2026.08.12 VB Minutes Approved

Village of Somers Proceedings from the Regular Board August 12, 2026 President Stoner called the meeting to order at 5:34 p.m. President Stoner led the Pledge of Allegiance. Present: President Stoner, Trustees Ben Harbach, Jack Aupperle, Joe Smith, Jackie Nelson, Scott Fredrick, and Karl Ostby. Also present: Administrator Jim Hurley, Assistant Administrator Kevin Poirier, Clerk/Treasurer Wendy Burnette and Chief Andersen. Consent and Approval of Minutes of Regular meetings on July 14, 2026, Special Meeting Minutes on July 14 and 21, 2026, Vouchers dated July 16, 23, 30 and August 6th, July ACH Payments, July Building Report, June Investment Statements Trustee Nelson moved to approve Minutes of Regular meetings on July 14, 2026, Special Meeting Minutes on July 14 and 21, 2026, Vouchers dated July 16, 23, 30 and August 6th, July ACH Payments, July Building Report, June Investment Statements. Seconded by Trustee Smith Trustee Harbach questioned the legal expenses from Rosenbauer, noting a $456 charge this month compared to approximately $2,800 in June, and asked whether the expenses were related to the dog track matter and if continued legal representation was necessary. Administrator Hurley explained that the legal work was being performed for the Town Board and that Chairman Molinaro and Administrator Hurley were monitoring the matter. Trustee Harbach asked whether Rosenbauer was actively performing legal work, and Administrator Hurley confirmed that they were. Motion carried. 7-0 vote Correspondence: Department of Transportation Proclamation for Crash Responder Week Citizens’ Comments: Madilyn Petersen 510 9 th Place Ms. Petersen spoke regarding the proposed Rowers development and reiterated concerns previously presented to the Plan Commission. She stated that Somers is not falling behind surrounding communities by limiting apartment development and expressed concerns about overcrowding and the impact of large apartment complexes on the community. She suggested alternatives such as beach access, a community garden, or a recreation center to provide community benefits and long-term jobs rather than additional apartment housing. Carl Kirkorian 502 9 th Place Mr. Kirkorian spoke regarding the proposed low-income housing development near Station 2 and expressed opposition to additional housing and development in Somers. He suggested the Sheridan Road property could instead be used for a park or lake access and encouraged the Village to slow the pace of development. Mr. Kirkorian also raised concerns regarding road conditions and maintenance, including a large hole near Market Square and Firestone, and questioned whether completed road work is being properly inspected. President and Trustee Comments Trustee Nelson asked if Administration could provide the Highway E water main final list of property owners, including the payment terms selected by each property owner and the related income schedule, if available. Administrator Hurley explained that the information should be distributed once the assessments are finalized, as it is still subject to approval and there may be additional work. Nelson requested that the information be provided once the final assessments are completed. Trustee Ostby thanked the Clerk/Treasurer and her staff for another successful election and noted the strong voter turnout. Trustee Harbach raised safety concern regarding a hole near the intersection of Birch Road and the truck route. Assistant Administrator Poirier confirmed the area is under city jurisdiction and indicated that Public Works would address the issue. Trustee Harbach also questioned the overgrown weeds on the property near E-A and E. President Stoner explained that the property is owned by Cardinal, which is reportedly in bankruptcy, and indicated that the matter would be followed up on with Scott regarding weed control. Motion to approve proposed Resolution # 2026- 020, a Resolution of the Somers Village Board of Trustees approving the installation of a bench and little library on the playground at Veteran’s Memorial Park Trustee Harbach moved to approve Resolution # 2026- 020, a Resolution of the Somers Village Board of Trustees approving the installation of a bench and little library on the playground at Veteran’s Memorial Park Seconded by Trustee Nelson Trustee Nelson expressed her appreciation for the family’s efforts and stated that she believed it was a wonderful initiative. Motion carried. 