Town of Washburn

Bayfield County

Town Meeting Minutes

December 10, 2024

Attendance: Sandy Raspotnik, Scottie Sandstrom, Lynn Adams, Lance Twombly, Mike Harvey, Steve Bade, Tim Schwenzfeier, Nori Schwenzfeier, Kim Bro, Eric Adams, Charly Ray, and Jan Lee. Virtually: Jim Park, Wendy Stein, Alan Waite, and Kate Stolp.

At 7:00 pm, there were technical issues with online meeting.

7:09 pm, issues resolved and meeting called to order.

Meeting notices were posted in the two public places, on the website, and sent to Ashland Daily Press.

Chairperson Raspotnik introduced Charly Ray and Jan Lee from the Bayfield County Board.

Public comments:

• Steve Bade read a statement. Thanked the board for their service and apologized for last month’s meetings comments. Stated, “We agree on more than we disagree.”
• Nori Schwenzfeier expressed concern about dust mitigation on Hove Lane. Cited Wisconsin statute regarding “fugitive dust,” who is responsible and enforcement.
• Tim Schwenzfeier added salt is ineffective with mass hauling on Hove Lane. Projects should take responsibility and cover costs. Mike Harvey added that Northwoods Paving takes responsibility for a pit road in Highbridge.

A motion to accept the agenda by Supervisor Sandstrom and seconded by Supervisor Park. All Ayes, motion carried.

Scottie Sandstrom made a motion to accept the minutes for the November 12^th meetings. Jim seconded. All Ayes, motion carried.

Reports:

• Clerk report: Levy Limit Worksheet and Statement of Taxes submitted to WI Department of Revenue, with help from Lynn Divine. Nomination papers due by 5pm on Jan. 7^th, 2025. Clerk needs a dedicated phone number, either a line that transfers to a personal number or a town government cell phone. Personal number should not be posted for elections, in newspaper, on website, etc. Board should consider increasing clerk salary at least $1,000/year. QuickBooks is selling their Plus package which can do budget tracking for $99/month, first three months half-off. Also, they offer Live Assisted Bookkeeping for $50/month, first three months 50% discount. Board said no to Plus but can try Bookkeeping for $25 for first month.
• Treasurer report: Financial reports sent out to Board members. Reconciling issues that required a journal entry for $27 over. Taxes going out. Higher. Chippewa Valley CD is $126,000 and matures on Jan. 4^th. Can be renewed at 4.89%. Board approved renewing CD.
• Road Crew report: Mike reported that window in loader was replaced for $600 and will not submit an insurance claim. Looked at 10 culverts, basically, the same. Sandy requested a priority list on these culverts. Mike continued stating that the rocks were put back at the landfill, no gate. Snowplowing operations have started. 2015 plow truck still having issues. Hove Ln update: Hoffman Construction will come back in spring to fix. This was approved by Mitchell from DOT. Good to follow up and the town should try to prevent this in the future.
• Chair report: Nothing to report. Scottie added that Project Prosperity, the large solar project in Bayfield County, is in the design phase and will be looking for public input in January.
• Motion to approve reports made by Sandstrom and seconded by Park. All Ayes, motion carried.

Welcome County Board members Charly Ray, County Supervisor District 4, and Jan Lee, Bayfield County Board member. Introduced themselves and gave an update on the Zoning Comprehensive Plan (being a hot topic with zoning code revisions), Emergency Medical Services (on verge of collapse), and changing the designation of Apostle Islands National Lakeshore to National Park (local areas not in support). Zoning survey will be on town’s website.

Plan Commission-Public Participation Plan: Kim Bro requested the Board approve the Public Participation Plan resolution. Also asked for Facebook users to like and share the Town of Washburn Photo Challenge and spread the word. Public Hearing will be on Thursday, March 6^th, 2025. Motion to approve Public Participation Plan Resolution (2024-1) made by Jim, seconded by Scottie. All Ayes, motion carried. Resolution signed by Chair, Sandy Raspotnik, and Clerk, Lance Twombly.

Dust Abatement on Hove Lane: Sandy had a conversation with Bob Olson and there’s a new product called Durablend that is similar to calcium chloride with less leaching. More expensive. Discussion on calcium chloride, Durablend, and beet juice. City of Washburn will let Mike use their sprayer to try beet juice. Mike is researching spraying equipment for town. Scottie made a motion to open floor, Jim seconded. All Ayes, motion carried, floor open for discussion. Out of this discussion, the consensus is to purchase town equipment, communicate with Bob, and spray water. And try to pass this cost onto sand pit customers. Supervisor Sandstrom made a motion to purchase a pump and duckbill sprayer for up to $2,000 and to set up a meeting in March with Bob Olson to discuss work plan. Supervisor Park seconded, all Ayes. Motion carried. Sandstrom then made a motion to close the floor, seconded by Park. All Ayes, motion carried, floor closed.

Development of Policy Book: Chair commented that red writing (text) in draft are ideas and posed the question: “Who do we serve?” Topic moved to next meeting.

Approval of Road Crew Contracts: Jim Park made a motion to approve Road Crew Contracts, seconded by Scottie Sandstrom. All Ayes, motion carried. Scottie then made a motion to begin the new pay scale on December 28^th, 2024, with a second from Jim. All Ayes, motion carried.

Previous (Old) minutes placed on website: Moved to next meeting.

Items to be placed on future agendas: Policy book, archiving minutes on website, clerk salary, clerk phone, and solar project.

