VILLAGE OF BRUCE
BOARD MEETING MINUTES
January 4th, 2023
Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, a scheduled monthly meeting of the Village Board was held on Wednesday, January 4th, 2023.
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 Galen Brainerd, Darlene Wundrow, Mark Zimmer, Kim Grasley, Loren Beebe and Jim Johnson. Clerk/Treasurer Jessica Hayes attended also.
– PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE –
APPROVAL OF MINUTES:
Motion by Johnson, seconded by Grasley to approve the December 5th, 2022 Regular Monthly Board Meeting Minutes, carried.
TREASURER’S REPORT: Motion by Zimmer, seconded by Johnson to approve the Treasurer’s report as given, carried.
EMPLOYEE’S REPORT: Casey Gudis attended the meeting to ask the Board for approval to order 30, 5/8 inch remote read meters and an additional 5, one inch meters. This will bring the Village up to about half of the town being updated. Motion by Wundrow, seconded by Grasley to approve the purchase, carried.
Gudis informed the Board that the new backhoe should be delivered by February 5th and also the side by sides are ordered but no delivery date known at this time.
APPLICATIONS:
Operator’s License: Motion by Johnson, seconded by Beebe to approve an operator’s license for Alexis M. Roberts, carried.
COMMITTEE REPORTS:
Utility:
Sewer Rate Increase: Nothing new to report this month. Motion by Zimmer, seconded by Johnson to table the ‘Sewer Rate Increase’ issue until the February, 2023 Regular Monthly Board Meeting, carried.
Public Works:
Veteran’s Memorial Park Site: The mural wall is completely full and no more vacant spots left to be had. The remaining murals will be installed by Memorial Day, 2023. Motion by Brainerd, seconded by Johnson to set a committee meeting to discuss where the second mural location will be and to table the ‘Veteran’s Memorial Park Site’ issue until the February, 2023 Regular Monthly Board Meeting, carried.
North Main Street Reconstruction Project:
Committee Meeting 12/9/22 Minutes Approval: A committee meeting was held on December 9th, 2022 to discuss the Main Street Special Assessments that were assessed to parcels #106-00081-0000 and 106-00082-0000. The committee recommends waiving the assessments to the properties due to lack of disclosure at closing. Motion by Zimmer, seconded by Brainerd to approve waiving the assessments for parcel #106-00081-0000 and 106-00082-0000, with Johnson abstaining, the motion was carried.
-DISCUSSION-
The project is complete. The clerk is working on finalizing all paperwork with the DNR & CDBG. Motion by Beebe, seconded by Brainerd to table the ‘North Main Street Reconstruction Project Discussion’ item until the February, 2023 Regular Monthly Board Meeting, carried.
Water Filtration Project – Corrective Work on Village Wells:
Committee Meeting 12/14/22 Minutes: A committee meeting was held on December 14th, 2022 to discuss the upcoming water filtration project. Jim Groose from Water Surplus came to discuss with the committee why his company has the more efficient water filter versus going with Culligan.
Larry Gotham discussed the scope of the project with the committee and also discussed the funding the Village has received and the impact it will have on the project and residents. There will not be an assessment to any other property owners except those that have property running along the project scope for water and sewer laterals. All residents of Bruce will/could possibly see an affect in the water rates. That item is still up for discussion as to whether the Village will need to file a water rate increase.
The total cost of the project is $1,854,000. The Village has received a $993,362 grant from CDBG and also a $559,415 grant from the DNR. Local funding requirement is $860,638, leaving the total loan cost to the Village at $301,223.
Casey Gudis discussed his interest is expanding the addition that is needed to house the new filtration system. He asked that it could be expanded to as big as it possibly can that the plans will allow to be able to house additional equipment the Village has, making more room in the Shop for the bigger equipment.
Morgan & Parmley, Ltd. – Invoice Payment Approval: Motion by Wundrow, seconded by Johnson to approve an invoice in the amount of $10,925.00 to Morgan & Parmley, Ltd. for engineering services for the water filtration project through December 15th, 2022, carried.
-DISCUSSION-
Nothing further to report this month. Motion by Johnson, seconded by Grasley to table the ‘Water Filtration Project-Corrective Work on Village Wells’ issue until the February, 2023 Regular Monthly Board Meeting, carried.
Public Welfare:
Bruce Park Concession Stand Discussion: Nothing new to discuss at this time. Motion by Brainerd, seconded by Johnson to set a committee meeting to discuss further and to table the ‘Bruce Park Concession Stand Discussion” item until the February 2023, Regular Monthly Board Meeting, carried.
Finance:
Rusk County Sheriff’s Department Contract Discussion & Action: Nothing new to report at this time. Motion by Zimmer, seconded by Grasley to send the item to committee to discuss further and to table the ‘Rusk County Sheriff’s Department Contract Discussion & Action’ item until the February, 2023 Regular Monthly Board Meeting, carried.
Ambulance Garage Building Discussion & Action: Discussion was had on the townships that have yet to pay their portion of the ambulance garage expenses. Wundrow and Grasley will be attended the Town of Murray’s monthly meeting to discuss with them. Motion by Zimmer, seconded by Johnson to table the ‘Ambulance Garage Building Discussion & Action’ item until the February, 2023 Regular Monthly Board Meeting, carried.
APPROVAL OF BILLS: Motion by Grasley, seconded by Beebe to pay vouchers and electronic payments totaling $58,400.60, carried.
ADJOURNMENT: Motion by Zimmer, seconded by Grasley to adjourn, carried. Adjournment was at 7:14 p.m.
Jessica Hayes
Clerk/Treasurer