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TOWN OF ROCHESTER Link to Town Board Meetings
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Link to Town Board Meetings |
March 4, 2003 SPECIAL BOARD MEETING 7:00 P.M. An informational meeting was called for the purpose of displaying information and answering questions posed by residents on the N. Honey Lake Road reconstruction project. Board members Gary Beck and Wayne Schrader were present. Nancy Klemko was absent. Also present: Betty Novy, Clerk; Jim Schilling, Town Engineer; the surveyor who did work on the project; Deputy Matthew Prochaska; and Sgt. Bob Kacmarcik (Racine County Sheriff’s Department). Most property owners along N. Honey Lake Road were present and/or represented with the exception of David & Sandra Oldenburg, David and Laurene Schroeder and David & Donna Albrecht. Surveys and road construction plans were explained. Several alternative plans were discussed to alleviate concerns expressed by Lori Anderson, 249 N. Honey Lake Road. Lori’s concern was that centering the new road in the right of way would lessen her front yard and bring the paved surface of the road too close to her deck. Neighbors across the street expressed willingness to deed parts of their properties to the Town to allow moving the road 10 to 15 feet to the west in that section. Gary indicated that if all residents who expressed their willingness to deed right of way were willing to sign necessary legal paperwork, plans will be altered to accommodate Lori’s request. If one property owner refuses, the road will be centered as originally planned. It was expressed that this is being done at the property owner’s request, not the Town’s. The Town will not increase costs of the project by compensating anyone for additional right of way. Several fences will have to be moved to accommodate the proposed alternative plan. It was expressed to property owners that these fences would be reconstructed with like materials only, nothing better than what is already in place. Meeting adjourned at approximately 9:00 p.m. Submitted by:
Betty J. Novy March 10, 2003 SPECIAL BOARD MEETING 7:00 p.m. Meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m. with Gary Beck, Wayne Schrader and Nancy Klemko present. Betty Novy, Clerk, and Gary Chart, Public Works Supervisor, were also present. Wayne moved, 2nd by Nancy to adjourn to closed session as allowed by §19.85(c) “considering employment, promotion, compensation or performance evaluation data of any public employee over which the governmental body has jurisdiction or exercises responsibility”. Motion carried. Gary moved, 2nd by Wayne to return to open session. Motion carried. Nancy moved, 2nd by Wayne to increase Gary Chart’s (Public Work Supervisor) pay rate from $18.00 to $19.00 per hour. Motion carried. Nancy moved, 2nd by Gary to adjourn at 7:22 p.m. Motion carried. Submitted by:
Betty J. Novy March 10, 2003 REGULAR BOARD MEETING 7:30 p.m. Meeting was called to order with Gary Beck, Wayne Schrader and Nancy Klemko present. Betty Novy, Clerk, and Colleen Holder, Treasurer, were also present. Gary Chart, Public Works Supervisor, was absent due to family obligations. Nancy moved, 2nd by Wayne to approve minutes of the February 5, 10 and 20th meetings of the Board as printed. Motion carried. Wayne moved, 2nd by Nancy to approve March disbursements as printed. Motion carried.
Department Reports: Public Works. Gary Chart was not present. Treasurer. Colleen Holder read the treasurer’s report as follows:
Sheriff’s Department. Sgt. Kacmarcik reported that eleven speeding citations; four traffic citations; 28 warnings and three misdemeanor and ordinance violations were written in the month of February. In addition to seventeen complaints assigned through the Department, 21 complaints were originated through Deputy Prochaska. Prochaska reported that 2002’s junk complaints have all been brought into compliance. For 2003, he intends to follow up on any new violations by June 1st. Kennel license requirements for owners of more than two dogs were questioned. A number of applicants felt they did not fall under a “kennel” classification as they own only three house dogs. It was suggested research be performed to determine at what number other municipalities require a kennel license. Deputy Prochaska continued to point out two missing elements from Town ordinances. There is no local burning ordinance and no ordinance addressing use or possession of illegal drugs. Gary indicated the Town has always fallen under the County’s burning ordinance. Nancy requested that burning regulations be routinely included in Spring and Fall Newsletters. Deputy Prochaska was directed to work with Atty. Phenicie to draft an ordinance addressing the drug issue. It was noted new two-sided reflective house number signage used in the Town of Burlington has been of great assistance to emergency personnel when locating calls. Sgt. Kacmarcik indicated the Town of Waterford is also installing these types of signs. He believes costs are being partially funded with FEMA monies. Gary requested that Lange Enterprises, a supplier of these signs, be invited to either April or May’s regular meeting to offer a proposal, including costs. Gary questioned whether the Town’s snowplowing service has kept roads in good shape this year. Deputy Prochaska indicated satisfaction with the service. Fox River Prairie Lift Station Start Up – Operation and Maintenance Issues: Brandon Foss; Crispell Snyder Engineering Brandon Foss explained the lift station had a preliminary start up and system check two weeks ago. The final start up is scheduled to occur this Thursday or Friday. Mark Parsons, Western Racine County Sewerage District, will be invited. A system of routine maintenance will need to be established for the station. Crispell-Snyder will put together an Operation and Maintenance manual. In addition, an automatic dialer on the alarm system needs to be programmed. Brandon indicated understanding the first call should be to the Town Hall, the second to Gary Chart. Other names and numbers will have to be established. It was determined the Town will have to establish relationships with a plumber for piping and/or pump repair; an electrician for control system repair; and a sanitary sewer firm as back up for major failures. Gary Chart will attend training sessions on the station and generator. The Clerk is to contact Maas & Sons, Brandenburg Mechanical, Robbins Electric, and Bakke Electric to solicit interest in servicing the station. Pat’s Sanitary should also be contacted. Contractors should be invited to tour the facility and put together a proposal for their services, including hourly rates. It was requested initial training be scheduled after 4:00 p.m. so Gary Beck can be present. Brandon indicated the construction contract calls for a one-year warranty from the date of start up and suggested having their inspector visit the station once quarterly to make sure any failures are caught before the warranty period is up. Consensus of the Board was to approve those visits.
