Minutes: January 12. 2011

Others present: Ernest Floerke; Mercille Floerke; William Gruber; Sasha Parkevich; Laura Graves of the Home News; Officer Chuck Schreiber; Shawn Murphy, Green TTEC Director; 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, January 10, 2011. Notice was emailed to the Home News and the Baraboo News Republic on the same date.

Meise motioned to approve minutes from the December 8, 2010 Regular Board meeting. Neuheisel seconded. Motion carried.

Agenda Guest

The Planning and Development Commission held a Public Hearing earlier in the evening and recommended to rezone 1020 Liegel Avenue, Lot 2 of Block 4 of The Original Town of Plain owned by Sasha Parkevich from its present classification of Business/Commercial District to Single-Family Residential District. Ellenbolt motioned to approve the rezoning. Neuheisel seconded. Motion carried.

Ernest Floerke was present to complain about equipment on a vacant lot behind his residence, owned by Duane Meise. He claims the lot is in violation of Ordinance 9.09 titled Storage of Junk, Etc., Regulated. Trustee Jewell read the Ordinance. Officer Schreiber stated that the complaint should be turned into the Police Department for investigation. Officer Schreiber will investigate and bring the findings to the board.

Police Department Report

The Plain Police Department Policies are not yet ready for approval. They should be complete shortly.

Green TTEC Director Report

Shawn Murphy, Green TTEC Director, reported activities for Green TTEC and the Honey Creek Business Park. Infrastructure Construction has suspended for the winter. The project is approximately 65-70% complete. It will be completed in the spring. Alliant Energy has completed electrical to the building site. Frontier Communications completed the lowering of the fiber optic cable. Remaining utilities would be installed in the spring.

The Village actions were defended to the EDA in person. The EDA reaffirmed their position on the appearance of a conflict of interest with Meise and Kraemer even though the Village followed procedures legally. In a letter from the EDA dated January 7, 2011 they stated that materials from the Meise contract will be covered until November 24, 2010. Clarification has been requested from the EDA on issues they were unclear on. The EDA has been unresponsive.

Kevin Kraemer and Duane Meise recused themselves and left the room for the next agenda item.

With Trustee Schluter and Trustee Brunson’s absence along with Trustee Kraemer and Trustee Meise’s recusal, there is no quorum. This is for informational purposes only. Murphy laid out options regarding the EDA Determination of the bid awards to Meise Construction, Inc. and Kraemer Brothers, LLC. Some of the options are pending the EDA response to questions posed to them. A special meeting will have to be called next week to decide on which direction to proceed when a quorum is present.

Kraemer and Meise were asked to come back into the room.

Public Works Department Report

Nick Ruhland reported that the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) is considering lowering the amount of fluoride in the drinking water. The reason being that some modern products have fluoride added to them. Children’s teeth are starting to blotch or etch because of having too much fluoride. It is not an issue to scale back.

Committee Reports

Finance – Schluter

No reports

Police & Parks – Meise

The Park Pavilion roof is complete. It looks like asphalt, but it is metal. President Ellenbolt thanked Neuheisel and Meise for their involvement in the project.

Golf, Library & Emergency Government – Neuheisel

The Golf Committee is scheduling a meeting for January 24^th. The mowers need repairs.

Regarding Emergency Government, the fire department recently was called out for a gas leak and had a difficult time finding the house the house number was nonexistent. No Ordinance is known that requires house numbers. The Ordinance Committee will need to review.

The Library received donations. They sold some art for revenue. The Library Board passed their long range plan. The outdoor sign was tabled. The wine and beer event was tabled. The computers need to be upgraded. November’s circulation was up from the previous November. The new system will be going live soon. The Library will close for the change over. A new children’s librarian was hired.

Streets, Utilities & RV Court Commission – Kraemer

Water Pumpage for December:

Well No. 1:   463,000

            Well No. 2:   1,542,000

Total for December: 2,005,000 gallons, which was 94,000 gallons less than last year.

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

            Monthly fluoride average: .95 p.p.m.

Wastewater Report for December:

            Influent Monthly Average B.O.D.:    165 mg/l

            Effluent Monthly Average B.O.D.:    10        Limit: 15 mg/l

            Influent Monthly Average T.S.S.:      233 mg/l

            Effluent Monthly Average T.S.S.:      12        Limit: 20 mg/l

Monthly Average Nitrogen Ammonia: 1.62 mg/l      

Limit: 20.0 mg/l Monthly

                        29.0 mg/l Daily

            Total gallons treated: 2,342,600

Utilities leakage is minimal compared to prior terms. A pump was replaced.

The Streets Committee will meet on January 19^th to discuss the Cedar/Nachreiner project.

Meise would like a letter sent to General Engineering regarding recent findings of lack of pipe bedding near the lift station that was done by A1 Excavating and inspected by General Engineering in 2007. The purpose of this correspondence is to inform the engineering firm of their confirmed error so they can assume that this will affect future work for them in the Village.

Building – Brunson

No report.

Pool & Ordinance – Jewell

The Pool Committee will be co-hosting a Friends of the Park and Pool steering meeting on January 20^th.

Lifeguard help wanted ads will be published at the end of January. A March 26^th summer sign-up has been scheduled, so all lifeguards need to be hired at the March meeting. Jewell is working with Ruhland on getting pool activities ready for the summer season.

Ordinance will meet regarding house numbers and corner lot setbacks.

Development & Planning and Green TTEC – Ellenbolt

A Development and Planning Committee meeting will be held on February 9^th for a variance.

Other Business

Duane Meise purchases the old “Palace” located at 960 Wachter Avenue as a gift to the American Legion. A decision has not been made yet if it will be remodeled back into a restaurant or be used as cold storage with an entrance on Highway 23. Questions arose regarding it being a nontaxable real estate property and being a profitable business. President Ellenbolt stated that he would like to see it back as a restaurant.

A future agenda will call for the naming of two new parks: 1055 Wachter Avenue and the green space in the Honey Creek Business Park. The board was asked to think of names in the interim.

The Village of Plain’s 100th anniversary will be on July 2, 2012. The board agreed that the celebration should be a part of the annual 3-Day Celebration.

Jewell motioned to approve an Operator’s License for Cheryl A. Carpenter. Meise seconded. Motion carried.

Correspondence  

No Correspondence.

Review and Audit of Invoices:

Jewell motioned to pay Voucher #12545 payable to Energenecs, Inc. in the amount of $9,354.41 and Voucher #12559 payable to USA Blue Book in the amount of $262.09 from the Sewer Parts Replacement Fund.  Meise seconded. Motion carried.

A motion to pay the remaining monthly invoices as presented was made by Jewell. Kraemer seconded. Motion carried.

Jewell motioned to adjourn to at 8:33 p.m. Meise seconded. Motion carried.

Sheila Tafs

Clerk/Treasurer