Minutes: February 11, 2009

Village of Plain

Village Board Proceedings of February 11, 2009

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

Others present: Jason Jackson and Erik Henningsgard of General Engineering; 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, February 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 January 14, 2009 Regular Board Meeting. Riek seconded the motion, and it carried unanimously.

Jason Jackson of General Engineering presented LaMasney Construction Company’s pay application number four for the Well House reconstruction and informed the board that retainage was adjusted from 5% down to 1.5%. This does not have to be done until the project is 95% complete and the project is at 92%. The board agreed this retainage should be left at 5% in the interim. Jackson changed the retainage back to 5%, leaving an amount due for this pay application of $29,452.63.

On January 29, 2009 Nick Ruhland and Jackson did a walk through of the Well House and they believed the project to be substantially complete. January 1, 2009 was the expected completion date listed in the contract. There are items on the punch list that need to wait until spring to complete.

Kraemer motioned to pay LaMasney Construction Company in the amount of $29,452.63. The motion was seconded by Meise and it carried unanimously. Kraemer then motioned to approve Change Order number four in the amount of $5,805.24. This was seconded by Neuheisel and it carried unanimously.

Erik Henningsgard of General Engineering presented the final pay application from A-1 Excavating the amount of $10,648.15. This includes a change order totaling $13,321.37. This includes engineering costs of $5,400, fees in lieu of liquidated damages of $9,500 and $1,579.63 added in for the balance on line items. Buchanan motioned to pay A-1 Excavating in the amount of $10,648.15. This was seconded by Liegel and it carried unanimously.

The board then reviewed invoices from General Engineering. The invoices included work done in the Plain Honey Creek Business Park and the final portion of engineering fees for A-1 Excavating’s unsatisfactory work. Liegel motioned to pay General Engineering $21,567.00. This was seconded by Riek and it carried unanimously.

Proposals for TIF project work in the Plain Honey Creek Business Park were discussed next. Josh Straka of Strand Associates was the low bidder. General Engineering needs to forward the topographical survey to the Village for Strand Associates to work with. After a discussion regarding what needs to be done right away to be 90-120 days out from building, President Ellenbolt motioned to approve Strand Associates proposal sections, Floodplain Modeling in the amount of $15,800, Preliminary Site Design for $4,900 and a Grant Application for $3,000, for a total amount of $23,700. This was seconded by Kraemer and it carried unanimously. Straka will need to break down the phases and present at the March meeting.

Public Works Department Report

Nick Ruhland informed the board that the Cedar Street project will be advertising for bids in March. Josh Straka will be at the March meeting. If the 1000 block of Cedar Street is done, a decision needs to be made regarding the huge trees in the terrace. Should they be replaced with smaller trees that won’t damage the curb or sidewalk? Also, should a flume be installed between the Fire Station’s front approach and the street? Straka should be informed of issues in other areas of the Village that needed extra breaker run. Phase one of the stimulus is not available for the Village’s projects, it is only for primary roadways.

After the snow cover disappeared, a water leak was discovered on Oak Street. A section of curb and the terrace has dropped.

Public Works is currently moving into the Well House.

Committee Reports

Water & Sewer  - Liegel

Water Pumpage for January:

Well No. 1:     Offline

            Well No. 2:   2,526,000

Total for January: 2,526,000 gallons, which was 514,000 gallons more than last year.

Two bacteria samples and one well sample was sent to the State Lab.  All samples tested safe.

            Monthly fluoride average: 1.15 p.p.m.

Wastewater Report for January:

            Influent Monthly Average B.O.D.:    141 mg/l

            Effluent Monthly Average B.O.D.:    11        Limit: 15 mg/l

            Influent Monthly Average T.S.S.:      125 mg/l

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

Monthly Average Nitrogen Ammonia: 0.859 mg/l    

Limit: 20.0 mg/l Monthly

            29.0 mg/l Daily

            Total gallons treated: 3,113,000

Police & Golf Course – Meise

Chairman Meise received a letter from President Ellenbolt regarding the selection of the Golf Course Committee. According to the Ordinance, the Men’s League is not responsible for choosing the citizen members. Starting this year, the Village President will select the citizens and the board will approve, but recommendations will be considered. It may be a good idea to have a representative from the Ladies’ League on the Committee.

Bridge #8 was handling the recent high water adequately.

President Ellenbolt asked the Police Committee to call a meeting and bring a recommendation to the board regarding the future of the Police Department.

Parks & Streets– Neuheisel

The Parks Committee needs to meet. One application was received for the Rec Director position.

Finance – Kraemer

No Finance Committee report.

Ordinance & Library Liaison – Riek

The Library Board met.

No Ordinance Committee report.

Building & Swimming Pool – Buchanan

The Building Committee has been trying to meet to resolve some issues.

There is a new law regarding pools. The pool can not open by law until a safety drain has been installed. Nick has been in touch with pool businesses. A determination needs to be made, paperwork approved by the state and the work needs to be completed. It is estimated to cost $2,000-10,000 to complete.

The pool needs to start advertising for staff.

Other Business

Bids were obtained from Service Electric and Berry Electric for entryway and stairway lighting in the Municipal Building. Service Electric submitted a bid for wrap-around fluorescents that are suspended from the ceiling between the girders. Berry Electric submitted a comparable bid and was $419 less. Berry also submitted a bid for a better light. This light does not need to be suspended and it doesn’t yellow like the wrap-around fluorescents. This bid was for $2,877.40. There is money in the budget for this project. The project has to be done because of an election inspection by the state in November. Kraemer motioned to accept the alternate quote for the better lighting in the amount of $2,877.40. This was seconded by Neuheisel and carried unanimously.

Clarifying overtime pay in the employee handbook was to be discussed next. Kraemer had doubt regarding discussing this issue in open session. The Clerk was directed to look into the appropriate session to act on this issue. It will then be added to the March board meeting agenda.

The Village’s auditing firm asked for the board to approve writing off uncollectable personal property tax totaling $109.28. Liegel motioned to approve writing off personal property tax of $109.28. This was seconded by Meise and carried with Riek voting nay.

Next, Neuheisel presented procedures for Committees. Committees need to work together and keep their members informed about what’s going on. The only new procedure would be for the Clerk to send Committee meeting notices to all board members. This would keep the entire board aware of what’s going on in between meetings. There were no objections from the board.

There is a Card Party Group that plays at the American Legion every Wednesday afternoon. They are looking for a new place to play because of a rate increase. The Village shouldn’t compete with local businesses. The board doesn’t want to set a precedent.  

President Ellenbolt informed the board that the Library Board approved bonuses to all their employees from their 2009 budget. Ellenbolt feels with the state of the economy, the Library Board was not using good judgment with this decision. Liegel believes it is bad accounting practices to issue bonuses from a new budget. The Library has exclusive control over their expenditures. However, the Library Board does not have control over what the Village Board allocates to them.

Correspondence  

No Correspondence.

Review and Audit of Invoices:

Buchanan motioned to pay Voucher #10834 payable to Berry Electric in the amount of $1,119.00, Voucher #10843 payable to Fondriest Environmental in the amount of $3,838.08, Voucher #10851 payable to L.W. Allen, Inc. in the amount of $255.81, and Voucher #10872 payable to Service Electric of Reedsburg in the amount of $8,010.00 from the Sewer Parts Replacement Fund.  This was seconded by Liegel, and then carried unanimously.

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

Meise motioned to adjourn to closed session at 9:28 p.m.  This was seconded by Kraemer, and then the motion carried unanimously.

Sheila Tafs

Clerk/Treasurer