Regular Town Board Meeting — Minutes

TOWN OF NEW GLARUS Wednesday, September 10, 2025 @ 6:00 PM Location: New Glarus High School Auditorium 1701 2nd St., New Glarus, WI Members in attendance: Chair Narveson, Supervisor Streiff, Supervisor Pauli, Supervisor Pernitz, Deputy Clerk Treasurer Kramer, Clerk Treasurer, Margo McMicken Others in attendance: Alice Bertelrud, Kelly Ruschman, Kim Foster, Wynn Foster, John B. Ott, Larry Kubehl, Alex Esser, Sally Lamp, Bob Borucki, Brandon Eichelkraut, Dale Hustad, Audra Johnson, Angela Swectioor, Brendon Rupnow, Judy Wild, Tammy Narveson, Len Rausch, Dave Hiller, Diane Hiller, Russ Moser, Andrew D. Peterson, Lynn Paron, John Schadewalt, Ann Endrulat, Dan Gartzke, Mary Anne Oemicken, Troy Bader, Jody Hoesley, Don Hirsch, Carol Hustad, Jeff Hustad, Harry Pulliam, Grace McLaughlin, Mary Funseth, Sue Moen, Danielle Travis, Kelly Butler, Rob Einer, Beth Karr, John Kennelly, Robert Rudd, Mitch Schudewalt, Susan Crum, Corinne Ness, Jeff Ness, Penny Michael, Chuck Sasso, Vicki Sasso, Judith Blank, Ken Johnson, Ruth Elmer, Rob Roeady, Dave Lamp, Taylor Disch, Denise Klassy, Linda Disch, Dale Wild, Doug Evanson, Lisa Martin, Chad Martin, Rebecca Streiff, Diana Myer (sp), Tracey Schwalbe, John Palmer, Mary Palmer, Trevor Pernot, Bo Eichelkraut, Mike Nevil, Paul Burk, Drew Delforge, Nan Rudd, Nathan Ramsay, Shawna Wettach, Tim Mihael, Shelley Ferguson, Brett Eichelkraut 1. Chair Narveson called the meeting to order at 6:03 p.m. After calling the meeting to order, Chair Narveson reviewed the Roberts Rules of Order. 3 minutes for public comment. He also reminded the group that there would not be any voting or decision to approve opening the roads to ATV and UTV traffic. The agenda item is to set a date for a special meeting for Town of New Glarus residents to express their opinion and vote by raised hand as to whether to open the roads to ATV and UTV traffic. The board will then make the final decision if the roads will open to ATV and UTV vehicles. 2. Clerk Treasurer McMicken confirmed proof of posting on September 4, 2025. a. Six candidates have applied to fill the open 4th Supervisor position. As had been done in the past, the Board will choose the best candidate to fill the position. 3. Public Time: Kelly Ruschman expressed his concern for opening the roads to ATV/UTV traffic. In 2024 there were 316 related deaths. It is clear that the number of deaths is rising. Not wearing seat belts and alcohol use are a concern. Unfortunately, OWI’s do not appear on driving records. Is County H and safer than County N? Fast cars and UTVs and ATVs are not a good mix. Think about what the right decision is. It’s clear the right decision is to not open the roads to ATVs and UTVs. Grace McLaughlin W5120 Co Rd W is opposed to these vehicles using the Town roads. These vehicles are not designed to use on public roads. There are many blind spots and poor shoulders on County W. There is a lot of bicycle traffic and motorcycle traffic. The Rustic roads are designed for folks to drive slowly and enjoy, not to be clogged up with ATV/UTV traffic. The Village is already overcrowded with traffic and parking during festivals. There is no parking for trucks with trailers hauling ATVs and UTVs. Please do not open this township to ATVs and UTVs. Mary Anne Omicken stated that the Town Board failed to pass a motion to conduct a survey of all town residents even though I and many other residents supported conducting a survey. Mary Anne went on to explain the free survey that the UW Extension can offer along with the process and its successes. “The town board may not change their mind about conducting a survey.” Mary Anne asked that the Board not schedule this special meeting in December unless they want minimum participation. Everyone is busy preparing for holidays. It is not easy to reschedule family gatherings, school or church functions. Why can’t the Town Board do both a survey and hold a special meeting? Mary Anne urged the Board to schedule the special board meeting in January so maximum people can attend. Rob Reiner, W6548 County Road H, Regarding the special meeting, can the Board make sure there are special controls in place to assure that only Town of New Glarus residents are voting. Chair Narveson confirmed that residency will be confirmed as directed by the Town’s legal counsel. Also, drafts of the minutes from the previous meeting used to be posted right away when John Wright was clerk. Why are the drafts not posted anymore? Chair Narveson explained that drafts are not posted as there could be changes to them that could cause confusion. We will take this into consideration. Dale Hustad N9525 Hustad Valley Road. I went to the Plan Commission meeting on September 8, 2025. On the agenda were 3 land divisions. Two of the land divisions were reviewed and quickly addressed. Larry Kubehl’s Country Haven was the third