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TOWN OF ROCHESTER Link to Town Board Meetings
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Link to Town Board Meetings |
September 12, 2005 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 Paul to approve minutes of the August 8 & 24, 2005 meetings as printed. Motion carried.
Mike moved, 2nd by Gary to approve September 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.
Sheriff’s Department. Sergeant Kacmarcik reported the following statistics for August: zero accidents; fourteen speeding citations, eight traffic citations and thirty-four warnings were issued. Complaint statistics were as follows: twenty-nine complaints originated through calls directly to the Sheriff’s Department; Deputy Prochaska assisted with seventeen additional complaints, originated twenty-one on his own and performed follow up on two. He reported 19 work days, 161.5 hours and 1,799 miles driven. Deputy Prochaska reported limited time on bike patrol this summer due to heat, but he intends to spend time on the bike this Fall. Summer was relatively quiet with only minor vandalism reported. There was a pursuit through the Town in July with court trial pending. This was the individual’s fourth OWI offense. Major incidents are down, but civil or domestic disturbances are up. There was question on how to address motorcycle noise. Sgt. Kacmarcik indicated this is a common problem and the Sheriff’s Department has several ordinances they can use to address the issue. Complaints should be called into the Sheriff’s Department at the time of occurrence. Paul questioned Deputy Prochaska on whether he observed the ripple in pavement at the entrance to Payne and Dolan’s gravel pit on CTH D. Deputy Prochaska indicated it had been quite some time since he inspected the area. He did not recall a problem, but will look again. He noted an area of greater concern on CTH D at its intersection with STH 36. There are deep grooves in the pavement there. He will report concerns to the Racine County Public Works Department. Mike Weinkauf questioned what is being done about four-wheelers and scooters on the roads in Honey Lake. This concern was brought up at a recent Honey Lake District meeting. Deputy Prochaska reported he is working with the family who was participating in this activity and he believes the issue has been addressed. In addition, Deputy Prochaska continues to work with Chris Birkett on issues surrounding the house numbering project. A letter is being created to address property owners who object to placement of the numbers.
Public Works Department. Christopher Birkett presented the monthly report as follows:
Lift Station: · Standard exercise of values and generator.
Roads:
· Stop bars
are in place on Sharon Lane and Beck Drive. From what he observed, traffic
seems to be
· Shoulder work on Abbey and Ridge Line is completed. Some
damage was done by drivers and a
House Numbers:
· The project is moving forward with about one-third of the
numbers installed. Most residents have
Chris reported on investigation of the storm sewer inlet in Fox River Prairie Subdivision that was subject of discussion last month. Subdivision plans do not show a grate on the inlet. John Tierney suggested the Town adopt standards for storm sewers and culverts specifying a grate requirement if the pipe is over a specific diameter and length. It was noted there was another long culvert pipe running underneath Seidel Drive that may need a grate. Chris and John are to work together to identify culvert pipes and storm sewer inlets in the Town that are in need of grates and obtain a price for installation.
Chris additionally requested permission to attend a course at UW-Madison titled “Managing Snow and Ice Control Operations”. The course is two-days and costs $595.00. Weinkauf commented monies are available in the snow removal budget category and he feels it would be beneficial for Chris to attend. Gary moved, 2nd by Mike to approve Chris’s enrollment in the course. Motion carried.
Engineering Report. John Tierney reported Rock Ridge Subdivision was paved Saturday. The developer’s agreement requires an as-built survey before building permits can be issued, including building pad elevations. A request for exception to this requirement may be forthcoming from the developer. One design question arose regarding the cul-de-sac in the subdivision. It has an island in the center and it is not clear whether traffic should be one-way or two-way around the island. Chris and John are to take a look at this and make a recommendation at the October meeting. Additionally, upon inspection of Camelback Farms Subdivision roads (for release of the warranty bond), several items were noted as follows: shoulders have settled a little and are between 1” and 2” below the pavement- shouldering may be needed next year; cross-road culverts at Hunters Glen and Old Orchard Way appear to be too close to the edge of the shoulder causing erosion- these culverts should be extended; and the ditch at the SE corner of Royal Hill Road and Royal Hill Court appears to be flat or back pitched and cattails have taken hold- drainage needs to be addressed in this area. Several other problems were identified and referred to Chris Birkett for further investigation.
Building Permit Fee Increase Proposal: James Deluca, Building Inspector
Jim addressed the Board requesting the following building permit fee increases.
Jim explained erosion Control fees are in response to new DNR regulation to make sure erosion control measures are maintained throughout the construction process. Other changes are mainly to minimum fees. This is the first request for a fee increase since he started Town inspections in 1997. He will be proposing an ordinance on moving houses to include review, tracking and possibly a bond requirement to insure against damage. Mike moved, 2nd by Paul to table the proposed increases until such time as the ordinance can be presented. Motion carried.
Release of one-year warranty deposit: Camelback Farms
A request was received from Patricia Hurley to release the warranty deposit for Camelback subdivision roads. The one-year warranty period has expired. John Tierney inspected the roads and recommended release of the funds. Gary moved, 2nd by Mike to release the deposit amount in full. Motion carried.
