2026 Minutes
Plan Commission Mtg. Minutes – May 5, 2026
Plan Commission Minutes
Town of Washburn
Outdoors at 74399 Ondossagon Road
Monday, May 5, 2026
Commission members present: Kim Bro (chair), Tim Schwenzfeier (vice chair), Caroline Twombly.
Commission members absent: Cyndi Belanger (secretary), Seth Vasser (town board representative).
Others present: Mike Harvey (Town Road Superintendent).
1. Chairman Bro called the meeting of the Commission to order at 6:33 P.M. and verified its legal notification (posted at Town Hall, Tetzner Dairy on May 2 and Town website) on May 3, 2026.
2. The minutes of the November 2, 2025 meeting were approved (Tim moves, Caroline seconds).
3. Just prior to the meeting, the commission conducted a site visit for Tracy Defoe to extend a driveway to a proposed residence. In 2021 an initial driveway was put in place from Ondossagon Road to the property so that the applicant could create a clearing. A new driveway permit is required because the applicant proposes to build a residence. The Commission conducted a site visit to assure that the proposed driveway will accommodate emergency vehicle access to proposed buildings on the property. The entire site is relatively level clay soil. The applicant already had placed two small sheds on the property. Using wire flags she marked the layout of the proposed driveway extension. Commission members moved the flags at one corner to make a tee turnaround that would meet the tee length and turning radius requirements of the Town Driveway Ordinance.
4. The commission reviewed the driveway permit application for Tracy Defoe to extend the driveway to a proposed residence on her 20-acre parcel at 74399 Ondossagon Road in an Agriculture 1 zoning district (S½N½NE¼SE¼ + S½N½NW¼SE¼ Section 10 T.48N R.5W; Tax ID #38474 + #38476). The Commission recommends (Caroline moves, Tim seconds) that the Town Board approve the driveway permit with the slight modifications proposed by the Commission. The proposed driveway meets the roadbed, drainage, visibility, and turnaround requirements of the driveway ordinance, and is located in an area that accommodates the erodibility of the clay soils (pp.7-4 of plan). The development retains the natural wooded character of the area (Objective 8.4). The Commission recommends that a 6-inch base of gravel be added to the drive when home construction is completed.
5. Kim reported on an April 29 public meeting that the county held on the comprehensive revision of Bayfield County planning and zoning ordinances. Because the proposed public release of the Draft Land Division Ordinance is June 5, 2026, the Commission will meet on June 7 or 8 (when most members can attend) to prepare comments for the Town Board to consider at its June 9th meeting prior to the July 5th deadline for submitting comments. The Draft County Zoning Ordinance is proposed for public release on June 26th with Town Board comments due by July 26th.
Charly Ray, Chair of the County Planning and Zoning Committee, said that the proposed ordinance will have far fewer uses for which the County will provide advance notice and seek the advice of town boards in which land uses are proposed. The excuse Mr. Ray gave for this proposed change is a state law that requires that conditions for conditional uses must be measurable and enforceable. The key criterion that the state no longer allows is “public acceptability.” Many such other impacts as traffic, noise, off-road parking, ingress/egress. lighting, erosion, natural vegetative screening, and rural character, vary from site to site and cannot be managed simply by administrative standards. It will be interesting to see if the Committee is avoiding taking responsibility for controlling negative impacts because it fears the work of setting appropriate measureable conditions for proposed uses. For example, the assistant zoning administrator at the meeting said that the draft ordinance has not proposed controls for development on highly erodible, steep clay slopes surrounding the county’s many high quality trout streams. In the Town of Washburn, inadequate controls of development on steep clay slopes would be highly detrimental to water quality, stream habitat, and downstream wetlands.
6. The Commission recommends (Tim moves, Caroline seconds) that, with minor typo edits, the Washburn Town History brochure (PDF) that Trisha Miller wrote and designed be made available to the community on the Town website.