land division on the agenda. The Plan Commission took over a year to develop the land division ordinance in 1996-97. At least two developments Highlands and Windmill Ridge, were platted before the ordinance, so they were able to get more buildable lots. Country Haven was started before the land division ordinance was in place. At the time, the Board gave Larry additional time to begin. He has received a lot of good will from the Board through the years. It is important that potential buyers are put on notice of the agreements Larry has with the Town and how common space is used and maintained. The agreements must be recorded. This has gone on for 25 years through multiple boards and attorneys. All the good will, will disappear once Larry is no longer the developer. A revised plat and developers agreement need to be finalized. The Board and Larry need to deal with this now and not keep kicking the can down the road. Dave W7038 Farmers Grove Road Please describe the process and what will it be based on primary concern on Farmer’s Grove Rd screeching tires cars racing sitting on the back no enforcement kids riding ATVs are not reported what makes the board think that an ordinance will be enforced bicyclists riding 2 & 3 abreast. Nothing has been said about this. What will the cost be. Do the roads have to be changed? We are to have another meeting; it will not be a public hearing. Only the board can open or close the roads to ATVs and UTVs. We would have liked to put it on the ballot for the last general election, however, that was taken away from us as laws changed and only items of financial impact can be put on a ballot. It was voted at the last meeting, similar to what they did in Brooklyn, that there would be a vote by show of hands. Regarding enforcement, the Town is not a law enforcement entity. Assuming the Town would adopt an ordinance mirroring the Green County ordinance, the Green County Sheriff’s Office would enforce the ordinance. Keeping the hours of operation at 4am – 10pm will hopefully keep ATVers and UTVers from bar hopping. Jeff Ness Farmers Grove Rd: Mr. Ness apologized for his action at the last meeting. Chair Narveson appreciated his apology. 7-8 years ago opening the roads to ATVs and UTVs was voted down. We moved here because it was pristine and quiet. ATVs and UTVs can only bring noise pollution and increase the amount of traffic, this is not necessary. Other routes are available. The Village is not open. There is no benefit to open the roads. I can hear a bike coming from a quarter mile away. A bicycle sounds beautiful. ATV’s and UTV’s is not a beautiful noise. Why don’t they talk to farmers to use the snowmobile routes. This Town is no place for ATV’s and UTVs. Audra Johnson, County Rd O: So, no enforcement and sighting safety issues has been brought up. I hear bicyclists a quarter mile away screaming at each other. That just annoys me. But they have the right to use whatever mode of transportation they can afford to buy. Trailering to other parts of the county is ridiculous. We are not God. We live in America. We should be able to utilize what we pay taxes for and use whatever mode of transportation we choose. Who are we to say that people with ATVs and UTVs are not responsible. That is disgusting and awful. Susan Crum, County Road N: Ms. Crum apologized for redundancies. As a past Town of New Glarus board member, the Board is not doing their due diligence. They are not providing any safety studies or facts regarding the effects of opening the roads to these vehicles. ATV and UTV manufacturers do not recommend the use of these vehicles on roads. At the last meeting they voted to not conduct a survey. Is this because a board member had a list of 150 residents that he claimed wanted the roads opened to ATVs and UTVs. After gaining access to this list a small group of residents reviewed the list and discovered that some of the names were not residents and/or didn’t want to be on the list, and one person asked to not be on the list but was. Was the board ready to act from this list? The Board is not showing transparency. Does the board want to hear from constituents? What is clear is that there are a few that want the roads opened for their own benefit. There is a working petition that will be formerly submitted later to the clerk. The DNR reports that deaths are increasing as municipalities open their roads. It is the duty of this Board to keep the roads safe. ATVs and UTVS on New Glarus roads is a wreck less choice. John Shadewalt N7077 Valley View Road. UTVs are not as bad as people say. There are 27 deaths as of August. Of the 27 deaths, 6 were on public roads, the rest were on trails, private land or frozen water. Whether New Glarus Town opens the roads or not, they will not be able to control what happens on trails, private land or frozen bodies of water. In 2024 there were 40 deaths, 12 were on