Authorize the payment of bills: Motion to approve Check Details for Nov. 13-December 10 made by Scottie Sandstrom and seconded by Jim Park. All Ayes, motion carried.

At 9:15 pm, a motion to adjourn was made by Supervisor Sandstrom and seconded by Supervisor Park. All Ayes, motion carried. Meeting adjourned.

Lance Twombly, Clerk

Town of Washburn

Bayfield County

Budget Hearing and Meeting of Electorates Minutes

November 12, 2024

Attendance: Sandy Raspotnik, Scottie Sandstrom, Lynn Adams, Lance Twombly, Mike Harvey, Steve Bade, Tim Schwenzfeier, and Nori Schwenzfeier. Virtually: Jim Park, Wendy Stein, Brenda Rechel, Ron Rechel and Kathleen Russell.

At 7:00 pm, the Budget Hearing was called to order by Chair Raspotnik. Road Crew member Matt Lippo could not attend.

Meeting notices were posted in the two public places, on the website, and sent to Ashland Daily Press.

Chairperson presented proposed budget in a new format. Treasurer displayed 2025 Budget sheet on the screen. Chair stated that the town does not have all levy information, but what comes in, goes out. Sandy then explained the increased town levy to cover snowplow truck and South Maple Hill loan payments and then the rest of the budget. Supervisor Sandstrom explained Gravel/Blacktop item in regards to the Wannebo Road Project and how the town came in under budget with efficiencies and cost savings from Northwoods Paving.

There were no questions or comments.

At 7:24, Scottie made a motion to adjourn the Budget Hearing, seconded by Jim. All Ayes, motion carried.

Then Chair Raspotnik called to order the Meeting of Electorates.

Chair requested from electors a motion to approve the Budget and Levy for 2025. Wendy Stein made a motion to approve the 2025 Budget and Levy, with a second from Mike Harvey. All Ayes, No Nays or objections. Motion carried.

Mike next made a motion to adjourn the meeting and Lynn Adams seconded. All Ayes, motion carried.

Town of Washburn

Bayfield County

Town Meeting Minutes

At 7:27, monthly town meeting called to order.

Meeting notices were posted in the two public places, on the website, and sent to Ashland Daily Press.

Public comments:

• Tim and Nori Schwenzfeier requested the Board make a decision on dust abatement on Hove Lane to prevent future, unlivable conditions that occurred this summer.
• Wendy Stein recommended the town put up a gate at the landfill.
• Steve Bade commented on the town minutes regarding his handout not being scanned into them and the time it took to post the September minutes. He stated the Board has the authority to post weight limit signs and enforce them on town roads. He then commented on the town’s culvert construction and condition of Church Corner Road. He noted cold mix patch work is nice.

A motion to accept the agenda by Supervisor Park and seconded by Supervisor Sandstrom. All Ayes, motion carried.

Jim Park had two corrections for October minutes. Scottie Sandstrom made a motion to accept the corrections and the minutes for the three Special Meetings (Oct. 23, Oct. 30, and Nov. 11). Jim seconded. All Ayes, motion carried.

Chair report: Nothing to report.

Road Crew report: Mike stated there are weight limit signs on McKinley, Paulson, Wannebo, and FR251 roads. Posting did lessen impact. However, the town does not have the equipment to weigh trucks. Supervisor Park added that even if town had authority to issue citations there is no way to prove trucks are over-weight. There is no money in budget for Church Corner Rd. And Church Corner is still getting used due to County Hwy C being closed in the City. The county has bigger and better equipment to put in culverts. Culverts installed by town need to settle over time. County will compact culvert on Church Corner next year. Mike rode with Mitch from DOT to inspect roads after heavy use from city construction. Hove Ln is really hard packed now and wide. No ditches. The fill will be removed, ditches seeded and mulched, and two culverts fixed and cleaned out. Mike will follow up. On South Maple Hill Road rocks were removed and rough edges cleaned up by adding gravel. Water pump on tractor went out; new one ordered. Okay to purchase motor oil for $2500? Yes. Road to landfill will be closed by putting large rocks back. A motion by Supervisor Scottie and a second by Supervisor Jim to approve road crew report. All Ayes, motion carried.

Clerk update: 2024 General Election on Nov. 5^th went well. Total of 113 Absentee Ballots (mail, email, online, and in-person), only two not returned. 401 overall voters. Folded absentee ballots caused a few paper jams in DS200 tabulator but cleared with no issues. Great election team. FOIA request for Election Day Registrations, sent to County since they have this information. Fleet card used at Napa for a fuel filter. Charged tax but should be corrected for next time. Working on Levy Limit Worksheet. A motion by Jim Park and seconded by Scottie Sandstrom to accept the clerk’s report. All Ayes, motion carried.

Treasurer report: Snowplow forms ready for Mike. Numbers are way down. Mike said that these can be done in a day. Bremer CD was reduced by $12,000 to bring it down to $100k and placed into an 8-month CD, double interest. $12k placed in savings account. Chair asked to keep track of maturity dates for CDs. Financial reports to Board and Clerk. A motion by Jim and seconded by Scottie to accept the treasurer’s report. All Ayes, motion carried.

Plan Commission: Kim Bro not at meeting, nothing to add.

Dust Abatement: The town is considering purchasing applicator equipment to spray beet juice, ranging from a few hundred dollars to $11,000. More expensive equipment is faster, more efficient and only requires one person. It can also be used to water roads for grading and for calcium chloride which town does not want to use. Mike will see if there is any equipment in the area to test. He also has personal equipment he can test for a day project next spring. Mike will also check to see if the town could potentially pay someone to spray roads. Supervisor Park asked if commercial operators causing the dust could share the cost? They could charge the customer for dust mitigation. No decision was made and will be placed on next month’s agenda.