2005 – 2008 Snowplowing Bids
Betty reported no bids were received. Chris Birkett identified a concern of at least one contractor about escalating fuel costs and the fact that Town roads are so spread out. Plowing the roads requires a 60-mile loop. It was suggested a clause be added to the contract noting ability to renegotiate equipment rates if fuel costs continue to rise. It was also noted obtaining salt from Racine County could be viewed as a negative for some contractors as much of their profit is in what they charge for salt. Buzz Hurley, present in the audience, suggested this could be a positive for others because they do not have to deal with salt purchase and storage. If it is made known in the Bid Advertisement that salt is provided, it may open this up for other contractors. Additionally, it may be in the best interest of the Town to raise the guaranteed retainer amount from $10,000 to $15,000. Chris Birkett will work with those who initially showed interest to identify other items of concern and report back in time for the Joint Town/Village Board meeting on the 26th.
2005 PASER Road Rating Requirements
Chris Birkett reported on review of PASER rating materials and submittal requirements. Pavement ratings for each road section are due to the D.O.T. by December 15th. Chris would like to attempt rating the roads on his own but requested the ability to call on the engineer if assistance is needed. Consensus of the Board was to authorize the project as requested.
Engineering Service Agreement for N. River Road: Baxter-Woodman
John Tierney presented the proposal as an amount not to exceed $32,000 for design; and $28,000 for construction oversight. The project scope was explained. It includes reconstruction of the northern 1/3 of the road (to the culvert) and resurfacing the southern 2/3. This portion appears to have maintained a good base. A fair amount of design is needed for the northern section, including ditching. It will be a challenge to get that section of the road to drain properly. Board members requested special attention to soil borings so that base requirements can be planned for adequately. Mike moved, 2nd by Paul to approve the engineering service agreement with Baxter-Woodman for N. River Road. Motion carried.
2006 – 2007 Animal Control Contract “Countryside Humane Society”
Betty reported on the proposed contract. The proposal represents an annual cost increase of $517.00. At this point, it is unknown if the City of Racine will sign the contract- their increase is over $30,000. Contract amounts are only valid if all Racine County municipalities participate. Multi-jurisdictional meetings on animal control offered explanation for contract increases. Countryside’s previous director was fired and Hub Braun (a Countryside Board member) is now managing the operation without pay in order to fulfill the terms of this year’s contract. The previous director used restricted funds to supplement the animal control portion of their budget. This amount grew to over $110,000.00 in a three year period. Countryside’s auditor made it clear this cannot continue. That is the primary reason for the jump in their budget. The contract proposes to pay that money back in $10,000 annual increments.
Mike Weinkauf reported on recent conversation with Lynn Stoll who is interested in converting a Dairy Farm into an animal shelter. She is a veterinarian technician and may be able to provide animal control services to the area. Betty will contact her with the information in order to gauge interest and report back at the next meeting.
Smart Growth Comprehensive Plan Multi-Jurisdictional Grant Application
Betty reported this as a repeat of last year’s application. Racine County has been told they have a good chance of being awarded a grant in this application cycle. The Plan Commission recommended participation. Mike moved, 2nd by Paul to participate in the Smart Growth Comprehensive Plan Multi-Jurisdictional Grant Application with Racine County. Motion carried.
2005 – 2007 Audit Contract: James Frechette, CPA
Betty reported that the Town’s combination of Clerk and Treasurer positions last November imposed some additional requirements on financial reporting. State Statutes require an annual financial audit when these positions are combined. The Town has retained the services of Jim Frechette in the past for Financial Form C preparation; these services need to be expanded to include a full audit of records. A proposal was presented for the 2005 audit amounting to $2,900.00. Gary moved, 2nd by Paul to approve the 2005 – 2007 audit contract with James Frechette, CPA. Motion carried.
Workhorse Sewer Utility Billing Software
Betty reported on the last discussion of a contract for sewer utility software with MICA Technologies in March. Some additional information requested on the proposal was not received and the proposal was dropped. The “Workhorse” program comes highly recommended by municipal clerks throughout the State. A demonstration of the software was presented to the Clerk-Treasurer’s office and staff felt the product was well suited to Town needs. The product titled “Miscellaneous Billing System” was created specifically for flat rate utilities. The outright purchase price is $1,995.00; with $300.00 billed annually for upgrades and supports after that. Additionally, the software will support two separate utilities- costs can be split between Town and Village (amounting to $997.50 for purchase of the software and $150.00 annually for support). Gary moved, 2nd by Paul to approve purchase of the software at $1,995.00 contingent that the purchase and annual costs be shared equally with the Village of Rochester. Motion carried.
Automatic Entrance Proposals
In response to consideration at last month’s meeting, a second estimate was received from Automatic Entrances of Wisconsin to install an automatic opener on the side door of the municipal building. The quote was for $1,920.00: Wisconsin Automatic Door’s quote, obtained in August, was for $1,575.00. In either case, electric will have to be installed at an estimated cost of $400.00. Mike moved, 2nd by Gary to approve the first estimate offered by Wisconsin Automatic Door for an automatic opener installation on the side door. Motion carried.
Naming of Access Easement on N. Browns Lake Road
Betty reported on conversation with Jay Henrichs, owner of the access easement. He requested the easement be named either Oak Ridge Lane or Oak Ridge Court. Consensus of the Board was to submit this name to Racine County for approval.
Appointment to Rochester Public Library Board: Arlouene Mulvey
The Rochester Public Library Board submitted a letter recommending appointment of Arlouene Mulvey as a Town representative. Gary reported on meeting Arlouene and concurred with the recommendation. Mike moved, 2nd by Paul to approve the appointment. Motion carried.
September Newsletter presented for correction or approval (set date for Budget Hearing and Trick or Treat)
Gary moved, 2nd by Mike to approve the newsletter as presented and set the following dates: Town Budget Hearing: November 17, 2005 at 7:00 p.m.; and Trick or Treat: October 29, 2005 from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Motion carried.
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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