7-0 vote Receive and file the 2025 Audit Erica Blumberg presented the 2025 Audit to the Village Board. Trustee Ostby questioned a footnote in the audit report stating that the Village does not have a deposit and investment policy and that approximately $14.5 million was not covered by FDIC insurance or collateralized securities. Trustee Ostby noted that the Village does have an investment policy requiring deposits exceeding FDIC coverage to be collateralized and stated that a significant portion is collateralized through letters of credit from the Federal Home Loan Bank. Erica stated that she would review the documentation and confirm the information with Administrator Hurley to ensure the footnote is accurate. Trustee Nelson asked how the new accounting standards would impact the Village’s staff, including whether new software or additional training would be required. The auditor explained that the changes primarily affect the presentation of the financial statements and would not significantly change the staff’s day-to-day accounting processes. Any additional information needed would be coordinated with staff and was not expected to result in additional expenses. Trustee Ostby asked about the threshold for making a budget amendment. Erica explained that a budget amendment is generally required when expenditures exceed the original budget for a fund, while minor changes within the overall fund budget may not require an amendment. Erica noted that she would need to verify the specific percentage threshold. She also recommended making budget amendments closer to the time the related action occurs rather than waiting until the end of the year. President Stoner made a motion to accept and file the 2025 audit. Trustee Ostby motioned. Seconded by Trustee Harbach. Motion carried. 7-0 vote Motion to approve Payne and Dolan’s request for first payment in the amount of $537,330.44 for the 2026 Paving Project in the Valley View subdivision and Change Order #1 request in the amount of $2,167 Trustee Harbach moved to approve Payne and Dolan’s request for first payment in the amount of $537,330.44 for the 2026 Paving Project in the Valley View subdivision and Change Order #1 request in the amount of $2,167 Seconded by Trustee Smith Motion carried. 7-0 vote Motion to approve proposed Resolution # 2026-019, 2026 Budget Amendment, due to acceptance of the FEMA SAFER Grant. The grant was formally accepted in May 2026. Trustee Aupperle moved to approve the Resolution # 2026-019, 2026 Budget Amendment, due to acceptance of the FEMA SAFER Grant. The grant was formally accepted in May 2026. Seconded by Trustee Ostby Motion carried. 6-1 vote Motion to approve lab costs and testing by Eurofins SF Analytics Laboratory for possible municipal water contamination investigation related to fire response at 16th Place in the amount of $13,800 Trustee Smith moved to approve lab costs and testing by Eurofins SF Analytics Laboratory for possible municipal water contamination investigation related to fire response at 16th Place in the amount of $13,800 Seconded by Trustee Harbach President Stoner questioned the price of the testing. Utility Manager Josh Fugate stated that the DNR was contacted after the incident and they advised that the water needed to be tested and because this was a specialized test the fee was a lot higher than a normal test. Motion carried. 7-0 vote Motion to approve order of 2027 Western Star Tandem Axel Patrol Truck from Truck Country in the amount of $155,484 to be paid in 2027 Trustee Ostby moved to approve 2027 Western Star Tandem Axel Patrol Truck from Truck Country in the amount of $155,484 to be paid in 2027. Seconded by Trustee Fredrick President Stoner stated that he is not supporting any amounts until the board figures out where the funds will be coming from. Trustee Ostby mentioned these items have been on our 10-year Capital Improvement Plan. This has been in discussion for the past several years. President Stoner stated until we have development to pay for these CIPs, he will not approve. Superintendent Josh Sullivan mentioned this truck is almost 20 years old. Trustee Harbach asked how much we will get on a trade in. Staff mentioned probably around 25K. Trustee Nelson asked what will our motion be? To pay it in 2027? That was confirmed by other board members. The village is just committing to buying the truck now so we can lock in the 2026 rate however, we will not be paying for it until 2027. Motion carried. 