10-3-2023

TOWN BOARD MEETING, October 03, 2023 – 6:00 P.M. PRESENT: Town Chair Dick Green, Supervisors Eric Olson, Larry Schuller, Faith Schuck (virtually) and Clerk/Treasurer Maria Hougan. ABSENT: Supervisor Melanie Miller OTHERS PRESENT: Laura & Steven Bardouche, 1744 Oakview Dr., Aaron Gross, 1781 Oakview Dr., Becky & Gary Weaver, 2872 Skycrest Cir., Justin Melby, 1787 Oakview Dr., Kathleen Boucher, 2868 Skycrest Cir., Dana Yellowbird, 1787 Oakview Dr., Michelle Denk, 1792 Oakview Dr., Erin Savaske, 2759 Yahara Rd., Gabe LaPiere, 2768 Yahara Rd. CALL TO ORDER Chair Green called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE PUBLIC COMMENT: The Board listens to residents speak on any issue (three-minute time limit) Laura Bardouche, 1744 Oakview Dr., spoke in support of stop sign placement at Oakview and Burritt Rd., she handed out a document for the Board to review regarding the various neighborhood parks and stop sign placement including the Oak Knoll Park area. She explained an example which recently happened while young children were waiting at the bus stop and someone drove by going very fast. Steven Bardouche, 1744 Oakview Dr., spoke in support of stop signs being placed at Oakview and Burritt Rd., this request is to increase the safety of kids in the area. They are playing outside and it’s now getting darker earlier. Michelle Denk, 1792 Oakview Dr., spoke in support of the stop signs. Many children are in the neighborhood, at least 25 under the age of 10. The kids are outside playing all the time. Erin Savaske, 2957 Yahara Rd., in favor of a stop sign in that area. It’s a dangerous and scary area, she strongly supports a stop sign. PRESENTATION BY CINDY MCGLYNN OF THE STOUGHTON SENIOR CENTER. Cindy McGlynn of the Stoughton Senior Center was in attendance to discuss the Stoughton Senior Center. She had previously provided the Senior Centers annual report. She stated there are many residents from Pleasant Springs who utilize the Senior Center. They have increased their space and added more programs and activities for seniors. She is asking all towns to consider increasing their funding at the Senior Center, and stated there has been a good relationship between the Senior Center and Town of Pleasant Springs. She reported to the Board her appreciation for Faith Schuck who serves on the Commission of Aging. Any item listed on the agenda is subject for action. CONSENT AGENDA: Items listed under consent agenda will be approved in one motion without discussion unless any Board member requests that an item(s) be removed for individual discussion. That item then can be considered at an appropriate time during the Board’s regular order of business. 1. Approval of minutes of the September 13, 2023 Joint Plan Commission & Town Board meeting, September 19, 2023, Town Board meeting, and September 21, 2023 Budget meeting. 2. Approval of the check register dated September 27, 2023 and October 2, 2023. 3. Approval of an Operator’s License for: (Background check completed, no issues found. Approval recommended) • Evan Scott McAdams, BP/Golden Oil • Shannon Earl Jones, BP/Golden Oil 4. Approval of the return of driveway damage deposit(s) for: (Public works inspected, no issues found, approval recommended) • LouAnn Gjermo, 1707 Schadel Rd. Motion by Supervisor Olson, second by Sup. Schuller, to approve the consent agenda items. Friendly amendment by Sup. Schuck, to add the adjournment time of 7:23 p.m. to the Sept. 21, budget meeting minutes. Friendly amendment accepted by Sup. Olson and seconded by Sup. Schuller. Motion carried 4-0. BUSINESS. Discussion and possible action regarding a request to install a stop sign at Oak View Dr. and Burritt Rd. Supervisor Olson reported out. He gathered more information regarding the Dept. of Transportations guidance on stop signs. He said it’s not a question of whether we need a stop sign, we need to follow the guidelines, otherwise we would be placing stop signs everywhere in town. The recommendation is anything below 35 MPH where a stop sign is requested, there needs to be a traffic engineering study done. The study needs to be approved prior to placing a stop sign in the area. Laura Bardouche stated she had called and spoke with someone in the traffic department and was told the recommendations are just a guidance, not a hard and fast rule. She looked at other neighborhoods in the area and stated Oak Knoll is the outlier. She reported on her findings. She reiterated how dangerous the area is. A discussion took place a regarding a traffic study. She recommended the traffic study be done starting in May through the summer months. Further discussion took place. Sup. Schuck stated the guidance book they are referring to is a guidance and not the law. She spoke with John Strandlie, who works at Dane County Highway and that is what she was told. She stated if it’s a safety issue then a stop sign needs to be placed. Motion by Schuck, second