TOWN BOARD MEETING — Minutes

MEETING MINUTES TOWN OF LAFAYETTE MAY 4, 2026 5765 197TH ST. CHIPPEWA FALLS WI 54726 Call To Order / Roll Call: Chairman Staber called the meeting to order at 7:00 pm and confirmed that the meeting had been properly posted and noticed. Roll call was conducted with the following results: Chairman Staber, Brennan, Larson, Mathwig and McIlquh am present. Approval Of Town Board Minutes: The board reviewed the town board minutes April 20th, 2026 Regular Board Meeting & Current Agenda. Larson moved to approve the minutes and the regular board meeting agenda and Brennan seconded. Financial Report: None Public Comments: No public comments were received Old Business: Copier Supplier Contract: The board discussed the results of the copier supplier evaluation that had been delegated to Jami and Kathie at the previous meeting. It was recommended that the town purchase the AMC 400 copier at a price of $3,395. Jami reviewed usage data showing approximately 15,000 black-and-white and 7,500 color copies made in the past year and noted that clarification from the vendor on volume-based pricing tiers would be sought. The board found that outright purchase was better than doing a 60 month lease. The 5-year warranty, priced at $599, should be included with the purchase. The unit does not include 11×17 printing capability, but the board noted that an existing printer in back could serve that need. A motion to approve the purchase of the AMC 400 copier at $3,395 with the 5-year warranty was made by McIlquham and seconded by Mathwig. New Business Town Hall Paint Project: Two bids were presented for painting the Town Hall exterior: one from Kadlec Enterprises at $16,100 and a second bid from Metzenbauer at approximately $25,425. The board discussed an alternative approach: deferring the project by one year and instead re-siding the building with seamless steel siding, estimated at approximately $60,000. It was noted that the town had generated approximately $34,000 in interest from the tax account and non-tax revenues that could fund such a project. The consensus was that re-siding would offer significantly greater long-term value than painting, and that the town should solicit bids for re-siding in advance of next year. A motion to table the paint project and pursue re-siding bids for next year was made by Brennan and seconded by Mathwig. Joel Jacobson – Liquor License Adjustment Joel Jacobson appeared before the board to discuss proposed limitations to be added to on-premises liquor service under a Class B liquor license. Jacobson recommended the following per -person service limits: three 1.5- ounce pours of spirits, three beers, three 5-ounce glasses of wine, and one THC beverage not to exceed 10 milligrams. He explained the rationale for including THC drink limits, noting that while currently unregulated statewide, he felt a 10 -milligram cap was a responsible standard. The board discussed how these limitations would apply broadly to any licensee in the township — not just Mr. Jacobson — meaning the provisions would need to be incorporated as an amendment to the town's liquor license ordinance. It was noted that each licensee's specific outdoor service area would be described within their individual license, not in the ordinance itself. Regarding an outdoor service area, Mr. Jacobson indicated that a gated area adjacent to the building was being considered but might not be ready in the current season. The board emphasized that any outdoor serving area should be physically attached to the b uilding and that access should be controlled through the premises. The board directed that a formal ordina nce amendment incorporating the four product and serving-quantity limitations be brought forward at the May 18th meeting. A motion to amend the town's liquor license ordinance to add on-premises serving limitations as described — three 1.5-ounce spirits, three beers, three glasses of wine, and one 10-milligram THC beverage — was made by Mathwig and seconded by McIlquham. Open And Record Bid Amounts For Paving And Chip Seal Bids: The Chair opened and read aloud paving bids from three contractors and chip seal bids from two contractors. The following bid totals were recorded: Paving Bids- roads including 171st Street, 160th Street, 167th Street, 165th Street, 175th Street, 180th Street, 192nd Street, 53rd Avenue, and 59th Street/Avenue : • Senn Blacktop — Total bid: $556,261.42 • Chippewa County — Total bid: $547,006 • Monarch Paving — Total bid: $578,162.07 Chip Seal Bids- covering 210th Street, 50th Avenue segments, and 47th Avenue. • Chippewa County — Total: $104,132 • Scott Construction — Total: $84,568 • An additional bid related to crack filling was noted from Fahrner Asphalt Sealers at $50,982 with flex patch, or $25,905 without. The Chair indicated that all bid figures would be compiled into a spreadsheet and