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Town of Clinton: Minutes Wed Jun 09 2021 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Board Meeting
Town of Clinton
June 9, 2021
Meeting was called to order at 7 pm with the pledge of allegiance. In attendance were Chairman Corey Leis, Supervisor 1 Wally Hemmersbach, Supervisor 2 Jordan Bendel, Clerk Sandy Schweiger, Treasurer Jan Clark, Patrolman Scot Sanders, Fred Brandt, Ranelle Brandt, Mava Clark, Doris Ewing, Doug Ewing, Pandora Flores, Jake Miller, Barb Monroe, Harry Monroe, Lonnie Muller and Alvin Schrock.
Mr. Bendel made a motion to accept the financial report as read, 2nd by Mr. Hemmersbach; all ayes, motion carried. Mr. Bendel made a motion, 2nd by Mr. Hemmersbach, to approve transferring $2,290 from savings to checking and $16,700 from money management to checking; all ayes, motion carried. Mr. Bendel made a motion, 2nd by Mr. Hemmersbach, to pay the bills; all ayes, motion carried.
Mr. Miller was present to represent Summit Fire Protection and provided pricing information regarding fire extinguisher service. Mr. Leis will contact Fire Protection Specialist, the current provider, for comparison and address the issue next month.
Mr. Brandt has been investigating upgrades to the website which currently costs $75 annually. Al Buss, the webmaster, suggesting updating the platform before proceeding with changes. Mr. Bendel made a motion, 2nd by Mr. Hemmersbach, to approve an update for $120; all ayes, motion carried.
Mr. Leis noted that with the resignation of the assistant patrolman, an attendant was needed at the Recycle Center as Bob Fish is unable to continue in this position. Mr. Hemmersbach offered to work Wednesday evenings for a month while Mr. Bendel and his son will cover Saturday temporarily. Mr. Leis will ask Bruce Woods if he might be interested. As for assisting with road projects, Mr. Leis will have Andy Woodworth fill in until a replacement is found. Mr. Bendel made a motion, 2nd by Mr. Hemmersbach, to approve pay at $18.25 per hour. An ad will run in the Episcope and Cashton Record for 4 weeks.
Mr. Sanders has been busy installing road culverts. Ditching and patching will commence on less traveled roads. Mowing should begin around the first of July. Irish Ridge is also in need of grading.
Mr. Leis contacted the Wisconsin Towns Association and was informed that voters should not be asked to remove their masks when entering the town hall for an election. Mrs. Ewing and Mrs. Monroe both wished to know who had suggested this as none of the poll workers asked anyone to remove their mask. It was noted that the elections are governed by state statutes and overseen by the election commission. Mr. Bendel thanked the poll workers and hoped to avoid problems in the future by better communication.
The Westby Fire Department has been audited and the chief inquired about the 2% dues. Ms. Clark noted the difference with this department is that they are contracted for fire protection while the town is part owner of the Cashton and LaFarge fire departments.
In attempting to devise a 10-year financial plan, Mr. Bendel noted that the current rate of expenditures would deplete the town’s reserves by next summer, possibly necessitating an adjustment to spending. Ms. Clark observed that balances in the machinery and building funds had been used in the past as back-up funds. Mr. Leis also noted the additional costs associated with two full time patrolmen. Fixed costs determine what is left for road projects and whether any funds can be reserved for future equipment purchases.
Mr. Ewing inquired about Irish Ridge and the need for more dust control. Mr. Leis noted that a new base is needed and hopes to develop a plan to tackle this next year. A trip counter showed that 6,055 vehicles traveled this road in one week, while there were 4,000 on Ogden and 425 on Knapp Valley.
Mr. Bendel made a motion to approve the minutes without the last paragraph, 2nd by Mr. Hemmersbach; all ayes, motion carried. Board members agreed to schedule a special meeting for a 10-year budget plan on June 23rd at 6 pm. Mr. Bendel made a motion to adjourn at 9:37 pm, 2nd by Mr. Hemmersbach; all ayes, motion carried.