Town Board Meeting — Minutes

Town of Drammen Town Meeting Minutes March 16th, 2026 The meeting was called to order by Chairman Jeff Larson at 7:00 p.m. with all board members present. Town resident Greg Lampman and guests Steve Berger, Rod Eislinger, and Regan Watts were also present. Steve Berger Rural Mutual Insurance Steve Berger from Rural Mutual presented the updated town insurance renewal, raising the town hall value from $308,561 to $484,393 due to five years without changes. He proposed increasing the deductible to $1,000 or $2,500 to maintain a lower premium. The town board discussed the proposal and the board agreed to increase the deductible to $2,500. Motion to increase was made by Joe Becker and seconded by Mike Isaacson. Motion carried. Regan Watts Eau Claire County Recycling Rod Eislinger, Head of Eau Claire County Planning, formally introduced Regan Watts and outlined her proposed changes to the county's recycling program. Ms. Watts presented plans for an upcoming update to the county recycling ordinance, discussed the potential increase in reimbursement fees to towns for attendants, and addressed a proposed adjustment to the special assessment for recycling on county property tax bills. Feburary Meeting Minutes Motion to approve the February 9th meeting minutes was made by Mike Isaacson and seconded by Joe Becker. Motion carried. Treasurer's Report Treasurer presented a revised report for January that updated the amount for recycling cash deposited to the correct amount. Motion to approve the February Treasurer’s Report was made by Joe Becker and seconded by Mike Isaacson. Motion carried. Monthly Bills Joe Becker made a motion to approve the monthly bills, which was seconded by Mike Isaacson. Motion carried. Monthly Budget Review The board conducted a review of the current budget. The clerk recommended reallocating $200 from Highway Insurance to Non-Highway Insurance to address unforeseen expenses. Additionally, the clerk proposed establishing a new budget line item for Additional Highway Labor and suggested transferring $3,000 from the Tree Trimming line to more accurately account for recycling employees' work related to tree trimming. Both recommendations received board approval. Annual Financial Report The Clerk presented the Annual Financial Report to be discussed at the Annual Town Meeting on 14 April. A motion was made by Mike Isaacson to approve printing the report and distributing it during the April 7th election, the Annual Town Meeting, and during Garbage/Recycling hours in April. Motion was seconded by Joe Becker, motion carried. Town Newsletter The Clerk submitted the town newsletter for distribution at the Annual Town Meeting. Mike Isaacson made a motion to authorize printing and handing out the newsletter during the April 7th election, at the Annual Town Meeting, and throughout April during Garbage/Recycling hours. Motion was seconded by Joe Becker, motion carried Updated Fire Protection Ordinance The Clerk presented Ordinance 26-02 Fire Protection Charges and Burning Permits, updating the old ordinance to remove the need to call a town board member for Burning Permits. Motion to approve the Ordinance was made by Joe Becker and seconded by Mike Isaacson, motion carried. Town Email Change Proposal The Clerk presented a proposal to transition the official town email addresses for both the Clerk and Treasurer from personal Microsoft accounts to accounts hosted on the town’s official website. This change will ensure that email addresses are associated with the positions rather than the individuals holding them. Joe Becker moved to approve the change, and Mike Isaacson seconded; the motion was carried. The Clerk also presented a proposal to transition the town's official phone number from his personal landline to the town hall number, utilizing updated technology provided by the phone service provider. This system would include an auto attendant feature to direct calls to the appropriate town officials, thereby improving operational efficiency and safeguarding personal information. Motion to approve the change was made by Mike Isaacson and seconded by Joe Becker. Motion carried. Chairman, Supervisor, Clerk Updates The Chairman reported that road inspections are scheduled for early April to evaluate their condition and necessary repairs. Tree trimming on Pine Ridge and Maple Ridge Roads is almost finished; work was temporarily delayed due to a hydraulic problem with the bucket truck, but this has now been fixed. Additionally, a second bid was received from Deden Construction for $4,189.59 to replace the town hall door. Before making a final decision, the board agreed to obtain a third and final bid from townmember Kevin Everson. The Clerk reported on the status of the Culvert replacement package and the Eau Claire Highway department's plans to replace it. A board member noted that the road with the culvert is the only access to several farm fields scheduled for spring cropping. The Clerk will inform the highway department so they can consider this when scheduling. The Clerk also discussed upcoming events that were informational only or did not require a decision at this time. Public Input None. Motion to adjourn at 9:10 p.m. was made by a Mike Isaacson and seconded by Joe Becker. Motion carried. Submitted Nick Lutes Drammen Town Clerk