7. The next meeting will be Monday, June 8, 2026 at 7 PM or June 7 if more can attend.
8. The meeting adjourned at 7:05 P.M. (Caroline moves, Tim seconds).
Draft submitted by: Kenneth Bro, Chair, Town of Washburn Plan Commission (May 11, 2026).
Approved June 7, 2026.
Plan Commission Report
The Commission recommends that the Town Board approve the driveway permit for Tracy Defoe to extend her existing driveway as proposed on the updated sketch she approved. The Commission recommends making Trisha Miller’s Town of Washburn History brochure (PDF) available on the Town website.
Plan Commission Mtg. Minutes-June 7, 2026
Plan Commission & Task Force Minutes
Town of Washburn
Town Hall
Sunday, June 7, 2026
Commission members present: Kim Bro (chair), Cyndi Belanger (secretary), Tim Schwenzfeier (vice chair), Caroline Twombly, Seth Vasser (town board representative).
Commission members absent: none.
Others present: none.
1. Chairman Bro called the meeting of the commission to order at 7:05 P.M. and verified its legal notification (posted at town hall and Tetzner Dairy on June 4 and on town website on June 5.
2. The minutes of the May 5, 2026 meeting were approved (Caroline moves, Tim seconds).
3. The group reviewed four public comment drafts of the updated County Planning and Zoning Ordinances “Sanitary and Sewage,” “Floodplain,” “Nonmetallic Mining,” and “Shoreland/Wetland.” The sense of the group was that these draft ordinances largely reflect the minimum state requirements for developments in these areas. The Nonmetallic Mining Ordinance provides for collecting an annual fee from all actively used sand pits and not just annually reporting on the mine reclamation plan. Commission members did not know if the Town currently pays an annual County fee for its sand pit.
The Commission’s main concern regarded an introductory statement that the County moved its bluff and bank setback requirement to the Shoreland/Wetland Ordinance, which applies only to wetlands, 1,000 feet from lakes, and 300 feet from navigable streams. Many of the steep, unstable slopes in the Town of Washburn are not in the area covered by this ordinance. The Town’s Comprehensive Plan identifies the need to protect unstable ravine slopes and steep transitional soils from development that could exacerbate slumping and erosion. The problem applies to many areas outside the shoreland zone in other towns in the County as well.
The Commission directed (Tim moves, Cyndi seconds) Kim to draft a comment for the Town Board to request that regulation of development on steep slopes extend to all steep slopes and not just those in the shoreland zone. Kim will provide an example of an alternative method to determine a bluff setback than the one in the draft ordinance. The draft ordinance calls for a 75-foot setback from the top edge of bluffs where there is evidence of active erosion. This criterion is inadequate for identifying unstable areas near steep clay ravines and such sand over clay slopes as former glacial lake beach lines.
4. The Commission decided to schedule its next meeting on Sunday, July 12 at 7:00 P.M. in order to give Commissioners as much time as possible to review the “General Zoning” and “Land Division” ordinances, which are not expected to be released until late June..
5. The meeting adjourned at 8:20 P.M. (Tim moves, Seth seconds).
Draft submitted by: Kenneth Bro, Chair, Town of Washburn Plan Commission (June 9, 2026).
Approved July 12, 2026.‘
Plan Commission Report
The commission recommends that the Town Board submit a public comment to the County Planning and Zoning Committee recommending regulation of development near all unstable, steep slopes, not just those in the shoreland zone.
Plan Commission Mtg. Minutes – July 12, 2026
Plan Commission Minutes
Town of Washburn
Outdoors at Closed Landfill Site
Sunday, July 12, 2026
Commission members present: Cyndi Belanger (secretary), Kim Bro (chair), Tim Schwenzfeier (vice chair), Caroline Twombly.
Commission members absent: Seth Vasser (town board representative).
Others present: Peter Olson attended the site visit for his driveway.
- Chairman Bro called the meeting of the Commission to order at 8:05 P.M. and verified its legal notification (posted at Town Hall, Tetzner Dairy on July 9 and Town website) on July 10, 2026.
