022526 _COW_Minutes

President Russ Gehm, called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. Gehm read the statement regarding the posting of the meeting. PRESENT: Andrew Court, Sean Falk, Russ Gehm, Brenda Staszak, Michelle Streetman, and Kay Zuleger. Excused: Matt Pleshek. AGENDA: Motion by Staszak, second by Streetman, to approve the agenda as presented and to deviate from the order as necessary. Motion carried unanimously. MINUTES: Motion by Zuleger, second by Court, to approve the minutes from the January 28, 2026 Committee of the Whole meeting as presented. Motion carried unanimously. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF CITIZENS AND OPEN FORUM. Jesse Rankin, Director of Municipal Operations; Keith Fischer, Police Chief; and Tim Novitski, Village Resident. Chief Fischer left meeting for a police matter at 6:02 p.m. COMMUNICATIONS: None REPORTS: Police Department Report. None. Fire Department Report. None. Clerk/Treasurer Report. Nothing new to report. Municipal Operations Department Report. Inspection warrants have been issued for the couple vacant buildings that would not allow the Village to come in. Inspections will take place this week. NEW BUSINESS: H1. Discussion and possible recommendation on placement of new playground equipment at Cedar Park. The playground equipment has arrived and is scheduled to be installed in May. Rankin presented three options for placement of the new equipment. Of the three options, number 1 is the best fit for the equipment. Option 2 could have problems with the current water and electric running underground in that area to the back ball diamond. Option 3 is close to the parking lot, but that area COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MEETING Wednesday, February 25, 2026 Village of Bonduel – Committee of the Whole Wednesday, February 25, 2026 Page 2 tends to flood and remain wet. The committee discussed the pros and cons of each location. Motion by Zuleger, second by Staszak, to recommend to the Board option 1 for placement of the new playground equipment at Cedar Park. Motion carried unanimously. H2. Discussion and possible recommendation on new playground installation and budget. The initial proposal for the playground equipment installation included a wood chip base, but Rankin has explored additional options for a pour-in-place rubber base. This alternative is not only handicap accessible but also offers a better surface, although it comes at a significantly higher cost. The plans for Cedar Park feature an accessible pathway from the parking lot, making it ideal for the base to be equally accessible. Originally, the budget was set at $200,000, but with the new base and extra work, the total is now estimated to be around $300,000. The Committee reviewed the current budget for the equipment, potential additional funding, and base options. The village has funds available from the closure of TID #1, along with park donations and cell tower revenue that could be used to offset the additional costs. The Village applied for a T-Mobile community grant last fall but was not awarded the grant. Village staff plans to resubmit the grant application with more detailed information in the first quarter of this year. The Committee talked about reaching out to local businesses with a donation letter to help raise extra funds. Motion by Zuleger, second by Streetman, to recommend to the Board to proceed with the installation of the playground equipment as planned in the budget, to approve a pour-in-place rubber base, and to reach out to local businesses for donations through letters. Motion carried unanimously. H3. Discussion and possible recommendation on utilization of 2013 squad. The new squad vehicle has been ordered, but the retired 2013 model was not brought up during budget discussions. In the past, older squads were stripped down and sold to the public, and this time, the retired vehicle will not be used as a trade-in for the new one. The Municipal Operations department is requesting permission from the Committee to keep the retired car as an extra vehicle for their use. The squad was initially bought using funds from the general equipment budget, which is not tied to any specific department. The Village will incur the cost to decommission the vehicle, whether it decides to sell it or keep it. The Committee talked about the low value of the squad and how it could be a helpful extra resource for transportation in Municipal Operations. Motion by Falk, second by Zuleger, to recommend to the Board to repurpose the 2013 vehicle as a Village Vehicle for Municipal Operations once it is taken out of service. Motion carried unanimously. H4. Discussion and possible recommendation on traffic code ordinance, Sec. 28-15 All-terrain/utility- terrain vehicle route changes. The current ordinance regarding all-terrain and utility-terrain vehicles specify that these vehicles cannot be used within the Village limits from 2:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m., with the exception of snow removal activities. Zuleger has asked that the Committee consider allowing these vehicles to be used on roads for commuting purposes. During discussions, the Committee questioned the necessity of having specific operating hours, noting that the original times were established as a precaution. They pointed out that other vehicles and motorcycles can operate at any Village of Bonduel – Committee of the Whole Wednesday, February 25, 2026 Page 3 hour, and many of them are significantly louder than UTVs. Any noise complaints would fall under police authority and be addressed as needed. Motion by Streetman, second by Falk, to recommend to the Board the elimination of section (c)(6) that limits hours in the traffic code ordinance Sec. 28-15 regarding all-terrain and utility terrain vehicle routes. Motion carried. Zuleger abstained. ANNOUNCEMENTS Upcoming monthly meetings were discussed. Tim Novitski left meeting at 6:30 p.m. H5. Closed Session. Motion by Court, second by Zuleger, to move to closed session for approximately five minutes to discuss possible developer’s agreement. Inviting Michelle Maroszek, and Jesse Rankin to attend. [Pursuant to Wis. State Statutes, Chapter 19, General Duties of Public Officials, subchapter V, 19.85 exemptions (1)(e) [Deliberating or negotiating the purchasing of public properties, the investing of public funds, or conducting other specified public business, whenever competitive or bargaining reasons require a closed session.] Roll call vote was taken. Court-Aye, Falk-Aye, Staszak-Aye, Streetman-Aye, Zuleger-Aye and Gehm-Aye. Motion carried unanimously. Committee moved to closed session at 6:32 p.m. Motion by Staszak, second by Court, to return to open session. Roll call vote was taken. Court-Aye, Falk-Aye, Staszak-Aye, Streetman-Aye, Zuleger-Aye, and Gehm-Aye. Motion carried unanimously. Board returned to open session at 6:46 p.m. Motion by Court, second by Staszak to adjourn. Motion carried unanimously. Meeting adjourned at 6:47 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Michelle Maroszek, Clerk/Treasurer