_07162026-115

FREDONIA VILLAGE BOARD MEETING MINUTES Thursday, July 16th, 2026 at 7:00 PM Fredonia Government Center - Board Room 242 Fredonia Avenue, Fredonia, Wisconsin 1. President Lenz called the meeting to order at 7:00 PM, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. 2. Trustees Present: President Lenz, Trustee Redmond, Trustee Franck, Trustee Abegglen, Trustee Syring, Trustee Stowe, Trustee Van Roo Staff Present: Administrator Jenkins, Clerk Johnson, Treasurer Upson, Director Paulus, Chief Weyker 3. Public Comments: None 4. Motion to Approve Minutes of the Thursday, June 4th, 2026, Board of Trustees Meeting, General Fund, Water and Sewer Invoices and Appointment of Marshal Leet as the Village Emergency Management Director made by Trustee Abegglen. Seconded by Trustee Franck. Passed by 7-0 voice voice vote. 5. Report on Village Committees by: a) Planning Commission: President Lenz shared that the Planning Commission set a public hearing for a conditional use permit application and approved a sign permit application from Nine Ladies Dancing. b) Public Works Committee: Trustee Franck reported that the committee heard a presentation from Phil Bzdusek of Strand Engineering on the WWTP upgrade. Engineering plans are with the DNR for approval, and the project will be bid in early fall. The bids will be reviewed by the committee, who will then make recommendations to the full board. They also made edits to the proposed sidewalk policy and discussed an unexpected cost increase to the installation of an ADA accessible crosswalk at Wilson Street and Fredonia Ave. The committee directed Director Paulus to use the budgeted $15,000 for improved signage and paint features throughout the village crosswalks, instead of moving ahead with the Wilson St crosswalk project. 6. Report on Village Operations by: a) Village President: President Lenz stated the 2026 Mudonia Mud Run was a great success and thanked the volunteers and staff for their participation. The reconstruction of Washington Ave is complete. President Lenz shared the exciting news that Badger Paperboard is significantly expanding their facility, leading to new jobs and assessed value for the village. There is a Partisan Primary on August 11. b) Village Administrator: Administrator Jenkins reinforced how important the expansion of Badger Paperboard is for the health of TID #3 and for the village at large. He continues to work with Hillcrest Developers on drafting a developer’s agreement that clarifies the phasing and cost breakdown of each road. They are exploring the idea of a PUD to squeeze another home or two on a corner lot. Ehlers is working on updating TID projections and is reviewing the health of the sewer utility. The WWTP upgrade planning is ramping up for a fall bid. Washington Ave reconstruction and the reconstruction of Stoney Creek and Fillmore St. Lots are complete. He shared that Mudonia was awesome and well-attended. c) Village Marshal: Not present, report on file. d) Fire Chief: Chief Weyker reported that the department attended a mock car crash training that allowed the team to practice blood transfusions in the field. The department has onboarded one new volunteer and the triannual licensing cycle is complete. He reviewed call volumes and metrics. e) DPW Director: Director Paulus reported that the parking lot at Stoney Creek Park was enlarged a bit to ensure vehicles have enough room to maneuver. The Splash Zone levels have been tweaked and is fully operational. He plans to install flashers to the crosswalk at Fredonia Ave and Wilson St. In response to resident requests, his crew installed a sandbox at Fireman’s Park. Trustee Abegglen attended an event at Stoney Creek Park over the weekend and shared positive feedback from residents on the state of the village’s parks. f) Village Clerk: Clerk Johnson shared that absentee ballots have been mailed and the August 11, 2026 Partisan Primary is fully staffed. She has a trip to Forest Haven planned to assist seniors with absentee voting, and in person absentee voting begins on July 28 th. She completed the newsletter and assisted with mailing utility invoices. Clerk Johnson is coordinating the upcoming JRB meetings with Ehlers, in addition to supporting agenda creation for several other committees. g) Village Treasurer: Treasurer Upson shared the ETF website has launched. Employees will need to set up their accounts prior to open enrollment. Quarterly utility bills were mailed. h) Ozaukee County District 2 Supervisor: Not present, no report on file. 7. Items for Action and/or Discussion a) Discussion on Village Sidewalk Policy. Administrator Jenkins said the village once had a sidewalk policy in place, but it has since been lost. He worked with a former trustee to draft a new policy, which was reviewed and edited by the Public Works Committee at its recent meeting. In preparing the draft, he examined how comparable communities handle sidewalk cost sharing and found that, in most cases, property owners bear at least part, if not all, of the responsibility. The proposed policy includes the following provisions: I. For village-initiated repair or reconstruction of existing sidewalks, the cost would be shared equally (50/50) between the property owner and the village. II. For the installation of new sidewalks along existing streets, the village would pay 100% of the cost. III. For new developments or annexations, the developer would pay 100% of the cost. Administrator Jenkins noted that the current ordinance allows the village to install sidewalks on at least one side of each street but clarified that installing sidewalks where none currently exist is not a priority. Trustee Abegglen pointed out inconsistent language in the draft policy. Trustee Stowe emphasized the importance of clearly defining what constitutes a broken sidewalk and outlining the property owner's potential financial responsibility. Trustee Syring said his research found that sidewalk policies in other communities are often applied inconsistently, and Administrator Jenkins agreed. Trustees Syring and Abegglen agreed that if a property owner