- The minutes of the November 2, 2025 meeting were approved (Tim moves, Caroline seconds).
- Prior to the meeting, the Commission conducted a site visit for Bridget and Peter Olson to construct a driveway to their 15-acre property ~76300 McKinley Road. Peter was present for the site visit. He had installed metal posts making the proposed location of a 30-foot by 18-inch culvert in the road ditch and extended a string 240 feet east into the woods to the end of the proposed driveway. He had marked a tee turnaround prior to the end of the proposed driveway. The proposed driveway descends on a gentle grade. The south side of the drive drains to a steep ravine that drains to Thompson Creek, a trout stream. The north side drains to the east and eventually flows to the ravine some distance past the end of the proposed driveway. The proposed driveway crosses transitional (sand-over-clay) soil near the road and eventually leads to clayey soil to the east. The applicants plan to construct a residence in the future and will apply for another driveway permit when they identify a house location and apply for a County land use permit.
- Prior to the meeting, the Commission conducted its annual site visit to the closed Section 29 landfill and completed the landfill maintenance checklist. The landfill area had been mowed during the week prior to the site visit. In 2024, the City of Washburn added soil from the West Bayfield Street excavation on the east side of the landfill cap and filled the deepest area of subsidence on the east side of the clay cap. The Commission estimated that approximately 4,500 cubic yards of appropriate clean soil are needed to fill the remaining areas of subsidence in the clay cap over the landfill. These areas inhibit the flow of surface water off of the cap and may increase the infiltration of water into the underlying solid waste. Trees are rooted in the clay cap on the west and north sides and compromise its effectiveness. The driveway leading to the west groundwater monitoring well is overgrown. There is some gullying in the new fill that was added to the clay cap. The caps over the three monitoring wells are securely locked.
- The Commission approved (Tim moves, Caroline seconds) the minutes of the June 7, 2026 meeting.
- The commission reviewed the driveway permit application for Bridget and Peter Olson to construct a driveway to their 15-acre parcel at ~76300 McKinley Road in an Agriculture 1 zoning district (in S½ NW¼SW¼ Section 36 T.49N R.5W; Tax ID #39325). The Commission recommends (Cyndi moves, Tim seconds) that the Town Board approve the driveway permit. The proposed driveway meets the roadbed, drainage, visibility, and turnaround requirements of the driveway ordinance, and is located in an area that accommodates the erodibility of the clay soils (Objective 8.2 & p. 7-5). The development retains the natural wooded character of the area (Objective 8.4). The proposed culvert in the road ditch appears far enough from the road to provide an adequate turning radius onto the road.
- The Commission recommends cutting of woody plants growing on the west and north sides of the landfill cap, mowing of the steep west side of the clay cap and mowing of the access road to the west monitoring well. When appropriate clean clay soil is available from the East Bayfield Street reconstruction, approximately 4,500 cubic yards will be needed to fill remaining areas of subsidence in the cap. The recent mowing removed flower heads of exotic, invasive weeds at the landfill site. Perhaps, the site should be mowed two times per year to remove flower heads that form later in the summer.
- Kim and Caroline reported on a June 25 public meeting that the County held on the preparation of a countywide bicycle and pedestrian plan. They reported to the planning consultant (Northwest Regional Plan Commission) on the recommendations in the Transportation chapter of the Town’s Comprehensive Plan.
- The next meeting will be Tuesday, August 4, 2026 at 7 PM.
- The meeting adjourned at 8:13 P.M. (Cyndi moves, Caroline seconds).
Kenneth Bro, Chair, Town of Washburn Plan Commission (July 14, 2026).
Approved August 4, 2026.
Plan Commission Report
The Commission recommends that the Town Board approve the driveway permit for Bridget and Peter Olson as proposed in their application. The Commission recommends cutting woody vegetation on the west and south sides of the landfill clay cap and mowing the driveway path leading to the west monitoring well.