public roads, the rest were on trails, public roads, or frozen bodies of water. There was a letter to the editor in Verona about bicyclists using public roads. I am not a fan of bicycles on the roads, but I have learned to accept them. Bicyclists feel they have every right to use public roads. ATVs and UTVs have the right to use public roads also. Angie: Who pays for the maintenance? The ATV and UTV clubs pay for all signage. The ATV/UTV Clubs pay for signage. Nathan Ramsey W6114 Legler Valley Rd.: The last meeting turned down a survey. Why was it turned down? Would they be willing to do a survey now? Let’s have a survey. The decision of the board was to move to a meeting and not do a survey since the response from a survey is typically very light. Everyone has their opinion on the amount of response. Why are we doing this over again? Chair Narveson responded that things have changed. This is a different environment. No other towns were open at the time this brought in 2017. At that time a thorough way was presented that went through the Town. This was presented to begin discussions and probably was not well thought out. Concern was brought to the attention of the board that there was no notice to the public about this subject. No one is going to argue that mistakes weren’t made. There was no malice intended. Now the discussion is to open all roads in the Town and that is what will be voted on. The map on the Green County website does not show accurate information as to what roads are open. Chair Narveson will look into this. Ellis Burton, W5759 Co NN asked if NN would be opened. This is a County Road. The DNR would not be able to stop the County from opening NN. There are over 10,000 vehicles that travel that road per day. There are some places that should not be open. All roads will be in the discussion. 4. The minutes from August 13 and August 29th were presented. Supervisor Streiff made a motion to approve both sets of minutes. Supervisor Pauli seconded the motion. All were in favor. Motion carried. 5. The letters of interest for the 4th Supervisor position were presented. The Board will hear from each applicant and take possible action. Each applicant may have 3 minutes to present their qualifications. Each Board member has copies of all letters of interest and has review them. At the end of the presentations, the board will vote on an applicant. The new Board Member will not be seated until the next board meeting. 5-1.Rob Ready began: He has lived N9050 Hwy O, New Glarus. A letter of interest along with a resume and experience was sent to the Board. For the last 42 years he has been involved in Fire and EMS. He then read his letter of interest. I hope this message finds you well. My name is Rob Ready, and I am writing to express my interest in applying for the open Fourth Supervisor Seat on the Town of New Glarus Board. I have proudly resided in the Town of New Glarus since 2001, and I am enthusiastic about the opportunity to serve our community. I am committed to addressing the concerns and needs of our residents, and my participation on the Town Board will enhance the decision-making process regarding critical issues such as rural broadband and infrastructure development. My goal is to help shape policies that best serve the interests of our community. Throughout my career, I have gained valuable experience by serving on various professional and community boards. This experience has equipped me with the skills necessary to work collaboratively with diverse stakeholders, evaluate priorities effectively, and manage processes related to finance, logistics, operations, and planning. If I were chosen to fill the open board position. I will diligently fulfill the responsibilities associated with the position of Town Supervisor and dedicate myself to promoting the best interests of the Town of New Glarus. Thank you for considering my application for this important role within our community. I look forward to the opportunity to contribute positively to the Town of New Glarus. Thanks everyone for coming to the meeting. “Applause”. 5-2.Drew DelForge presented his letter of interest. He has been a Green County resident for 35 years and was previously from Milwaukee. He had a private general dentistry business for 26 yrs in Monroe. For the last 8.5 years he has been working for the State of Wisconsin. He is well versed in parliamentary processes. He would like to see more transparency and efficiencies. Dr. DelForge would like to work to move forward and have listening sessions along with having meetings recorded and be available remotely. The Board needs to be fiscally accountable. Dr. DelForge moved to New Glarus in 2002. The Township is not the same as in 2002. The goal is to work for 60% - 70% of our township. Dr. DelForge asked if the board had any questions. Chair Narveson interjected that the Town of New Glarus is the only Town in Green County that does present their meetings on Zoom. However, this was discontinued when the offices were moved, as the temporary offices and meeting rooms do not have this capability. When we get a meeting room back, the meetings will be presented again virtually. “Applause”. 