VILLAGE OF BRUCE
BOARD MEETING MINUTES
February 6th, 2023
Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, a scheduled monthly meeting of the Village Board was held on Monday, February 6th, 2023.
Interim Village President Mark Zimmer presided and called to order the meeting at the Village Hall facility at 7:00 p.m. Board members present were Galen Brainerd, Darlene Wundrow, Kim Grasley, Loren Beebe and Jim Johnson. Shane Trott was absent. Clerk/Treasurer Jessica Hayes attended also.
– PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE –
APPROVAL OF MINUTES:
Motion by Beebe, seconded by Grasley to approve the January 4th, 2023 Caucus Minutes, carried.
Motion by Johnson, seconded by Beebe to approve the January 4th, 2023 Regular Monthly Board Meeting Minutes, carried.
TREASURER’S REPORT: Motion by Grasley, seconded by Johnson to approve the Treasurer’s report as given, carried.
EMPLOYEE’S REPORT: Casey Gudis attended the meeting to ask the Board about clearing the trees from the right of way on 4th Street as well as getting gravel to make 4th Street accessible and maintainable again. The Board asked Gudis to obtain some quotes for the work. Motion by Grasley, seconded by Beebe to table the 4th Street Clearing item until the March, 2023 Regular Monthly Board Meeting, carried.
Gudis also reported that the side by sides have arrived and are working out great. Gas purchases have seen a significant drop.
The new backhoe was initially supposed to be delivered February, 3rd, 2023 but Gudis was informed it will now be here by the end of February, 2023.
PUBLIC COMMENTS: Timothy & Jacklyn Dolan attended the meeting and said they would have some questions coming up later in the meeting when the Water Filtration Project would be discussed.
APPLICATIONS:
Temporary Class ‘B’ Picnic License:
Motion by Brainerd, seconded by Grasley to approve a Temporary Class ‘B’ Picnic license to the Bruce Blue Hills Trailblazers for their event being held on February 18th, 2023, carried.
COMMITTEE REPORTS:
Utility:
Sewer Rate Increase: Nothing new to report this month. Motion by Johnson, seconded by Grasley to table the ‘Sewer Rate Increase’ issue until the March, 2023 Regular Monthly Board Meeting, carried.
Public Works:
Committee Meeting January 25, 2023 Minutes: A committee meeting was held on January 25, 2023 to discuss a second location for the Veteran’s memorial site project. The committee is recommending the following:
– Look in to set backs and lot lines for the Johnson Property we purchased from the County last year
– See what it will cost to clear the lot
– Look @ property lines at Round Lake for a possible location as well
– Check on electricity to both sites
– Check in to see if there would be any issues with DairiConcepts
– Try to set a meeting with the DOT to discuss any issues that would arise with the Johnson Property. Motion by Brainerd, seconded by Beebe to approve the January 25th, 2023 committee meeting minutes, carried.
Veteran’s Memorial Park Site: Nothing new to report this month. Motion by Johnson, seconded by Brainerd to table the ‘Veteran’s Memorial Park Site’ issue until the March, 2023 Regular Monthly Board Meeting, carried.
North Main Street Reconstruction Project: Larry Gotham of Morgan & Parmley, Ltd. attended the meeting to discuss the project status. The project is complete, CDBG has been closed out but the DNR portion of the funding for the project is not yet closed out. There are engineering fees in the budgeted DNR funding that have not been used. Gotham said that there are a few different smaller projects that can be done to use the remaining funds. One of the items to use the funding for would be the sewer rate increase item but Gotham also mentioned sewer and water maps are required to be updated per DNR, and Morgan & Parmley could take that project on. The project would be for locating all manholes, curb stands, valves, catch basins and storm sewers. This would be a mapping software program that would have GPS capabilities to locate all manholes, curb stands, valves, and catch basins in the Village. After some discussion, Rural Water might have a program that would be of no cost to the Village. Motion by Johnson, seconded by Brainerd to send the GPS-ing of the manholes, curb stands, valves, catch basins and storm sewers to a committee, carried.
-DISCUSSION AND ACTION-
Motion by Johnson seconded by Beebe to table the ‘North Main Street Reconstruction Project’ item until the March 2023, Regular Monthly Board Meeting, carried.
Water Filtration Project – Corrective Work on Village Wells & River Avenue: Gotham discussed the status of the Water Filtration Project with the Board. One of the items that was discussed was the fact that there is currently no storm sewer west of Main Street and when it rains the water pools in the street on River Avenue. Gotham wanted to verify with the Board before submitting final plans that the Board still did not want a storm sewer added. The costs for adding the storm sewer would be approximately an additional $150,000.00. Timothy & Jaclyn Dolan discussed with the Board why they felt the need for a storm sewer to be installed on River Avenue and by not installing one, how that would affect their property. Motion by Grasley, seconded by Beebe to not change the plans and to not install a storm sewer on River Avenue, carried.
