Town Board Meeting — Minutes

MEETING MINUTES TOWN OF LAFAYETTE Aug 18, 2025 5765 197TH ST. CHIPPEWA FALLS WI 54726 Call To Order / Roll Call - The meeting was called to order at 7:00 PM. A roll call was conducted confirming the presence of Supervisors Larson, Mathwig, Chair Staber, Clerk Konwinski and residents. Supervisor McIlquham attended via phone Absent: Supervisor Mark Brennan. Approval of Town Board Minutes - Supervisor Larson made a motion to approve the town board minutes from August 4, 2025, and the consent agenda for tonight's meeting, noting to remove the Bowe CSM agenda item. Mathwig seconded the motion. FINANCIAL REPORT - Chair Staber presented the financial report, noting that the ending balance on July 31 was $543,048.12. Bills for the evening totaled $279,479.60, with the largest being to Send Blacktop for $223,344.00. Chair Staber explained that the current balance was less than the amount of bills, so a transfer would be made from the pre -approved loan until the second half of the tax settlement payment is received later in the month. During this portion of the meeting, Supervisor McIlquham joined by phone. Supervisor Mathwig moved to approve the financial statement and pay the bills. Supervisor Larson seconded. The motion carried unanimously by roll call vote. PUBLIC COMMENTS A representative from Fall Fest approached the Board with two inquiries: 1. A request for the town to cover the cost of the band at $500, as it had done the previous year 2. Questions about insurance coverage for the festival, specifically whether the town's insurance would cover trips and falls on the premises during the event Chair Staber explained that since these items were not on the agenda, they could not be discussed at this meeting. He offered to add them to the agenda for the September 15 meeting, noting there would only be one meeting in September. The Fall Fest represe ntative confirmed this timing would work for their October 5 event. OLD BUSINESS Codebook Fee Schedule - Chair Staber explained that the fee schedule had been updated, and copies were mailed to all Board members. He noted a couple of changes had been made to the reserves and asked if there were any questions before submitting it to the attorney as part of the code book. Supervisor Mathwig pointed out a correction needed on the first line for the resident sticker, which should be increased to $10. Supervisor Larson moved to approve the fee schedule with the correction to the resident sticker fee. Supervisor Mathwig seconded. NEW BUSINESS Eckwright Rezone at 7109 Cty Hwy K from R2 to R1 - Chair Staber noted this item had been tabled by the Land Use Committee at its previous meeting. He expressed concerns about the long -range plans for the property and potential development. Mr. Pecca, representing the buyer, explained that he was purchasing 11 lots off County Highway K and 72nd Street. He presented a prelimi nary plan showing which lots would be developed first, with the remainder of the approximately 11 acres to be absorbed by the adj acent property owner, who owns an additional 20 acres alongside this property. Mr. Pecca clarified that they currently plan to develop only the 11 lots on 72nd St eventually, and the 3 lots on Highway K , first. The rest would remain undeveloped for now. When asked about stormwater management, Mr. Pecca explained that the lots on 72nd Avenue are higher than the ditch line, so runoff would go to the ditch on 72nd Avenue. He acknowledged that if the back portion is developed later, a stormwater management plan would be needed. Chair Staber noted that topographically, the 3 lots on Highway K are in the lowest portion of the 20 -acre parcel. Mr. Pecca confirmed this but stated they are only about 3ft lower than the surrounding area. Mr. Pecca emphasized that this was just a preliminary step to rezone the property from R2 to R1 before investing in a formal CSM and plat map. He mentioned that the county requires the re zoning before they will discuss the project further. Supervisor Mathwig noted that the surrounding area is mostly residential . He expressed support for rezoning to R1 (single-family) given the surrounding development patterns. Supervisor Mathwig moved to approve rezoning the property from R2 to R1. Supervisor Larson seconded. Motio n carried 3-1. Chair Staber clarified that while the rezoning was approved, the CSM would need to be reviewed by the Land Use Committee before coming back to the Town Board and then the county. Lis CSM at 17896 50th Ave from Ag to R1 - Chair Staber noted this item had been reviewed by the Land Use Committee, which recommended approval. Jason Heiss explained this was the old Metzenbauer property with access from 50th Avenue. He presented a sample layout showing potential development with a short cul-de-sac. He emphasized they would start with several CSM lots and might develop more in the future if demand was warranted , at which point they would go through the subdivision process with all its requirements. The discussion indicated this development is consistent with the town's comprehensive plan, as the surrounding area is already residential and no longer farmed. Supervisor Larson moved to approve the rezone for 17896 50th Avenue from Ag to R1. Supervisor Mathwig seconded. Lis CSM at 17894 51st Ave from Ag to R1 - This property was discussed alongside the previous item as they are related developments. The property is the old Kayleen property with access from 51st Avenue. Supervisor Larson moved to approve the rezone for 17894 51st Avenue from Ag to R1. McIlquham seconded. Chair Staber noted that both rezoning requests would go to the county on Thursday at 5:00 p.m. Bowe CSM- This item was removed from the agenda at the beginning of the meeting due to it not being in the Town of Lafayette. Town Communications from Board & Road Supervisors, Town Clerk & Town Chair Chair Staber reported that the recycling building was very full with computer equipment and other electronics. He would conta ct the recycling contractor to schedule a pickup and request more Gaylords (large containers) since all the current ones were full. Supervisor McIlquham commented on the large number of TVs being turned in, with Chair Staber noting this was preferable to finding them in ditches. Chair Staber also reported that all paving projects were complete except for the parking lot by the recreation building, whic h should be finished next week. Line painting would follow, with all work completed before fall soccer season begins. PRTLU Supervisor Faris provided a Parks and Recreation Committee update: • They are working on the annual rental facility survey • The Tourism Commissioner position needs to be filled; Sue Leonard provided a list of potential candidates with tourism-related businesses in Lafayette • Mark is working with a potential donor who would like to donate funds (up to $300,000) for a pavilion on town property that could be rented for family picnics and would include bathrooms Motion To Adjourn was made at 7:31pm Respectfully submitted by: Laura Konwiski / 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.