Resolution #2-2003 “A Resolution Declaring the Importance of a Burlington Based Medical Facility” The Clerk explained resolution passage was requested by both Town and City of Burlington. The Racine County Board of Supervisors also passed a similar resolution. Gary moved, 2nd by Wayne to adopt resolution #2-2003. Motion carried.
Pre-Paid License Procedure: Countryside Humane Society, Inc. Correspondence received from Countryside requested approval of a procedure where they would collect necessary information and dog license fees on behalf of the Town before returning lost dogs to their owners. Statutes are such that dogs in their care cannot be released until such time as proof of licensing is obtained- or the license fee is pre-paid. This has caused difficulty in the past if the municipal office was closed when a dog owner was trying to claim their dog. All fees and information collected by Countryside would be forwarded to the Town so the license can then be issued. Gary moved, 2nd by Wayne to approve the pre-paid license procedure. Motion carried.
Authorization to charge-back 2001 “West Air” Personal Property Tax Bill to taxation districts Correspondence from the Town Attorney advised this tax bill is uncollectible. The Clerk explained a process whereby each taxation district is charged back their proportionate share of the bill. Wayne moved, 2nd by Nancy to authorize charge back of “West Air’s” 2001 Personal Property Tax Bill. Motion carried. A scheduled report by the Western Racine County Health Department ( 8:45 p.m.) was tabled until such time as their representative arrived. Pursuit of carrier service through Rochester Post Office It was explained that two years earlier the Town had joined the Village in requesting carrier service out of the Rochester Post Office. Currently the post office offers only box delivery. When the request was denied, it was with direction that the request would not be considered again for at least two years. That time has lapsed and the Village will be submitting the request again. They have asked that the Town forward a letter requesting this service as well. Gary moved, 2nd by Nancy to send a letter. Motion carried. Spring Newsletter presented for addition or corrections. Consensus of the Board was to approve the newsletter for distribution. Period for Public Comment Pat Hurley questioned a bill she had received from the Town for compensation of engineering charges incurred when the Town Engineer spent a half-hour discussing a lot in Camelback Farms with a prospective buyer. She indicated she no longer owned the lot. Clerk is to check into the bill. 8:45 p.m.: Annual Report: Western Racine County Health Department Cindy Armstrong and Jill Scheeley were present on behalf of the Health Department. Cindy reported that 2002 health department expenses were offset by $162,000 in grants. They expect $220,000 in grant revenue in 2003. Through training provided in 2002, they were able to create 16 new infant slots in local day cares. Immunization clinics resulted in 81% of children being immunized by the time they were 2 years old. Seven cases of lead poisoning were identified and resolved by virtue of lead programs. Communicable disease data is being clustered and analyzed monthly to look for trends. The Health Department arranged for free medical care for 55 people with no insurance last year. Average health department cost per capita was reported as $4.58. Wayne questioned whether restaurant inspections were being kept up on. Cindy indicated inspections are handled by the State’s Division of Public Health. A few years ago, service was bad and the Health Department performed a survey to determine whether a local sanitarian position could be supported by our community. The State had been trying to get out of the sanitarian business and was offering grants to local health departments to set up their own programs. However, since that time, a new State inspector was hired to cover Waukesha and Racine Counties. This new inspector has been doing a good job. It now appears unnecessary to incur the expense of establishing a local program. Cindy also reported on several stop smoking programs that were directed to area adults and youth last year. Cindy indicated the Health Department is recommending several immunization and blood pressure clinics be eliminated beginning in May. This includes the Rochester clinic. There were only thirty five participants in all of 2002. Staff and set up costs are prohibitive for clinics with such low turn outs. Residents will be able to visit other clinics or set up appointments at the Health Department. Jill Scheeley, local health nurse, reported the Town of Rochester’s per capita cost for 2002 as $4.29. Regular immunization clinic numbers are dropping, but flu clinics are still very busy. The potential of bio-terrorism made 2002 a busy year for health departments statewide. Four staff members have been immunized against small pox. The Center for Disease Control has guaranteed sufficient supplies of vaccine to any location within 24 hours of a reported case. Vaccinations given within three days of exposure will stop spread of the disease. Only three communicable diseases were reported in the Town of Rochester in 2002. Chicken pox cases are seeing dramatic declines since mandatory immunization went into affect. The Health Department offered 99 training and education programs in 2002. 3,397 people attended. There were 8 births reported in the Town. Cindy and Jill were thanked for their presentation. Gary announced to those present that this was Wayne and Nancy’s last regular meeting of the Board. Their terms will end before next month’s meeting. Those in attendance offered applause in appreciation for the work they have done for the Town. Nancy moved, 2nd by Wayne to adjourn at 9:30 p.m. Motion carried. Respectfully submitted:
