Village Board — Minutes

VILLAGE PUBLIC HEARING & BOARD MEETING DECEMBER 1, 2025 The Public Hearing was called to order at 6:00 p.m. in the Municipal Building. On roll call were President Jerry Sonnenberg, Trustees Na dine Ashworth , Ernie Klicko, Brad Oberbeck, Jason Pierce, Bob Berry, and Melvin Waller. Attorney Hasler, Public Works Director-Beth Schultz , Treasurer Sandy Shawback, Clerk Rebecca Reuter. Citizen Roberta Sindelar, County Representative - Rick Pease & Reporter Reesa Evans were also present. President Sonnenberg turned the Public Hearing over to Attorney Hasler to run. Hasler stated he would open the Public Hearing at 6:00 p.m. to consider the proposed 2026 budget. Attorney Hasler asked if there were any questions or comments, hearing none, he closed the Public Hearing. VILLAGE BOARD MEETING – December 1, 2025, PAGE 1 The Friendship Village Board meeting was called to order followed by the Pledge of Allegiance by all present. President Jerry Sonnenberg called the meeting to order and roll call was taken. Present were Trustees Brad Oberbeck, Ernie Klicko, Nadine Ashworth , Melvin Waller, Bob Berry, Jason Pierce and President S onnenberg. Also present were Attorney Joseph Hasler, Public Works Director -Beth Schultz, Treasurer Sandy Shawback and Clerk Rebecca Reuter. APPROVAL OF MINUTES MOTION by Oberbeck, second by Berry to approve November 3rd , 2025, Village Board minutes, motion carried. TREASURER REPORT General Water Sewer October 1, 2025, Balance 223,437.27 290,658.32 30,216.06 October Receipts 12,219.51 198,554.35 68,844.99 October Disbursements 122,845.69 160,967.45 54,581.09 October 31, 2025, Balance 112,811.09 328,245.22 44,479.96 LGIP #1 TIF $1,081,754.94 – LGIP #9 ARPA $0. 45 – Capital Project Checking $34,194,27 - Building Fund $ 70,000.00 – Money Market $1,646.91 – CDBG Working Fund $13,857.48 - LGIP #6 Park/Beach $4 5,699.88 – Tax Checking $ 11,968.03 – TIF Checking $95.00 -Street Equipment Fund $ 43,416.50 – Court Order Proceeds $3,808.03 – Water LGIP #3 Special Redemption Fund $2 15,997.28 - LGIP #4 Water Replacement Fund $3 94,528.93 – LGIP #8 Water Debt Reserve Fund $7 9,988.27 – Sewer LGIP#2 Special Redemption Fund $ 77,451.74 - LGIP#5 Sewer Replacement Fund $56,334.02 – LGIP#7 Sewer Debt Reserve Fund $6 MOTION by Klicko, second by Waller to approve treasurer report, motion carried. PAYING OF BILLS MOTION by Klicko, second by Oberbeck to approve December vouchers 27930 - 27976 in the amount of $66,632.08, motion carried. CITIZEN INPUT John Amell – Asked when the two-hour parking signs would be posted? Berry – replied that we are waiting to see how we are going to enforce it, that’s why they haven’t been put up yet. We really have no way to enforce them, and we are working on figuring that out. ROPORT FROM COUNTY REPRESENTATIVE RICK PEASE Rick Pease stated the County is slowing down. The meeting they had for their budget passed 14-6. At the Property Committee meeting they approved the 2nd phase of the Courthouse remodel by 3-2, and that will be coming to the County Board shortly. He has sat on the Rules Board for the County for the last 4 or 5 years. They always meet in January-April to get the rules ready for the next Committee members coming in. That’s really a big process. They go through every rule. It tells you what Committee they have, and if anything needs to be changed. It’s something that he finds very interesting. VILLAGE BOARD MEETING – December 1, 2025, PAGE 2 ADOPTION OF THE 2026 BUDGET AS PUBLISHED MOTION by Klicko, second by Berry to approve the 2026 budget as published, motion carried. SET DATE TO HOLD THE VILLAGE CAUCUS MOTION by Berry, second by Klicko to hold the Village Caucus on January 5th, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. before the Village Board meeting, motion carried. APPOINT ELECTION INSPECTORS FOR 2026 Sandy Shawback – Chief Inspector/SVD Janet Boddy - Poll Worker - Democrat Eileen Gibbs – Poll Worker Charles Spargo – Poll Worker - Democrat Rebecca Reuter – Chief Inspector/SVD Lydia Hutter – Poll worker Brooke McLarnan – Chief Inspector Bonnie Kelly – Poll Worker Kathy Pierce – Poll Worker - Republican John Woyniko – Poll Worker - Republican Hope Eggersdorf – SVD - Republican MOTION by Berry, second by Klicko to approve election inspectors for 2026, motion carried. DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON YEAR-END BONUSES Klicko - Finance Committee talked about it, and they recommend raising the year-end bonuses for employees to $200 and keep the Trustee’s and Presidents the same. MOTION by Berry, second Ashworth to give the employees a $200.00 year-end bounce, and keep the Trustee’s and Presidents the same, motion carried. DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON DONATING LIGHT POLES TO AMERICAN LEGION RED CLOUD POST 250 Sonnenberg stated that he was approached by Al Arndt form the American Legion and asked if we could donate some of our old poles to them, so that they could use them as lighting at their horseshoe pit. MOTION by Berry, second by Klicko to donate the old light poles to the American Legion Red Cloud Post 250, motion carried. PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE REPORT BY CHAIRMAN BERRY No meeting Sonnenberg would like to make a comment that the resident in the Village are very thankful for us picking up the fall leaves again this year. Berry also wanted to say that for our first snow of the year he thought that Public Works did a very good job on the snow removal. FRIENDSHIP LAKE DISTRICT REPORT BY TRUSTEE ASHWORTH Ashworth stated they had their meeting on November 6th. There was under $500 in repairs this year for the harvester. Mark Weber made a spray bar for the harvester that took 90% of the floating weeds out of the lake when he was using the harvester. The other lakes in the area would like him to build one for them because it worked so well. They are applying for a grant that could be up to $12,000. She asked what was happening with the E.coli testing at our beach and who would be paying for it? This will go before the Public Works Committee at their next meeting to discuss and bring back before the Village Board in January. Friends of the Lake will not be doing the cash raffle next year. They will be doing a big fishing tournament next July, and the golf outing. VILLAGE BOARD MEETING – December 1, 2025, PAGE 3 FIRE DISTRICT REPORT BY TRUSTEE KLICKO Klicko stated that there were 13 calls, so that’s one every few days so it keeps them busy. They are still working on truck maintenance. Putting LED’s on instead of the rotating lights. The safer grant is a matching grant to pay for a fulltime fire chief, that would be an additional cost to our budget to match the grant. The next meeting is on December 11th. AMBULANCE COMMITTEE REPORT BY PRESIDENT SONNENBERG Sonnenberg stated they have not met. They will be meeting on December 10, 2025. CONSIDERATION & ACTION ON THE APPROVAL OF OPERATOR’S LICENSE MOTION by Berry, second by Pierce to approve Operator’s License’s for Alex B. Jesperson- Marti, motion carried. CORRESPONDENCE There was no correspondence SET AGENDA ITEMS FOR JANUARY MEETING Village Caucus Being of no further business to come before the board, MOTION by Berry, second by Ashworth to adjourn, motion carried. Meeting ended at 6:25 __________________________________________ Rebecca Reuter Village Clerk