is responsible for the cost of sidewalk repair or replacement, the policy should allow the owner to select their own contractor. Trustee Abegglen acknowledged that no policy will satisfy everyone but said he believes the proposed draft is fair to residents. The board directed Administrator Jenkins to revise the draft and return with an updated version at the next meeting. The requested revisions include: a. Revise the language in Part 3(a) to clearly reflect a 50/50 cost- sharing arrangement for village-initiated repair or replacement. b. Research a cost-sharing option that would include property owners on both sides of the street where a new sidewalk is installed. c. Add language to Part 5 allowing property owners who are responsible for the cost of sidewalk repair or replacement to choose their own contractor. b) Motion to Approve the Order of a 2029 AEV Traumahawk Type I Custom Ambulance Ford F550, Not to Exceed $382,000 for Purchase and Delivery in FY2029 made by Trustee Stowe. Seconded by Trustee Abegglen. Chief Weyker explained that the current ambulance was involved in a significant accident several years ago, resulting in a 2015 patient compartment being mounted on a 2018 chassis. He said the standard replacement cycle for an ambulance is 10 years, although he had originally planned to keep the current unit in service for 12 to 15 years. Given the current 36-month lead time for a new ambulance, ordering now would make the current ambulance approximately 14 years old at the time of delivery. Chief Weyker requested approval to commit to purchasing a 2029 AEV Traumahawk ambulance at a cost of $382,000, with payment due upon delivery in 2029. The quoted price includes the conversion from diesel to gasoline, custom paint, and a power cot system, which alone costs approximately $70,000. He noted that the current ambulance could either be sold for an estimated $30,000 to $40,000 or repurposed as a flatbed truck for use by the Department of Public Works. Trustee Abegglen asked whether the current power cot system would be compatible with the new ambulance. Chief Weyker replied that the existing power cot system was purchased used and is nearing the end of its service life. Trustee Syring asked whether vehicle age or mileage is the more important factor when determining replacement. Chief Weyker and Director Paulus explained that ambulance engines experience significant wear and tear due to the high-speed driving required when responding to and returning from emergency calls. Trustee Van Roo requested examples of the mileage at which neighboring communities typically replace their ambulances. Director Paulus, who also serves as an EMT, said some communities begin replacing ambulances with as few as 30,000 miles. He and Chief Weyker emphasized that an ambulance is a critical piece of life-saving equipment. Administrator Jenkins noted that the ambulance would be paid for with cash on hand upon delivery in 2029. Trustee Stowe expressed interest in exploring cost-sharing opportunities with neighboring communities that benefit from the village's ambulance service. Passed by 7-0 voice vote. c) Motion to Approve Notification of Joint ALS Paramedic Level Program Communities of 2027 Paramedic Budget made by Trustee Abegglen. Seconded by Trustee Stowe. Administrator Jenkins reminded the board that the Joint ALS agreement requires the Village to provide a draft budget to the participating communities by July 31 of each year. The draft budget allows for three part-time and three full-time paramedics that will provide 24-7 coverage to residents. Payroll, benefits, insurance, medical supplies, uniforms, and vehicle maintenance are accounted for. There was a 1% decrease in revenues. There is a $93,000 surplus this year, which is applied to the following year’s budget. Each community’s share will decrease by about 20%. As the increase is less than 6%, no vote from the participating communities is necessary. Trustee Stowe expressed interest in expanding collaboration beyond paramedic services. Administrator Jenkins shared the 2027 budget timeline, and he will be expecting department heads to cut 5% from their budgets. Passed by 7-0 voice vote. d) Motion to Approve 2027 Capitol Improvement Projects made by Trustee Franck. Seconded by Trustee Redmond. Administrator Jenkins shared that, beyond the $6.2 million earmarked for a potential WWTP upgrade, 2027 projects will be paid for with cash on hand, which was borrowed as part of the 2026 budgeting cycle. The projects include the purchase of a used crane truck from a neighboring community and the mill and overlay of Fillmore St. The approval of the CIP will help formulate the 2027 budget. Passed by 7-0 voice vote. e) Motion to Approve Resolution 2026-07: Pertaining to Special Weight Limitations on Fillmore Street and N. Milwaukee St made by Trustee Franck. Seconded by Trustee Stowe. Director Paulus said the base on Fillmore Street and North Milwaukee Street is falling apart. These roads are not heavy traffic routes but are trafficked regularly by farm equipment. The culvert was replaced this year and will mill and overlay Fillmore Street in 2027. To protect the gravel base, the new culvert and the new surface, Director Paulus requests that the board approve the resolution that restricts instruments of husbandry and commercial agricultural vehicles. Trustee Syring asked if there were exemptions for farming equipment on local roads in state statutes. Clerk Johnson responded that there is, however, local ordinance in conjunction with an exception in statute allows Director Paulus to implement special weight restrictions if he can illustrate deficiencies in the road. Trustee Redmond asked what kind of vehicles and with what frequency these roads are being travelled. Director Paulus stated that waste tankers filled with manure are driving to and from the fields. Passed by 7-0 voice vote. 8. Correspondence: None 9. Items for Future Consideration: None 10. Motion to Adjourn made by Trustee Abegglen. Seconded by Trustee Franck. Passed by 7-0 voice vote. Respectfully Submitted, Michelle T. Johnson Village Clerk