5-3.Alex Esser, W6681 Farmers Grove Road. Alex has lived here 20 years and has 2 young children. He is proud to make this community his home. Alex is currently a Senior Project Manager at Pieper Power where he oversees large scale commercial and industrial projects totaling more than $100 million. He is responsible for budget management, fiscal responsibility and strategic decision making that would directly parallel the demands of the Town Supervisor. What motivates me the most is to serve my neighbors. I don’t see this role as a title but a responsibility to represent the community fairly, listen openly and ensure every decision reflects the best long-term interests of the taxpayers. It is important to preserve the rural character along with planning for responsible growth. With my experience managing complex projects and budgets, and as a parent with two children in the school district, I understand how important it is to make thoughtful, balanced choices that strengthen our community today while preparing for the future. I would bring three things to the position: financial accountability, community perspective and forward thinking. “Applause” 5-4.Dan Gartzke, W6691 Legler Valley Rd. Mr. Gartzke has been a resident of the New Glarus community since 1988, and a resident of the Town of New Glarus since we bought our land on Legler Valley Road in 2012. We then built our house in 2015. My wife and I raised our 3 children in the New Glarus School District. I am a lawyer. I practiced in Monroe from 1993 to 2002, 2002 – 2016 in my own firms and since 2016 I have worked with Boardman Clark out of Madison. I filled out a term on the Village Board for about 9 months in 2010 and on the Joint Town and Village Committee for about 3 years while we tried to work out a cooperative agreement. I served as co-chair of the New Glarus Library Capital Campaign from about 2013 to 2016. My philosophy is not just majority rules, it also not about maximum freedom. I think it is about what benefits the community. You must be prepared to decide against your own specific interests. No body gets everything they want; some people must compromise. There is always the possibility of disappointment. If someone can rationally show me why a change is needed, or a particular ordinance is needed I would support that. The elephant in the room is the current ATV/UTV issue. Hours of operation 4am – 10pm, 7 days per week including county roads, but no state roads I cannot support that format. There are formats that I could possibly support. (Three minutes were up) “Applause” 5-5.Dale Hustad, N9525 Hustad Valley Rd., I am a lifelong resident, registered voter and property taxpayer in the Town of New Glarus making me eligible for this position. I have been on several local boards and lastly, I was this towns attorney for 15 plus years. My familiarity with existing procedures, ordinances and history will minimize the time to come up to speed. My reason for seeking this position is there are several issues before this board that I would like to be part of the gathering of additional to information as well as additional input from our constituents to make decisions that are a benefit to the town. As to the ATV/UTV issue, the Town Board is responsible for the health and safety of the Town and town roads are under your control. Mr. Hustad read an article published by the U.S. Products Safety Commission on the issue of ATV/UTV’s on paved roads. I have safety concerns about this issue. These issues need to be sorted out and addressed. There is time to address this issue in a thoughtful way. Another issue is the town garage and town hall. I grew up knowing the difference between wants and needs. We need a more modern and larger town garage. With the sale of the Town Hall to make way for the long-anticipated library, we also need a town hall. Anything beyond that is a want. I would like to be part of the process that addresses all our needs and as as many of the wants that our taxpayers support. Certainly, buildings can be designed for future expansion as our township grows. My past involvement with various sports taught me to approach issues with an open mind, gather relevant information and work with others to arrive at a conclusion that is feasible and enforceable. Good Luck making your decision. (Applause) 5-6.Judith Blank, W5715 County H, I did not include my resume with the materials I submitted. I will give you some of my background information. Prior to 1987 I spent 15 years in the field of organ transplantation, setting up laboratories, running laboratories at government