board_meeting_minutes_january_2025.pdf

Village of Siren is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer. Complaints of discrimination should be sent to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington DC 20250-9410 VILLAGE OF SIREN - VILLAGE BOARD MEETING THURSDAY JANUARY 9, 2025 MINUTES The Regular Village Board meeting held on January 9, 2025, was called to order at 10:05 a.m. by Village President Dave Alden. Members Present: Dave Alden, Kelly Gunderson, Janet Hunter, (via phone) Ed Johnson (via phone), Jeff Johnson, Steve Young Members Absent: Rick Engstrom Others Present: Ann Peterson, Clerk/Treasurer; Trevor Thiex, Police Chief; Jim Jaskolka, Public Works Director; Sarah Radomsky, Inter County Leader; Becky Strabel, Burnett County Sentinel; Teresa Anderson, MSA; Scott Hill; Joe Cremin & one other, Starwire Technologies; Wayne Wiberg, Town of Siren President Alden called for Public Comments. None were given. A motion was made by Steve Young and seconded by Jeff Johnson to approve the agenda as presented. Motion carried without negative vote. A motion was made by Jeff Johnson and seconded by Steve Young to approve the following minutes: • Regular Village Board meeting of December 12, 2024 • Public Safety Committee meeting of December 17, 2024 • Personnel & Finance Committee meeting of December 17, 2024 Motion carried without negative vote. A motion was made by Steve Young and seconded by Kelly Gunderson to approve payment of the bills in the amount of $178,818.34 general vouchers and checks cut since the last regularly scheduled board meeting in the amount of $71,004.12 for a grand total of $249,822.46. Motion carried without negative vote. President Alden gave the President’s Report. Village resident Joan Daniels wrote a note to the Village Board thanking the Board for keeping the Village beautiful. She suggested that the Village put a life-sized Gandy Dancer on the west side of Main Street as opposed to having a large buck in Crooked Lake Park. Rick Engstrom continues to improve and is doing well. His aim is to be home by Memorial Day weekend. Clerk/Treasurer Peterson reported during the Clerk’s Report that the Workman’s Comp audit would be on Monday January 13th and CliftonLarsonAllen would be doing the field work for the 2024 audit the week of January 13th as well. There will be a February primary election for the Office of State Superintendent of Public Instruction and Siren School Board. Chief Thiex presented the December Police Report and the 2024 Year End Report. The truck squad was purchased through the Wisconsin Surplus Auction website for around $10,000. STANDING COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS & REPORTS Personnel & Finance Committee A motion was made by Kelly Gunderson and seconded by Janet Hunter to approve the 2025 contract with Teamsters 346. The only change from the prior year’s contract was to Village of Siren is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer. Complaints of discrimination should be sent to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington DC 20250-9410 update the wages to the 2025 amounts. Motion carried without negative vote. A motion was made by Dave Alden and seconded by Jeff Johnson to not provide retro pay to Chief Thiex in the amount of $1500 for 2024 for performing the duties of Field Training Officer, Emergency Response Team Member, and Firearms Instructor. Motion carried without negative vote. A motion was made by Dave Alden and seconded by Steve Young to amend the Employee Handbook to include a $500 payment per duty for additional duties for sworn officers that coincides with language from the Teamsters 662 contract. Motion carried without negative vote. NEW BUSINESS A motion was made by Kelly Gunderson and seconded by Steve Young to approve the Professional Services Agreement with MSA for Phosphorous Compliance Reporting. This is an annual report required by our WPDES for our Sewer Permit. Motion carried without negative vote. Teresa Anderson from MSA provided information on the water improvement project. The wellhouse project is out for bids with a bid opening date of February 6 th so those bids will be brought to the February Board meeting for approval. MSA requested RFPS on quotes for a water tower coating inspection that will be required by CDBG. There are two major firms that perform this task – KLM and Badger State. Both firms provided options for part-time and full-time inspections and Teresa is recommending that the Village go with a full-time inspection. Badger State’s quote for full-time inspection was $47,800 and KLM’s was $56,940. A motion was made by Jeff Johnson and seconded by Kelly Gunderson to approve the water tower coating inspection firm of Badger State Inspection. Motion carried without negative vote. Teresa Anderson from MSA provided information on the water tower painting that will occur in 2026. The current lease agreement with Starwire Technologies requires Starwire to relocate their antennas during this process. This includes the actual relocation as well as the coordination of the relocation. The actual costs for the relocation and coordination are normally charged back to the owner of the towers. The estimate from Badger State Inspections was $5000 for coordination and MSA could have additional costs. Joe Cremin from Starwire Technologies discussed the options for their company. The entire process for the painting will take around six weeks when the antennas will need to be relocated. MSA and Starwire will stay in contact for coordination of the project. Public Works Director Jim Jaskolka recommended that Starwire contact DSI about possibly having a space for a temporary tower. Teresa Anderson from MSA provided information on the ownership of the property at the intersection of Rasmussen Street and State Road 35. Doug Crane from North Country Surveying did confirm that the right-of-way is mapped correctly and is technically owned by private owners. The Village either needs to acquire the parcels or to get an easement. CDBG requires the property going through the property acquisition process so the recommendation from MSA and Doug Crane would be to purchase the property. The cost to have MSA do the acquisition process would be around $5000 per parcel. If the property owners are not willing to work with the Village on the acquisition process the Village could either condemn the property and take it or look to the reroute the water looping project. The cheapest route for the Village would be to try and get the property through the acquisition process. A motion was made by Dave Alden and seconded by Steve Young to have MSA move forward with the property acquisition process. Motion carried without negative vote. Village of Siren is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer. Complaints of discrimination should be sent to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington DC 20250-9410 The meeting schedule was set as follows: a. Committee of the Whole: January 29th at 10:00 a.m. b. Planning Commission & Board of Appeals: To be set if needed. c. Tourism Commission: To be set in February. d. Ball Park Committee: February 10th at 6:00 p.m. A motion was made by Dave Alden and seconded by Steve Young to adjourn the Village Board Meeting at 10:47 a.m. Motion carried without negative vote. Submitted by Ann L Peterson, WCMC/CMTW Village Clerk/Treasurer