Appointing Election Officials: Sandstrom made a motion to approve Ruth Hartzell, Cheryl Sandstrom, Hallie Sandberg, Sarah Tetzner, Christina Eliason, Caroline Twombly, Lynne Borchers, and Mike Vavrus as Election Officials for next year, seconded by Park. All Ayes, motion carried.

Adoption of Budget and Levy for 2025: Jim made a motion to adopt the Budget and Levy for 2025, Scottie seconded. All Ayes, motion carried.

New Computer: No, Treasurer will keep her computer.

Policy/Procedures: Chair sent out. Will discuss next month.

Items for future agendas: Dust abatement, approve employee contracts, discuss policy/procedures. Supervisor Park asked about digitizing old minutes. Volunteers?

Authorize payment of bills: Motion to approve Check Details for Oct. 9-Nov. 12 made by Jim Park and seconded by Scottie Sandstrom. All Ayes, motion carried.

At 8:36 pm, a motion to adjourn was made by Supervisor Sandstrom and seconded by Supervisor Park. All Ayes, motion carried. Meeting adjourned.

Lance Twombly, Clerk

Town of Washburn

Bayfield County

Special Town Meeting

November 11, 2024

Present: Sandy Raspotnik, Scottie Sandstrom, Mike Harvey, Matt Lippo, and Jim Park (virtually). Lynn Adams and Lance Twombly arrived later.

At 1:30 pm, special meeting called to order.

Agenda posted in two public places and on website.

Supervisor Sandstrom made a motion to go into closed session, seconded by Jim. All Ayes, motion carried.

Board conducted employee evaluations and finalized contracts.

Mike and Matt were released.

At 2:40, Supervisor Park made a motion to come out of closed session, seconded by Scottie. All Ayes, motion carried. Treasurer and Clerk arrived.

All members worked on finalizing the budget for tomorrow’s meeting. Levy limit for town was adjusted to cover loan payments scheduled for 2025.

At 4:00 pm, Scottie made a motion to adjourn the meeting, seconded by Jim. All Ayes, motion carried.

Lance Twombly,

Clerk

Town of Washburn

Bayfield County

Special Town Meeting

November 11, 2024

Present: Sandy Raspotnik, Scottie Sandstrom, Mike Harvey, Matt Lippo, and Jim Park (virtually). Lynn Adams and Lance Twombly arrived later.

At 1:30 pm, special meeting called to order.

Agenda posted in two public places and on website.

Supervisor Sandstrom made a motion to go into closed session, seconded by Jim. All Ayes, motion carried.

Board conducted employee evaluations and finalized contracts.

Mike and Matt were released.

At 2:40, Supervisor Park made a motion to come out of closed session, seconded by Scottie. All Ayes, motion carried. Treasurer and Clerk arrived.

All members worked on finalizing the budget for tomorrow’s meeting. Levy limit for town was adjusted to cover loan payments scheduled for 2025.

At 4:00 pm, Scottie made a motion to adjourn the meeting, seconded by Jim. All Ayes, motion carried.

Lance Twombly,

Clerk

October 30, 2024

Town of Washburn Special Meeting Minutes

The meeting was called to order at 1:30 PM by Chair Raspotnik, roll was called, and all present. The meeting was verified to have been properly notified to the press, website and Tetzner’s Dairy.

Supervisor Sandstrom made a motion to go into closed session, seconded by Supervisor Park. Motion was passed. All ayes.

Supervisor Sandstrom made a motion to come out of closed session, seconded by Supervisor Park. Motion was passed. All ayes.

Supervisor Park made a motion to Adjourn, Sandstrom seconded. Motion carried.

Respectfully submitted, Scottie Sandstrom, Supervisor.

Town of Washburn

Bayfield County

Special Town Meeting

October 23, 2024

Present: Sandy Raspotnik, Scottie Sandstrom, Lynn Adams, Lance Twombly, and Jim Park (virtually).

At 1:32 pm, meeting called to order.

Agenda posted in two public places and on website.

Board, Treasurer, and Clerk discussed 2025 budget and how to track in Chart of Accounts in QuickBooks. Lynn and Sandy will meet on Friday to finish up.

3:42, Supervisor Sandstrom made a motion to go into closed session, seconded by Jim. All Ayes, motion carried. Treasurer and Clerk left.

Session was for employee evaluations and discussing contracts.

At 4:46 pm, Sandstrom made a motion to come out of closed session, seconded by Park. All Ayes, motion carried.

Scottie then made a motion to adjourn the meeting, seconded by Jim. All Ayes, motion carried.

Lance Twombly,

Clerk

Town of Washburn Board Minutes 10/15/2024

Present: Sandy Raspotnik, Scottie Sandstrom, Mike Harvey, Lynn Adams, Matt Lippo
Virtual: Jim Park
Absent: Lance Twombly

Public: Nori Schwenzfeier, Tim Schwenzfeier, Kim Bro, Blaze Sopiwnik, Wendy Stein

Call to Order by Sandy Raspotnik at 7 pm. at Town Hall

Verification of proper public notice at Town Hall, Tetzners Dairy, Newspaper and Website

Public Comment: Nori S. and Tim S. spoke about Hove Lane, discussed issues. They are hoping that a plan is made for next summer about the dust caused by trucking from the sand pit on Hove Lane.. Going forward we need a dust mitigation plan in the future.