DRAFT – Town Board Meeting Minutes – Aug. 18, 2026
STATE OF WISCONSIN
Town of Washburn – Bayfield County
DRAFT – Town Board Meeting Minutes – August 18, 2026
The meeting was called to order at 7:00pm by Scottie Sandstrom, Chair.
In Attendance: Scottie Sandstrom, Seth Vasser, Matt Tetzner, Christina Eliason, Vicki Thoen, Mike Harvey, Kim Bro, Jim Park, Jay Glase
Proper public notice was verified: Ashland Daily Press, Town Website, Tetzner’s Dairy and Town Hall.
Public Comment: none
A motion was made by Seth to accept the agenda. Matt seconded the motion. All ayes. Motion carried.
Seth made the motion to approve the minutes from July 14 meeting. Matt seconded the motion. All ayes. Motion carried.
Reports:
Clerk – Vicki reported that 289 people voted at the Primary Election. 43 Absentee Ballots were issued and 37 were returned. The poll workers suggested that we purchase chairs without wheels. They sit in the chairs for seven hours on election day and the uneven floors make it difficult to be comfortable in chairs with wheels. It was also noted that the wheels are leaving divots in the floor. The Board approved gathering information on replacement chairs to be presented at the September meeting.
We received a notice from the County that our septic system had not been serviced since March of 2021 and it needs to be serviced every 3 years to be in compliance with Bayfield County codes. #2 Septic was contacted and they promptly serviced the system.
At last month’s meeting the Board requested that we hold payment to Monroe Trucking until Mike could confirm the invoice was correct. Mike confirmed that the invoice was more than expected because we purchased a better spreader than originally quoted. The check was released.
Treasurer – Christina reported that the bank accounts have been reconciled for July 2026. One snowplow invoice is still outstanding and she sent a third and final invoice. The balance due will be placed on the 2026 Tax Statement for collection. Old National Bank accounts have been closed. The August 2026 Tax Settlement for the 2nd half of tax collection was $28,013.70.
Road Crew – Mike reported that the new tractor has a fluid leak. He contacted Lulich and they came to get it and will make repairs that will be covered under warranty.
Both culverts on Wannebo Road should be replaced/repaired. He suggested that if we have the money in the budget, we can place sleeves to fix the problem at an estimated cost $23,000. The culvert on Ondossagon Road needs to be repaired and can also be fixed with a sleeve. The estimated cost is $6000. There is money in the budget. A motion to proceed with sleeves to fix culverts this fall was made by Matt, Seth seconded. All ayes. Motion carried. Jay Glase would like to have the pine trees at the landfill that fell during the April storm. Board discussed and decided since he wants them, he can have them. Seth made the motion to let Jay remove two pine trees from the land fill site after signing a waiver of liability. Matt seconded the motion. All ayes. Motion carried. Brevak Road needs approximately 1800 yards of gravel = 2700 tons = $62,100. We have $22,000 available in budget. We will wait until later in the fall to see if the money is still available in the budget or if this should wait until next year.
Mike told the board about some health issues he has been having. He has taken time off for doctor’s appointments and illness. Asked that we purchase a large fan for the garage to help ventilate. He proposed that we buy a 36” industrial fan for $300. Board approved.
Chair – Scottie called Mitch Finnegan of the DOT who is involved with City of Washburn project next year. Asked that the Town be involved in the meeting to know who has the contract so that they can help with cost of calcium chloride for Hove Lane. The next Fire/EMS meeting will be 8/25 at 9:00am at City Hall. He attended the Data Center meeting at the Great Lakes Visitor Center on July 27. A UW extension representative gave a presentation. It is unlikely that we will see large data centers around here. Bayfield County will possibly place a 12-month moratorium on Data Centers so that the County can develop a plan to regulate. Many people are concerned that it could be very large data centers with concerns about land and resource usage.