6-1 vote Motion to approve proposed Ordinance 2026-009, Contractor Qualification Requirements Trustee Ostby moved to approve Ordinance 2026-009, Contractor Qualification Requirements Seconded by Trustee Aupperle President Stoner questioned the proposed change to the contractor prequalification process. Assistant Administrator Poirier explained that the engineering consultant recommended allowing contractors to obtain and review the project plans before completing the prequalification process. Trustee Ostby stated that the purpose of the change was to expand the pool of potential contractors by allowing firms to review the plans and determine whether they were interested in submitting a bid before proceeding with the qualification process. Motion carried. 7-0 vote Motion to approve proposed Ordinance 2026-010 to Amend Section 12.04 Penalties, and Create Section 12.16 Mobile Temporary Food Vendors Trustee Fredrick moved to approve Ordinance 2026-010 to Amend Section 12.04 Penalties, and Create Section 12.16 Mobile Temporary Food Vendors Seconded by Trustee Smith Administrator Hurley mentioned he would like this ordinance to go into effect on January 1, 2027, so that food vendors can be contacted so they are aware of the change. Trustee Ostby moved to amend Ordinance 2026-010 to be effective January 1, 2027. Seconded by Trustee Nelson. Motion carried. 7-0 Vot e Action on Animal Sheltering Agreement with the Wisconsin Humane Society Trustee Aupperle moved to approve the Animal Sheltering Agreement with the Wisconsin Humane Society. Seconded by Trustee Fredrick Motion carried 7-0 vote Motion to adopt proposed Resolution # 2026-018 to create Village of Somers Ward 14 and assign thereto the Territory attached per Ordinance #2026-008. For information purposes, this is for the annexation of parcel #45-4-221-241-0102 (Truck Country of Wisconsin) Trustee Nelson moved to approve Resolution # 2026-018 to create Village of Somers Ward 14 and assign thereto the Territory attached per Ordinance #2026-008. For information purposes, this is for the annexation of parcel #45-4-221-241-0102 (Truck Country of Wisconsin) Seconded by Trustee Aupperle Motion carried. 7-0 vote Motion to approve application for the Class “B” (Picnic) Beer License and Temporary “Class B” Wine from Friends of Hawthorn Hollow DBA Hawthorn Hollow Nature Sanctuary & Arboretum for their Walk in the Woods Art Fair on September 12th from 10 to 4 p.m., their Gala Under the stars form 6 to 9 p.m. and their Spooky Hollow Night 1 and 2 on October 23rd and 24th from 6 to 9 p.m. Located at 880 Green Bay Road, Kenosha, Wisconsin 53144, and requests to waive fees. Trustee Aupperle moved to approve application for the Class “B” (Picnic) Beer License and Temporary “Class B” Wine from Friends of Hawthorn Hollow DBA Hawthorn Hollow Nature Sanctuary & Arboretum for their Walk in the Woods Art Fair on September 12th from 10 to 4 p.m., their Gala Under the stars from 6 to 9 p.m. and their Spooky Hollow Night 1 and 2 on October 23rd and 24th from 6 to 9 p.m. Located at 880 Green Bay Road, Kenosha, Wisconsin 53144, and requests to waive fees. Seconded by Trustee Ostby Motion carried. 7-0 vote Action on Operator’s Licenses: Madison Laplant, Ashley Majors, Linda Olson, Amy Richards, Amanda Rodriguez, Donovan Sanchez Trustee Ostby moved to approve Operator’s Licenses: Madison Laplant, Ashley Majors, Linda Olson, Amy Richards, Amanda Rodriguez, Donovan Sanchez Seconded by Trustee Smith Motion carried. 7-0 vote Motion to convene in closed session per WI Statute 19.85(1)(c) Considering employment, promotion, compensation or performance evaluation data of any public employee over which the governmental body has jurisdiction or exercises responsibility, specifically the Clerk-Treasurer Trustee Fredrick Aye, Trustee Nelson Aye, Trustee Aupperle Aye, President Stoner Aye, Trustee Ostby Aye, Trustee Harbach Aye, Trustee Smith Aye Motion to convene into open session Trustee Fredrick Aye, Trustee Nelson Aye, Trustee Aupperle Aye, President Stoner Aye, Trustee Ostby Aye, Trustee Harbach Aye, Trustee Smith Aye Trustee Ostby moved to approve the compensation to the Village Clerk/Treasurer Wendy Burnette for the completion of Clerk/Treasurer certification Part I as stated in her contract for $2,500. Seconded by Trustee Harbach. Motion carried. 7-0 vote President Stoner made a motion to Adjourn at 6:40pm These minutes were approved by the Village Board on September 8, 2026 and are official. Wendy Burnette Clerk/Treasurer