Regular Town Board Meeting — Minutes

1 Regular Town Board Meeting September 14, 2026, 7:00 P.M. Held In Person and Remotely Linn Town Hall W3728 Franklin Walsh St. Zenda, WI. 53195 MINUTES Chairman Weiss called the meeting to order at 7:04 PM Present at roll call were Supervisors Zimmerman, Livingston (excused), Leith, Palmer, Chairman Weiss. Also present were Attorney James Duquette, Clerk Morris and Administrator/Treasurer David Zimmerman. Pledge of Allegiance: Consent Agenda: Palmer/M. Zimmerman motioned to approve the Consent Agenda minus the 2% dues. Motion carried. Supervisor Leith wanted the 2% Fire Department dues removed from the Consent Agenda. She wanted to know when the dues actually arrived because there was some confusion about that. David said we received them on June 22nd in the amount of $93,912.22. They came in electronically as fire funds from the state. Supervisor Leith asked why they did not go out right away. Mr. Zimmerman said that he didn’t recognize them as 2% dues right away. That is why it is being done now. Chairman Weiss asked what Mr. Zimmerman was proposing to pay to the Fire Department. Mr. Zimmerman stated $93,912.22. Chairman Weiss said we are contractually obligated to do so. He asked if we have an account of what we have paid them since the beginning of the contract, what expenses have been paid and what the balance is. David said he did not have that information at that time, but he will put it together for the Board. Financial Reports & Payment of the bills: Payroll Report – August 2026: Palmer/Leith motioned to approve the payroll report as presented. Motion Carried. Profit & Loss Statement – July 2026: M. Zimmerman/Palmer motioned to approve the P&L through July 2026. Motion Carried. David stated he has prepared two reports for the board, the first report was exactly the way QuickBooks displays the profit and loss and the second one David recreated. David explained how he prepared this report and withdrew information that did not need to be included. It shows a balanced budget. Expenses and income both total $11,226,800.75 2 Credit Card Report – August 2026, discussion only: No questions or comments Payment of the bills: Leith/Palmer motioned to pay the bills in the amount of $1,281,606.19. Motion Carried. Chairman Weiss said the largest bill is for the City of Lake Geneva staffing of the Fire House- Q2 and Administrative fees. Supervisor Leith pointed out that the next two highest bills were for John’s Disposal and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Clerk Morris said that the largest portion of the DOT bill was Hillside Bridge. Supervisor Leith asked why at the bottom there was another check made payable to Platinum Terrain and there was a check at the top. Clerk Morris explained that when you enter invoices into QuickBooks you enter them separately but when a check is cut it pays it on one check but displays all invoices on the check stub at the bottom. The second check was entered after the checks were cut so it would have to cut another check. Plan Commission: – No Meeting Comments from the Public: Allan Polyock N146 Bissell Rd said he was happy to hear about the coming report on the 2% dues. At the Highway Committee meeting he learned that skid steer needs repairs. He thinks that the Town should buy a new one rather than repair this old one. There wasn’t anyone else in the Town Hall or online who wished to speak. Ordinances, Resolutions & Proclamations: Municipal Court Resolution 2026-002: Leith/Palmer motioned to approve this first reading of the ordinance repealing section 2-5 and amending sections 2-7(A) and 9-13(B) of the Code of Ordinances as submitted. Motion Carried. Leith/Palmer motioned to waive the second reading. Motion Carried. Leith/Palmer motioned to adopt the ordinance as presented. Motion Carried. Attorney Duquette prepared this Resolution for the Town regarding abolishing the Municipal Court. This means that citations from the Linn Police department would be processed at the Circuit Court in Elkhorn. There would no longer be a judge or court clerk in Linn. 3 New Business: Highway Maintenance Worker Position Posting: M. Zimmerman/Leith motioned to post Highway position. Motion carried. David said that one of the Highway workers will be retiring November 20th the proposal is to fill this position. He had a job description and proposed salary in the Board packet. He’d like to post the position with applications due October 2nd and then schedule interviews. He showed