Approval of Reports – Seth made a motion to approve the reports. Matt seconded the motion. All ayes. Motion carried.
Plan Commission – Kim Bro commented that the Town’s Comprehensive Plan contains some information about Emergency Planning. The Plan Commission recommends approval of the Driveway Permit for Gerald and Amy Fleming. Scottie made the motion that the Board approve the permit. Seth seconded the motion. All ayes. Motion carried. Kim mentioned a building permit was issued by the County but owners don’t have an acceptable driveway. They have a driveway permit but continue to use a logging road. Kim reached out to them to see if they have a plan for the driveway. The ordinance is in place to make sure that emergency services can access the property. We will follow up at the September meeting to see if they have responded to Kim’s email. Mike Vavrus driveway is not as specified in the permit regarding slope and culvert. He paid a contractor to do the work, but it wasn’t done correctly. Mike Harvey has discussed it with Mike Vavrus. Kim will email him that it needs to be a 24” culvert per the approved permit. Kim reported that 4500 cubic yards of acceptable clay is needed for landfill cap (that computes to 300 truckloads). We hope to obtain it from the City of Washburn 2027 Road construction.
Update on Enforcement of Fugitive Dust Resolution – Seth reported that he talked with John Carlson and he confirmed that we do have the right to enforce speed limits and weight limits on Hove Lane for the trucks going to the sand pit.
Developing a Town Emergency Management Plan – Seth made the motion that the Town Chair act as our Emergency Management Coordinator. Matt seconded the motion. All ayes. Motion carried. It was suggested that the Road Supervisor’s contact information be included in the plan. The plan will need to be updated annually or any time contact information changes. Matt made the motion that we move ahead with the Emergency Plan. Scottie seconded the motion. All ayes. Motion carried. Vicki will add Mike’s contact information and then share the plan with the County and post on the website.
Items to be placed on future agendas:
Follow up on driveways not in compliance
Purchase of chairs for town hall
2027 Budget planning for road crew
Authorize the payment of bills – After reviewing the bills, Seth made the motion to authorize payment. Matt seconded the motion. All ayes. Motion carried.
Adjournment – Scottie made the motion to adjourn at 8:53pm. Seth seconded the motion. All ayes. Motion carried.
Respectfully Submitted,
Vicki Thoen, Clerk
Draft Town Board Meeting Minutes – July 14, 2026
STATE OF WISCONSIN
Town of Washburn – Bayfield County
Town Board Meeting Minutes – July 14, 2026
**Draft Only until Board approval at August 18 meeting**
The meeting was called to order at 7:00 pm by Scottie Sandstrom, Chair.
In Attendance: Scottie Sandstrom, Seth Vasser, Vicki Thoen, Christina Eliason. Mike Harvey, David Warren, Tom Cogger, Caroline Twombly.
Proper public notice was verified: Ashland Daily Press, Tetzner’s Dairy, Town Hall, & Town website
Public Comment: None
A motion was made by Seth to accept the Agenda. Scottie seconded the motion. All ayes. Motion carried.
A motion was made by Seth to approve the Minutes from previous meeting. Scottie seconded the motion. All ayes. Motion carried.
Reports:
Clerk – Reminded the Board that the August meeting will be on August 18 due to the Primary Election being held on August 11. Absentee Ballots are being sent out. 35 have been sent and 8 returned. Received notification that the state’s request for emergency aid related to cost incurred from the April 17 storm was denied.
Treasurer – Bank accounts are reconciled. One snowplow invoice is outstanding and the third and final invoice has been sent. If payment isn’t received, we can put the amount owed on their 2026 tax bill. All bank account info has been switched to Northern State Bank. Goal is to close out the Old National Bank Accounts by the end of the month.
Road Crew – Mike reported that Dayton Road is done, rock has been spread. Share the Road signs have been posted. The culvert on Ondossagon Road needs repair/replace. Adding a sleeve will save the black top road. Mike is getting an estimate. There are 2 culverts on Wannebo Road that need attention too. Mike will check those to see if they can be repaired with a sleeve. David Warren stated things are going well. Mike reports that he is doing a good job.
