VILLAGE OF BRUCE
BOARD MEETING MINUTES
August 2nd, 2021
Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, a scheduled monthly meeting of the Village Board was held on Monday, August 2nd, 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, Rob Grabon, Loren Beebe, Kim Grasley and Galen Brainerd. Jessica Hayes attended also.
– PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE –
APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Motion by Brainerd, seconded by Grasley to approve the July 2nd, 2021 Special Board Meeting Minutes, carried. Motion by Grabon, seconded by Johnson to approve the July 5th, 2021 Public Hearing Minutes, carried. Motion by Brainerd, seconded by Grasley to approve the July 5th, 2021 Regular Monthly Board Meeting Minutes, carried. Motion by Grabon, seconded by Johnson to approve the July 8th, 2021 Special Board Meeting Minutes, carried.
TREASURER’S REPORT: Motion by Johnson, seconded by Grasley to approve the Treasurer’s report as given, carried.
Village Hall Office Printer Purchase Approval: The main office printer at the Village Hall needs to be replaced. Motion by Grasley, seconded by Grabon to approve the purchase of a new Village Hall office printer, carried. Motion by Grabon, seconded by Grasley to set the max purchase price to $800.00, carried.
EMPLOYEE’S REPORT: The crew is busy flushing Well #3 in hopes that the manganese levels in the water will go down. Unfortunately, the manganese levels are not getting any lower. The levels in the water are almost at the same level of what they were before the well rehab work began. Wundrow samples the water from Well #3 every day with her hand held meter and the levels are about the same day to day. The last sample sent to the lab came back at 1,130 ug/L. Wundrow said we might have to start looking at plan B, which would be the filtration system. Well #1 would still have to be rehabbed which was the initial plan that was submitted to USDA for the grant the Village received for the Well Rehab work. The plan would be to put Well #3 back online, issue a no drink order for the whole Village until Well #1 rehab is complete and then begin the process on Well #3 with the filtration system installation.
Water Meter Purchase Request: Wundrow is requesting to purchase 30 new 5/8 inch remote read water meters as well as four one inch remote read water meters. She was informed the purchase price for these has went up 20% but has not yet received an updated quote. She will come back to the Board next month for the approval on this item.
Non Standard Meter Service: Wundrow has received a request from a few residents who are not interested in receiving the new remote read meters at their property but instead would prefer to keep their old meter. Wundrow contacted the Public Service Commission to help guide her on how to handle the situation. The PSC informed Wundrow that Utilities are not required to offer a resident an opt out program which would allow the resident to keep their old meter but be charged a monthly fee for doing so. Motion by Grabon, seconded by Brainerd to not offer an opt out program for utility customers and require all residents who are on Village utilities to have the remote read meters installed, carried.
Air Compressor Purchase: The crew has received $3,693.30 in scrap metal recycling from the North Main Street Project. They would like to purchase an air compressor. They do not currently have one. Wundrow obtained a quote from Moberg Electric, Inc. in Rice Lake for $3,565.00, however the crew would like to search for further quotes in hopes they can find something cheaper which would allow them to purchase other items they are in need of.
APPLICATIONS:
Building Permits:
Motion by Grabon, seconded by Grasley to approve a building permit for Rod Keith at 210 S. Main Street, carried.
Motion by Brainerd, seconded by Grasley to approve a building permit for Mike Moser at 519 S. Alvey Street, carried.
Operator’s Licenses:
Motion by Zimmer, seconded by Grasley to approve an operator’s license for Tracy L. Woodmansee, carried.
Motion by Brainerd, seconded by Zimmer to approve an operator’s license for Alvarez J. Burnap, carried.
Temporary Class ‘B’ Liquor License:
Motion by Zimmer, seconded by Brainerd to approve a Temporary Class ‘B’ Liquor License for the Bruce Kiwanis Club to sell fermented malt beverages and/or wine coolers at their Packer Party in the Park event on September 12th, 2021, carried.
COMMITTEE REPORTS:
Utility:
Discussion and Action Regarding Corrective Work on Village Wells: Wundrow reported on the Corrective Work being done on the Village Wells in her employee’s report. She will submit a chart of her samples to the company that does the work, CTW Corporation out of Lennon, WI, and let them know that the corrective work is not working. Motion by Zimmer, seconded by Johnson to table the ‘Discussion and Action Regarding Corrective Work on Village Wells’ issue until the September, 2021 Regular Monthly Board Meeting, carried.
PSC-Water Rate Application: The Public Service Commission of Wisconsin has set a telephonic Public Hearing to review the application for the Village of Bruce’s request to increase water rates. The Public Hearing is set for August 31st, 2021 at 2:00 p.m. This hearing has no physical location. All parties appear by audiovisual. Members of the public may attend by audiovisual or telephone. Motion by Grasley, seconded by Grabon to table the ‘PSC-Water Rate Application’ issue until the September, 2021 Regular Monthly Board Meeting, carried. Anyone interested in attending the hearing by telephone, please call 1-312-626-6799 and when prompted enter the meeting ID – 809-513-2930. For audiovisual connection, please visit: https://us02web.zoom.us/my/pschearings
Sewer Rate Increase: Nothing new to report this month. Motion by Zimmer, seconded by Johnson to table the ‘Sewer Rate Increase’ item until the September, 2021 Regular Monthly Board Meeting, carried.
