VILLAGE OF BRUCE
BOARD MEETING MINUTES
July 5th, 2021
Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, a scheduled monthly meeting of the Village Board was held on Monday, July 5th, 2021.
Village President Shane Trott presided and called to order the meeting at the Village Hall facility at 7:00 p.m. Board members present were Mark Zimmer, Jim Johnson, Loren Beebe, Kim Grasley and Galen Brainerd. Jessica Hayes attended also. Rob Grabon was absent.
– PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE –
APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Motion by Brainerd, seconded by Johnson to approve the May 3rd, 2021 Regular Monthly Board Meeting Minutes, carried. Motion by Grasley, seconded by Brainerd to approve the June 7th, 2021 Regular Monthly Board Meeting Minutes, carried.
TREASURER’S REPORT: Motion by Zimmer, seconded by Brainerd to approve the Treasurer’s report as given, carried.
EMPLOYEE’S REPORT: Darlene Wundrow was absent from the meeting. Nothing to report.
PETITIONERS-CITIZEN COMPLAINTS AND REQUESTS:
Friends of the Bruce Area Library – Village Hall Storage Room Use Request: Colleen Wallace and Andy Johnson attended the meeting to ask the Board if the Friends of the Bruce Area Library would be able to lease out one of the storage rooms at the Village Hall for book storage. The room is not utilized by the Village. Motion by Johnson, seconded by Grasley to allow the Friends of the Bruce Area Library to use the storage room at the Village Hall facility starting July, 2021 to January 2023 at no cost, then renewing the lease every year after on January 1st, carried.
Bruce Area Girl Scout Day Camp – Donation Request: A letter was submitted to the Board from Jenniffer Towers requesting a donation for the Girl Scouts annual Day Camp event. Motion by Zimmer, seconded by Brainerd to donate $100.00 to the Bruce Area Girl Scout Day Camp event, carried.
APPLICATIONS:
Building Permits:
Motion by Brainerd, seconded by Grasley to approve an extension on his original building permit #20-03 for Jim Johnson at 619 N. Johnson Street to side his house, carried.
COMMITTEE REPORTS:
Utility:
Discussion and Action Regarding Corrective Work on Village Wells: Larry Gotham of Morgan & Parmley, Ltd. attended the meeting to give the Board an update on the progress of the well rehabilitation project. Work on Well #3 is complete and the Village crew is test pumping and hoping to start flushing the well in the next week. When the pumping and flushing is complete, a final water test will be submitted to determine if the corrective work was a success. A final invoice from CTW was submitted in the amount of $40,177.00. Approval for the project work was approved at the April, 2021 Regular Monthly Board Meeting. The Village was approved for a 75% match grant through USDA-Rural Development for this project. Well #1 Rehabilitation will begin once the testing for Well #3 comes back and the Well can be turned back online. Motion by Brainerd, seconded by Grasley to table the ‘Discussion and Action Regarding Corrective Work on Village Wells’ issue until the August, 2021 Regular Monthly Board Meeting, carried.
PSC-Water Rate Application: A final checklist of questions were reviewed and answered with the PSC via video conference. The Village should be hearing a final determination soon. Motion by Brainerd, seconded by Grasley to table the ‘PSC Water Rate Application’ issue until the August, 2021 Regular Monthly Board Meeting, carried.
Sewer Rate Increase: Nothing new to report this month. Motion by Zimmer, seconded by Johnson to table the ‘Sewer Rate Increase’ item until the August, 2021 Regular Monthly Board Meeting, carried.
Public Works:
Committee Meeting June 23rd, 2021 Report: Trott reported that a committee meeting was held on June 23rd, 2021 to discuss unsightly properties in the Village as well as citizen complaints.
Purchase Property from County – Parcel #106-00081-0000 – 914 N. Main Street: The property located at 914 N. Main Street is in the process of going back to the County for back taxes. There are two parcels associated with the address. The back taxes owed on the property are $2,210.61. Motion by Brainerd, seconded by Johnson to offer the County $1,000.00 for parcel #106-00081-0000 and 106-00082-0000, carried.
North Main Street Reconstruction Project:
-DISCUSSION-
Larry Gotham gave the Board an update on the progress of the North Main Street Reconstruction project. Everything seems to be going great and on schedule. An issue with installation of driveways came up on the East side of 1st Street. The plans show installation of a driveway for the house at the middle of the block to replace the original driveway; there was never a driveway for the house on the north end of the block but one is now being requested. The resident in the middle of the block is requesting a wider driveway and the resident on the north is requesting a new driveway. The additional cost is roughly $2,000.00. The middle driveway would be extended to about 30 ft long parallel to the road and the north driveway constructed to about 24-26 ft wide perpendicular to the road. After much discussion, Motion by Brainerd, seconded by Zimmer to approve going ahead with the residents requests and installing both driveways, carried.
Haas Sons, Inc. – Invoice Payment Approval: Motion by Grasley, seconded by Beebe to approve an invoice in the amount $569,858.16 from Haas Sons, Inc. for contracted work completed thru June 28th, 2021 on the North Main Street Reconstruction Project, carried.
