Highway Committee Meeting — Minutes

Meeting Minutes HIGHWAY COMMITTEE TUESDAY, February 3rd, 2026, 6:00 PM TOWN CONFERENCE ROOM W3728 Franklin Walsh St. Zenda, WI. 53195 1) Call to Order: 6:00 pm 2) Roll Call: Palmer, Livingston, Polyock, Handel & Hayden. 3) Approval of meeting minutes: - Motion by Livingston, second by Handel motioned to approve the minutes from January 6th, 2026, meeting. Motion Carried 4) Comments from the public: None 5) a. Profit & Loss Statement - Zimmerman distributed revised profit and loss statements for January 2026 and full-year 2025. - Zimmerman informed the committee that the town's annual audit is underway this week, with site visits scheduled for the following week. - He noted that some expenses recorded at the end of 2025 and beginning of 2026 may be reallocated between fiscal years at the auditor's direction. Therefore, the numbers presented are preliminary and subject to minor adjustment. - No specific questions or concerns were raised by the committee. - No action taken. b. Monthly Highway Report – Matt Wittum reported: - Culvert Inspections: Wittum reported that the highway department has begun in-house inspections of all culverts that are not classified as bridges or part of the 6-20 program. The goal is to compile a comprehensive inventory, which will then be mapped using the town's GIS system. Lynch & Associates previously created GIS layers for completed drainage work and resurfacing; this culvert layer will be added. Regarding the 6-20 culverts, Wittum received the county's inspection inventory this week. He will review the data and bring forward specific culverts that require immediate attention. He offered to print hard copies for the committee or to email digital files. The committee indicated they trust Wittum to flag priority items. - Permit Fee Error: Wittum identified a calculation error in the new "Utility Construction in the Right-of-Way" permit fee formula. The current formula is nonsensical. He will review prior committee notes and return with a corrected fee structure for approval. - Road Damage Enforcement: A lengthy discussion ensued regarding the persistent challenge of recovering costs from private parties who damage roads. 1. The Problem: Wittum described chasing repairs from 2023, sending certified letters, and meeting with property owners with limited success. The dedicated "road damage" fund is being depleted twice as fast as it is replenished. 2. Proposed Solutions: Legal Protocol: Handel suggested seeking a clear, step-by- step protocol from Town Attorney Duquette for enforcement, including notice requirements and the process for placing a lien on a tax bill. Leverage Occupancy Permits: Wittum proposed that for new construction or total rebuilds, the town could withhold the Certificate of Occupancy until he signs off on the condition of the road and right-of-way. 3. Concerns: Polyock and Hayden questioned the cost-effectiveness of pursuing small claims, noting legal fees could eclipse repair costs. Hayden also cautioned against souring relationships with new taxpayers. - Tree Removal for Sight Lines: Wittum sought policy direction on requests to remove healthy trees from the right-of-way to improve sight lines for private driveways. Wittum has historically trimmed obstructive branches as a courtesy, which takes 10-15 minutes. However, recent requests have escalated to asking for multiple healthy trees to be removed entirely. 1. Committee Consensus: The committee agreed the town should not remove healthy trees for this purpose. The policy will be to trim obstructive branches as a courtesy but to only remove trees that are dead, diseased, or dying. Property owners are welcome to hire their own contractor to remove healthy trees at their own expense. - No action taken. c. Monthly Vehicle Maintenance Report - Polyock led a critique of the report, arguing that repair costs seemed excessively high for vehicles with low annual mileage (~7,000 miles across the fleet). He questioned why more repairs (e.g., welding, hydraulic motor replacement) couldn't be done in-house by staff and suggested exploring cheaper parts alternatives. - Wittum and Handel countered that labor rates are universally high ($110-$130/hour) and that certified welding is required for critical repairs. The discussion ended without a motion but reflected ongoing budget scrutiny. - No action taken. d. Updated Tractor Quote - Wittum explained the repair authorized in January (cap: $18,000) escalated when the shop discovered the contaminated hydraulic system had destroyed the final drive housing. The service manager stated that stopping work and reassembling the tractor in its current state would still cost $10,000-$15,000, leaving the town with a non- functioning asset. - Despite frustration with the rising cost, the committee recognized they were financially committed. Allan Polyock noted he had consulted a former service manager who verified the repair was legitimate, if expensive, and that the work would not detrimentally affect the tractor's long-term life. - Motion by Polyock, second by Hayden to recommend repair not to exceed $30,920.80. Motion carried. e. Manure Line - Wittum outlined that on 1/18/2026 a farmer (York's, using a Walters applicator) ran a manure transfer hose over Linton Road without notifying the town, creating a potential safety hazard and liability issue. - Members expressed concern about the hose catching on wide loads or plow wings. Wittum raised a potential scenario where a hose in a culvert could cause flooding and an accident. - Matt Wittum read the existing ordinance (S.3-13) which states, "No person shall erect or maintain any structure or thing on over or under any street... except by permit." - Allan Polyock advocated for a hands-off approach: no permit, making the farmer solely liable. - Alex Palmer and others leaned toward simply prohibiting hoses over the road entirely, forcing use of culverts. - No formal motion. The committee reached a consensus to not create a new permit. Instead, they directed staff to inform the farmer that running a hose over the road violates town ordinance, is not allowed, and that future manure transfer must use existing culverts. f. 2026 Ford F150 Plow Truck – Recommend approval for $2000.00 deposit to order cab & chassis - The committee reviewed a detailed proposal to order a new F-600 chassis ($77,775) for upfitting next year (total project ~$196,000), intended to replace Truck #17. - Polyock, Hayden, and Handel argued that Truck #17, a 2017 model with only 38,000 miles, is barely used and should last 100,000 miles with proper maintenance. They viewed the $200k expenditure as excessive for a lightly used truck, suggesting the capital plan should be re-evaluated to keep vehicles longer. - Livingston, Palmer referenced the Town Board's previous directive to maintain a newer, more reliable fleet with a scheduled replacement cycle (8-10 years for small trucks) to avoid high maintenance costs and ensure residual value. Palmer acknowledged the high cost but felt bound by the board's established capital philosophy. - Motion by Polyock, second by Handel to recommend to the Town Board that they do NOT purchase the new truck chassis. Vote: 3 in favor (Polyock, Handel, Hayden), 2 opposed (Livingston, Palmer). Motion carried. g. Drainage Projects Update - David Zimmerman distributed a new, comprehensive status sheet for all active projects (Armsby, Lackey Lane, South Lake Shore, Hillside Rd. bridge). The sheet outlined next steps and timelines. The Hillside Road bridge project is scheduled to go out for bid on February 11. No action was required 6) Date for next meeting: March 3rd, 2026 at 6:00 p.m. 7) Adjournment: Motion by Hayden, second by Handel to adjourn. Motion carried. Meeting adjourned at 7:05 PM. Minutes by Administrator/Treasurer - David Zimmerman