Planning & Development Dec 2025 Meeting — Minutes

Phelps Planning and Development Commission Minutes Tuesday December 9, 2025, 5:30 PM Phelps Town Hall, 4495 Town Hall Road 1. CALL MEETING TO ORDER: 5:32 PM 2. QUORUM OF MEMBERS’ PRESENT: Verified by Chair Sheehan. Chad and Eugene were excused. 3. VERIFICATION OF PUBLIC NOTICE Town Hall and Town Website 4. APPROVAL OF MINUTES of November 4th, 2025, regular monthly meeting: Motion to approve: Jon Ward ; second by Mark Neitzel; motion carried. 5. COMMUNICATIONS AND CORRESPONDENCE: DISCUSSION/ACTION ITEMS 6. THRIVE UPDATE: a. Next Steps: Thrive team is updating the Board and the Community on plans that were developed based on feedback from the community and their research. 7. PARKS DEPARTMENT: Chad was unable to attend the meeting due to unforeseen circumstances; most items tabled for next meeting. Dave Selby and Jim Hassinger attended remotely to provide recommendations on moving forward with the Shooting Range project in 2026 and into the future (see c. below for more details). a. Parks Financial Report: b. Park Supervisor Report: Schiessl-Moore ● Parks Report - Wavering Park & LPP ● Boat Landings – No Power Loading signs ● Trail Maintenance - c. Shooting range: Renovation Project Manager – Selby; It was Dave Selby’s recommendation that the Town hire a professional to take over the layout/design of the architecture. Per Jim Hassinger, an estimate of approximately $8,500 was provided. The strategy is to Master Plan into the future, for field archery, 3D shooting, sporting clays course, warming hut/club house, and a trap range. A committee has been formed to begin site development of the shooting range, keeping the above master plan goals in mind. Committee Members include: Jim Hassinger, Dave Selby, Josh Hedberg, and Gene Hojan. 2026 budget includes $50,000 to move forward with 3 rifle ranges, berms, and trap ranges. A survey of the site is being conducted by Hassinger. Gene Hojan will email TOPO map to Jim Hassinger. The group will meet again on Tuesday, January 30, 2026, at noon to begin work on the Master Plan. The Shooting Range project should begin by midsummer 2026. Gene Hojan made a motion to pay Vilas County for the Shooting Range maps; Supervisor Robinson seconded the motion. Motion carried. d. Lakefront Pines Park: Sod Installation has been budgeted for in 2026, along with concrete pads for Wheel Chair access and a covered Pavillion. e. Review Parks 5 year plan. Identify action items and timelines. Supervisor Robinson volunteered to put together a 5 year plan document that is comprehensive for the Phelps Planning Commission. This version was developed when there was a separate Parks Commission. She will have a draft workbook for Commission review at the February meeting. f. Military Creek Trailhead signage 8. CHAPTER FOUR OF THE TOWN OF PHELPS COMPREHENSIVE PLAN REVIEW AND COMMENTS: The topic is Utilities and Community Facilities; all members provided feedback; Maureen will compile notes, for this and all chapters. These notes will be used when the Commission conducts a second review of each chapter. The Comprehensive Plan is due for update in 2029. Next month the Commission will review Chapter Five: Transportation. Maureen informed the Commission that she had another meeting conflict in January, but that she will conduct her analysis, and Quita will provide her with the remaining Commission Members’ feedback. If you have any comments on any of the Comprehensive Plan, please contact Supervisor Robinson9. PLANNING SUBCOMMITTEE/COMMITTEE/WORK GROUP UPDATES: a. Housing Development Planning and CDA: Supervisor Robinson; Supervisor Robinson reported that the CDA will restart meetings starting in January. The Board was presented with a list of existing and new members for their approval at the November RTBM meeting. Sheryl will conduct oaths and issue certificates to those approved by the Board. If you are interested in becoming a member of the CDA please contact There is still room for more Commission Supervisor RobinsonMembers. b. Military Hill Forest Fire Lookout Restoration Project: Development of Cost Estimate from Structural Analysis Report – McCaslin ● The cost estimate was completed and payment of the QLS bill is being handled through the Fire Tower Reserve Fund. Next steps will include a formal fundraising strategy through partnership with the Phelps Area Community Foundation. ● Maureen motioned to approve the payment of the QLS bill, motion seconded by Jon Ward. Motion carried. c. Veterans Memorial: Site selection; no progress has been made as the committee has not met recently. Laura Mills and Michele Carter Cuthroff are the co-chairs of this committee. d. Broadband Status; Progress is still being made throughout the Town. e. Community Center Workgroup – Robinson, et al. updates are being provided weekly by Hoeft. f. Town Lakes Committee - Robinson; Supervisor Robinson reported that the Town Lakes Committee will be holding meetings between now and spring to develop a recommendation regarding the use of Wake Boats on lakes in the Town of Phelps. The Board asked for this action at their November RTBM. 10. SET DATE FOR NEXT MEETING: Tuesday January 6th, 2026 at 5:30 PM, Phelps Town Hall 11. ADJOURNMENT: Motion to adjourn the meeting by ; second by ; Chair Sheehan adjourned the meeting at PM. /s/ Maureen Robinson, Secretary ____________________________________________________________________________________ This meeting notice was posted at the Phelps Community Center/Town Hall and the Town website. (Notice is hereby given that a majority of the Town Board might be attending this meeting. This constitutes a meeting of the Town Board pursuant to the State ex rel. Badke vs. Greendale Village Bd., 173 Wis. 2d 553, 494 N. W. 2d 409 (1993), and must be noticed as such, although the Town Board will not take any formal action at this meeting.)