Acceptance of Agenda: Scottie moved to accept agenda, Jim Seconded. Approved.

Approve Minutes from previous meeting. Discussion was in minutes about truck weights. No enforcement. Scottie made motion to approve minutes, Jim seconded. Approved.

Reports

Clerk: Sandy read the report from Lance. Lynn Divine is doing some of his duties in his absense. Lynn A., Lance, Sandy met and discussed how we can improve on the budget. Mark Ahlers came and gave advice on a plan. Cost was $50. Mary Beth Tillman: Clerk of Town of Bell could be hired to help at $50/hour if needed in quickbooks. Chair report was also given. Sandy is developing a month/task work plan to assist future board members. Jim made motion to approve the Clerk and Chair report. Approved.

Treasurer: Reports, budget, snowplowing and dog reports were tasks that Lynn has been working on. Scottie moved to approve the financial reports Jim seconded, motion passed.

Road Crew: Matt and Mike both gave reports. They have been busy preparing for winter. Mike also Mike reported that he needs a tank of oil. Cost about $2500. No decision made on getting all of it this year. Discussed coal mix and seal tech (crack seal). Routine road maintenance has been worked on. Emmer Sheilds has been working on culvert recording. Scottie moved and Jim seconded to approve the report.

Plan Commission: Kim Bro gave report. Notice was in the flyer that went out with snowplowing letter of how township members can get involved on this committee. Discussed the comprehensive plan (county and township) $13,227.92 cost to Northwest Planning Commission, mostly labor that was almost double what was initially quoted. The board discussed paying the first $5000 this year and rest next year. The cost is way more than their low estimate of $5000. Scottie made a motion to move forward with this $13227.92 contract. Jim seconded it. Motion passed. Kim had the contract and it was signed by Sandy and Scottie witnessed. Discussion was had on how the land fill project is going.

Town authority regarding ordinances and other statutes: Jim reported we had request for the Town to take action on an issue. Information is on the website so people can see how it can be inforced.

Dust abatement-chemicals, equipment, ordinance/policy: Mike Harvey reported that he has researched different products to be used for dust abatement on Hove Lane. CaCl₂ plusses and minuses. (Not favorable since it will wreck a road). It would cost $60,000 to regravel a mile of road if road is destroyed. Doesn’t work with a lot of traffic. Another idea is Soy Bean oil sprayed on road. Is expensive and needs to be applied repeatedly. Chip seal was discussed. $30,000/mile Beet juice was discusssed (a natural salt) longer lasting and would need to be repeated multiple times. It comes in 275 gallon totes. 3 to 4 totes needed. Costs $1650 to do a mile. Would need to get a sprayer if beet juice was applied. $9200 (can mount on back of the truck). Scottie talked about that we need to make sure that what we do will work. Scottie made a motion to open the floor to get input from folks that are here. Jim seconded. Motion passed. More discussion was had on using beet juice and how many times it would it need be repeated. Scottie wants to make sure that when they are done the road gets fixed. Scottie made a motion to close the floor and Jim seconded. Motion passed. The discussion will continue at the next board meeting.

Confidential and/or open record policy. Discussion occurred.

Development of Policy book: Sandy said the board should start thinking of a policy book in a 3 ring binder. Right now many of the policies are on the web but a policy book would be good for our township moving forward.

Budget for 2025 will be worked on at 1:30 pm. Oct. 23^rd at the town hall.

Items to be placed on future agendas: Computer, policy/procedures, dust abatement.

Authorize the payment of bills- Motion to approve checks 15502 through 15525. Scottie approved and Jim seconded. Motion passed.

Adjournment 9:15 pm.

Submitted by
Lynn Adams, Treasurer in Lance’s absence

Town of Washburn

Bayfield County

Town Meeting Minutes

September 10, 2024

Attendance: Sandy Raspotnik, Scottie Sandstrom, Jim Park, Lance Twombly, Mike Harvey, Steve Bade, Tim Schwenzfeier, Trevor Schwenzfeier, Tom Cogger, and Connie Cogger. Virtually: Wendy Stein.

At 7:00 pm, the town meeting was called to order by Chair Raspotnik. Road Crew member Matt Lippo and Treasurer Lynn Adams could not make tonight’s meeting.

Meeting notices were posted in the two public places, on the website, and sent to Ashland Daily Press.

Public comments:

• Tim and Trevor Schwenzfeier commented on the ongoing dust on Hove Lane. Hold those responsible for watering road and can calcium chloride be put on road, at least in front of residences?
• Tom Cogger wanted to thank the clerk for the detailed minutes. He also brought up an issue with culvert on S. Maple Hill Rd. and the size of rock used for that project.
• Steve Bade gave out a handout and photos on the condition of the town’s roads and suggested road crew change work hours.

A motion to accept the agenda by Supervisor Park and seconded by Supervisor Sandstrom. All Ayes, motion carried.

Motion to accept last month’s minutes by Supervisor Park and seconded by Supervisor Sandstrom. All Ayes, motion carried.