b y Schuller, to have a traffic study done next spring, and to put up yield signs in the interim temporarily until the town receives the results of the traffic study. Motion carried 4-0. Discussion and possible action to approve an Ordinance prohibiting th e use of Jake Brakes on County Highway N. (First reading) The Board reviewed the draft ordinance. They did not have any changes to the draft ordinance. The signs will be up to Dane County Highway to decide upon placement of the signs. It will be placed on the next agenda as a second reading. No action taken. Discussion and possible action regarding the effective date of the proposed new yard waste site hours, and notification process for residents. A discussion took place. The Board will keep the current hours until the Yard Waste Site closes on Nov. 1. Public Works will pick up the Christmas trees and dispose of them so the yard waste site will not need to be open to the residents. Motion by Supervisor Schuller, second by Sup. Schuck, to have an effective date for the new hours at the Yard Waste Site of April 1, 2024, with the new hours to be Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday, from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. with the site not to be open on public holidays as recognized by Public Works holidays. Friendly amendment made by Schuck to have the end date where the Yard Waste Site will close of Oct. 31, seconded by Sup. Schuller. Motion carried 4-0. Discussion and possible action regarding the contract for security services from JBM at the yard waste site to open and close the gates for the designated hours. Chair Green reported out he has a call in to Amerifence for a quote on automated gate for the Yard Waste Site. Sup. Schuck stated she will open and close the site next weekend. Further discussion took place. Motion by Supervisor Schuller, second by Sup. Olson, to table this item until the Nov. 21, 2023 Town Board meeting. Motion carried 4-0. Discussion and possible action regarding the purchase of a security camera for outside of the Town Hall. Motion by Supervisor Schuller, second by Sup. Olson, to purchase a camera for the outside of the front of the Town Hall, and for the funds to come out of the ARPA funds. Motion carried 4-0. Discussion and possible action regarding establishing an employment ad for the Towns third snowplow driver. The Board reviewed the draft employment ad. They determined the starting wage to be $25.00 or higher based on experience, and must be available from Nov. 1 to April 15. The applications are due Nov. 2, 2 023 by noon. The ad to be posted to the HUB, the towns website, and to the SWAPS group. Staff was directed to update the ad and post. Discussion of Public Works projects and duties. Chair Green reported out. Public Works has been trading off mowing the roadsides, they still have a lot to mow east of N. Several towns were contacted to see if they could lease a tractor for mowing but they were not interested. The quote to lease a tractor for one month is $2500 , which is too much. Yard Waste will be spr ead in the area behind the Town Hall beyond the fence, the chipped mulch will be spread on top. Several tree’s which had fallen were cleaned up, UpNet’s toilet was fixed. UpNet has been contacted to correct a culvert issue on Williams Dr. Clerks report of projects and duties. Clerk/Treasurer Hougan reported out on what staff have been working on to include the budget work/prep, submitting the annual recycling grant application, agenda’s, packets, and minutes, and various other responsibilities of the office. Mad City Techs replaced a computer in the Public Works office; however, the monitor was not working. Staff was directed to order a monitor and correct cable connections not to exceed $165.00. Discussion on items to be placed on the next and / or future agenda: • Jake Brake Ordinance-second reading • Update/direction from Board to Plan Comm on Comp Plan Supervisor Schuck wondered about the previous driveway complaint for the neighbor’s property in the area. Public Works staff was directed to put up a fence blocking the unsafe driveway entryway. PLAN COMMISSION REPORT (Reports will generally only be reported upon after the Plan Commission has met between Town Board meetings; unless there is additional information to report). The Plan Commission did not meet. They will meet next week. REPORTS The Board reviewed the reports included in the packet. CORRESPONDENCE The Board reviewed the correspondence included in the packet. Chair Green reported out on the Dane County Zoning violation letter issued to the property owner on McConnell Road. ADJOURNMENT Motion by Supervisor Schuller, second by Sup. Olson, to adjourn at 7:38 p.m. Motion carried unanimously. Respectively Submitted, Maria “Pili” Hougan Clerk/Treasurer Note: These minutes are not considered official until acted upon at a future meeting, and, therefore, are subject to revision.