that the board would award contracts at the May 18th meeting. Annual Catfish Tournament Dates June 13th And 14th: The board reviewed the request for overnight parking at the boat ramp for the annual catfish tournament on June 13th and 14th. This has been approved in prior years without incident. Participation wa s noted to be approximately 50–60 boats. A motion to approve overnight parking at the boat ramp for the catfish tournament on June 13th and 14th was made by Brennan and seconded by Mathwig Yellow River: The Chair indicated that a preliminary plan for the Yellow River subdivision would be presented to the Plan Commission at its next meeting before returning to the Town Board on May 18th. It was clarified that the board had previously approved o nly the original plan to allow property sales, and that final plat approval — contingent on stormwater review — was anticipated at the June meeting. A motion to table the Yellow River agenda item until the May 18th meeting was made by Mathwig and seconded by Brennan. Ripplinger CSM: The applicant appeared before the board to describe the proposed Certified Survey Map adjustment. The change involved modifying the boundary of an existing lot by removing a corner area that had made equipment access difficult, incorp orating a septic syste m drainfield in the revised boundary, and designating the reconfigured parcel as a strictly residential lot. The lot was confirmed to be slightly over the required 8.5 -acre minimum. The CSM document had not been successfully attached to the agenda mailing, but a hard copy was circulated at the meeting. A motion to approve the Ripplinger CSM was made and seconded. The motion was carried by Larson and seconded by Brennan. Schley CSM Review: The applicant's representative explained that the owners wish to subdivide an approximately 40 -acre parcel into two lots: Lot 1 of approximately 9.5 acres to be sold, and Lot 2 retaining the remainder where the owners plan to build a new home. The lot configuration was largely determined by existing fence lines and the limited number of viable building sites on the property, wit h much of the surrounding land being swamp or farm ground. A motion to approve the Schley CSM was made by Larson and seconded by Brennan. Town Communications From Board & Road Supervisors, Town Clerk & Town Chair : Supervisor Larson raised the importance of inspecting and replacing culverts on roads scheduled for paving before work begins. The Chair confirmed this was the plan and noted that at least one new culvert near a church intersection had already been identif ied. It was also commented on the growth of Lafayette's recreational programs, noting that youth soccer participation in Lafayette had grown t o 438 players compared to 160 in Chippewa Falls — a reversal of historical trends. He encouraged continued communication with Chippewa Falls recreational directors to ensure city-based teams still have opponents and shared facilities are discussed cooperatively. He also referenced a past conversation with Liberty Christian about potentially sharing their green space adjacent to the ol d school for future athletic fields, noting it remains a viable long-term opportunity. Road Supervisor Mark confirmed that bleacher installation at the South Pole fields would begin the following day and be completed by Wednesday, funded through room tax revenue. Dumpster Discussion: The board discussed the recent spring cleanup dumpster event, expressing significant frustration with misuse. Issues cited included non-residents dumping large loads, construction debris being brought in by contractors, an excess of mattresses (estimated at 62–67), and materials left on the ground after the event closed at noon. An additional 30-yard roll-off container had to be called in after the event to handle overflow. The board discussed future changes including converting from a donation model to a required fee, restricting access to town residents only by verifying address, creating a prohibited items list, and possibly issuing advance notice through the newsletter that we will not have a spring cleanup in 2027. No formal action was taken, but the board agreed the program as currently structured would be reconsidered before next year. Town Chairman noted that zoning change requests and the Yellow River subdivision preliminary materials would be distributed ahead of the May 18th meeting. He noted the zoning requests involve commercially zoned properties seeking approval for vacati on rental (VRBO) use, including locations in High Shores and along 176th Street. Motion To Adjourn was made at 7:53 PM Respectfully submitted by: Jami Carter / Clerk These minutes are intended to reflect the discussed topics and propositions during the Lafayette Town Board Meeting, ensuring transparency and providing a clear understanding of the deliberations and decisions made.