Road Crew report: Chair Raspotnik talking with Derrick Bacha about trucks on Hove Ln and who is counting, with regards to watering road after a certain number of trucks. Will talk to Mitch from WisDOT too. 20 mph speed limit signs installed on Hove Ln. Revisit using calcium chloride, but be prepared for mud in spring, according to Mike. Also, Mike stated rocks used on culvert on S. Maple Hill are in spec. Will put gravel or recycled blacktop over culvert. Brevak pit on McKinley is not being used. Town is seeing more trucks due to logging and construction. The town has no authority to enforce truck weight limits and appears county does not. Crack sealing is scheduled. Scottie suggested budgeting for more roads next year and for Mike to have cold mix on hand to patch roads. Supervisor Sandstrom made a motion to approve $4500 in cold mix to have on hand. Supervisor Park seconded, all Ayes, motion carried. Sweeping sand off road intersections not done in past couple of years. Lots of grading occurring. Discussed culverts and settling period for town versus county. County has money to keep adding blacktop. About five culverts are replaced per year. Last culvert inventory done in 2008ish. Some work needs to be done on Sioux River bridge on Church Corner Rd, but it is too difficult for crew. Needs to be contracted out and will be expensive. Batteries needed for F450. Two at around $220 each. Jim Park made a motion to purchase two batteries. Scottie Sandstrom seconded, all Ayes. Motion carried. Scottie asked if Mike had a spending limit and it is $2500. Jim suggested that the budget have a category for miscellaneous road items. A motion by Supervisor Scottie and a second by Supervisor Jim to approve road crew report. All Ayes, motion carried.

Clerk and Treasurer update: Filled out WI Dept of Revenue forms SL-302M Update Contact Info and AT-827 Retail License Report. August 13^th 2024 Partisan Primary went well. 244 voters, so over half turnout. Preparing for the upcoming 2024 General Election on Nov. 5^th and planning for my absence Oct 8-21 with Lynn Divine. Now have administrative access in SAM.gov. Chair, Clerk, and Treasurer need access, at a minimum. Three assessment calls and one email, mostly inquiring about mill rate. Open Book yesterday from 4pm to 6pm had no scheduled appointments, one town member showed up to talk with Assessor Jennie Martin, whom I met for the first time. Board of Review is on Tuesday, Sep. 17^th from 6pm-8pm and so far, no scheduled appointments. Road crew stopped using QuickBooks Workforce app for clocking in. Didn’t work out for our needs. Used new business card for WTA Workshop fee for three. Request to purchase Norton Antivirus. Approved. Treasurer: sent Profit and Loss and Balance Reports to board via email. Lynn will reconcile and balance when she returns. Would like something on the webpage about seeking elected positions in town. A motion by Jim Park and seconded by Scottie Sandstrom to accept the clerk and treasurer reports. All Ayes, motion carried. Chair mentioned idea about approving all reports at one time.

Chair report: Bayfield Co. Bridge Aid for N. Church Corner Rd for $35k for next year. Town would pay half. Landfill: hauling clay from city spoil, small part done and there is a dozer onsite spreading. Motion to accept Chair’s report by Supervisor Park and seconded by Supervisor Sandstrom. All Ayes, motion carried.

Plan Commission: Kim Bro not at meeting but asked Mike to check on driveway for short-term rental. He will do that.

Road Work Protocol: Chair stated that any road work questions go to Mike and then he can contact Board individually if he needs assistance.

Shouldering 251: Just over $600 left to spend. Hill is finished, almost to Long Lake. Three more loads coming. Not enough to finish, only about half-way. Leave till next year. The town is responsible for shouldering on Forest Roads. Crooked Lake next year.

Wannebo Road Update: Supervisor Sandstrom stated shoulders are done. Invoices are coming in, one from WisDOT so far. Town will have to wait and see for how much we owe. Discussion on striping. Can do quite a bit with $5k. Prioritize roads with mindset that if striped, will need to be maintained by law, according to Mike. We can hire out the county to chip seal since they now have the equipment. Mike mentioned that there is a hard hit/transition at Wannebo and Ondossagon. Sandy will contact Northwoods Paving.

Accounting practices-document storage: Clerk suggested getting a couple of lockable filing cabinets to be placed in shop in office or the hallway.

Change of insurance for equipment: Chairperson talked with McCoy on replacement costs. This would raise insurance cost by about $995/year. Scottie made a motion to increase insurance cost premiums for grader, backhoe, and loader with a second from Jim. All Ayes, motions carried.

Budget for 2025: Chair Raspotnik will ask Lynn to add a blank column on budget sheet. Special meetings for Budget and employee contracts. Open budget meeting for Oct. 23 @ 1:30pm, closed meeting for contracts after.

Next agenda: Open Records Policy, document storage, Open Book Meeting, Hove Ln, Road Crew contracts and evaluations (October and November), and Budget.

Motion to authorize all payment of bills listed on Check Details dated August 7^th through September 10^th, 2024 by Jim Park, seconded by Scottie Sandstrom. All Ayes, motion carried.

At 8:28 pm, a motion to adjourn was made by Supervisor Park and seconded by Supervisor Sandstrom. All Ayes, motion carried. Meeting adjourned.

Lance Twombly, Clerk

August 6, 2024

Attendance: Sandy Raspotnik, Scottie Sandstrom, Jim Park, Lynn Adams, Lance Twombly, Mike Harvey, Kim Bro, Karin Kozie, Bill Route, Mike Vavrus, Bob Adams, Robert Olson, Milo McGillivray, Bob Defoe, Nancy Hanson, Tim Schwenzfeier, Nori Schwenzfeier, Trevor Schwenzfeier, and Sven Schwenzfeier. Virtually: Wendy Stein.

At 7:00 pm, town meeting called to order by Chair Raspotnik. Road Crew member Matt Lippo could not make tonight’s meeting.

Meeting notices were posted in the two public places, on the website, and sent to Ashland Daily Press, not printed.