institutions. I managed budgets and served on the Governors health policy council. My second career is fund raising which has been put to use in securing a multi-million-dollar grant for broadband expansion. I served on Dane County Board of Supervisors for 2 terms and many committees some which would have relevance to this group. I did learn about budgeting and policy analysis and in my fund-raising mode I’ve trained a lot of boards on personnel issues and administration of efficient techniques. (Applause) Chair Narveson stated that our Town is a plethora of riches! Thank you to all that came forward to serve the public. It is not an easy job. The Board appreciates all that put their names in. Without ado, the Board will vote. Chair Narveson will explain the vote. The Clerk will not vote since the position is appointed unless there is a tie. Each Board member will vote, and the Clerk will announce the winner. Dan Gartzke received the most votes and will become Supervisor #4. 6. Discussion to set a date for the meeting for the electors to vote on the ATV/UTV issue. Electors will have to come to the meeting to vote. Supervisor Pauli made a motion to hold the meeting on November 12, 2025, at 6pm at the New Glarus High School Auditorium. Supervisor Pernitz seconded the motion. All were in favor. Motion carried. This item will be on the November agenda. Each side will be allowed ten minutes for one appointed person to have ten minutes to speak. A show of hands will be counted. There will be no absentee voting. There will be an agenda item for the board to vote on opening the roads after the vote is counted. 7. Grosse/Kaiser land division was presented. The Plan Commission has approved this adjustment of lot lines. A house will be torn down and adjustments will be made accordingly. Supervisor Pernitz made a motion to approve the new CSM. Supervisor Pauli seconded the motion. All were in favor. Motion carried. 8. The Bader Land Division was presented. This land division will have to be presented to the ETZ. If approved, a public hearing will need to be held, and adjoining landowners notified. (This property was previously the Arn Farm.) The Plan Commission has approved this division. This is considered a detached cluster. Supervisor Pauli made a motion to approve the land division as presented. Supervisor Streiff seconded the motion. All were in favor. Motion carried. 9. Country Haven Estates was presented. Phase 1, potential approval. This request has been presented to the Plan Commission and the Technical Review Committee. This request came back from the Technical Review Committee to have a developer’s agreement. This was a plat that was platted 25 years ago that is divided into 44 – one acre lots. The argument has been that there is currently a 2-acre minimum that would be violated. Phase one would be combining lots to create 2 acre lots. Supervisor Pernitz stated that this is a complicated situation and needs to be sent to the attorney, so no rights are jeopardized in the future. Supervisor Pernitz made a motion to present the information to the attorney for his opinion. Supervisor Streiff reconfirmed that the intent for sending this to the attorney is to verify that the decisions would not be jeopardizing possible future requests. Supervisor Streiff seconded the motion. (Chair Narveson wants a development agreement that designates these lots per the Plan Commission and Technical Review.) Larry Kubehl asked that it be clear he is not asking for Phase One approval that would require the development agreement, but only for a driveway permit to a 2-acre lot. Mr. Kubehl stated he understands that nothing further can be done/sold. Chair Narveson stated that we cannot set a precedence. Our goal is not to stand in the way of a development but to protect the Town. The attorney will review the documents being sure we are not setting a precedence by approving a private drive. All were in favor of sending the documents to the attorney for his opinion. Motion carried. 10. John Ott presented the New Glarus Fire Districts 2026 budget of $225,000 the Town of New Glarus portion will be $91,000 this will be about a 4% increase. John presented a breakdown of the services. The audit will be done for 2024. The chassis of the new truck should be done in March of 2026 the apparatus by fall. Hopefully before winter the Fire Department will have the truck. The full amount will need to be paid in March of 2026. The Town of New Glarus share of the new truck will be about $562,000. Supervisor Pauli made a motion to approve the Fire District’s 2026 budget. Supervisor Streiff seconded the motion. All were in favor. Motion carried. Chair Narveson thanked John Ott for serving on the Fire District for so many years. He has been serving since 1973. 