Haas Sons, Inc. – Change Order Request: A change order was submitted to the Board from Haas Sons in the amount of $18,948.00 for three days of additional work that was done for the boring under the railroad tracks for the North Main Street Project. After some discussion, motion by Zimmer, seconded by Johnson to negotiate paying half of the requested amount of the change order to Haas Sons, carried.
Morgan & Parmley, Ltd – Invoice Payment Approval: Motion by Grasley, seconded by Johnson to approve an invoice in the amount of $14,945.63 from Morgan & Parmley, Ltd. for engineering services completed thru June 30th, 2021 on the North Main Street Reconstruction Project, carried.
Public Welfare:
Additional ATV Route Signage Cost: Until we receive actual costs from the Rusk Riders ATV Club, motion by Brainerd, seconded by Grasley to table the ‘Additional ATV Route Signage Cost’ issue until the August, 2021 Regular Monthly Board Meeting, carried.
Administration:
Committee Meeting June 23rd, 2021 Report: A committee meeting was held on June 23rd, 2021 to meet with Public Works Director Darlene Wundrow and discuss her retirement as well as to discuss the employee manual updates. Wundrow has tentatively set her retirement date for October 31st, 2021. Discussion on training of the two current maintenance workers was discussed. Kurt Will has all of his testing completed that is required through the DNR and Casey Gudis needs the wells & distribution tests. The committee also recommends the following:
-Putting an ad out in the local newspaper sometime in the fall of 2021 to fill a laborer position
-Explore putting the Hall Office staff computer program, Workhorse, down at the Village Shop
The employee manual update item was discussed as well. Wundrow mentioned that paternity leave needed to be reviewed and asked if sick time could be used as paternity leave. The committee gave Wundrow the employee manual to go through with the Village Maintenance crew to give any feedback on items they feel need to be revised.
Employee Manual Update: The Village Maintenance crew currently has the manual to review and give any feedback on items they feel need to be revised. Motion by Johnson, seconded by Zimmer to table the ‘Employee Manual Update’ issue until the August, 2021 Regular Monthly Board Meeting, carried.
Finance:
Committee Meeting June 30th, 2021 Report: A committee meeting was held on June 30th, 2021 to discuss Cemetery fees as well as the Park Pavilion rental fees and the designation for all of the Village’s bank accounts. The committee recommends the following to the Board:
Cemetery Fees:
-Increase all resident costs by $50.00
-Increase all non-resident costs by $100.00
-Leave marker fee at $35.00
-Leave deed prep fee at $15.00
-Increase winter rates by $50.00
-Increase hire out rates by $50.00
– All rates from here on out be subject to a 3% increase every year
-Only allow 2 cremains max if a traditional burial is in place
– Allow 3 cremains per lot if no traditional burial is in place
-Allow prior purchased lots be grand fathered in with the old rules
Park Pavilion Rental Fees:
– Charge $50.00 for the rental fee when kitchen access is not needed but offer free garbage
-Charge $75.00 for the rental fee when kitchen access is needed and still offer free garbage
– Charge a $50.00 deposit for all rentals and make non-refundable if anything is damaged or garbage is not dumped
Bank Designation for Village Accounts:
Move all accounts to Chippewa Valley Bank
Bank Designation for Village Accounts: Motion by Grasley, seconded by Brainerd to approve all of the committees recommendations as follows: Cemetery Fees: Increase all resident costs by $50.00, increase all non-resident costs by $100.00, leave marker fee at $35.00, leave deed prep fee at $15.00, increase winter rates by $50.00, increase hire out rates by $50.00, all rates from here on out be subject to a 3% increase every year, only allow 2 cremains max if a traditional burial is in place, allow 3 cremains per lot if no traditional burial is in place, allow prior purchased lots be grand fathered in with the old rules. Park Pavilion Rental Fees: Charge $50.00 for the rental fee when kitchen access is not needed but offer free garbage, charge $75.00 for the rental fee when kitchen access is needed and still offer free garbage, charge a $50.00 deposit for all rentals and make non-refundable if anything is damaged or garbage is not dumped. Bank Designation for Village Accounts: Move all bank accounts at Superior Choice Credit Union to Chippewa Valley Bank, carried.
APPROVAL OF BILLS: Motion by Grasley, seconded by Brainerd to pay vouchers and electronic payments totaling $81493.23, carried.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Cruise Nights-Classic Auto Collision Center has set the calendar for Cruise Night in the parking lot at 705 N. Main Street in Bruce, 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on July 20th & August 17th.
Saturday July 10th from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. will be the annual Open House/Craft/Car Show on Main. Contact Classic Auto Collision Center at 715-868-CARS or classicauto@brucetel.net for more details.
Blue Hills Cruise-In Open House/Car Show Dates: August 7th & October 2nd. Contact L’Cars at bob@lcars.com or Classic Auto at classicauto@brucetel.net for more information.
Bruce Community Farmer’s Market-Friday’s from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., June 4th through October 1st. The market will be located in the Bruce Telephone lot.
Bruce Blue Hills Lions Club ‘Blue Hills Festival’ – Located at the Bruce Park. July 9th, 10th & 11th, 2021
ADJOURNMENT: Motion by Brainerd, seconded by Zimmer to adjourn, carried. Adjournment was at 8:12 p.m.
Jessica Hayes
Clerk/Treasurer