Public comments (Hove Ln comments will wait until later during agenda item):

· Karin Kozie thanked the town for not supporting the National Park designation for Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, at this time.

· Bob Adams suggested town should wait until after the November election before supporting the National Park designation.

· Nancy Hanson thanked the town for the work done on Paulson Rd. Asked about future of Paulson Rd and about the activity at Church Corner Rd and Paulson. Chair stated Paulson Rd is not on the 5-year Road Plan and she will address the latter in her report.

A motion to accept the agenda by Supervisor Park and seconded by Supervisor Sandstrom. All Ayes, motion carried.

Motion to accept last month’s minutes by Supervisor Sandstrom and seconded by Supervisor Park. All Ayes, motion carried.

Clerk update: Town now has a Bremer Bank Credit/Fleet Card to purchase fuel filters at Napa for a significant discount. In clerk’s name and can be used for other purchases if credit card is required. Clerk is using KeePassXC password manager. Clerk is seeking IT support for email and computer. Clerk may also be seeking Bookkeeping support from QuickBooks, one month for free. Road Crew is using QuickBook Workforce app to clock in and out to see if it will work for the town. Clerk also trying to save some money for town by moving quarterly paid employees on and off the payroll. Voting Machine testing on Aug. 3rd. Absentee Ballots still going out, some coming in, and three Absentee in-person voters, so far. FOIA request for election information sent to town, but the County is handling this request. Assessment Roll mailings out today. Property valuation has increased. Open Book session scheduled for Monday, September 9th, 4pm-6pm, at Town Hall. Board of Review scheduled for September 17th, 6pm-8pm. Public Notices will be sent out. Clerk is working with Assessor. A motion by Scottie Sandstrom and seconded by Jim Park to accept the clerk’s report. All Ayes, motion carried.

Treasurer report: Packet sent out with Balance, Profit and Loss, and Budget Sheets. QuickBooks Online is great. Check from County for taxes coming in. Snowplow contracts go out in September and Treasurer asked if price is going up or staying the same? Board said to leave it as is. Treasurer

also asked about the $90 phone bill from Brightspeed. Could town use VoIP (internet-based phone) or some other option to reduce cost? Clerk will look into it. Chair asked about budget and cleaning up accounts. Treasurer and Clerk will work on cleaning up accounts and Board will work on formalizing budget for next year. Motion to approve treasurer report by Park and seconded by Sandstrom. All Ayes, motion carried.

Road Crew report: Matt is mowing and improving overall. FR251 gravel done with over 200 loads. Pulverizing completed on FR251 and Wannebo. Wannebo project asked for town help with soft spots. Northwoods Paving will fix patch on Chequamegon Heights Rd. Grading in barrens is ongoing. Logging trucks impacting previously graded roads. No landfill update other than opening and closing gate and rocks moved in preparation for trucks dumping clay spoil from City of Washburn construction. Jim asked about potholes on Wannebo and Mike said that these need cold mix. A motion by Jim Park and a second by Scottie Sandstrom to accept road crew report. All Ayes, motion carried.

Chair report: Two invoices out to US Forest Service, one for $100,000 and other for $4,000. Boat Storage activity on Church Corner Rd and Paulson Rd is in a waiting period to clarify who is landowner after previous landowner died and two adult children are in jail. The landowner must be determined to go forward with any actions from Bayfield Co. Sheriff’s Office, Zoning Department, and town. Field access was not approved as a driveway, but the landowner would be responsible for making changes, getting permit, etc. Scottie is continuing to talk with Charly Ray, County Board Supervisor, for more options. Motion to approve Chair’s report by Supervisor Park and seconded by Supervisor Sandstrom. All Ayes, motion carried.

Plan Commission: Kim Bro gave a report on planning policies from yesterday’s meeting. The Commission is looking to send out a 1/3-page announcement for residents using MailChimp and posting on website. Ready by September 15th. Kim requested a Plan Commission email address through town so he is not using his personal email. They focused on Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Transportation for this month. See Plan Commission & Task Force Minutes, August 5th, 2024 for more information.

Hove Lane: Chair Raspotnik requested motion to open floor for public comment. Supervisor Scottie made the motion and Supervisor Jim seconded. Motion carried with all Ayes. The Schwenzfeiers’ and Lynn Adams had lots of complaints about the constant heavy dump truck traffic hauling to and from Bob Olson’s sand pit. Trucks are causing lots of dust, with little to no dust mitigation, speeding, failing to follow traffic signs (not stopping at stop signs), noisy, and are aggressive and confrontational. Residents are traumatized and upset. They asked the town to hold those responsible accountable for dust mitigation and controlling truck drivers, and to post speed limit signs (20 mph). Bob Olson stated that he bid for contract but wasn’t awarded (didn’t really want it), but pit on McKinley Rd that won bid did not work out. Hoffman Contractor for city construction asked Bob, since he has “the finest sand in Bayfield County.” He has tried to control drivers and mitigate the dust. His only option is to close his gate to get their attention. Bob also stated that the road will be in better condition after the project. Chair asked Bob for a list of issues and contacts. Mike will order 20 mph speed limit signs. Chair will request county to monitor/patrol once they are installed. Sandy and Mike will also talk with the contractors. Motion made by Sandstrom to close the floor, seconded by Jim. Motion carried with all Ayes.

Wannebo Road Update: Supervisor Sandstrom attending weekly meetings. FR251 will get paved tomorrow (August 7th) and Wannebo will be paved starting Thursday, August 8th. Finish Saturday (or

the 16th). Shouldering will occur after that. Northwoods Paving will do a complimentary patch on Chequamegon Heights Rd. An invoice will be sent in about a month for 20%, not the full amount.

