Town Board Meeting — Minutes

Summary of Town Board Meeting Recap Created on August 12, 2025 by Summary AI In Attendance: Wayne Vetting Al Szymczyk Randy Wagner Steve Klinkner Joe Stanzel Carol Brey Rick Brey Mike Hansen Overview Agenda and July minutes approved, motion made by Supervisor Cody Thiel seconded by Supervisor Matt DiMarco. Financial reports reviewed; plan to diversify CDs across banks for FDIC coverage Road updates: South 15th and Koeppel Lane repairs scheduled; ongoing monitoring of road conditions IT update: Website access issues for clerks, need resolution; discussion on social media use and archiving requirements Water main meeting reviewed; awaiting response from Public Service Commission, may escalate to state legislature Permit updates: new home, garage, and shed permits; discussion on permit fee consistency with other towns Budget and financial planning: 7.2% increase in general transportation aid expected Constable and supervisor reports: addressed resident concerns, road maintenance, and public safety issues Upcoming events: Town Association meetings, recycling grant received, next meeting set for September 8th Meeting Called to Order, Roll Call, Agenda Approval August Town of Manitowoc board meeting called to order. Pledge of Allegiance recited. Roll call conducted; Andy absent, expected late. July agenda approved by motion and vote. Public Comment & Financial Reports No public comments raised. Financial reports reviewed by all members. Early distribution of financials facilitated in-depth review. Question raised about separating CDs into multiple banks. Old Business: Meeting Procedures & Robert's Rules Robert's Rules of Order allows 'Point of Order' to correct meeting direction. 'Point of Order' can be used if discussion is off agenda. Chair must acknowledge and return to agenda when 'Point of Order' is raised. Board members share responsibility to keep meetings on track. Roads Update: South 15th, Koeppel Lane, Resident Concerns County applied reground blacktop to South 15th shoulder and rolled it down. Plan to monitor condition after rain. Half an inch of heavy rain occurred; blacktop held up better than previous storm. Alternative solutions available if current fix fails. IT & Social Media Policy Discussion Clerks unable to log into website; issue needs resolution for communication. Clerk training held end of July; feedback positive and relevant. Recent classes covered elections, roles and responsibilities, AI for towns, and social media. New Business: Social Media, Website, Email, Grants Public business must archive all social media posts and comments indefinitely. Removing comments still requires archiving for legal protection. Option exists to disable comments for one-way communication. Website development prioritized before expanding social media presence. Social media management requires dedicated oversight and monitoring. Water Main Meeting & Public Service Commission Follow-up Discussed setting up .gov email addresses for officials (clerk, treasurer, supervisors, chairman, deputy). Sprinter and Town Web identified as potential vendors; Sprinter unresponsive to previous inquiries. Grant available for $600 to cover domain setup and first year; application deadline in December or possibly earlier (October). Wisconsin .gov domain preferred due to state-managed DNS and lower administrative burden. Permits, Fees, and Road Maintenance Public Service Commission (PSC) sent questions to City of Manitowoc Public Utilities regarding water main issues. PSC response to submitted letter (signed by both town boards) remains pending; no reply received after promised two weeks. PSC process described as slow; resolution may take up to five years. Recommendation to contact state legislators for more effective action if PSC remains unresponsive. Plan to follow up with PSC and, if no response by next month, escalate to state legislature. Constable & Supervisor Reports: Resident Issues, Road Safety Driveway permit issued for 3528 Cimarron Court (Mr. Holschbach) for duplex construction. New home permit issued for 4714 South 10th (John and Cassidy Gallenberger). Permit issued two months ago to Trent Nelson for large garage construction. Carla Juergens denied permit for 10x20 ft movable shed on Goodwin Road due to agricultural zoning. Road repair completed for hole at Cimarron Court and Jenny Road. Budget, Financial Planning, and Road Bids Discussion on justifying changes to permit fees; no current problem identified. Current practice: no fee charged for certain property improvements (e.g., roofs, siding, windows). Tavern permit fee increased from $100 to $150 by the state. Board to review and consider consistency with other towns regarding permit requirements and fees. No inspection or cost to the town for maintenance improvements; only electrical work requires inspection. Banking: CD Diversification for FDIC Coverage Require three bids for all projects, especially for state programs. Recommend three bids even if town funds project, for transparency. Label and send all bids clearly to clerks (e.g., 'bid one', 'bid two'). Ensure at least a copy of the original bid is sent if the original is unavailable. Clerk/Treasurer Updates: Licensing, Fire Dues, Assessments Approved July meeting minutes with correction: 'Goodwood Road' changed to 'Goodwin'. CDs to be moved to different institutions to comply with $250,000 FDIC insurance limit. Renewal dates for CDs to be checked; due either September or December 2024. Meeting minutes now generated using AI, with expected improvements over time. Constable & Supervisor Reports: Ditch, Tree, and Road Issues Constable reported only one incident for July. Complaint received about grass blown onto road at 2505 Jenny Road. Constable visited property; lawn service, not homeowner, was responsible. Constable warned lawn service about citation risk; issue corrected immediately. Clerk/Treasurer: Pet Licensing, Fire Reports, 911 Signs, Grants Uncertainty about whether Vinton has completed road work; residents raised concerns about trees on 15th Street. County typically handles ditch cutting; T.J. Seiler offered skid steer services for urgent areas. Public safety concerns justify immediate action and cost for tree/brush removal. Restoration on Birch and Elm Roads incomplete; hydrant installation pending; follow-up with Vinton required. State & Association Updates: Legislative Advocacy, Training Goodwin Road repaving discussed; proposal to raise road by 1 foot under review. Fire dues: Silver Creek received $4,325.64 (72.58%), Rockwood $1,634.19 (27.42%). 911 signs: 129 new received, 118 arrived in October, 108 more to be ordered; old signs to be recycled. Recycle grant awarded: $2,095.06; consolidation award: $260.69. Rat infestation bill added as special assessment to property taxes; health department to be reimbursed after taxes collected. Upcoming Meetings, Conventions, and Adjournment Wisconsin has 72 counties, 1,244 towns, 45 villages. Wisconsin Towns Association represents towns/villages in state government; 80% of work is flagging bills harmful to rural communities. General transportation aid increased by 7.2% (4.2% base + 1.3% per mile). State promotes consolidation of emergency services; new law allows up to 15% cost overrun for consolidation grants. Town Advocacy Council funded by 55% of towns; quarterly and annual meetings provide legislative updates.