2-24-25 Village Board — Minutes

Village Board Meeting Minutes February 24, 2025 On February 24, 2025, Clerk Kuhlman called the Village Board meeting of the Village of Brooklyn to order at 6:30 p.m. Trustees present were David Berland, Mike Gehrmann, Mike Brusberg, Dan Olson, and Christian Allen. President Mark Bruner and Trustee Chris Groenier were absent. Also present was Clerk-Treasurer Linda Kuhlman. Pledge of Allegiance. Olson nominated Mike Brusberg as chair of the meeting. Berland seconded. Motion carried. Brusberg convened into public hearing at 6:31 p.m. on adoption of zoning ordinances Sections 24-1 and 24-24 Snow nuisances; 24-57 Regulation of Lawns, 117-897 Business Park, 117-1053 Driveways. There was no public present and no comments. Berland made a motion at 6:32 p.m. to close the public hearing with no attendance from the public. Allen seconded. Motion carried. No public comments. President’s report – Bruner is absent due to personal reasons. Board hopes all goes well. Berland made a motion to adopt the meeting minutes from February 10 as presented. Gehrmann seconded. Motion carried. Olson abstained. Hotel Street project – Brusberg stated we received bids from Speedway Sand & Gravel ($722,503.55), Fischer Excavating ($794,515.91), and Rock Road Companies ($808,214.62). Gehrmann saw Speedway’s work at Research Park. Berland read the letter from Strand stating they previously worked with Speedway Sand & Gravel. Olson stated some concern of getting change orders with the $722,000 bid being lower than other bids. Berland said we’re covered with 10% bond for an extra $72,000 coverage. Brusberg made a motion to move forward with Speedway Sand & Gravel as responsive low bidder for the Hotel Street Project. Olson seconded. Motion carried. Berland made a motion to accept changes to Ordinance Sections 24-1 and 24-24, snow nuisances, as presented. Gehrmann seconded. Motion carried. Berland made a motion to accept the modifications to Ordinance Section 24-57, regulation of lawns, as presented. Olson seconded. Motion carried. Berland made a motion to accept modifications to Ordinance Section 117-897 referring to Business Park as presented. Gehrmann seconded. Motion carried. Kuhlman stated she made modifications to Ordinance Section 117-1053 driveways this morning to 3a and 3b to match what was discussed at the last meeting. It strikes out durable hard surface and replaces it with asphalt or uncolored concrete surface. Also in Number 10 Brusberg suggested striking hereby included under the definition of hard surface. Brusberg made a motion to adopt the Ordinance Section 117-1053, driveways, as amended which also includes updating figures 6a and 6b that accompany this ordinance. Berland seconded. Motion carried. Kuhlman stated some recommended changes to Ordinance 32-87, winter parking. After the last snow, deputies said they couldn’t enforce it as written because it seemed like tickets couldn’t be written until 24 hours after the last snow. She changed the language to read over one inch of snow and during the 24-hour period after. Discussion of past versions and new language. Berland made a motion to accept the modified Ordinance Section 32-87 and 32-88 winter parking and snow emergencies as presented. Gehrmann seconded. Motion carried. Olson made a motion to approve hiring seasonal public works employee Abby Hollis. Berland seconded. Motion carried. Olson is working with Spilde on setting up Dumpster Days. Olson proposed holding it for two weekends with Saturday and Sunday the first week and then Friday, Saturday and Sunday the following weekend. He will talk with public works about possibly having it open from 6a-2p during regular business hours. He would like to shorten up the time frame from the past. Allen asked if there will be signage when someone isn’t there. Olson said the suggestion is if someone is not going to do the 6a-2p, public works keeps the dumpsters on the one side and run a fence across. Gehrmann asked if other communities do something like this. Olson stated he doesn’t know of others that do what we do. Kuhlman said other communities have days where they pick up from the curb. The dates for Dumpster Days will be May 3-4 and May 9-11. We will not advertise the weekdays. Brusberg made a motion to move forward with spring dumpster days on May 3, 4, 9, 10 and 11 of 2025. Berland seconded. Berland thanked Olson. Motion carried. Kuhlman stated Arbor Day will be observed on April 25 this year. Public Works usually plants at tree at the park and invites the school kids to join. Berland made a motion to adopt the Arbor Day Proclamation, Resolution 2025-02. Olson seconded. Motion carried. Kuhlman stated she received information regarding borrowing for the Hotel Street Project from Ehlers on bond costs and our current debt situation. There are costs associated with the bond for bond counsel and closing costs. She also received quotes from Lake Ridge Bank of 7.96% for 10 years and 8.27% for 20 years. She also reached out to One Community Bank for quotes. There is also the option of the State Board of Commission of Public Funds, which has a rate of 6.25% for 6-10 years, and 6.5% for 11-20 years. Olson asked