Accounting practices: Clerk still has to work on document storage.

Hiring Policy: Jim made a couple of minor updates. Confidential information and Open Records policy will be looked at later to determine how to deal with this on applications. Motion to approve Hiring Policy made by Park and seconded by Sandstrom. Motion carried with all Ayes. Jim will post new policy on website.

Change of insurance for equipment: Truck value needs to be replacement value, not current value. Mike and Sandy will check to see if $400,000 is adequate to replace the Grader.

Next agenda: Open Records Policy, Insurance amounts, document storage, Open Book Meeting, Hove Ln, Road Crew contracts and evaluations (October and November), and Budget.

Motion to authorize all payment of bills listed on Check Details dated July 10th through August 6th, 2024 by Scottie Sandstrom, seconded by Jim Park. All Ayes, motion carried. The Board likes the new list of payments to approve instead of initialing each one.

At 9:25 pm, a motion to adjourn was made by Supervisor Sandstrom and seconded by Supervisor Park. All Ayes, motion carried.

Lance Twombly, Cler

Town of Washburn

Bayfield County

Town Meeting Minutes

July 9, 2024

Attendance: Sandy Raspotnik, Scottie Sandstrom, Jim Park, Lance Twombly, Matt Lippo, Kim Bro, Kodi Drinken, Matt Metzinger, Bob Mattson, Bob Short, Terri Short, Karin Kozie, Michael McKenna, Mike Sherry (Holden Insurance representative) and Jim Miller (Outreach Office for Congressman Tom Tiffany). Virtually: Lynn Adams, Wendy Stein, and Brenda Rechel.

At 7:00 pm, town meeting called to order by Chair Raspotnik. Road Superintendent Mike Harvey could not make tonight’s meeting.

Meeting notices were posted in the two public places, on the website, and Ashland Daily Press, which never gets printed.

Public comments:

· Bob Mattson raised concerns about the commercial operation (boat storage) occurring on Church Corner Rd between Paulson Rd and Maple Hill. They do not have a permit and are not authorized to use the logging access road, allegedly on Susan Dunn’s property, to access Karen Hopkin’s (deceased) property. Logging access road is not an approved driveway. This group has been kicked out of other local communities. Chair had reached out to Town of Bell prior but has not received a response. Landowner needs to contact law enforcement about trespassing. Town will pursue this with Bayfield County. Property lines may need to be defined.

· Terri Short requested that West Maple Hill Road is on the 5-year Road Plan to be blacktopped. There are 11 homes on this road, they have been patient, waiting a long time. West Maple Hill is on the Plan, and it was looked at for this year but that money had to go to assist a common road with Town of Barksdale.

· Karin Kozie asked the town to hold off on approving a Letter of Support for Apostle Islands National Lakeshore changing designation to National Park. Her understanding is that local tribes were not consulted, not in bill. Bill needs clarification about the reserve portion and hunting. Jim Miller, representative for Tiffany, is here tonight to discuss this topic.

· Micheal McKenna is concerned about AirBnBs with housing in short supply and how this may exacerbate the problem. Buying up properties for rentals could change the community. Can these properties be taxed higher? Land use regulations? Put a moratorium on them until these concerns are addressed?

· Wendy Stein suggested that the town creates a policy on short-term rentals before granting permits and looks at what other towns are doing. The town is looking into short-term rentals and how to manage them. Will wait on County’s plan to come out.

A motion to accept the agenda by Supervisor Park and seconded by Supervisor Sandstrom. All Ayes, motion carried.

Motion to accept last month’s minutes by Supervisor Sandstrom and seconded by Supervisor Park. All Ayes, motion carried.

Treasurer report: Balance and Profit and Loss Sheets for July 5th sent out to Board and Clerk. Been difficult for Clerk and Treasurer to meet with conflicting schedules. Will meet soon to work on Budget. Things going smoothly with QuickBooks Online. Two residents have not paid for snowplowing, invoices will be sent out. And three residents’ snowplow bills were added to their taxes. These individuals will be noted for next year, if they choose to have the town plow their driveways. Motion to approve treasurer report by Park and seconded by Sandstrom. All Ayes, motion carried.

Clerk update: Submitted PA-551 with Assessor’s help to State of Wisconsin. Worker’s Comp Insurance Audit submitted to Rural Insurance for April 2023-April 2024. Dealt with minor payroll issues, but QuickBooks support is super helpful and hopefully, there will be fewer in the future. Completed WisVote training and got signed in. Worked with Bayfield County Clerk Lynn Divine on how to issue Absentee Ballots. 29 were sent out, five returned so far. Issued one Fireworks Permit. Possibly have this form on website? Organizing and storing photo IDs and destroying previous Absentee Ballot applications since they are only valid for the current year. Lynne Borchers and Caroline Twombly given Oath of Office to be Election Officials and will help on August 13th Partisan Primary Election. Quarterly Wage Report sent to WI Department of Revenue. Working with Chief Inspector Ruth Hartzell and Lynn Divine on upcoming election, schedules, machine prep, etc. Road Crew asked if the town could get a credit card to save money on fuel filters at Napa. Clerk will look into it. A motion by Jim Park and seconded by Scottie Sandstrom to accept the clerk’s report. All Ayes, motion carried.

Road Crew report: Grader is back but had to replace a hydraulic hose. Matt trained on the grader. Busy laying rock on Forest Service roads and mowing. No more rock. Truck is also back. A motion by Jim Park and a second by Scottie Sandstrom to accept road crew report. All Ayes, motion carried.

