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TOWN OF ROCHESTER Link to Town Board Meetings
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Link to Town Board Meetings |
January 9, 2006 REGULAR BOARD MEETING 7:00 p.m.
Meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m. with Gary Beck, Paul Beere and Mike Weinkauf present.
Betty Novy, Clerk-Treasurer; Christopher Birkett, Public Works Supervisor; and John Tierney, Engineer, were also present.
Pledge of Allegiance.
Mike moved, 2nd by Gary to approve minutes of the December 12, 2005 meetings as printed. Motion carried.
Paul moved, 2nd by Mike to approve January disbursements as follows. Motion carried.
Town General Fund Disbursements:
Rochester Sewer Utility District #1 Disbursements:
Treasurer’s Report. Betty read the Treasurer’s report as follows.
A Town General CD for $119,842.50 (N. River Road) is due this month. Consensus was to renew the CD for a term of three or four months at the best rate available. Betty reported tax collections through December 31st of $2,100,000 with $1,800,000 being paid out to taxing jurisdictions. Western Racine County Sewerage District correspondence was reviewed stating some uncertainty of Town of Rochester flows based on a new metering system. Based on comparative figures of costs and unit counts of Town and Village sewer utilities, it was thought the new metering system was most likely more accurate. Gary Beck will attend the next meeting of the sewer district. A replacement schedule of Fire Department trucks was presented. A 1986 Equipment Truck was scheduled for replacement in 2005. Dick Bosworth, Fire Chief, is preparing a specification sheet to be presented at a future joint meeting of municipalities served by the Department. Estimated costs were stated as $200,000.
Paul Beere reported on a meeting of Racine County Town officials to prioritize TRIP-D applications generated throughout the County. The committee chose to prioritize the Town of Burlington’s application for Fish Hatchery Road because of its high traffic volume. Consensus of the Board was to send correspondence to members of the Town’s Association committee that determines which projects are awarded. The Town’s limited budget and imminent need for this project are to be emphasized with correspondence being signed by all Board members.
Sheriff’s Department. Sergeant Kacmarcik reported the following statistics for December: two accidents; four speeding citations, sixteen traffic citations and twenty warnings were issued. Complaint statistics were as follows: twenty-eight complaints originated through calls directly to the Sheriff’s Department; Deputy Prochaska assisted with nine additional complaints, originated fifteen on his own, and performed follow up on one. He reported 15 work days, 127 hours and 1,554 miles driven. Sergeant Kacmarcik noted there will be a different format to 2006 reports due to the shared contract between the Town and Village. Due to previous direction of Town and Village Boards, hours and mileage will not be separated between the two municipalities. Deputy Prochaska presented a map pinpointing traffic accidents throughout the Town in 2005. He noted five traffic fatalities, four of which happened on the stretch of CTH 20 between STH 36 and Sharp Road. Incidents were a combination of driving too fast or impairment. He will continue to track accident locations. House numbers are proving to be a great asset for emergency services. The Honey Lake District is notifying residents of new traffic enforcement procedures and he expects to start utilizing new procedures this Spring.
Public Works Department. Christopher Birkett’s written report was reviewed as follows:
Paul Beere questioned whether Chris had met with Gene Meyer on his drain tile concerns. Chris reported Gene’s concern was on the north side of his driveway and was not tied to the Rock Ridge Subdivsion. After meeting, they agreed trenching did not occur in the area of a tile.
Engineering Report. John Tierney’s written report on projects was reviewed as follows.
A memorandum was reviewed on pump records and magnetic meter readings for the Fox River Prairie Lift Station. Comparisons generally showed magnetic meter readings to be lower than pump readings would suggest. However, John stated a large potential for inaccuracy using this method and proposed a more accurate method. A wet well drawdown technique could be used to measure the actual volume pumped versus magnetic meter readings. Chris Birkett suggested this be performed when the wet well is cleaned in Spring. Consensus of the Board was to hold off until after working out the metering issue with the Sewer District.
Kennel License Application: Michael & Catherine Los, 401 N. River Road
Deputy Prochaska reported no animal complaints on the house or area. Gary moved, 2nd by Mike to approve the Kennel License application for Michael & Catherine Los for six german shepherds. Motion carried.
Resolution #7-2005 updating the Building Inspection Fee and Bond Schedule
Betty reported Jim Deluca, the building inspector, was unable to attend the meeting. Since the last submittal, some standard language was added to clarify first inspection and follow up inspections costs. Bond amounts were also included. Board members requested clarification as to how charges build on each other before taking action. Gary moved, 2nd by Mike to table Resolution #7-2005 until the February meeting. Motion carried.
Land Use Plan Map Amendment Process
Board members discussed legal counsel and Plan Commission minutes on this topic. The Plan Commission recommended a public hearing be held jointly by the Land Use Plan Committee and the Plan Commission and that notification go out to abutting property owners at least fourteen days in advance of the hearing. Board members expressed some concern with this process because the Land Use Plan Committee is a special purpose committee which is active only during periodic review of the Plan.