Chair – Residents have reported that Spectrum has been out in the town burying cable. Norvado will build out the gravel portion of North Maple Hill Road with fiber optic this month or early August. There are two other areas near County C which also weren’t built out last year, as they weren’t part of the overall grant. They will work on securing funds for building those areas out perhaps in 2027. County EMS meeting tomorrow (7/15/26) at 2:00 pm at County Court house. Bayfield County Clean Sweep is scheduled July 23 from 2 pm – 6 pm at the Bayfield County Fair Grounds in Iron River. The next meeting of the Wisconsin Towns Association is July 27. Data Center Impacts Information Meetings are scheduled for Monday, July 27, 6 – 8 pm and Tuesday, July 28, 1:30 – 3:30 pm at the Great lakes Visitor Center
Approval of Reports: Seth made the motion to approve the reports. Scottie seconded. All ayes. Motion carried.
Plan Commission – Caroline Twombly reported that the commission did the annual inspection of the landfill. There are trees sprouting along the edge of the cap that should be cleared. They recommended approval of the driveway permit for Bridget and Peter Olson. The Board approved. Tom Cogger – reported that the Dark Sky committee has been meeting monthly. Planning on having a Dark Sky Art event in the future. Would like to retro fit the outdoor lights at the Town hall to limit the amount of light going up. They will keep us informed of any future recommendation and events.
Enforcement of Fugitive Dust Resolution: Seth reported that he called his contact at the Sheriff’s department. Talked to Chris Benton at the sheriff’s office and he questioned if we had the authority to post the 15 mph speed limit signs. According to the Ordinance, we have authority with police powers to enact environmental protection ordinances. They will help enforce it if it’s posted legally. The Board discussed and confirmed that it is our right to post the speed limit.
Finalize 5-Year Road Plan 2026-2031: The Board reviewed the 5-Year Road Plan and discussed priorities for road repairs and improvement plan.
Items to be placed on future agendas:
Enforcement of Fugitive Dust Resolution
Authorize the payment of bills: Seth made the motion to authorize the payment of the bills with exception of the check for Monroe Trucking. Mike will check into the charges on the invoice and confirm that it is correct. Scottie seconded the motion. All ayes. Motion carried.
Adjournment: Seth made the motion to adjourn at 8:05. Scottie seconded the motion. All ayes. Motion carried.
Respectfully Submitted,
Vicki Thoen, Clerk
Town Board Meeting Minutes – June 9, 2026
STATE OF WISCONSIN
Town of Washburn
DRAFT – Town Board Meeting Minutes – June 9, 2026
The meeting was called to order at 7:01 by Scottie Sandstrom, Chair.
In Attendance: Scottie Sandstrom, Matt Tetzner, Seth Vasser, Vicki Thoen. Mike Harvey, Kim Bro, Stephanie Lodge
Online: Wendy Stein, Jerry Smith (Superior Sealers)
Proper public notice was verified: Ashland Daily Press, Tetzner’s Dairy, Town Hall, & website.
Public Comment: Stephanie Lodge asked about the process for applying for an additional road on her property. Advised to discuss with the Plan Commission.
A motion was made by Matt to accept the agenda. Seth seconded the motion. All ayes. Motion carried.
A motion was made by Seth to approve the Minutes from the May 12 meeting and June 4 Special meeting. Matt seconded the motion. All ayes. Motion carried.
Reports:
Clerk – Reported that she and the treasurer have been working on getting the new accounts set up at Northern State Bank. The bill payments for approval should be the last checks written from the Old National Bank account. Scottie helped with taking the voting machines to the County Court House for annual maintenance. We didn’t have anyone mowing the lawn at the Town Hall. A notice was posted on Facebook and Pat Guske was the first to respond. He will be doing the mowing as needed throughout the summer.