Chair report: Change August Town Meeting from Tuesday, August 13th, Partisan Primary Election, to Tuesday, August 6th. Bridge Aid request submitted for next year. Dealing with rock in National Forest and reimbursements. Scottie suggested that the Home Assistance (to fix up homes) be added to town’s website. He will look into it. Motion to accept Chair’s report by Supervisor Park and seconded by Supervisor Sandstrom. All Ayes, motion carried.

Landfill Mowing Bid: Chair turned meeting over to Supervisor Jim Park for this portion. Only one bid from Duane Raspotnik for $575. He will mow the same as last year, but not the wet areas. A motion by Park to accept the $575 bid from Duane Raspotnik, seconded by Sandstrom. Two Ayes, Chair Raspotnik abstained, motion carried.

Plan Commission membership: Hallie Sandberg resigned. Motion to nominate Caroline Twombly to serve the rest of Sandberg’s term (1-2 years) made by Supervisor Park and seconded by Supervisor Sandstrom. Motion carried with all Ayes.

Plan Commission: Kim Bro gave a report on short-term rentals. There is a state law that prevents communities from prohibiting these rentals. The town currently only has one, Potter’s Farm. Drinken property would be the second, when approved. Plan Commission recommends town approve Kodi Drinken’s short-term rental permit on condition of meeting upcoming County ordinances and adding T-turnaround in driveway. Bayfield County is in the process of providing requirements and criteria for permits. There will be 24-hr contact person for issues. Zoning and Health Department requirements renewed annually. Three or more valid complaints may prevent future permit approval. County and town are seeing smaller lots sizes (5 acres) with more houses.

Aging population with family moving closer. Impact community services in Washburn and Ashland. Town of Washburn needs a strong plan to keep rural character in regard to natural resources. Boat storage operation is a county issue. The Chair stated that town does not have any enforcement, we rely on county. Ultimately, the owner is in violation regarding permits and driveway. Trespassing is a law enforcement matter. Jim Park made a motion to recommend approval of Kodi Drinken’s short-term rental permit on condition of meeting County ordinances and driveway permit approval. Seconded by Scottie Sandstrom. Motion carried with all Ayes.

Holden Insurance Policy overview: Mike Sherry gave a brief description of the town’s new insurance policy and how the Board should look it over carefully to ensure that there is enough coverage.

Wannebo Road Update: Supervisor Sandstrom gave handout to Board. Pulverizing will begin a week later on July 29th, not on the 22nd. Scottie will contact residents. Start location, east- or westside, has not been confirmed. The road will still be open, one lane with flaggers. Working from dawn to dusk, Monday through Friday, with possible Saturday make-ups for rain, etc. Weekly meetings will begin July 30th. Scottie will send Jim a description of the construction so that it can be added to town website. Project completed by Labor Day.

5-year Road Plan Update: Scottie gave a handout. West Maple Hill is on plan. Fall 2025? LRIP, a 50/50 grant, for funding? Will have to compete for it. Crack seal maintenance. Motion to start crack sealing on Ondossagon Rd (Wannebo to Engoe) and Nevers Rd (Ondossagon to Bjork) using mastic material made by Sandstrom and seconded by Park. All Ayes, motion carried. Supervisor Park made a motion to approve the updated 5-year Road Plan, seconded by Supervisor Sandstrom. Motion carried with all Ayes.

Accounting practices: Clerk will check on a password storage application like KeePass or Bit Warden. The one Supervisor Park checked into was too expensive.

Letter of Support for Apostle Islands changing designation to National Park: Motion made by Scottie to open floor to Jim Miller, Outreach Office for Tom Tiffany representative, seconded by Jim. Motion carried with all Ayes. The first Committee hearing will be on July 26th in Washington, D.C. They already have other letters of support from local chambers and towns. The thought of creating the one and only National Park in Wisconsin is to bolster economic development in the area. Red Cliff was contacted months ago, but Apostle Islands has not. Only talking with NPS in DC. Chair Raspotnik is not ready to support this designation yet because there are too many unanswered questions with ability for the area to handle an increase in visitors with housing, parking, staff, etc. She suggested a local hearing to get communities’ comments. Chair made a motion to not issue a Letter of Support for Apostle Islands changing designation to National Park, seconded by Jim Park. Motion carried with all Ayes. Park and Sandstrom stated that the town could possibly support this in the future.

Hiring Policy: Scottie resent emails. Board discussed Application draft and made suggestions and corrections. Town is trying to minimize amount of confidential information to ensure it is not released in an Open Records request. Scottie will finalize wording and send to Jim for review.

Letters of Appreciation for Service: Motion to send Letters of Appreciation for Service with $35 gift certificate to Coco’s Restaurant in Washburn to Jan Carlson, Hallie Sandberg, and Kerry Tetzner made by Jim, seconded by Sandy. Motion carried with all Ayes.

Next agenda: Hiring Policy, Wannebo Rd Update, Insurance coverage changes, add Confidential Information criteria to Open Records Policy.

Motion to authorize payment of bills by Jim Park, seconded by Sandy Raspotnik. All Ayes, motion carried. Clerk will look into a more efficient process of approving bills such as sending out a list of checks, payments instead of Board initialing all paperwork/receipts.

At 10:02 pm, a motion to adjourn was made by Supervisor Park and seconded by Supervisor Sandstrom. All Ayes, motion carried.

Lance Twombly