August 8, 2011
VILLAGE BOARD MEETING
7:00 p.m.
Paul Beere called the
meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. with Chris Bennett, Gary Beck, Ed Chart, Chris
Johnson, Bob Lancour, and Mike Weinkauf present.
Betty Novy, Clerk-Treasurer;
Christopher Birkett, Public Works Manager; and John Tierney, Engineer, were also
present.
Pledge of Allegiance.
Minutes.
Weinkauf, moved, 2nd
by Bennett to approve minutes from the July 11, 2011 meeting.
Motion carried.
Period for Public Comment.
Tom Greil addressed the Board regarding a fatal accident that had
occurred by the curve in front of his property at 31418 Washington Avenue.
He reported a truck driver swerved in order to avoid a wild turkey and,
consequently, collided with an oncoming vehicle and killed the driver.
He stated brush, weeds, and trees need to be trimmed back from the road
in that area. He contacted Racine
County Public Works asking them to spray or cut beyond the ditch line noting
three fatalities had occurred on that curve.
However, the individual he talked to said they weren’t allowed to cut
back to that distance. The
speed limit is 55 m.p.h. with an advisory curve speed of 40 m.p.h.
He feels these speed limits should be lowered.
Tom Terek, 33944 Washington
Avenue, also addressed the Board regarding three fatal accidents that had
occurred within the past couple of years in the curve in this section of road.
He noted the curve, speed, and snow as factors.
He feels the speed limit should be reduced by 10 m.p.h. and caution
lights should be installed. He also
reported problems exiting his driveway with 55 m.p.h. traffic.
He feels traffic needs to be slowed down.
Weinkauf responded he was
glad to see people come forward with their concerns.
Last time a problem on Academy Road was resolved by enlisting the help of
the County Sheriff to use a speed trailer to slow traffic and getting public
works engineers to work on signage.
Since the speed limit was lowered and additional signs installed, there
have been no more accidents at that location.
Wayne Raisleger, 33833
Washington Avenue, stated the Town Board tried to reduce the speed limit in this
area 20 years ago, but couldn’t because Rochester was a town.
He thought, now that Rochester is a village, something could be done.
He noted the Village of Union Grove installed more fluorescent signage.
County and state highway speed limits are also posted at 35 m.p.h.
throughout the Village. Raisleger stated
he feels Washington Avenue is one of the more scenic roads in the County.
He feels the speed limit on the road should be reduced.
He also noted an area where local wildlife crosses the road.
He feels this crossing should be marked.
He feels risks can be minimized in the area of the curve.
Beere said the Village would
contact the Sheriff’s Department and get them working on this.
Terek stated his opinion
that a speed trailer will not accurately record the speed of vehicles because
everyone slows down when they see it.
Terek stated, to get a true feeling for how fast traffic is traveling,
something should be utilized that drivers can’t detect.
Robert Gerber, 412 N. State
Street, reported his experience driving a school bus down that road.
He runs into a problem on that curve every Thursday morning when he
encounters the garbage truck. He
goes around it and knows he shouldn’t, but he’s on a time schedule so he can’t
stay behind them.
Wayne questioned how many
near misses there have been and commented on how the quantity of driveways on
Washington Avenue has increased.
Consensus of the Board was
to send a letter to the Sheriff’s Department requesting assistance.
Chart reported there is a
sign when exiting the Payne & Dolan gravel pit that states “This access is a
privilege, please do not abuse it”.
He felt Payne & Dolan should be notified that the Village is getting
complaints. They are very concerned
about safety. He requested
that a letter be sent to them asking that they reiterate to drivers that the
speed limit must be observed. Beere
concurred that Payne & Dolan should be notified of the complaint.
Johnson commented that a
fence along the ridge line there might deter wildlife from crossing in that
area. He had hit a deer there a few
years back.
Attendees were notified to
send letters stating their concerns to the Village Clerk by the end of week.
Letters will be forwarded to the appropriate parties along with the
Village’s request for help.
Terry Bates, 300 E. Spring
Street, stated, in the 40 years she has lived in the area, there have always
been issues with that section of road and it has always been speed.
Greil questioned whether
anyone will spray or cut the weeds and brush.
If not, he stated his intention to do it.
Board members advised him against this and asked that he wait to see what
results we get from Racine County.
Jeremy Hamilton, 404 W. Wade
Street, noted she is listed under correspondence on the agenda, but asked to
address the Board. Beere offered
consent. Hamilton questioned whether
any of the architects the Village is working with, upon seeing the proposed site
to put the Village Hall, questioned whether this was the best place to house
administrators- the highest and best place given what it is.
It is her opinion that this is what an architect should ask first of all,
and, she questioned, if you lose Rochester Commons, what are you gaining?
She stated the park is an enormous resource that the Village Board
shouldn’t want to lose because they are losing open space.
She stated the park could be an outdoor classroom for children and citied
studies that indicate children are becoming too detached from nature.
She also indicated Rochester Commons is 10 degrees cooler than where the
post office is. She
thinks it would be a shame to build the village hall in the park.