11. Chair Narveson presented the Building Inspector Report. Building Inspector, Scott Jelle will be presenting a building inspector report. This will be for information only. 12. Appoint Chris Narveson as Plan Commission Chairman for a two-year term. Supervisor Streiff made a motion to approve Chris Narveson to Plan Commission Chairman. Supervisor Pauli seconded the motion. All were in favor. Motion carried. 13. Appoint Kelly Ruschman to a 7-year term on the Parks Commission. Supervisor Pernitz made a motion to appoint Kelly Ruschman to a 7-year term on the Parks Commission. Supervisor Streiff seconded the motion. All were in favor. Motion carried. 14. Appoint Mark Pernitz to a 7-year term on the Parks Commission. Supervisor Streiff made a motion to appoint Mark Perntiz to a 7-year terms to the Parks Commission. Supervisor Pauli seconded the motion. All were in favor. Motion carried. 15. Appoint Mark Nevil to a 3-year term to the Plan Commission. Supervisor Pauli made a motion to appoint Mark Nevil to a 3-year term on the Plan Commission. Supervisor Pernitz seconded the motion. All were in favor. Motion carried. 16. Review shipping container ordinance. Attorney Hazelbaker did approve the ordinance. Supervisor Pernitz asked that the form be changed to mirror the past format. Clerk McMicken will bring the ordinance to the November meeting. 17. The Treasurer’s Bond ordinance will be tabled to the next meeting. 18. Budget meeting location was discussed next. The budget will be presented in November. 19. Clerk Treasurer McMicken presented check #22077 -22107 totaling $91,800.70 for approval. $19,725.92 was included for Argue Road, $5,227.00 was for the Badger Books that we will be reimbursed for by the County. $37,610.33 was also disbursed to Payne & Dolan for the 1st layer of asphalt at the new town garage location (Hayes Lane). Also disbursed through electronic transfers $8,165.36 consisting of utilities, payroll and payroll taxes. An invoice was also presented, but not paid as yet, from TDS for underground lines that were damaged totaling $15, 055.79. This will be turned into insurance. Supervisor Pernitz made a motion to approve the Clerk’s report as described. Supervisor Pauli seconded the motion. All were in favor. Motion carried. 20. Chairman’s Report: The garage will be raised by 1.5 feet on the back. The engineer has provided the new grading plan and quantities so there are some deductions and some adds. We talked about having two prices. We will do one change order. Cleary got these documents on Tuesday, who will pass them on to Hilliard. Chair Narveson will talk to McGuire about these changes as it may be difficult for McGuire to quote. Ron Roesslein will be making another round of mowing in October. Farmer’s Grove Road is scheduled for an overlay in the next couple of weeks. 21. September 8th, 2025, Plan Commission meeting minutes were distributed. There were no questions. 22. August 20th, 2025, Parks Commission meeting minutes were distributed. There were no questions. 23. Chair Narveson asked everyone to leave as the board is going into closed session. Supervisor Pernitz made a motion to go into closed session. Supervisor Pauli seconded the motion to go into closed session. Chair Narveson: Aye Supervisor Streiff: Aye Supervisor Pauli: Aye Supervisor Pernitz: Aye The Board reviewed the draft of the New Glarus EMS contract. The “sticking point” to the contract is that the EMS wants the Town and Village to pay for their audit since they are the only two requesting the audit. They are also willing to do a non-voting member, but the non-voting member cannot be in a closed session. The non-voting member should be able to be part of a closed session if it does not involve the municipality. There is concern about the New Glarus EMS performance. There are some EMS services, especially in the northern part of the state don’t show up at all. The EMS charge comes out of our levy. A fully professional EMS service has to have at least 1,000 calls per year to be able to afford this kind of service. This is information only. There is no decision at this time. The Village would like to see the EMS and Fire District working together. Discussion about what other EMS’s are going through. Are the Town and Village on the same alignment? Generally, yes. There will be someone from the Town on their board, but the EMS will decide who it is. Kristin Lueschow might be a possibility. The complaints need to be legitimate. independent auditor would be required. Supervisor Pauli made a motion to move out of closed session. Supervisor Pernitz seconded the motion. Supervisor Streiff: Aye Supervisor Pernitz: Aye Chair Narveson: Aye Supervisor Pauli: Aye 25. Announcement of decision. There was no conclusion to the negotiations. More facts will be gathered. 26. Supervisor Pauli made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Supervisor Streiff seconded the motion. Meeting adjourned at 8:20 p.m. Margo A. McMicken Clerk Treasurer Approved 10-8-2025