Town Board — Minutes

1 Town of Drammen Town Meeting Minutes March 10, 2025 1) The meeting was called to order by Chairman Ed Risler with all board members present. Town residents, Elizabeth Lutes, Greg Lampman, Jim Williams, Mike Issacson, Gerald Galloway, Lex Galloway, and Rural Mutual Insurance representative Steve Berger were also in attendance. 2) February Meeting Minutes Motion to approve the February Meeting Minutes made by Joe Becker seconded by Jeff Larson. Motion carried. 3) Treasurers Report Motion to approve the January treasurer’s report made by Jeff Larson and seconded by Joe Becker. Motion carried. 4) Monthly Bills Motion to approve the January bills made by Joe Becker and seconded by Jeff Larson with the addition of Chippewa Valley Energy for LP gas delivery of $545.10. Motion carried. 5) Insurance Renewal Steve Berger from Rural Mutual Insurance Company discussed and reviewed the coverage and premiums associated with the town’s main insurance policy and the workman’s comp policy. During discussion the Express vote machine was brought up as it was not covered. Steve also relayed that any injury, however slight, needed to be reported. Action Item: Clerk will get serial numbers and approximate value of the Express V ote machine and forward them to Steve for inclusion in the policy. The clerk will reiterate to the town workers the importance of informing the town leadership of any injuries occurring during work hours. 6) Annual Report The Annual Report was reviewed and discussed for final approval. Motion to approve was made by Joe Becker seconded by Jeff Larson. Motion carried. Action Item: None 7) Animal Control Ordinance(Dogs Running at Large) The new ordinance was reviewed and discussed for approval. No changes were necessary. Motion to approve was made by Joe Becker and seconded by Jeff Larson, Motion carried. Action Item: The Clerk will post the ordinance on the town’s website, send a copy of the ordinance to the Eau Claire County Humane Society, and will post in the Ad Delite once the Town Fee Resolution is approved. 8) Town Fee Resolution The new resolution was reviewed with much discussion of fees and penalties including raising the standard dog license fees. The resolution also added a fine for unlicensed dogs running at large requiring a fine of double the normal license fee to register. The board agreed to keep the sanding fee at $35 per sanding vice $50 as charged by surrounding townships. Action Item: The Clerk will update the resolution and present it at the next town meeting. 9) Town Chairman Update - Maple Ridge Driveway Issue Update The Town Chairman inspected the issue, discussed it with the owners daughter, and determined that a culvert should have been installed when the road was resurfaced (10 plus years). Over time the gravel of the driveway has compacted making the dip more pronounced causing the issue with bottoming out of vehicles. No further action by the town is required to fix the issue as culverts under driveways are the property owners’ responsibility. Action Item: The Clerk will submit a letter to the homeowner recommending a culvert be installed to correct the issue. - Tree Cutting Update The Town Chairman relayed that multiple dead trees had been cut down on Maple Ridge Road, Moe Road, and East Hemlock Road. Towns member brought up that multiple large, dead, trees on Pine Ridge Road are covering or encroaching on the road. Action Item: The two Town Supervisors and Chairman will inspect the site and contact the respective landowners for permission to cut them down if necessary. Once approved, an arborist will be hired to complete the work. 10) Town Clerk Updates 2 - Bridge Inspection Report The report was reviewed and the minor deficiencies were acknowledged. The pictures of the deficiencies were not clear, further investigation needs to completed before any action is taken to correct them. Action Item: Joe Becker will investigate/inspect for needed repairs or further action. - Lunch and Learn with EC Emergency Management A training opportunity for town leadership will occur on the 31 March with Eau Claire Emergency Management. As discussed, Jeff Larson will attend the training. Action Item: None - Status of Accounting Software Implementation The software has not been implemented yet due to conflict in scheduling training and the Clerks emergent travel for family issues. Training has been rescheduled for later in the month with implementation to be completed prior to the end of the month. Action Item: None - Town Website Renewal/upgrade Required Discussion was held on the increased costs of the Town Website renewal and the one time upgrade fee required as the current version of the website will no longer be supported. Recommendations were made that an investigation of other options/companies be completed to compare costs. Clerk discussed that he had investigated other companies and townships including the advantages and disadvantages to maintaining the current website company. Action Item: The Clerk will complete the upgrade of the town website with the current company as approved in the monthly bills. - Proposed Zoning Code Amendments Discussed the proposed zoning amendment changes as directed by the Eau Claire Planning Commission , including purpose, intent, and requirements for the town. This change corrected omissions, updated tables, and had no substantive change to the Amendment adopted in Jan 2024. Town board agreed that no further action was required. Action Item: None 11) Other Business Brought Before the Board - Clerk informed the board a town member called prior to the meeting and informed him that Sunny View Road, which is gravel, was washed out and hard to drive on. The issue was discussed, and it was agreed the Town Maintenance Technician will investigate/Fix as necessary. Action Item: The Clerk will inform the Town Maintenance Technician of the issue and required action. - The Chairman informed the board that Tim Hoverson, the Town Maintenance Technician, requested training on operating the town grader, if possible, from Mark Thompson of Pleasant Valley Maintenance. Action Item: The Clerk will contact Pleasant Valley to see if Mark Thompson is available to be hired out for training when weather conditions improve. The clerk will report results at next meeting. - A townsperson informed the board that two culverts on Sunny Nook Road had a cracks/holes and were filling with dirt. Action Item: The Chairman and Town Maintenance Technician will investigate. - Board members discussed inspecting the town roads and agreed to meet on April 5th to drive the town roads and inspect/grade them for necessary repairs. Action Item: The Clerk will investigate inspection requirements and present them to the board members prior to April 5th. 12) Motion to adjourn was made by Jeff Larson and seconded by Joe Becker. Motion carried. Submitted S/ Nick Lutes Drammen Town Clerk