Board members indicated they
intend to take everything into consideration.
Department Reports:
Sheriff.
Deputy Castillo read his written report showing the following statistics
for July: zero accidents; one speeding citation, two traffic citations,
thirty parking citations and four warnings were issued. There were zero
arrests. Complaint statistics were
as follows: fourteen complaints
originated through calls directly to the Sheriff’s Department;
Deputy Castillo assisted with two additional complaints, originated
twenty-four on his own and performed follow up on twenty-one.
Castillo reported eleven working days, 95.0 hours and 802 miles driven.
Nine foot patrols were also conducted.
Castillo noted he was on vacation most of July and only worked 11 days.
Attention was drawn to the
Call Simple List attached to the monthly report.
This report recently became available to detail call activity in the
Village. Castillo also noted that
an individual had been camping on the previous Coral Reef property.
This became evident after the owner cut down weeds and brush.
Public Works.
Christopher Birkett’s written report was reviewed follows:
Lift Stations/ Sewer:
Testing generators and maintenance of lift stations.
I have been contacting vendors and getting prices for infiltration
repairs on N. River Rd, and will have numbers by next meeting. Reviewed and
checked draft of new sewer map.
Roads:
Working on shoulders, potholes, and signs. I have sent notification letters,
with the work schedule, out to our residents in the work zone. I also attended
the pre-construction meeting. Will be putting next sign project together to have
it done by late fall. Continuing to research Beguhl Rd issue. I am still working
on hazard tree list.
Parks:
All 3 are in good shape. Baseball season is over, our mowing schedule will be
getting spread out a bit. Spraying of infields will be done on an as needed
basis.
Animal Control:
Quiet this month.
Storm Sewer:
Subcommittee continues to meet.
Weeds:
Complaints on weeds have slowed down-
with 1 or 2 exceptions everyone has complied.
Misc:
Warning siren repair and upgrade is
ongoing. Noon whistle has been
disconnected until repairs have been made. Tornado warning is still operational.
Birkett indicated Federal
Signal will be out within the next week or so to look at the warning siren.
He has been researching the Beguhl Road issue.
There is question on the ownership of this road, whether it is private or
public. The road is located off N.
Maple Road and is listed by the Department of Transportation on the Village’s
road list, but has not been a part of the
Town’s maintenance plan for the past 40 years and does not show up as a public
road on real estate description maps.
The road is 10 feet wide and one-quarter mile long and serves as a
driveway for one residence. Birkett
searched Board minutes from 1970 – 1980 and found nothing.
He believes a title search will have to be performed to get to bottom of
it. Beck remembered some issues with
it in the mid-80s. He suggested
Birkett continue his research.
Engineer.
Tierney read his written report as follows:
Stormwater Utility
Feasibility Study: Tasks Completed:
Finalized and distributed Stormwater Master Plan.
Delivered draft Storm Sewer Atlas for staff review.
Met with committee to discuss CIP and evaluate impacts of proposed
utility bills. Tasks Pending:
Finalize Feasibility Study for presentation at September Village Board
meeting.
2011 Municipal
Engineering Services:
Village Hall – Assist
staff and architect with drainage and access questions.
Building and Zoning- Coordination regarding Franciscan Fathers grading
and filling without permit, and DNR violations.
2011 Street Improvements:
Tasks Completed:
Conducted Pre-Construction conference and met with contractor on N.
Rochester Street to review possible extra for pavement patching.
Contractor scheduled to start work August 11th.
Tasks Pending: General
construction administration.
Sanitary Sewer GIS Atlas:
Delivered Atlas Map to Director of Public Works.
Tasks Pending:
Transfer map and archival plan files to CD-ROM for Village Use.
County wide animal control proposal:
City of Racine
Birkett reported on
a proposal by the City of Racine to provide county wide animal control
services beginning in 2013. The
projected cost for the Village for 2013 would be $8,136 to cover facility and
operational costs. The City of
Racine is looking for a response from all Racine County municipalities within
the next 30 days as to whether they wish to contract with them to provide this
service- and a 20 year commitment after the fact to provide for payback of
building, land, and start up costs.
Birkett noted there are some efforts under way to coordinate a west end service.
The Public Works committee considered this item at their August 2nd
meeting and recommended the village decline participation.
Weinkauf moved, 2nd by Lancour to decline participating in a
contract with the City of Racine for animal control services.
Motion carried.
2011 Street Improvement Project Update:
John Tierney
Tierney reported two options
presented by Payne & Dolan to add patching of N. River Road/ Rochester Street to
the 2011 street improvement project:
1) milling and repaving to a four inch thickness in deteriorated areas for
$11,600; or
2) overlaying deteriorated areas with two inches of asphalt for $7,656.
He stated concerns with Option One as milling will expose the subsoil.
There are known drainage problems in that area that will require some
planning before being addressed with the 2016 project.
He felt the two inch overlay would be sufficient until then.
Bennett moved, 2nd by Chart to go with Option Two, the two
inch overlay for $7,656. Motion
carried.