Betty J. Novy
March 13,
2002 SPECIAL BOARD,
6:00 P.M. An informational meeting was called for the purpose of hearing a developer talk about the merits and drawbacks of conservation subdivision design versus conventional subdivision design. Town Board members Gary Beck and Wayne Schrader were present. Nancy Klemko was absent. Plan Commissioners Ken Dahlstrom, Jane Babik and Bob Willard were present. Brian Wanasek and Maureen Eckert were absent. Subdivision Ordinance Committee members Chuck Haubrich, Wayne Schrader, Jane Babik, Bob Willard, Edward Stone and Patricia Hurley were present. Rhoda Runzheimer and Dennis Crombie were absent. Numerous residents were present in the audience. John Helding, Legacy Development Company (886-9696), and a member of the Town of Caledonia’s Plan Commission, presented information on design, costs and perceived benefits of conservation subdivision design vs. conventional subdivision design. After presentation, some questions arose from the audience. A predominant concern was cost of homes in this type of development (stated as $250,000 to $350,000). Residents expressed they could not afford such homes and thought it would make Rochester elitist. They would prefer Rochester offer more affordable home sites. John indicated the way to make home sites more affordable is to increase the density factor in the ordinance. However, costs stated for lots in a conservation subdivision are not much different than if individual 5-acre parcels are purchased. Those lots are going for between $100,000 and $125,000 already and typically generate a total value (after home construction) as that of a conservation development. John was able to demonstrate, through a model of cost comparisons, that a conventional subdivision and a conservation subdivision can net about the same profit for a developer. His comparisons were based on a 60% common or open space requirement and a density bonus given because of conservation design (this allowed sale of additional lots to offset additional costs incurred for conservation design). Chuck Haubrich indicated the Town’s proposed ordinance requires 70% open space, but that the ordinance is still open to change. John indicated that Caledonia’s ordinance does not make conservation design a requirement of land divisions accomplished by Certified Survey Map. Mandatory conservation design applies only to subdivisions creating more than four parcels. He stated the benefit of conservation design as the best known way to preserve open space at no cost to the taxpayer. If Rochester is concerned about creating affordable housing, the answer is to increase allowable density. That will allow costs to be spread over a greater number of lots. John stated conservation design is not a new concept. Greendale implemented this type of design in the 1930s. Many examples of this type of design can also be found in Waukesha. The presentation ended at 8:05 p.m. Respectfully Submitted:
Betty J. Novy March 24, 2003 SPECIAL BOARD MEETING 7:00 p.m. Boards members Gary Beck, Wayne Schrader, and Nancy Klemko were present. Colleen Holder and Betty Novy were absent. Also present: Kelly Brutlag, Deputy-Clerk, Deputy Prochaska, and Chuck Haubrich. Matt from Crispell Snyder came at 7:20 p.m. Meeting was called to order at 7:04 p.m. First item on the agenda was moved to the end of the meeting. The engineer was not present yet. Request for donation: Rochester Historical Society. Gary Beck asked for this item to be on the agenda. The Town has given to other organizations in the past and thought it was a benefit to all residents if donation was made. It was explained that the Historical Society has been given the 2nd floor to the older school building at the library from the Village. They need to make improvements. Nancy moved, Wayne 2nd to honor request for a donation of $200.00 to the Rochester Historical Society for installation of a furnace. Motion carried. Use of Case/Eagle Ball Diamonds: Waterford High School Softball. The Waterford High School Softball starts playing on Saturday, March 29, 2003. It was asked if they could use the ball diamonds. Gary moved, Wayne 2nd, to approve the use of Case/Eagle ball diamonds for Waterford High School Softball contingent that for the months of March and April they will pay half of the cost of sanitary service until Little League starts. Motion carried. 7:20 p.m. Matt from Crispell Snyder arrived. N. Honey Lake Road project: Authorization to put out to bid. Matt discussed that two right away easements were needed from residents. Also temporary easements will be needed for driveways. The town attorney has all the paperwork, but is in need of more information to draw up the easements. We are waiting for the easements to be finished so we can obtain the signatures. Matt discussed that the fence by Lori Anderson’s horses needs to be taken down and that she might want to do it because of her horses. He also said it looked like trees near her house would not have to be taken down. Gary moved, Nancy 2nd to authorize Crispell Snyder to solicit bids on construction of N. Honey Lake Road upon receipt and signing of all easements. Motion carried. Nancy moved, Wayne 2nd to adjourn the meeting at 7:35 p.m. Motion carried. Submitted by:
Kelly Brutlag
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