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FREDONIA VILLAGE BOARD MEETING MINUTES Thursday, January 8th, 2026 at 7:00 PM Fredonia Government Center - Board Room 242 Fredonia Avenue, Fredonia, Wisconsin 1. President Pro-Tem Abegglen called the meeting to order at 7:00 PM, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. 2. Trustees Present: President Pro-Tem Abegglen, Trustee Franck, Trustee Syring, Trustee Eippert, Trustee Van Roo. Trustees Excused: President Lenz. Staff Present: Administrator Jenkins, Treasurer Upson, Clerk Johnson, Director Paulus. Public Present: Don & Cookie Gruell, member of the press. 3. Public Comments: None 4. Motion to Approve Minutes of the December 4, 2025, Village Board of Trustees Regular Meeting, and General Fund, Water and Sewer Invoices made by Trustee Franck. Seconded by Trustee Eippert. Passed by 5-0 voice vote. 5. Presentations a) Cookie Gruell presented a donation of nearly $94,000 on behalf of the estate of Robert Oehme. She described her friend as a life-long resident of the Village, a loving member of her family, and an avid traveler. She stated Mr. Oehme was an Army veteran and spent most of his career with the Ozaukee County Highway Department. Mr. Oehme was a wonderful man who loved Fredonia and his wish was that the money be put towards the enhancement of Village parks. She hoped the Village would place a bench in his honor. President Pro-Tem Abegglen accepted the donation with gratitude and stated this was the favorite part of his job. 6. Items for Action and/or Discussion a) Motion to Approve Ordinance 2025-05: Pertaining to Intoxicating Beverages made by Trustee Franck. Seconded by Trustee Syring. President Pro-Tem reminded the Board this was the second reading of this house-keeping ordinance update. Passed by 5-0 voice vote. b) Motion to Approve Ordinance 2025-06: Pertaining to Carrying Weapons made by Trustee Van Roo. Seconded by Trustee Franck. Trustee Van Roo reminded the Board this update was to ensure local ordinance is not more restrictive than state statute. Passed by 5-0 voice vote. c) Motion to Approve Purchase of BVR 13 Gas Chipper, Not to Exceed $30,000 made by Trustee Franck. Seconded by Trustee Eippert. President Pro-Tem Abegglen stated the purchase was approved as part of the CIP . Director Paulus shared the trade-in value of the current chipper is $3,000 less than what was paid for it in 2007. He chose a gas chipper instead of diesel for cost savings on fuel. Trustee Syring asked if the Village got a better price on diesel when purchased in bulk. Director Paulus said the Village does not have fuel storage. Administrator Jenkins added that it was considered a liability by the Village’s insurance carrier. Passed by 5-0 voice vote. d) Motion to Approve Purchase of a Used 2019 John Deere 50G Mini Excavator, Not to Exceed $63,000 made by Trustee Franck. Seconded by Trustee Syring. President Pro-Tem Abegglen reminded the Board this purchase was approved as part of the CIP. Director Paulus said there is $70,000 earmarked for this purchase. This is the same piece of equipment used to dig out the alley, and the splash pad this summer. Passed by 5-0 voice vote. e) Motion to Approve Fredonia First Development Initiative made by Trustee Franck. Seconded by Trustee Van Roo. Administrator Jenkins stated the Village’s first strategic priority is “smart residential and commercial development” and that the Board tasked him with spurring residential construction. He researched successful programs in Washington and Ozaukee Counties, meeting with leaders across the area to discuss their versions of residential housing incentive programs. The result of his work is the “Fredonia First” residential housing initiative, which offers up to $5,0000 in waived building permit fees as an incentive to build a home in Fredonia. The $5,000 in waived fees must directly benefit the buyer, either through a discount on the lot sale price or on construction costs. The lot sale price for the vacant parcels in the Hillcrest development has been impacted by the amount of fill that needs to be moved to create buildable lots and install infrastructure. $5,000 will go a long way to making those lots more affordable for residents. The typical new home built in Fredonia has $6,000-$8,0000 in associated fees, the bulk of which park use fees, record maintenance and utility hook up fees. Permit fees pay for building inspector wages. Capping the waived fees at $5,000 would still allow for the building inspector’s wages to be paid for through permit fees. Administrator Jenkins estimates that it would take the Village 1-2 years in tax revenue to recoup the loss of permit fees. Administrator Jenkins shared that Hillcrest has shown meaningful progress in marketing the vacant lots, with two lots recently sold and the start of construction on the condo project on Deer Meadow Dr. He is hopeful that Hillcrest will start building more homes on the lots they own in the Village, and Fredonia First is a way to incentivize the development. He also hopes to execute a developer’s agreement with them, tying Hillcrest to certain development minimums including the installation of utility and road base. As an additional incentive, the Village owns four parcels along Deer Meadow Drive that could be used as a bargaining chip for future development. President Pro-Tem Abegglen stated that residential development was one of the key targets he wanted to address when he ran for trustee, and one that continues to prove difficult. He said the two- year return on investment was well worth the $5,000 loss in discounted fees. Trustee Syring was glad Hillcrest is willing to partner with the Village. Trustee Franck stated the incentive program should be open to all development, including commercial and industrial, and that the total discount for a duplex should be $5,000, not doubled. Passed by 5-0 voice vote. 7. Correspondence: None 8. Items for Future Consideration: The Board discussed the heavy truck traffic on Fredonia Ave and crosswalk safety. Clerk Johnson will add the discussion item to the upcoming Public Works Committee meeting agenda. 9. Motion to Adjourn made by Trustee Eippert. Seconded by Trustee Syring. Passed by 6-0 voice vote.