Resolution #2011-15 “Amending Raze Order Process
for 208 S. Front Street”
Novy reported a second order
was necessary to the owners of the property to remove personal possessions.
Resolution #2011-15 takes this and other follow-up items into account and spells
out a revised timeline and process for the raze order.
Beck moved, 2nd by Lancour to approve Resolution #2011-15
amending the raze order process for 208 S. Front Street.
Motion carried.
Request for Proposals for Community Focused
Undergraduate and Graduate Service learning thesis projects.
Novy reported on a request
for proposals issued by the Department of Landscape Architecture at UW-Madison
for thesis projects involving community design and physical planning for
landscape architectural practice.
A list of recent projects included parks, recreation facilities, and
community gardens. Novy noted
concern expressed by several residents regarding construction of the village
hall at Rochester Commons Park and the potential loss of some facilities.
She suggested the Village submit an application to solicit the services
of a student to design an overall plan for Rochester Commons Park that considers
how recreational facilities might be developed and/or re-developed as part of
the Village Hall building project and throughout the community.
Correspondence from the project architect was reviewed indicating his
openness to this arrangement as long as the student is able to work within a
specific timeline. Beck moved, 2nd
by Bennett to pursue an application for community design services with the
Department of Landscape Architecture at UW-Madison.
Motion carried.
Western Racine County Sewerage District Board
Appointment
Beere reported on
notification he received from Jim Ladwig, County Executive, that Rochester will
retain its representative seat on the District Board.
However, he had been dissuaded from appointing Duane Erickson, the
previous recommendation offered by the Village.
The Public Works Committee recommended appointing Christopher Bennett to
the position. Chart moved, 2nd
by Weinkauf to recommend appointment of Christopher Bennett to the Western
Racine County Sewerage District Board.
Motion carried.
Accept resignation of Peggy Shumway from Village
Building Committee
A written resignation from
the Village Hall Building Committee was submitted by Peggy Shumway citing
scheduling complications. Chart
moved, 2nd by Bennett to accept the resignation and send Peggy a
letter thanking her for her service.
Motion carried.
Correspondence
was read from the
Rochester Public Library Board;
Jeremy Hamilton; Carolyn Johnson; and Jennifer Muffick, all stating
opinions regard construction of the Village Hall at Rochester Commons Park,; and
from the UW Madison School of Medicine
and Public Health- a thank you for participating in the survey of the health
of Wisconsin.
Beck and Johnson stated a
preference to retain the baseball diamond at Rochester Commons Park if the
Village Hall building and site designs allow it.
Committee Reports:
Public Works Committee:
Weinkauf reported on the August 2nd meeting (Johnson was
absent). A storm water utility
report was received from the subcommittee.
The committee believes creation of a storm water utility will allow the
village to negotiate better rates with drainage districts, address many homes
that have problems with basement flooding, and the County Highway D flooding
issue. They also discussed animal
control, including back up for current services;
N. River Road lateral repairs;
the WRCSD representative; and
manhole delineations. They also
received an update on the 2011 road project.
Ordinance Committee:
Novy reported there was no meeting in July.
The next meeting is Monday, August 15th.
Village Hall Building Committee:
Chart reported the initial design subcommittee had met with Bill Matthews
and Steve Wagner from Anderson-Ashton.
They threw things back and forth in terms of design.
There are a couple of issues.
The property consists of three different lots, which is something that needs to
be addressed. We also have to worry
about water, detention ponds, and setbacks.
These issues will have to be addressed no matter where you put the
building. Water is a big issue.
Johnson stated they can put detention under asphalt now.
He suggested this be looked into.
Chart indicated the subcommittee is still in the idea stage, processing
what can and cannot be done. The
architect walked around the building after the meeting, meeting with the
Historical Society President and the Library Director so he could identify some
of their concerns. Much
is gray at this point, but the subcommittee is trying to take everyone’s
concerns into consideration. Lancour
questioned how many more subcommittee meetings there will be before the full
committee meets again. Chart indicated
at least a couple, just to throw things back and forth.
Alot of communication is what it amounts to right now.
Western Racine County Health Department:
Bennett passed out a copy of an email received from the health department
discussing the possibility of Countryside Humane Society being acquired by the
Wisconsin Humane Society. It noted
under no circumstances will they provide animal control services after 2012, but
that they might become a receiving facility for the western part of the County.
Honey Lake Protection and Rehabilitation District
Board:
Weinkauf reported on the July 19th meeting of the District.
He updated the Board on dam inspection requirements and the district’s
decision to sue a property owner that has been planting shrubs and trees in
their road right of way.
Finance Committee Report:
Beck reported the recommendation of the committee to approve all
disbursements listed on the check detail dated July 12, 2011 – August 8, 2011
and on rates received on recent investments.
Bennett moved, 2nd by Chart to approve the finance committee’s
recommendation. Motion carried.
Johnson moved, 2nd by
Weinkauf to adjourn at 8:39 p.m.
Motion carried.
Respectfully submitted,
Betty J. Novy, MMC, CMTW,
WCMC
Clerk-Treasurer