Town Board — Minutes

MINUTES TOWN OF SENECA Monthly Board Meeting January 5, 2022, 7:00 P.M. Seneca Town Hall, 3540 County Hwy. Q, WI Rapids, WI 54495 ________________________________________________________________________________ The Town of Seneca Board met for a regular meeting on Wednesday, January 5, 2022 at the town hall. Chairman Oilschlager called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m., opening with the Pledge of Allegiance. MEETING CERTIFICATION: This meeting has been properly posted to notify the public of the date, place & time of the meeting. In attendance were Chairman Dean Oilschlager, Supervisors Alex Matecki and Thomas Wolf, Treasurer Joan Radtke, Ken Porter, Jim Fuller and David Alnes. Clerk Sandra Green was absent. The December 1, 2021 minutes were reviewed. Motion to accept the minutes from the December 1, 2021 board meeting was made by A. Matecki and seconded by T. Wolf. Motion carried. The cash balance on hand as of December 31, 2021 is $ 799,660.89, including an Equipment Fund balance of $47,444.03. T. Wolf made a motion to pay the bills brought before the board, and to accept the Treasurer’s Report. A. Matecki seconded the motion. Motion carried. Correspondence: 1. The Chairman presented a request from Wood County to approve a certified survey map (CSM) for James Jackson. After some board discussion and review, Chairman Oilschlager signed the Municipal Review Form, approving the map for compliance with local ordinances. 2. The town was contacted by a landowner who recently purchased property at the end of Marsh Road, near Range Road. He was questioning the condition of the roads and what maintenance, in terms of grading, is performed on this stretch of roadway. Chairman Oilschlager informed him that the road is graded at least twice a year and encouraged him to attend a future board meeting for further discussion. The landowner declined his offer and thanked Dean for the information. 3. The U.S. Dept. of Justice has notified the town that it is subject to bilingual election requirements with respect to the Ho-Chunk Nation based on recent Census Bureau data. The town must provide targeted language assistance at elections for those American Indians with limited English proficiency. 4. Wood County sent to the town, as required by state statute, copies of several logging/harvesting permits approved recently by the County Clerk’s Office. 5. The WI DNR notified the town of several landowners who were recently granted the Managed Forest Land (MFL) designation on their property as of January 1, 2022. The order was sent to be filed with the town’s records. Delmore Consulting LLC Presentation: Delmore Consulting, out of WI Dells, was scheduled to present on several consulting services they could provide to the town. Due to inclement weather on the day of the meeting, they contacted Chairman Oilschlager and asked to reschedule. They will be available to attend the March board meeting. Public Input: Dave Alnes, who issues the town zoning permits, recently learned that Dan Hansen, the town’s Building Inspector, does not check for compliance with the town’s zoning regulations (lot line setbacks, etc.) when performing a new home or building construction inspection in Seneca. Since Mr. Alnes does not get involved in new construction reviews, it appears that verification of compliance with town zoning is not always considered in the case of new construction. To rectify this, the chairman will talk with Mr. Hansen regarding the inclusion of town zoning requirements as part of his inspection process. Alternatively, the town board may consider requiring a zoning permit, separate from the building permit, for new construction to ensure the structure meets the town’s zoning ordinances. Some discussion also occurred regarding the town’s schedule of zoning permit fees. Zoning Committee Changes: Chairman Oilschlager was informed by WTA legal counsel that the town can have existing board members appointed to the zoning committee. Given the town’s size, we should appoint an odd number of individuals to the zoning committee with a minimum of five members – but not more than seven, with staggered terms. To incorporate this change into the town’s zoning policy, it can be amended during a regular meeting given it is properly noticed as part of the meeting agenda. To move forward on this issue, Ken Porter, Acting Zoning Committee Chairman, will contact existing zoning committee members and request that they attend the February board meeting to discuss. Roadwork: The town recently purchased chainsaw safety equipment and have two new chainsaws on order to deal with future storm damage and to clear fallen trees on town roads. Also, for safety reasons, when it is necessary to go out in a storm, the road crew will go out in pairs to remove road debris. Equipment Fund Balance Increase: Each January, the Treasurer is responsible for transferring $15,000 from the General Fund into the Equipment Fund to build an equipment reserve. A. Matecki made a motion to transfer $15,000 from the General Fund to the Equipment Fund and T. Wolf seconded. Motion carried. 2021 Annual Audit of Town Books: The audit of the town’s books has been postponed and will be performed as part of the February regular board meeting. A. Matecki made a motion to adjourn the board meeting; seconded by T. Wolf. Motion carried. Meeting adjourned at 8:20 p.m. Respectfully Submitted, Joan Radtke Joan Radtke, Town Treasurer These minutes are not approved until the following month’s board meeting.