Legal correspondence referred to State Statutes regulating “master plans”. When amending a master plan, the final decision is made by the Plan Commission. This differs from current procedures where the Plan Commission acts as a recommending body with final decisions made by the Town Board. The Town Board felt this procedure was more appropriate as they are elected, vs. appointed officials, and more accountable to those who elect them.
To be legally binding, the same amendment procedure should be followed for all requests made outside of periodic plan review. A procedure was proposed as follows:
Because of the Land Use Plans “joint” composition, the Board felt each jurisdiction, Town and Village, should be able to amend the map for land under their independent jurisdiction utilizing this same procedure through their own Plan Commissions and Boards. Consensus of the Board was to forward this procedure to the Town Attorney for review and comment.
Engineering Proposal: Lighting of Case Eagle Baseball Diamond
John presented a design engineering proposal stating estimated costs of $20,300 to include structural analysis of poles, including soil borings, fixtures, electrical design, and preparation of bid documents. Paul Beere stated energy efficiency should be a high priority. The Town will end up paying operating costs out of the general fund budget. Consensus of the Board was that fees should be charged to users to help offset these costs. An issue regarding the Racine County lease agreement for the ball diamond area was raised. Board members were unsure of what involvement Racine County might want on the project. Consensus of the Board was to direct correspondence to Racine County Public Works requesting input and whether any funding was available to assist with the project. Total costs were estimated as $20,000 for engineering and $70,000.00 for construction. Existing park impact fee funds and future revenue will most likely meet this within four years.
Engineering Proposal: 2006 Street Projects
John presented an engineering proposal to design and oversee construction of Vergon and Seidel Drive resurfacing projects. Total costs were estimated at $13,500.00, including pavement cores and borings. Paul moved, 2nd by Mike to approve the proposal. Motion carried.
Tri-County Public Health Consortium of SE Wisconsin: Letter of Agreement
Betty explained this is a standard agreement renewed every other year to allow the Western Racine County Health Department to participate in the Tri-County consortium and qualify for federal funding towards emergency preparedness. Paul moved, 2nd by Mike to approve the letter of agreement. Motion carried.
Resolution #1-2006 “Designation of the National Incident Management System (NIMS) as the basis for all incident management in the Town of Rochester”
Betty explained adoption of the National Incident Management System is necessary to qualify for federal emergency funding grants in the future. David Maack, Racine County Emergency Management, specifically requested the Town adopt it. Dick Bosworth, Fire Chief, was consulted and agrees it is in the best interest of the Town to do so. There will be some training requirements in the future which Town representatives will need to attend. Gary moved, 2nd by Mike to approve Resolution #1-2006. Motion carried.
Resolution #2-2006 “Supporting Agreements between the Town of Rochester and the Wisconsin State Elections Board regarding Use of the Statewide Voter Registration System”
Betty reported this resolution is required by the State Elections Board to state the intention of the Town of Rochester to be a “self-provider” in terms of accessing the Statewide Voter Registration System and managing their own information. Mike moved, 2nd by Paul to approve Resolution #2-2006. Motion carried.
Naming of Access Easement off N. Browns Lake Road “Hunters Trail”
Betty reported on the name requested by the owner of the easement, Jay Henrichs. The name “Hunters Trail” was reviewed by Racine County Planning. No conflict was found with other street names in the emergency response system. Gary moved, 2nd by Mike to approve naming the access easement off N. Browns Lake Road “Hunters Trail”. Motion carried.
Annual Salary Review: Christopher Birkett
Betty reported 2006 Budget preparations provided funding for a salary increase. Discussion was held on Chris’s progress in he role of Public Works Supervisor. Board members expressed satisfaction in Chris’s overall performance and his attendance at several educational seminars in the past year. Mike moved, 2nd by Gary to approve an increase in Chris’s hourly rate of $1.00 (to $18.00 an hour). Motion carried.
Application for Operator’s License: Sheena M. Plevak
Betty reported a responsible beverage server’s course completion certificate was submitted. Sheena’s background check found no alcohol related offenses. Mike moved, 2nd by Gary to approve an operator’s license for Sheena Plevak. Motion carried.
PERIOD FOR PUBLIC COMMENT: Pat Hurley questioned where the Town and Village were at in the consolidation process. Gary explained there have been some recent setbacks with legal representation, but resolutions of “intent to participate” in the boundary agreement process will soon be drafted to begin work with the Village of Waterford and other municipalities on boundary agreements.
Jackie Busch questioned whether the Town had ever considered creating a composting site for its residents. It was stated that Racine County Public Works maintains a compost area at their garage located on Academy Road. Chris Birkett will inquire as to whether an arrangement could be made to allow Town residents use of the site.
Paul moved, 2nd by Mike to adjourn at 9:00 p.m. Motion carried.
Respectfully submitted,
Betty J. Novy, CMC Clerk-Treasurer
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