Minutes

NOTICE TO RESIDENTS TOWN OF CRESCENT MINUTES FOR TOWN BOARD MEETING WEDNESDAY, JULY 9, 2025 6:00 P.M., CRESCENT TOWN HALL Board Members Present: Grady Hartman, Chair; Jonathan Jacobson, Supervisor; Mike Pazdernik, Supervisor; Tracy Hartman, Clerk; Carla Fletcher, Treasurer. Call to Order: Chairman Hartman called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. at the Crescent Town Hall. The meeting has been properly posted and distributed in accordance with the Wisconsin Open Meeting law and the facility is handicap accessible. The Pledge of Allegiance was recited. Approval of Agenda Motion by Pazdernik to approve the agenda. Seconded by Jacobson. All aye. Motion carried. Approval of Minutes Motion by Pazdernik to approve the minutes from the Monthly Town Board Meeting of June 11, 2025. Seconded by Jacobson. All aye. Motion carried. Public Comment – Michael Henry – 2877 S Rifle Rd – Concerned with the distances that were discussed at the last meeting and encouraged the board to protect the rights of the majority of the land owners that use the lake. James Gehrke – 6714 N Melody Ln. – Expressed concern regarding the comments that sediment will be stirred up and questioned what is in the sediment, stated that there isn’t enough information provided regarding the sediment. Stated that the AIS isn’t a concern. Spoke against the ordinance. Chris Korr – 3076 Wausau Rd – Stated Ad Hoc committee looked at all of the information that is available. Ad Hoc Committee came to the conclusion that 300 feet from shore and 20 foot depth was the way to go. Korr stated that wake boats don’t go to the narrower water. Mary Beth Mack – 3015 South Rifle Road – Agreed with comments made by Michael Henry and the board should be concerned with everyone on the lake. Mack stated that the phosphorus in the sediment is concerning and the aquatic invasive species have been an issue. Marjory Mehring – 2853 Bay Dr - A lot of money has been spent trying to control the Eurasian Mil Foil and this needs to be a consideration in the ordinance. Jerry Barnett – 7262 Long Lake Rd – Disappointed with the board and the vote at the last meeting. Gave statistics on the sizes of boats and stated that the wake on a boat of that size would not be the same as a fishing/speed boat. Questioned the distance from other boats. Jack Bertram – 7343 Lake Rest Rd – Member of the ad hoc committee and the recommendation was based on peer reviewed studies and there are no peer reviewed studies that talk about sediment. Concerned that the goal post for the ordinance keeps moving. Encouraged the board to follow the recommendations of the ad hoc committee. Terry Goldbach – 2704 Bible Camp Rd – Goldbach encouraged the board to delay a decision on the ordinance as it is too late to have an impact on the current boating season. Goldbach stated that this will give the board more time to look at the science. Lac Du Flambeau has banned wake boats on over 250 lakes on the reservation. Mindy Slominski – 2681 Long View Dr – Questioned what the ordinance will accomplish if it isn’t enforceable. Concerned it will create citizen arrests. Encouraged the board not to only look at AIS during the last year as there are many factors that impact this. Encouraged the board to not rush a decision. Erin Bertram – 7343 Lake Rest Rd – Asked if the goal is to be non-boat lake. Non-wake boats can make a wake with added weight in the boat. Encouraged the board to allow the state to pass a law. Jim Altenburg – 6652 Prune Lake Rd – Wake boats are 3% of the boating world but portrayed as 100% of the problem. Signage at the landing addressing the concerns and education is a good idea. Invasive species come from the fishing boat. Encouraged the two sides to respect each other. Not all wakes are created by ballasts. Brad Slominski – 2681 Long View Dr – This is a freedom of rights and everyone has a right to enjoy the water. Everyone should be aware while on the water. Agreed with the recommendations of the ad hoc committee. Robb J ensen – 3112 Pleasure Point – Stated that the town can move the Airport Road grant to another road which would allow the town to request an LRIP S grant. Janet Appling – 7324 Peninsula Road – The ordinance is a guideline to be used as a teaching tool for others on the lake. Education is important and should be done by the people inspecting the boats. Mark Markee – 2765 Bay Dr. – There needs to be inclusion of distance from other people on the lake. Open bids for 2025 Road Projects – Peninsula Road, N Wausau Road, Hixon Lake Road, Airport Road, Sunset Road and Birch Lane – Clerk Hartman opened the bids. The following bids were received: Company Airport Rd - All rejected Hixon Lake N Wausau Rd Penninsula Sunset Rd and Birch Ln Pitlik and Wick $ 11,600.00 Musson Brothers $ 67,628.52 $ 54,196.57 $6868.21 (14 foot rd) $9401.13 (20 foot rd) $ 84,632.18 American Asphalt $ 63,179.70 $ 53,514.64 $ 77,517.20 Northeast Asphalt $ 77,195.00 $ 52,573.74 $ 81,541.40 Oneida County $ 21,108.99 Clerk Hartman stated that there is $226,441 in the road budget for 2025 with the potential to include $27,000 for the Airport Road grant. Chair Hartman stated that there would need to be a survey of Wausau Road completed prior to the road work which may have an additional cost estimated at $2000. Motion by Hartman to accept the bid from American Asphalt for $77517.20 for Sunset and Birch Lane. Seconded by Pazdernik. All aye; motion carried. Motion by Jacobson to accept Northeast Asphalt bid of $52573.74 for Hixon Lake Rd. Seconded by Pazdernik. All aye; motion carried. Motion by Pazdernik to accept the bid from Pitlik and Wick for $11,600.00 for Peninsula Road. Jacobson stated that one coat of chipseal will offer some protection. All aye; motion carried. Discussion regarding Wausau Road. Discussion regarding completing a survey. Motion by Hartman to hire a surveyor to survey N Wausau Road. Seconded by Pazdernik. All aye; motion carried. Discussion regarding Airport Road. Discussion regarding deferring the grant to another road. Motion by Hartman to reject the bids for Airport Road. Seconded by Pazdernik. All aye; motion carried. Enhanced Wake Regulations and Potential Ordinance – Hartman stated that he continues to have concerns about enforcement and believes that the