Town of Whitewater Town Board Meeting Minutes

Wednesday, October 13, 2021

Lowell Hagen called the meeting to order at 7:00 PM.

In attendance: Lowell Hagen, Robert Strand, Norm Prusener, Jorja Boiley.

Norm made a motion to approve the agenda as presented, seconded by Bob.  Motion passed unanimously.

The minutes of the October 6, 2021 special town board meeting were reviewed.  Norm made a motion to accept the minutes as written, seconded by Bob.  The motion passed unanimously.

 

Treasurer report – Jorja read the account balances.  The tax receipts balance: $512,232.82; office equipment: $9,784.84; Truck and equipment: 67,752.59; new buildings and maintenance: 35,167.81. The cash balance in the checking account: 30,955.10. All balances are effective as of 30 September, 2021.

Clerk report: Mary Zordel sent a thank you and appreciation note for the road crew, Carl Ahrens and Tim Ryan, for the efficient and effective work they did clearing branches.

The Town of Bloomfield sent a letter asking if the Township wants to keep a membership in the Town Association of Walworth County Unit Meetings. There is no interest in attending the meetings and Jorja will advise Ms. Domino of the decision.

Norm made a motion to accept the Treasurer’s and Clerk’s report as read, seconded by Bob.  Motion passed unanimously.

There are no Supervisor reports.

 

Sheriff’s Department Incident Report – the township has been quiet with no issues to report. Tim Ryan mentioned the high volume of stolen signage. Most recently, 5 signs were reported missing: “stop ahead”, “curve ahead” and various street name signs. The average cost to replace is about $30.00 per sign.

Dr. Caroline Pate-Hefty, Superintendent WUSD, provide a very positive report on the status for the school district. There are three elementary schools, one middle school and one high school in the district. The students are attending in-person classes with mixed response to the wearing of masks. Of the 100 families who withdrew from the district last year, 80 have returned. The soccer field drainage problem has been repaired.

After a discussion about some processes that were not included in the proposed price, Norm made a motion to agree to the contract presented by Payne & Dolan for the Burr Oak repair project stipulating that any saw cutting or tapering is included in the total price, Bob seconded the motion and the motion carried. Bob Strand shared information that the Payne and Dolan projects already completed this season are billing under the accepted bid.

A request was made to allow a variance for a new deck stairway at N7843 E. Lakeshore Dr. Bob made a motion to approve the variance, seconded by norm and the motion carried.

A request was made to approve a driveway permit on the property located at N7447 Linden Drive. The request is to have the driveway enter the property on Little Acorn Drive. Bob Strand is A request was made to approve a driveway permit on the property located at N7447 Linden Drive. The request is to have the driveway enter the property on Little Acorn Drive. Bob Strand is concerned that the there is no stop sign at the intersection which could cause issues for cars turning onto the street. There is not enough distance from the intersection to where the driveway would be located. Says it is only 150 feet of clearance and it is supposed to be 200. A solution is to install a stop sign at the intersection which would provide the ability to see the driveway prior to making the turn. The board will determine if a stop sign can be placed at that intersection. Bob made a motion to approve the driveway, Norm seconded the motion and the motion carried.

Norm provided an update on the Hill Drive project. He indicates that there are several different County and State groups involved in the approval process. At this time, the project will not begin until Spring, 2022.

John’s Disposal is requesting an increase in their fees. Their contract allows for a 3% annual rate increase. The current contract is effective through 2023. Lowell made a motion to agree to the increase, the motion was seconded by Norm and the motion carried.

Historically, an annual $10,000.00 fund transfer is authorized for Truck and Equipment fund. Norm made a motion to increase this year’s transfer to $20,000.00, the motion was seconded by Bob and the motion carried.

Norm made a motion for the Township to join the Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) effective January 1, 2022, Bob seconded the motion and the motion carried. The application will be sent to WRS by the November 15, 2021 deadline.

Per Wisconsin Statute, municipalities are required to adjust ward boundaries after the decennial federal census is completed. One of the stipulations in the adjustment is that the population in each ward balances between 300 and 1000. The process is results in a different geographical layout for the 3 wards in the Township. A map of the proposed redistricting plan is available for viewing at the Town Hall and will also be added to the town website when it is finalized. Norm made a motion to approve the new redistricting plan as projected, the motion was seconded by Bob and the motion carried. The approval for new ward alignments is subject to change if the County plan and/or the Congressional redistricting plans interfere with the Town’s. Redistricting is mainly used for the voting process.

A brief explanation regarding the resolution for increasing tax levy that will affect the tax bills for the year 2021, payable in the year 2022. While the board cannot increase taxes, they can ask the electors for an increase. The electors would meet for a properly noticed Public Meeting and an Elector’s Meeting at which time the request for an increase is voted with a simple majority either yes or no.  Lowell made a motion to approve a resolution that is requesting a Levy Limit increase in the amount of $150,000.00, Bob seconded the motion and the motion carried.

Public Input:

Gary Benis reported that a large culvert at the Flowing Well is blocked with debris that causes water backing up on to his property. He is asking for help in clearing out the culvert.

Board paid bills.

Norm Prusener made a motion to adjourn at 7:55 PM, seconded by Bob   The motion passed unanimously.

Respectfully submitted by Jorja Boiley, Clerk/Treasurer