and has been notified for a new permit to complete this year. The board has done as much as they can legally do at this point. Buchanan will check to see if anything else can be done.

Chris Raught and Robert Schweiss confronted the board regarding the Village President selecting the Golf Course Committee citizen members, with board approval, versus the Men’s League. The Men’s League has made these appointments for years. There is nothing in the Ordinance authorizing the Men’s League to choose these members. All Committees are selected by the Village President and approved by the board. The board agreed that the Ladies’ League should be represented as well as the Men’s League. It is not intended to replace the current four individuals with three new individuals. The three individuals from the Men’s League can be existing citizen members or not. The Men’s League can still recommend the three male individuals.

The Town of Franklin has not picked up a check that was written in October. A Hold Harmless agreement needed to be signed before the check will be handed over. The Chairman did not realize that it was not picked up. A deadline has been set of March 20, 2009 for it to be picked up.

The recommendation from the Planning and Development Commission was to approve the variance request of David Pronold for a proposed Certified Survey Map dividing Parcel #171-0225-00000 from one parcel to three parcels. Trustee Buchanan motioned to accept the recommendation to approve the variance request and this was seconded by Neuheisel. The motion carried with Meise voting nay.

Erik Henningsgard of General Engineering presented LaMasney Construction Company’s pay application number five for the Well House reconstruction in the amount of $12,529.55. This would leave a remaining balance of $23,755.39 with a 5% retainage. Liegel motioned to pay LaMasney Construction Company in the amount of $12,529.55. The motion was seconded by Buchanan and it carried unanimously.

A Substantial Completion form dated January 29, 2009 was presented. Warranty would start on that day for all completed items. Neuheisel motioned to approve substantial completion. This was seconded by Buchanan and carried unanimously.

Josh Straka of Strand Associates addressed the board next. Cedar Street was discussed first. Designs are complete for the 900 block of Nachreiner Avenue to the park. The board will not be bidding the 1000 and 1100 blocks of Cedar Street at this time. Cedar Street from Wachter Avenue to the park will be bid with an alternate of the 900 block 900 block of Nachreiner Avenue to the St. Luke’s Avenue intersection.

The width of the street will not be changed despite the current narrowness of the street. The existing material from the trench will not be reusable as fill because of the wetness. Granular needs to be used as fill. The asphalt will be 3 ½ inches on top of 12 inches of base coarse, 12 inches of breaker run and then fabric.

The dredging project will be bid the same day. Accumulated sediment will be taken out from CTH B to the branch of Honey Creek. It is maintaining the already dredged channel. The channel will be six feet wide with sloping the banks and two feet deeper. Erosion control also needs to be attended to.  The contractor will have from May 2009 to May 2010 to execute the project with a 45 day timeframe to complete the work once it is started. The project cost is estimated at $75,000-85,000. Placement of excess earth needs to be determined. Easement sign-offs are being obtained.

The intention with the Plain Honey Creek Business Park is to bring it to a point of 90-120 days out from construction. A flood plain study needs to be conducted.  Once the flood plain line is established, all land north of that line is buildable. A DOT access permit needs to be approved. A WDNR Chapter 30 permit and an NOI permit is also needed. This process could be done by the end of May.

Additional work needs to be done to get 90-120 days out that was not approved last month. A design of the proposed street and utility improvements should be completed. Further survey information needs to be obtained. The topographical survey conducted by General Engineering does not include the creek and south of the creek. Buchanan motioned for Strand to design the street and the additional survey work to the south. Liegel seconded the motion and it carried unanimously.

Public Works Department Report

No Public Works report.

Committee Reports

Water & Sewer - Liegel

Water Pumpage for February:

Well No. 1:      173,000

            Well No. 2:   2,029,000

Total for February: 2,202,000 gallons, which was 23,000 gallons less than last year.

Two bacteria samples were sent to the State Lab.  Both samples tested safe.

            Monthly fluoride average: 1.13 p.p.m.

