September 8 draft minutes

Regular Board Meeting Tuesday, September 8, 2026 Townsend Town Hall 6:00pm Chairperson Monica Zeller called the meeting to order at 6:00pm Roll Call: Supervisor Chuck DeMoulin, Supervisor Willie Evans, Treasurer Beth Hartman, Clerk Linda Ziegler, and for the last time, Chairperson Monica Zeller. 26 Citizens Verification of proper agenda notice: Ziegler posted the agenda on September 2, 2026 at the Townsend Post Office, Townsend Town Hall, Laona State Bank, Townsend branch, and www.townsendwisconsin.org Evans made the motion to approve the agenda, 2nd by DeMoulin – M/A Motion made by Evans to accept the minutes of 2026 2 nd by Zeller– M/A Treasurer’s Report – Hartman gave a P&L budget performance report. Current funds available are $418,648.00. The towns portion of the new ambulance has been paid for out of the allocation fund. The town received $250,000.00 for the August tax settlement and sold the John Deere power mower. Motion by Evans to approve the report and pay all the bills, 2nd by DeMoulin – M/A Ambulance Report – Report on file. Janet Opeila reported 23 calls, including 10 with no transport. Weinerfest was a great success, raising more than $16,000.00 for each ambulance service. Four new as-needed staff members are filling full-time shifts. The new ambulance has been delivered and is in service, and the old ambulance was used as a trade-in. Fire Department – Report on file. Chief Dawn Herlache reported four calls since the last meeting. Townsend and Lakewood are developing a 2027 staffing proposal to provide a firefighter/driver operator on call 12 hours a day, seven days a week. This is expected to be the first step toward becoming a combination department. Townsend remains part of the Nicolet District for structure fires. FOTF – Vice Chair Joe Heyrman reported that the corn roast at the Olive Pit was a great success and thanked patrons for their generosity. The SuperValu round-up in July raised $6,000.00 for the Townsend Fire Department. He also thanked John Zeller for his key role in establishing the bylaws and guidelines for Friends of Townsend Fire. The open house will be on October 10 along with the Chili Cook-off. Lake Country Library – Report on file. Kathleen Marsh stated that the solar panels continue to provide savings. Sally Bowers reported that the Lakes Country Library Board approved hiring Ms. Shelia Collins as the new director. Ms. Collins currently lives in North Dakota and has ideal credentials and qualifications. Her starting salary will be $47,000.00 per year. Marsh also noted that, after a meeting with Oconto County to revisit library system consolidation, the county withdrew its position and left the joint system unchanged. NOCCO – no report Permits/Licenses – 2 operators license were presented. Ziegler did the necessary background checks. Zeller made the motion to approve both licenses, 2 nd by Evans – M/A Business: 1. Application for Placement of a Pre-existing Dwelling. Drew Zelle, Vice-Chairperson of the Planning & Zoning, explained that the Pieper family plans to replace the existing 1971 mobile home on its property with a 1991 mobile home in excellent condition. The electrical system and roof have been brought up to code, and photographs of the dwelling’s interior and exterior were provided. The family has consulted Oconto County Zoning and the building inspector about preparing the site and has completed a soil test and POWTS evaluation. Planning & Zoning recommends that the Townsend Town Board waive the current dwelling standards in Oconto County Ordinance 14.427 and allow placement of the mobile home at 17429 W. Burnt Dam Rd. DeMoulin made the motion to approve the placement of the mobile home, 2 nd by Zeller – M/A. 2. Land Division Application for Boscol LLC—Parcels 042-333306224D, 042-333306324B, and 042-333305121B. Zelle explained that the owners propose eliminating five lots at the south end of Parcel 042-333306224D and realigning the area as Lot 1. The August 3 meeting established the preliminary State Plat, which remains valid for three years. This plat would serve as the final State Plat at this time. Planning and Zoning are recommending the Townsend Town Board approval of the updated plat. DeMoulin made the motion to approve the updated plat, 2nd by Zeller – M/A 3. Road Work updates – Red Maple and Aspen Lane will be completed by Saturday along with the area of the dry hydrant at Pickerel Lake. The road crew was thanked for grading Rocky Ln and Spring Lake Rd. DeMoulin reported that Bob has secured a new type of grader blade which allows road grading even in very dry conditions. Damage to Nicolet Road will be patched this, with resurfacing planned as part of the 2027 projects. 4. 2027 Budget Work Session are scheduled for 10am on October 7, 14 th and 21st. 5. Filling Chairperson Vacancy – Monica Zeller gave her resignation August 17, 2026, effective September 9, 2026. Evans made the motion to appoint Chuck DeMoulin as Chairperson, 2 nd by Linda Ziegler. 6. Board member applicant and appointment process – to fill the town Supervisor position, Ziegler will put out a notice for applicants to submit a letter of interest and brief resume by 9am September 22, 2026. At a posted meeting, the town supervisors and the clerk will review the applications and vote to appoint a community member. Public Comment: Kathleen Marsh read a letter the Lakes Country Library Board sent to John and Monica Zeller, thanking them for their service to the community and wishing them luck in their ventures. Correspondence: n/a Announcements: Farwell reception for Katie Esserman’s at the library September 18, noon – 2pm 7-Town’s meeting October 7, Town of Brazeau Chili Cookoff and FOTF open house October 10 Motion to adjourn: Zeller made the motion to adjourn at 6:48, 2nd by DeMoulin – M/A Draft subject to approval by the town board