competitive wages from cities and villages not around our area. Chairman Weiss would like to see what wages compare to municipalities around our surrounding area. Our Highway Superintendent proposed $27-$29 per hour for the position. The retiring employee is paid $33.44. The next highest pay would be $31.35per hour. Town Emergency Management Director: Palmer/Leith motioned to appoint the Chief of Police Mr. Graham Gunyon as the new Town Emergency Management Director for the next year. Motion Carried. David said that our ordinance states that the Board appoints the Town Emergency Director. The term is one year. David recommended our police chief to be the new Town Emergency Management Director for one year. Alley Vacation Request - W4451 & W4447 Laurel Street - Tax Parcels IRP 00013 & IRP 00013A: Leith/M. Zimmerman motioned to approve this, subject to public hearing as described by Mr. Duquette, and subject to having the proper vacating request. Motion Carried. Mr. Dave Stout owns both of these parcels on Laurel St. He is petitioning to vacate both the unimproved Johnson St/Laurel Rd easements. The owners of the parcel to the left, which is in Williams Bay, have agreed to allow Mr. Stout to petition for this alley vacation. This is step 6 in the alley vacation process. Mr. Stout is working with his attorney. The Board would need to schedule a public hearing. Mr. Zimmerman would then need to draft an Intent to Vacate and schedule a public hearing. Attorney Duquette said that he saw several documents but not the actual petition. Chairman Weiss asked if it would be appropriate to schedule a public hearing when it is confirmed that the Town has the written petition from Mr. Stout. Attorney Duquette agreed. He also spoke of the recently approved Cost Recovery Agreement that the petitioner signed. 4 Supplemental Dental Coverage: Palmer/Leith motioned to table it until the Town Administer can put together appropriate updates to our handbook and other administrative tasks related to this. Motion carried. David said that it has been requested that the Town offer a select dental plan. This is supplemental dental coverage paid 100% by the employee with no employer costs. David said he would need to add that section to the employee handbook. Supervisor Palmer wanted to make sure that this was at no cost to the Town of Linn. Clerk Morris stated that this item would need to be approved prior to open enrollment which she believes takes place October 1 in order for employees to enroll. Building & Grounds Committee: David reported that the generators were serviced. Town Hall rental for the Hillside Bridge project has ended. The Town generated $2500 in rent from this. The Buildings and Grounds 2027 budget was approved for Board review as well as the Capital Plan. Highway Committee: Additional paving outside scope of our work – township has already paid for grading and paving within the scope of work for $20k - Loudenbeck driveway – Committee (3-1) recommends to Town Board to approve paving request: Palmer/Leith motioned to approve the additional paving with Superior Paving in the amount of $21,050 to complete the driveway paving portion. Motion Failed 2-2 M. Zimmerman and Weiss dissented. Supervisor Palmer stated that this has to do with the Hillside Bridge project. The end of the bridge is at the Loudenbeck’s driveway. All of this work has affected their farm operations for the last six months. The Loudenbeck’s request, after all of this inconvenience, was for the Town to pave the rest of their driveway. Mr. Wittum got a bid for the job and presented it to the Highway Committee, and they were in favor of this work being done. Supervisor Zimmerman does not think that the Town should pay for this. She said the Committee vote was 3-1, and Supervisor Livingston did not think it should be paid for. Supervisor Leith said that the Town did not have a full understanding of what all would be happening with the easement. Supervisor Palmer said that this was a known problem from the beginning, tons of gravel had to be added to the end of their driveway due to the required slope of the bridge. If they hadn’t done that, semis and farm equipment would bottom out trying to access their driveway. The Town paid for this. The work they want done further up the driveway was not due to the Town or the Contractor. Chairman Weiss sees that the Town already took care of the portion that they were responsible for. Supervisor Palmer said that the bridge project just finished. Going further