Treasurer – Bank accounts have been reconciled for May 2026. We are in a strong cash position. One snowplow invoice is still outstanding. They have received a second invoice and if they don’t pay, we can put the amount owed on their 2026 Tax Bill. If payment isn’t received by the end of June, she will send out a final invoice with a letter explaining that the owed amount will be added to their tax bill. Working on getting online access to the Norther State Bank accounts, activating debit cards and getting direct deposits switched over.
Road Crew – Mike reported that they have been busy grading and mowing. Waiting on the back hoe to get fixed. Gravel has been added to Hove Lane as the first step in dust mitigation. Discussed 15 mph speed limit enforcement and asking sheriff to have randomly check speeds on that road. New tractor is working well and the box plate has been a good investment.
Chair – April 17 storm damage on Nevers Rd has been cleaned up. Mike and Tetzner’s Excavating took less time than expected. Some residence in the Town don’t have infrastructure for Norvado available yet. Scottie checked into this and learned that the grant limited the area. Scottie thought the second grant was going to serve the entire town of Washburn. Norvado is looking at getting service to some of the pockets that don’t have service. He reminded the Board that the Road Tours are this Friday at 8:00 am. Meet at the Town Hall.
Approval of Reports: Matt made the motion to approve the reports. Seth seconded. All ayes. Motion carried.
Plan Commission: Kim reported that the County Zoning changes are mainly to get in alignment with state minimum ordinances. Most are required ordinances and will be approved quickly. The Plan Commission is going to suggest that there should be an ordinance dealing with development on steep slopes. The board agreed to sign the letter to the zoning committee with that suggestion. Seth moved to send the County the suggestion letter, Scottie seconded, all ayes. Motion carried. Scottie signed the letter. Kim will send it.
Open Crack Sealing Road Bids: Superior Sealers, Bloomer WI $36,630; Seal Tech, Cambridge MN, $60,560; Fahrner Asphalt, $88,120; Precision Seal Coating, southern WI, $70,000. After comparing the bids and processes proposed, the board voted to accept the bid from Seal Tech. Seth made the motion that we accept Seal Tech’s bid. Matt seconded the motion. All ayes. Motion carried.
Discussion/Action on Road Striping this year: Will put off until next year due to budgetary concerns.
Resolution to change Blueberry Rd name to FR692 – Resolution 2026-4 Seth made the motion that we change Blueberry Rd. to FR692. Matt seconded the motion. All ayes. Motion carried.
Items to be placed on future agendas:
Craft 5 year road plan
Hove Lane speed limit enforcement update
Authorize the payment of bills: After review, Seth made the motion to authorize the payment of the bills. Matt seconded. All ayes. Motion carried.
Adjournment: Scottie made the motion for adjournment at 8:36. Seth seconded. All ayes. Motion carried.
Respectfully Submitted,
Vicki Thoen, Clerk
Town Board Special Meeting Minutes – June 4, 2026
STATE OF WISCONSIN
Town of Washburn
Bayfield County
Special Meeting Minutes – June 4, 2026
This is a follow up meeting with the Town Boards of Barksdale and Bayview, and the City of Washburn, to discuss the establishing a new 5-Year Fire/EMS Contract with the City of Washburn.
Call to order and roll call: the meeting was called to order at 3:00 pm
In Attendance: Scottie Sandstrom, Seth Vasser, Vicki Thoen
Town of Bayview – Don Jenicek, Mike Garnich. Town of Barksdale – John Nyara
City of Washburn – Mayor Mary Motiff, Tony Janisch
Several representatives of Fire and EMS departments.
Verification of proper public notice: Washburn Town Hall and Tetzner’s Dairy, Town website.