if the finance committee has looked at the options. He thinks they should look at it and report back to the board. Berland said we can call a meeting after getting the information from One Community Bank. Brusberg also suggested the Public Finance Authority through the state, UW Credit Union or Summit. If we get other quotes, maybe they’ll match. Brusberg said it was good to have the borrowing information from Ehlers. The board will send it over to finance committee. Olson reviewed the bills and found a few items with some tax added on. One was Johnson Tractor and the other for some signs bought online. Public Works used the credit card, and if it’s a new company, there’s tax. Kuhlman stated she has spoken with Johnson Tractor, and they have our information for nontaxable. Other than that, Olson said the bills were fine. Brusberg also reviewed. Olson made a motion to approve the bills as presented. Brusberg seconded. Motion carried. Planning & Zoning Commission – Olson said the PZ Commission made a motion to send to board as they accepted the rezoning of the parcels from agriculture to business park. Olson made a motion to approve the rezoning of the parcels 0510-313-8300-1, 0510-313-8315-1 and 0510-313-8330-1 from agriculture to business park. Berland seconded. Gehrmann asked when they see the parcel numbers, how do the board know they are correct. Olson said we use Access Dane or they come from the CSMs. Motion carried. Clerk’s Report - Kuhlman reported the auditors were in the office on February 17 and 18. They will complete their work and present the audit in either April or May at a board meeting. The February election turnout was 11%, 109 total voters; 31 in Green County and 78 in Dane County. The next election is April 1 and races are state superintendent, state supreme court, state court of appeals, county judges in both counties, Oregon school district and our local Brooklyn president and trustees. Mike Brusberg is on the ballot for president. Jacob Bachim is on the ballot for trustee, and we have two open trustee positions that will be write-ins. Anyone wishing to run for president has to register. Anyone wishing to run for trustee does not have to register. Berland asked what the deadline is to register. Kuhlman stated noon the Friday before the election. Berland said he would accept the position if he was written in. Kuhlman attended the Ehlers conference a week ago. Seminars were mostly on TID and economic/housing development. They talked about formula for paying back developers. There were two counties that presented information on their housing projects, and starter home prices there are $325,000-340,000. One of the counties even offered smaller lots, which still the minimum starting price was $300,000. The counties also do incentive programs for new buyers. There was a legislative update from the League of Wisconsin Municipalities. They are focusing on 5 topics over the next two-year legislative sessions – infrastructure, transportation, economic development, housing and community first, which is more local control. There are currently three bills circulating that would restrict local control. One has to do with prohibiting community gardens, one has to do with what flags can be flown at municipal buildings, and the other would prohibit municipalities from prohibiting up to 4 chickens or quail. But there is also a bill circulating for wind and solar projects, asking to give municipalities first right of refusal before the PSC approves, and comments from the senators were “we elect local officials to make decisions on issues at local level,” etc. So they contradict themselves. The village hall remodel is starting soon. Swinehart Plumbing will be starting this week with the sink in the back and then coordinate with Joe Daniels on the toilets and sinks. Joe Daniels will start on about April 2. Olson asked if we’re taking out the urinal. Kuhlman said no, because it is cemented into the wall and would be very expensive to remove. Joe Daniels is coming this week to select countertops and the front glass window. Kuhlman attended the GCDC meeting last week. They are monthly, usually on Thursdays at 8 a.m., and anyone on the board is welcome to attend. They do hold them in person and by Teams. GCDC updates on programs that they’re doing for the county and for municipalities and businesses and then all members, which are municipalities and businesses, go around and update on new things happening. Kuhlman is still working on the new zoning ordinance draft and will send it out as soon as it’s done. Deputy Grumke will be back next week. LiteWire will remove the tower in April. Allen made a motion at 7:20 p.m. to go into closed session. Gehrmann seconded. Ayes – Allen, Gehrmann, Brusberg, Olson, and Berland. Noes – none. Berland made a motion at 7:32 p.m. to exit from closed session Gehrmann seconded. Ayes – Berland, Olson, Brusberg, Gehrmann, and Allen. Noes – none. Berland made a motion that we send the modified terms to Verizon as discussed in closed session. Olson seconded. Motion carried. Gehrmann made a motion at 7:33 p.m. to adjourn. Olson seconded. Motion carried. Linda Kuhlman, WCPC, CMTW Clerk-Treasurer