Special Town Board Meeting — Minutes

SPECIAL TOWN BOARD MEETING Monday, April 14, 2025 at 6:00 PM 10896 W Town Hall Road 1. Meeting was called to order by Chair Sheldon at 6 pm. In attendance were Supervisors Delaney, Johnson, Johns and Amery with Clerk Cleary and Treasurer Pagenkopf. As there was not a formal time for citizens to speak on the agenda, Chairman Sheldon opened the floor for public comment. Greg Kalscheur shared this thoughts on the conduct of Town government in a letter attached at the end of the minutes. 2. Motion to approve the agenda for Monday, April 14, 2025 made by Quentin Johnson and seconded by Deb Amery. All ayes. Motion carried. 3. Pledge of Allegiance 4. Motion to approve the minutes of March 12, 2025, Town Board Meeting was made by Deb Amery, seconded by Sarah Delaney. All ayes. Motion carried. 5. Treasurer’s Report was presented by Molly Pagenkopf. Cash balance year to date at the end of March 2025 is $609,317.33. 6. Motion to approve vouchers in the amount of $36,502.92 and any late coming regular invoices was made by Sarah Delaney and seconded by Deb Amery. All ayes. Motion carried. 7. Clerk’s Report was presented by Clerk Cleary. Election results were as follows: For Chairman, Quentin Johnson; for Supervisor, Mark Johns and Sarah Delaney; for Treasurer, Molly Pagenkopf and for Clerk, Bianca Cleary. A recount election was held costing the Town $542. A bid for the closet to house the election machine came in at $840. For the construction of the box and shelves to store election equipment safely per Wisconsin Election Commission standards. Motion to move forward on the construction was made by Quentin Johnson, seconded by Deb Amery. All ayes. Motion carried. 8. Board Actions presented by Quentin Johnson. Motion to appoint Bill Amery as Deb Amery’s replacement was made by Tim Sheldon, seconded by Quentin Johnson. All ayes. Motion carried. Motion to approve the June 6–8, 2025, 13th annual Epic Bike Festival made by Deb Amery, seconded by Sarah Delaney. All ayes. Motion carried. Motion to approve the August 23, 2025, 9th Annual Seeley Lions Pre-Fat Mountain Bike Race made by Deb Amery, seconded by Quentin Johnson. All ayes. Motion carried. 9. Committee Reports a. Planning and Review Commission Report presented by Sarah Delaney. 1. Zoning Administrator’s Report: permit inquiries are increasing as we head into Spring. a. 5 Permit applications approved: i. LUP 25-06 – Capes Accessory Structure ii. LUP 25-07 – North Star Camp Accessory Bldg/Dormitory iii. DW 25-01 – Kruskopf new Driveway iv. LUP 25-09 – Dohrmann New Dwelling v. LUP 25-10- Okuno Addition to Dwelling The P&RC denied an application for a New Dwelling, as their parcel does not allow the requirements of the Ordinance to be met. The Owners will be pursuing a variance petition with the Zoning Board of Appeals. The TOSL Information Guide is in the works, with a target to be ready for circulation prior to summer season. 2. Lastly, Sawyer County Zoning and Conservation Department has proposed an amendment to the Zoning Ordinance regarding Camping Cabins, and is seeking input from the municipalities in the County: Overview of the proposed Amendment: The proposal revises the definition of a "Camping Cabin" from a simple hard-sided shelter to a structure of up to 400 square feet in area with utilities such as plumbing and electricity. A comparison of definitions and regulations from the Town of Spider Lake, Sawyer County, and the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) demonstrates that the proposed amendment allows a significant relaxation of the current regulation. The request was received after the PRC agenda had been posted. So we were not able to formally make a recommendation, but we did discuss the issue. The key points raised in the discussion were: Points for our discussion:  Density and Use: The amendment would allow camping cabins with residential features (‘dwellings’) in licensed campgrounds. This could potentially result in higher-density use (up to five units per acre) in shoreland areas, which opposes traditional zoning standards which limit density (e.g., one dwelling per shoreland parcel in TOSL). This is not supported by the Town's Comprehensive Plan.  Definition Consistency: The proposal may overlap with or alter existing definitions of dwellings, potentially impacting the clarity and consistency of the zoning ordinance. It was introduced prior to the conclusion of the County’s Ad Hoc Committee work on Multi- Dwelling Developments.  Building Standards and Oversight: There is currently no formal process outlined by the County for regulating, inspecting, or documenting construction and utility installations for these cabins. This includes compliance with state regulations under SPS 327 (see the FAQs)  Economic Impact: Camping cabins within campgrounds will not contribute additional revenue to the municipality. Any associated economic benefit would primarily accrue to campground owner. Larger units with AC and plumbing will likely attract more visitors to each site, adding to the burden on emergency services and roads. Motion to deny the proposed amendment to the Sawyer County Zoning Ordinance provided as “Option A” (specifically the proposed definition of camping cabin and the modification to Section 6.610 made by Sarah Delaney, seconded by Quentin Johnson. All ayes. Motion carried. b. Roads Committee presented by Quentin Johnson. Motion to approve the purchase of a new Tandem Truck from Boyer made by Quentin Johnson, seconded by Deb Amery. All ayes. Motion carried. c. Facilities, Maintenance, & Solid Waste presented by Mark Johns. Walters Buildings came to make repairs on the building at their expense. Thank you to Ed Bease for making this happen. Thank you to Don, Jim and Fire Chief Schmidt for repairing the damage to the front of Fire Station #1. There was garage door damage at Fire Station #2 – Fuller Garage Doors made a site visit and gave an estimate for the repair. The transfer station Republic bill issue has been solved and as the road bans come oƯ on Monday, the receptacles for their resident customers will be removed accordingly as regular service recommences. 10. At 6:44 the meeting moved into closed session to confer with Legal Counsel with Respect to Litigation. Board was updated by the Town Attorney. Board entered back into open session at 7:01. 11. Discussion of the Boating Ordinance Ad Hoc Committee findings and presentation. Consensus is that the Board is quite impressed with the diligence and depth of research done by the Ad Hoc Committee and all the items the brought forward for consideration. 12. Motion to adjourn made by Quentin Johnson, seconded by Deb Amery. All ayes. Motion carried. NEXT MEETING: Next Regular Town Board Meeting, Wed., May 14, 2025 at 6:00 PM. Respectfully submitted, Bianca Cleary Clerk, Town of Spider Lake 12 May 2025