TOWN BOARD MEETING — Minutes

MEETING MINUTES TOWN OF LAFAYETTE MARCH 16, 2026 5765 197TH ST. CHIPPEWA FALLS WI 54726 Call To Order / Roll Call: Chairman Staber called the meeting to order and confirmed that the meeting had been properly posted and noticed. Roll call was conducted with the following results: Chairman Staber present, Brennan present, Larson absent, Mathwig present, and McIlquham present. Approval Of Town Board Minutes: The board reviewed the town board minutes from February 16, 2026, regular board meeting and the current agenda for approval. Mathwig moved to approve and Brennan seconded. Financial Report: Chairman Staber presented the financial report. The total amount was $369,566.13, with the largest check being $340,377 to Citizens State Bank covering two loans. After paying off the loans, the township has $1,045,713.22 available funds. Staber noted they were in good financial shape and mentioned that one of the expenses was for tires on truck number 1, which had over 30,000 miles. Moved by Supervisor Brennan, seconded by Supervisor McIlquham. Public Comments Chairman Staber read the standard public comment guidelines, noting there had been a recent change allowing for some review o f questions or comments, though the agenda format needed updating to reflect this change. A resident raised several concerns including questioning why the town loader had been observed traveling to deliver scrap metal when it could be more cost -effectively handled by having scrappers pick up materials and pay the township. The resident also inq uired about where firewood from tree cutting operations was going and expressed frustration about road maintenance practices, specifically questioning why culverts weren't properly inspected before road paving, leading to subsequent road damage. Chairman Staber responded that culvert inspections had been conducted Delmar Consulting for larger culverts over 6 feet in diameter, and they attempt to inspect other culverts before roadwork. He explained that certain items like refrigerators and dehumidifiers cannot go in the regular dumpster due to freon recycling requirements, with dehumidifiers costing residents $15 each at the Eau Claire recycling center and smoke alarms now costing $5 for recycling. Old Business Cemetery Ordinance from Aug 8, 2025: Chairman Staber noted that the cemetery ordinance approved in August 2025 needed signatures from all board members, as it had already been approved but required completion of the signing process. Liquor License - Possible Change to Allow On-Site Sales and Consumption of Single Shots: This item was brought forward by Joel Jacobson regarding the newly remodeled facility. The board had received a copy of an ordinance from Neenah, Wisconsin for reference, but Chairman Staber noted no specific changes were apparent. Since both Joel and his manager were in Kentucky for the week, they requested postponement. A motion was made to postpone item #2 under old business until the April 6th meeting. Moved by Supervisor McIlquham and seconded by Mathwig. New Business PRTLU Commissioner Application: The board reviewed applications from three current commissioners seeking reappointment: Jerry Zais, Scott Faris, and Doug Matthews. All three commissioners had expressed desire to continue serving, and the PRTLU commission had voted to recommend their reappointment. Supervisor McIlquham moved to approve the appointment of Doug Matthews, Scott Faris, and Jerry Zais to the PRTLU commission. The motion was seconded by Mathwig Chairman Staber mentioned that Yellow River Estates representatives should have attended but failed to appear. He informed them they would need to return to the PRTLU in April and then to the town board, as the township would not hold a special meeting to accommodate their oversight. While they could still proceed to the county for preliminary approval, final action would be pen ding approval from both township boards, likely delaying final plat approval until June. Town Hall Paint Quotes: Chairman Staber presented quotes for painting the town hall siding, explaining that simple pressure washing wouldn't be sufficient for the failing areas. Two quotes were received: one from Dave Kadlec for $16,100 for pressure washing and painting, and another from Metzenbauer Painting and Finishing for $25,425, which included pressure washing, scraping and sanding failing areas, masking, priming, and applying two coats of paint. A siding replacement estimate was also obtained for $53,229.45. Staber recommended using the approximately $43,000 in interest earned on the tax account to fund the painting project . Board member Mathwig expressed concern about the high cost, noting that he had painted his own house and garage for about $3,000 in paint costs and questioning how the quotes reached over $20,000 for the town hall. Dave Kadlec, who was present, defended his approach of power washing as sufficient and offered to adjust his quote to include additional sanding and prep work if desire d. After discussion about warranties and the different processes proposed, the board decided more specific parameters were needed in th e bidding process. A motion by Mathwig was made to reject the current bids and reopen for bids with more specific requirements. Brennan seconded. The rebidding will be scheduled for the second meeting in April, coinciding with the annual meeting on April 20th. Sandra Harvey Rec Area Shooting Concerns: Chairman Staber reported a complaint from Doug Miller regarding a home being hit by gunfire, apparently coming from the area near the Sandra Harvey recreation area. However, Staber clarified that the recrea tion area has a no-shooting ordinance, and rifle discharge is prohibited in that area. The township can only control shooting in developed areas like Lemay Acres and the Sandra Harvey area itself, which is township land requiring permission to hunt (currently only bow hunting is permitted). Since the shooting appeared to originate from outside the controlled area, the township has no jurisdiction ov er that location. No action was deemed necessary. 