Public Works:
Purchase Property from County – Parcel #106-00081-0000 & #106-00082-0000 – 914 N. Main Street: At the July, 2021 Regular Monthly Board Meeting, the Board had approved to offer the County $1,000.00 for the property at 914 N. Main Street. Total back taxes owed on the property is $2,210.61. The County denied the Board’s offer of $1,000.00 and notified the Board that they would like to receive all back taxes owed. After some discussion, motion by Johnson, seconded by Brainerd to offer the County the full back taxes owed of $2,210.61 for parcel numbers 106-00081-0000 and 106-00082-0000, located at 914 N. Main Street, carried. Advertising ‘for sale’ will be put out right away with conditions on the sale of the property that the new owner would be reliable for raising the building.
Committee Meeting July 26th, 2021 Report: A committee meeting was held on July 26th, 2021 to discuss possibly purchasing decorative banners for the street light poles on Main Street. The committee recommends holding off on this item for now. When the Village decides to move forward with the item, the committee recommends requesting donations from local organizations.
Light Pole Decorative Banner Discussion & Action: Motion by Johnson, seconded by Brainerd to table the ‘Light Pole Decorative Banner Discussion & Action’ issue until the September, 2021 Regular Monthly Board Meeting, carried.
Village Street Signage Discussion & Action: The Board discussed re-signing the intersection of North Main Street and Railroad Avenue. Currently, it is a four way stop however coming from the west on Railroad Avenue, there is a ‘right turn no stop’ sign. Motion by Grabon, seconded by Grasley to change the signage to have two stop signs both on the East and West sides of Railroad Avenue coming on to Main Street, take down the ‘right turn no stop’ sign on the West side of Railroad Avenue and to take down the stop signs going North and South on Main Street, carried.
North Main Street Reconstruction Project:
-DISCUSSION-
Larry Gotham attended the meeting to give the Board an update on the project. The significant rain we received in the last few weeks has slowed down the paving portion of the project. Paving was intended to be finished the first week of August. Gotham anticipates within the next week and a half that all curb, gutter, sidewalk and paving are completed, and that by the end of the month that all of the street and restoration portions of the project are completed, except for the Lift Station portions of the project. The project has an intended completion date of September 30th, 2021. Motion by Brainerd, seconded by Grasley to table the North Main Street Reconstruction Project ‘Discussion’ item until the September, 2021 Regular Monthly Board Meeting, carried.
Morgan & Parmley, Ltd – Invoice Payment Approval: Motion by Grabon, seconded by Grasley to approve an invoice in the amount of $9,454.94 from Morgan & Parmley, Ltd. for engineering services completed thru July 27th, 2021 on the North Main Street Reconstruction Project, carried.
Haas Sons, Inc. – Invoice Payment Approval: Motion by Grabon, seconded by Grasley to approve an invoice in the amount of $380,069.36 from Haas Sons, Inc. for contracted work completed on the North Main Street Reconstruction Project through July 29th, 2021, carried.
Public Welfare:
Additional ATV Route Signage Cost: Until we receive actual costs from the Rusk Riders ATV Club, motion by Grasley, seconded by Zimmer to table the ‘Additional ATV Route Signage Cost’ issue until the September, 2021 Regular Monthly Board Meeting, carried.
Ordinance Amendment – Title 10 – Chapter 4 – Section 2: Motion by Grabon, seconded by Brainerd to approve the amendment to Ordinance Title 10, Chapter 4, Section 2 to be rewritten to read that ‘all Village Streets shall be designated as ATV/UTV routes in the Village of Bruce’, carried. A full text of the Ordinance is available in the Clerk’s Office upon request.
Library Lease Agreement: Motion by Johnson, seconded by Zimmer to approve a 2% increase for the Library’s Lease for the year 2022, carried.
Administration:
Employee Manual Update: Nothing new to report this month. Motion by Zimmer, seconded by Grabon to table the ‘Employee Manual Update’ issue until the September, 2021 Regular Monthly Board Meeting, carried.
APPROVAL OF BILLS: Motion by Zimmer, seconded by Grasley to pay vouchers and electronic payments totaling $642,627.02, 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
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.
Public Notice to all Customers of the Bruce Municipal Water & Sewer Utility: Public Hearing on Utility Rate Increase August 31st, 2:00 p.m.
Bruce Kiwanis Club: Packer Party in the Bruce Park – September 12th, 2021 starting at noon
ADJOURNMENT: Motion by Zimmer, seconded by Grasley to adjourn, carried. Adjournment was at 7:46 p.m.
Jessica Hayes
Clerk/Treasurer