he would like to allow this issue to return to the Board after it is better 5 understood how it is affecting them. It is not a pain and suffering issue; it is a usability issue. Supervisor Zimmerman asked if the Loudenbeck’s should take this to their commercial insurance company. Matt Loudenbeck said that the area where the guardrail is, is where he usually would be turning his vehicle around in. They were told that a level spot was to be made beside the road and that has not been done. When you turn in you lose sight of the driveway. It is also a sharper turn than it ever was before. Supervisor Zimmerman would be fine with this returning to the Board if there is an actual mechanical or engineering issue and the Town’s attorney and the Loudenbeck’s insurance company were present. Chairman Weiss asked for Supervisor Palmer to work with them on what all needs to be changed and adjusted. The Loudenbeck’s supplied the fill to raise the driveway. The bridge cost the Loudenbeck’s business thousands of dollars. Chairman Weiss said that the State and the Railroad need to be a part of the conversation. After-the-fact Permit Fees: N1534 Hardwood - Committee recommends to Town Board a $100.00 fee: Palmer/Leith motioned to charge an after the fact driveway fee of $100 to N1534 Hardwood. Motion Carried. Supervisor Palmer said this was the fault of the homeowner. Therefore, the Committee recommended the $100 fee. Walworth County MOU, Winter 2026/27 – Committee recommends to Town Board to approve MOU: Palmer/Leith motioned to approve Walworth County MOU. Motion Carried. Asphalt Patch Work - Payne and Dolan – Committee recommends to Town Board to authorize patch work: Palmer/Zimmerman motioned to give Payne and Dolan up to $75,000 for various patching areas throughout the Township out of the Patchwork budget. Motion Carried. Supervisor Palmer stated that Superintendent Wittum is requesting this for various areas throughout the Township. He also said that he would recommend tabling the work at the Fire Department. Harbor Commission: Supervisor Zimmerman said that Capital Plan and the five-year budget were approved. Crib repair work will commence once the boats come out at Hillside and crack patching will begin at Linn Pier as soon as they find someone to do it. 6 Protective Services Committee: Fire Apparatus Auction — Committee recommends to Town Board that the Fire Department be permitted to sell the 2001 Peterbilt 4,000-gallon tender and the 2006 Rosenbauer engine through the Garage website: Zimmerman/Weiss motioned to sell the 2001 Peterbilt 4000-gallon tender and the 2006 Rosenbauer engine through the Garage website. Motion Carried. Supervisor Zimmerman stated that the Fire Department requested that we use a new website to sell items. It is called the Garage Website. The Committee recommends this as well. Capitol Police MOU — Committee recommends to Town Board to approve and move forward, pending review by Attorney Duquette: Zimmerman/Leith motioned to approve the police capitol MOU if Mr. Duquette approves. Motion Carried. There is a MOU from the Capital police. It was signed but needs Mr. Duquette’s approval. The police department could then work with the Capital police when there are events here and would be paid directly. Mr. Duquette looked at it and has some questions for the chief. Parks Committee: Supervisor Leith said that they had a meeting on August 26th. The 2027 budget and capital plan were approved by the committee. Non-Standing Committees, and Professional Services Reports: Geneva Lake Environmental Agency Report: Chairman Weiss said that they will be meeting this week and working on the 2027 budget. Geneva Lake Use Committee Report: - No meeting. City of Lake Geneva Police & Fire Commission Report: Supervisor Livingston is not present to give report. Building Inspection Reports Monthly Report; App by Permit Summary; Permit Details; Issued Permits: Clerk Morris spoke regarding the Pier As-Builts in the Board packet. She asked how the Board wants to move forward on those who have failed to turn in their As-Builts and soon piers will be coming out. Clerk Morris had been calling the Pier Companies. Chairman Weiss asked her to 7 now call the homeowners. Code Enforcement Report & Case Update: – No comments or questions Pier As-Built Survey Progress Reports: – No comments or questions Engineering Report:– No comments or questions Leith/Palmer motioned to adjourn at 8:04 PM. Motion Carried. Respectfully Submitted, Alyson Morris Town of Linn Clerk