2026 Resolution Push: Chairman Staber and Town Clerk, Jami Carter attended the Wisconsin Towns Association meeting in Eau Claire, where they learned about a statewide resolution requesting increased state support for road maintenance costs. The as sociation is seeking resolutions from every town to demonstrate the gap between current state funding increases and actual road construction costs. Staber provided historical bidding data spanning 15 years showing that annual funding increases no longer cover the actual co st of road maintenance. The Towns Association plans to present these resolutions to legislators seeking additional funding with established annual rate increases. The response has been positive at association meetings throughout the state . Mathwig moved to support the resolution. Brennan seconded. Eagle Scout Project: A young man presented his Eagle Scout project proposal to construct benches for the disc golf course at the recreation area. The project would involve building approximately 10 treated lumber benches to be placed strategically throug hout the course, with two benches at hole 1 and one bench periodically at other holes. This addresses requests from disc golf course users who have commented about the need for seating. The project had previously been presented to the PRTLU Commission and would be conducted under Mark's guidance for coordination with township operations. Brennan moved to approve the Eagle Scout project to move forward with constructing benches for the disc golf course. The motion was seconded by McIlquham. Preliminary Approval for Altoona to Join Chippewa Fire District: Chairman Staber provided a comprehensive overview of Altoona's proposal to join the Chippewa Fire District. The city of Altoona approached the fire district about six weeks ago s eeking feasibility for joining, primarily for EMS service but also including f ire service. This stems from their dissatisfaction with rate increases from Eau Claire and the city's unwillingness to negotiate. The proposal involves Altoona joining the existing fire district rather than disbanding and reforming. The city would contribute approximately $1,600,000 annually and bring about 9,000 residents to the district, which currently serves about 14,000 residents across Lafayette, Lake Hallie, Hallie, and Howard townships. Altoona currently has no EMS ambulances and relies on Eau Claire, with only EMRs rather than EMTs or paramedics. The fire district would staff one ambulance with a 24/7 duty crew requiring 7-8 additional employees who would need to meet the district's qualifications and pass fire and police commission requirements. Benefits to the fire district include the capability to add a third full-time duty crew at station 1 in Hallie while maintaining the Lafayette crew. The district's annual increase would be reduced from the current 5.5% (CPI plus 3%) to approximately 3.7% with Altoona's participation. Altoona would be covered by a 3% annual cap for five years if they receive innovation grant funding. EMS call volume has increased from 1,093 responses in 2024 to 1,239 in 2025, while Altoona handles approximately 1,250 responses annually. The district's transfer revenue has declined as Mayo and Marshfield now have their own ambulance services. If approved, Altoona would receive about $2,400,000 in innovation grant funding to purchase a ladder truck and two new ambulances, though the total may not cover all equipment given ambulances now cost $400,000 -450,000 each. The fire board attorney Dave Raihle Law is working with Altoona's attorney to finalize an MOU, which should be completed and reviewed by the fire board the following day. Each participating municipality must approve the MOU before the March 31st deadline, and if any municipality declines, the entire proposal fails. Board members raised questions about patient hospital choice policies, response protocols, and financial calculations. Fire personnel confirmed that patients choose their destination hospital, and the dist rict would not shortchange existing residents' emergency response to serve Altoona. Discussion included the possibility of disbanding and reforming access to additional grant funding of about $1,000,000 annually, but this was deemed inadvisable due to legal requirements that all employees would lose seniority and need to reapply under curre nt state statutes, according to the police and fire commission's labor law attorney. Motion: McIlquham moved to continue negotiations to explore the proposal. The motion was seconded by Mathwig Town Communications from Board & Road Supervisors, Town Clerk & Town Chair Supervisor Brennan: Asked about property development behind his residence, noting extensive surveying activity including NSP flagging, numerous people placing stakes and markers, and daily activity for the past 10 days. Chairman Staber confirmed the property owner can conduct surveys and preliminary work but cannot begin excavation without board approval. The preliminary sketch shows 21 lots, with formal plans expected in April or May. Brennan also announced he has accepted a position coaching girls' softball for the Chippewa Falls School District, with tryouts starting after spring break and the season beginning in April, which will keep him very busy through May. Supervisor Mathwig: Reported that the PRTLU Commission approved installation of concrete pads under the family bleachers on the softball field at a cost of approximately $4,200. Also noted that the first spec home in the new development on 72nd Avenue and K has already sold before completion, indicating strong demand for new housing that will significantly impact on the township's equalized value. Chairman Staber: Announced receipt of a thank you card from a resident on 59th Avenue West for keeping the railroad crossing on 167th Street open. The railroad plans to install a signal crossing using federal rural highway funding during the summer. Discussed plans to address flooring issues in the recreation building bathrooms, with quotes to be obtained for improvement work. Road Supervisor: Confirmed crews were out at 10 PM Saturday night for snow removal, with additional work Sunday at 6 AM and Monday night at 2 AM to maintain road conditions. Plans were made for additional equipment deployment on 160th and 50th Avenue. Motion To Adjourn was made at 7:58 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.