ordinance would be unenforceable. Hartman explained the logistics of enforcing an ordinance (electronic citations, time system, dispatch station, town attorney to prosecute, state statute that the ordinance cites). Hartman stated that even if the ordinance states enforcement it is only a suggestion and questioned the constitutionality of an ordinance. Hartman believes that the courts will weigh in on this in the next year or so and believes that the state will eventually take on this subject. Hartman believes this ordinance will only be a suggestion. Jacobson stated that at the last meeting there was agreement to write an ordinance at 300 feet from shore and 17.5 feet depth. Jacobson stated that there were optional ordinances created to be considered. Jacobson stated that the number of wake boat sales is less than 4% of boat sales and while he is taking the concerns seriously there needs to be prudent piloting on the lakes and responsibility for that is on the boat drivers. Pazdernik stated that it’s important to be respectful and consider everyone while looking at the ordinance. Jacobson agreed with the resident that education is important and thanked those that have volunteered at the boat launches. Hartman thanked Jacobson for the options that were created, however, he believes waiting and seeing is the option that he would choose. Jacobson gave a paraphrase of each option: Option 1 includes a restriction of 300 from shoreline and depth of 17.5 feet; Option 2 includes restricting boating hours for wake boats to the hours between 9:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays; Option 3 focuses on decontamination, however, this would require the purchase of equipment to clean boats prior to launch into the lakes; Option 4 is a hybrid which includes 300 feet from shore, 15-20 feet depth of water and decontamination prior to launch. Jacobson stated that the decontamination would need additional research into how to fund. Mack questioned what Jacobson came up with during his review of the data. Jacobson stated that in his review of the data the average wake hitting the shore from 300’ is 11 inches high which isn’t much different than a fishing boat at 100’. Jacobson questioned the degradation data. Jacobson stated that he isn’t opposed to seeing something done despite the data that he has read. Pazdernik expressed a concern with all four of the ordinances and would prefer a combination of option 1 and option 2. Pazdernik would prefer no wake boats on the lakes. Jacobson expressed concern with combining the two options. Discussion regarding the 4 options. Discussion regarding enforcement. Pazdernik doesn’t like the idea of moving this to a further meeting. Motion by Pazdernik to adopt option #1 of Ordinance #02–2025, Ordinance to Restrict Certain Enhanced Wakes. Seconded by Jacobson. Jacobson stated that the depth of water needs to be amended to a range of 15 – 20 feet. Pazdernik, aye; Jacobson, aye; Hartman, nay. Motion carried. Oneida County Amendment to Chapter 9, Article 5, Section 9.58 Tourist Rooming House of the Oneida County Zoning and Shoreland Protection Ordinance – Hartman presented a letter from Oneida County regarding the tourist rooming house ordinance. Hartman explained the proposed amendment. Pazdernik stated that historically feedback given hasn’t been acknowledged. Hartman expressed support for the change to the ordinance. Motion by Hartman to support the ordinance amendment. Seconded by Jacobson. All aye; motion carried. Crescent Volunteer Fire Department Training Center – Jacobson stated that this was a concept that was presented to the plan commission a few years ago and it was felt that this was a good idea. Presentation by Ryan Frahm, Lieutenant with the Crescent Fire Department, gave an overview of his history with the fire department. Frahm reported that the fire department is at a point where they do not have the facilities necessary to properly train. Frahm stated that the fire department would like to build a facility from two storage containers that would have windows and doors cut out, walls could be built and moved around. Frahm reported that this would be an area that they do not have to worry about damaging. Frahm stated that there will be signage for liability and locks placed on the doors. Frahm gave an overview of the facility and how it would be used by the department. Frahm reported that the benefit will be better trained first responders. Frahm stated that this would be at the old town dump and Frahm presented the board with renderings of the training center and gave an explanation of how the center would be used for education not only for the volunteer fire fighters but also for the community. Frahm stated that the training center has been moved off the dump site clay cap and moved to a different location on the property. Discussion regarding the requirements by the DNR. Frahm stated that the center will be locked. Discussion regarding funding. Frahm stated that there have been offers of volunteers to assist with preparing the site and offers of monetary donations. Frahm stated that there is a capital improvement fund that can be used to help with covering the cost. Motion by Jacobson to approve the location and the development of the training center for the Crescent Volunteer Fire Department. Seconded by Pazdernik. Hartman expressed a concern with building on the property without a town meeting for approval. Hartman would like to see confirmation from the DNR that the training center can be put where proposed, would like to see the proposed site staked and would like to see a zoning permit. Hartman would like to gather more information and move this forward. Hartman, nay; Jacobson, nay; Pazdernik, aye; motion carried. Operator’s License Applications – Motion Hartman by to approve the operator license application for Deshawn bills. Seconded by Pazdernik. All aye; motion carried. Driveway Application - None Future Meeting Dates and Agenda Items – August 13, 2025 Review Correspondence – None Approval of Vouchers/Adjourn - Motion by Jacobson to approve vouchers as submitted. Seconded by Pazdernik. All aye. Motion carried. Hartman adjourned the meeting at 8:17 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Tracy Hartman Municipal Clerk