Minutes

Town of Rock Elm Elmwood, Pierce County, Wisconsin MINUTES Tuesday, February 10, 2026 Meeting called to order at 8:00 p.m. by Chairman Tim Bates. Others present: Matt Holcomb, Supervisor; Chris Thibado, Supervisor; Dave Bechel, Patrolman; Dawn Churchill, Clerk; Pam Reitz, Treasurer; and 15 residents and 7 non-residents. Motion to approve the agenda was made by Matt Holcomb, second by Chris Thibado, motion carried. Minutes from previous meeting Minutes from Town Board meeting, January 13, 2026, were read. Motion to approve minutes made by Chris Thibado, second by Matt Holcomb, motion carried. Minutes from the Public Hearing on the CAFO Ordinance, January 31, 2026, were read. Motion to approve minutes made by Chris Thibado, second by Matt Holcomb, motion carried. Financial Report Dawn gave the financial report. Balance at the end of the year before bills are paid was $466,526.64. This month’s bills total $182,396.20. There is expected income from property taxes of approximately $140,000. Motion to approve payment of bills made by Chris Thibado, second by Matt Holcomb, motion carried. Year-end budget spreadsheets were handed out and reviewed. Since all bills are in for 570th road project, paperwork will need to be completed for allowed reimbursement. Discussed CDBG program and it coming to an end; will need to work with Cedar Corp on contract for continued administration and what to do with the bank account. Possible upgrade of tractor and brush mower, update Dave and Tim have not been able to look at tractors as they are not yet available. John Deere has a new financing option that may be better than going through Tractor Central. Motion to table this until next month made by Chris Thibado, second by Matt Holcomb, motion carried. CAFO – Ordinance Vote Board members voiced comments, summarized as follows: Tim- He has a good relationship with farmers now; With regards to roads, State law states that if they are damaged, the party responsible will incur 3 times the cost to repair; He has had numerous conversations with residents and their main concern continues to be roads and water quality; Enforcement of the ordinance could be difficult and could be a financial burden for the township and residents if adopted; There are other things we can do such as livestock siting and well-testing. Chris- Stated that scrutiny and oversight are a part of life. Oversight and scrutiny should be welcomed, nothing to be afraid of; During the Public Hearing on CAFO and letters submitted, the majority of residents voiced in favor of this ordinance; The CAFO Committee, which also had farmers on it, voted for this as well. Matt- Sewers, road salt, manure, and synthetic fertilizers all contribute to water quality. It is not just a big farmer issue, it’s all residents; The township has had a good working relationship with local CAFOs for many years; Feels that this ordinance is not practical; there is a better way. A brief discussion followed. A motion to adopt the CAFO Ordinance as written was made by Chris Thibado. There was no second, motion failed. Tim indicated this could possibly be revisited after/if the ordinance is simplified. Highway report Presented by Dave Bechel, Patrolman • Has been dealing with the snow. • Has been winging back with the grader. • Inspector was here on 02/09/26. Salt sand was inspected. • Installed new blades on dump truck front plow and wing plow. Lance Elbe helped with the install. • Took the dump truck to Universal Truck Equipment on 02/10/26 for some electrical issues. The box culvert project might be able to get by with a smaller culvert, will need to see what engineering says. Waiting on Weisers for a cost estimate of culvert at this time. Also, wires may need to be located as they run close. Public Input Pam shared her final tax report. She indicated it had to be modified after she submitted it to the county, as there was one check returned for insufficient funds. She also commented on issues with the dog licensing computer program not being very user friendly. Thank you to the board and appreciation for everyone. Correspondence Reviewed. Set date and time for next monthly board meeting The next meeting will be March 10, 2026, at 8:00 p.m. Motion to adjourn made by Matt Holcomb, second by Chris Thibado, motion carried. Meeting adjourned at 9:17 p.m. Respectfully submitted by Dawn Churchill, Clerk