-DISCUSSION AND ACTION-
Gotham informed the Board that Bid Opening for the project will be on March 3rd, 2023 at 1:00 p.m. at the Village Hall, 100 W. River Avenue and that the bid award would be at the March 6th, 2023 Regular Monthly Board Meeting at 7:00 p.m. The project is estimated to cost 1.8 million dollars, and after all funding was received by CDBG and the DNR, the project will cost the Village roughly $300,000.00.A sewer loan repayment would be required for this project, just like it currently is for the North Main Street Project, so a rate increase would be necessary. Sewer rates for the Village have not been increased since 2013.Motion by Grasley, seconded by Johnson to table the ‘Water Filtration Project-Corrective Work on Village Wells and River Avenue’ item until the March, 2023 Regular Monthly Board Meeting, carried.
Resolution #23-01 – Preliminary Resolution Declaring Intent to Exercise Special Assessment Powers under Wis. Stat. 66.0701, 66.0703 and Title 3, Chapter 2 of the Village of Bruce’s Ordinances for Levying Special Assessments for the Water Filtration Project: Motion by Grasley, seconded by Wundrow to approve Resolution #23-01, a Preliminary Resolution Declaring Intent to Exercise Special Assessment Powers under Wis. Stat. 66.0701, 66.0703 and Title 3, Chapter 2 of the Village of Bruce’s Ordinances for Levying Special
Assessments for the Water Filtration Project, carried. Below is the Property Assessment Determination under Police Power for the Bruce Water Treatment Plant & River Avenue Utility Upgrades for Project #20-158, Water Filtration Project- Corrective Work on Village Wells and River Avenue:
The assessments for the 2012 North Main Street Phase I Project were: $30.00/ lineal foot for sewer and $35.00/lineal foot for water. These 2012 numbers were adjusted upward for inflation to $46.77 per foot for water and to $40.09 per foot for sewer for the 2021 Phase II project. Likewise adjusting these numbers upwards for inflation using the WI DOT Fisher Construction Cost Index multiplier from the first quarter of 2012 to the last quarter of 2022 is a multiplier of 1.649. Therefore, the per foot assessment cost for sewer and water will be adjusted upwards as follows:
• Water: $35.00 x 1.649 = $57.71 per foot for water
• Sewer: $30.00 x 1.649 = $49.47 per foot for sewer
A copy of all exhibits can be obtained at the Village Hall, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Public Welfare:
Bruce Park Concession Stand Discussion: Nothing new to discuss at this time. Motion by Wundrow seconded by Johnson to table the ‘Bruce Park Concession Stand Discussion” item until the March 2023, Regular Monthly Board Meeting, carried.
Administration:
Library Board Trustee Representative Appointment: Motion by Grasley, seconded by Beebe to appoint Wundrow as representative on the Library Board, carried.
Committee Meeting January 19th, 2023 Minutes: A committee meeting was held on January 19th, 2023 to discuss employment of two current employees. The committee is recommending the following:
– Putting an application out for another Public Works employee with wages being negotiable depending on qualifications, individual must hold a CDL or be able to obtain one. This would be for a full-time position at 36 + hours
– Moving the Deputy Clerk position to only 3 days a week, 6.5 hour days, Monday, Wednesday and Friday and to adjust sick and vacation time accordingly. Motion by Johnson, seconded by Grasley to approve the minutes from the committee meeting but to discuss the item further at an additional meeting, carried.
Approval to Post for Public Works Position: Motion by Brainerd, seconded by Johnson to approve putting an ad in the Ladysmith News and posting for a full time Public Works employee with wages being negotiable depending on qualifications, CDL required or able to obtain, and a full time position with 36+ hours per week, carried.
Revision of Deputy Clerk Position: An additional meeting will be scheduled to discuss the item further. Motion by Johnson seconded by Grasley to send the item to committee and to table the ‘Revision of Deputy Clerk Position’ item until the March, 2023 Regular Monthly Board Meeting, carried.
Finance:
Rusk County Sheriff’s Department Contract Discussion & Action: Nothing new to report this month. Motion by Johnson, seconded by Brainerd to table the ‘Rusk County Sheriff’s Department Contract Discussion & Action’ item until the March, 2023 Regular Monthly Board Meeting, carried.
Ambulance Garage Building Discussion & Action: Wundrow and Grasley attended the Town of Murray’s monthly meeting to discuss the item with them. Paying their portion of the ambulance garage building expenses was denied. Nothing further to discuss this month. Motion by Wundrow seconded by Grasley to table the ‘Ambulance Garage Building Discussion & Action’ item until the March, 2023 Regular Monthly Board Meeting, carried.
APPROVAL OF BILLS: Motion by Brainerd, seconded by Grasley to pay vouchers and electronic payments totaling $366,269.48, carried.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
February 18th, 2023 – Bruce Snowmobile Club Brat Feed: Located at the Fire Hall from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Spring Primary Election – February 21st, 2023 – Polls open 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
ADJOURNMENT: Motion by Johnson, seconded by Grasley to adjourn, carried. Adjournment was at 8:47 p.m.
Jessica Hayes
Clerk/Treasurer