Wastewater Report for February:

            Influent Monthly Average B.O.D.:    140 mg/l

            Effluent Monthly Average B.O.D.:    14        Limit: 15 mg/l

            Influent Monthly Average T.S.S.:      162 mg/l

            Effluent Monthly Average T.S.S.:      11        Limit: 20 mg/l

Monthly Average Nitrogen Ammonia: 1.03 mg/l      

Limit: 20.0 mg/l Monthly

            29.0 mg/l Daily

            Total gallons treated: 3,085,600

The WWTP purchased two 3” Briggs and Stratton pumps at cost. Hoses still need to be purchased for the units. The DOT would like to put a GPS monument between CTH B and the WWTP. They would pay for Internet at the WWTP if they did this.

Police & Golf Course – Meise

The Golf Course has marketing brochures printed and are ready for distribution.

The Police Committee met and are weighing the pros and cons between a Chief of Police versus an Officer in Charge.

Parks & Streets – Neuheisel

The Parks Committee has hired Nicole Ring for the summer Rec Program Director. The co-ed teams will be playing again this year for the same fee. Kraemer Brothers will be donating drainage work, straighten the back stop and third base foul line fence. The Kraemer Company will also be involved. The Park Master Plan is on hold with the current economy. A date will be set up with the pool for the summer sign up day.

A storm sewer on Highway 23 by the Maple Street intersection needs to be replaced or lined.

Finance – Kraemer

The Village funds that were deposited at the Local Government Investment Pool have recently become uninsured. Those funds have been moved to The Peoples Community Bank into the CDARS program so all of the Villages funds are insured by the FDIC. The rate of return is also better.

Ordinance & Library Liaison – Riek

No Library Board report.

No Ordinance Committee report.

Building & Swimming Pool – Buchanan

Pool applications are being received. The Committee will be meeting to review.

The Building Committee sent a letter to a resident for a building code violation of having a wood burning furnace in a garage.

Other Business

A bid from PD Locksmith was discussed. Locks will have new pinnings and keys. The Fire Department’s share is 353.87. The water and sewer buildings will cost $658.58. The General Fund will pay $348.17 for the Village’s share of the Municipal Building and the Pool. The purpose is for security and to minimize the number of keys. Buchanan motioned to approve the bid of $1,006.75. Meise seconded the motion and it carried unanimously.

Clarifying overtime pay in the employee handbook was to be discussed next. Kraemer motioned to add “Overtime is paid when the hours actually worked exceed 40 hours in one week. Periods of absence, which include holiday and PTO time, are not considered hours actually worked when computing overtime hours.” This was seconded by Liegel and carried unanimously.

Trustee Buchanan expressed concern regarding the management of the Plain Honey Creek Business Park. Considering the land is public, the management needs to be the Village Board and the Development & Planning Commission. Private citizens have no accountability. President Ellenbolt stated that he would like himself, the Village Clerk/Treasurer, a banker and a construction representative to be part of the Committee. Karna Hanna had suggested that it should be done on a case by case basis. Kraemer believes the Village President should decide who that should be. Liegel believes people meeting potential buyers should be consistent. The Village Board is constantly turning over. By using the same people, they will know what is customary.

Meise believes a precedent was set by approving the land division earlier in the evening. He personally has a lot that he would like to divide and expects the same treatment.

Buchanan reminded the board that Assessor proposals should be solicited.

Correspondence  

No Correspondence.

Review and Audit of Invoices:

Liegel motioned to pay Voucher #10909 payable to EMS Industrial, Inc. in the amount of $330.03, Voucher #10910 payable to Energenecs, Inc. in the amount of $1,089.54, Voucher #10919 payable to L.W. Allen, Inc. in the amount of $211.37, and Voucher #10924 payable to Nachreiner Plumbing in the amount of $140.00 from the Sewer Parts Replacement Fund.  This was seconded by Buchanan, and then carried unanimously.

A motion to pay the monthly invoices as presented was made by Buchanan. Kraemer seconded, and the motion carried unanimously.

Meise motioned to adjourn at 10:17 p.m.  This was seconded by Neuheisel, and then the motion carried unanimously.

Sheila Tafs

Clerk/Treasurer