Public Comment: none
Discussion and possible action on a new 5-year Fire/EMS Contract with the City of Washburn: EMS calls are up do to aging population. 30% of the calls in May went unanswered by Washburn EMS due to lack of coverage. It takes 10 full time equivalent (FTE) staff to cover all the hours. We have 3 FTEs, 14 paid on call staff (POC). We need 28 POC to cover all the hours that the FTEs can’t. Year to date Washburn Area Ambulance Service has seen a 26% increase in calls compared to the same time last year. There isn’t enough money in the budget to hire more FTEs. There was a request for more budget information to be provided at the next meeting. The fire department shared their 15-year long range plan that shows when equipment will need to be replaced.
The next meeting is scheduled for July 9 at 3:00 pm at Washburn City Hall.
The meeting was adjourned at 4:00 pm.
Respectfully Submitted by
Vicki Thoen, Clerk
Town Board Closed Session Minutes – April 21, 2026
Town of Washburn – Bayfield County
Meeting Minutes
Closed Session
April 21,2026
This is a special closed session meeting of the board for the purpose of discussing personnel issues.
Call to order and roll call: Scottie Sandstrom called the meeting to order at 6:30.
In Attendance: Scottie Sandstrom, Matt Tetzner, Seth Vasser, Vicki Thoen
Proper public notice was verified: Washburn Town Hall, Website, Tetzner’s Dairy
Seth made the motion to go into closed session. Matt seconded. All ayes. Motion carried.
Matt made the motion that we exit the closed session. Seth seconded the motion. All ayes. Motion carried.
Matt moved to exit the closed session and Seth seconded the motion. All ayes. Motion carried.
Adjournment: Seth made the motion to adjourn at 6:53, Matt seconded. All ayes. Motion carried.
Respectfully Submitted,
Vicki Thoen, Clerk
Town Board Closed Session Minutes – April 14, 2026
Town of Washburn – Bayfield County
Meeting Minutes
Closed Session
April 14,2026
This is a special closed session meeting of the board for the purpose of discussing personnel issues.
Call to order and roll call: Scottie Sandstrom called the meeting to order at 6:15 p.m.
In Attendance: Scottie Sandstrom, Matt Tetzner, Seth Vasser, Mike Harvey and Vicki Thoen
Proper public notice was verified: Ashland Daily Press, Washburn Town Hall, Website, Tetzner’s Dairy
Seth Vasser made the motion to go into closed session. Matt Tetzner seconded the motion. All ayes. Motion Carried.
Seth made the motion that we exit the closed session. Matt seconded the motion. All ayes. Motion carried.
Seth made the motion to adjourn and Scottie seconded. All ayes. Motion carried.
Closed session meeting adjourned at 6:55 p.m.
Respectfully Submitted,
Vicki Thoen, Clerk
Town Board Meeting Minutes – April 14, 2026
STATE OF WISCONSIN
Town of Washburn
Town Meeting Minutes – April 14, 2026
The meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m. by Scottie Sandstrom, Chair.
In attendance: Board members – Scottie Sandstrom, Matt Tetzner, Seth Vasser, Vicki Thoen, Christina Eliason. Others: Mike Harvey (Road Superintendent), Sandra Raspotnik, Ellen Avol-Law, Sarah Beebe, Cyndee Marx, Bob Marx, Nori Schwenzfeier, Tim Schwenzfeier, John Carlson, Steve Tetzner, Ryan Vanderscheuren
Online: Wendy Stein, Kim Bro, Jim Park
Proper public notice was verified: Ashland Daily Press, Tetzner’s Dairy, town website, Town Hall
Public Comment: Sandy Raspotnik and Ellen Avol-Law reviewed the request from last month regarding resolution for transparency of voucher program cost with statement being added to the annual tax statements. Nori Schwenzfeier – commented on the dust ordinance, requesting resolution, stated the responsibility lies with the town. Cyndee Marx- stated that she is opposed to the school resolution. We need more info and accountability from school district regarding how many students are coming into district from other districts as well. Ryan Vanderscheuren – commented that he is opposed to the school district resolution to add voucher info on tax bill. Stated we should get the school budget annually and know where all of the money goes. Sarah Beebe – said that she is opposed to the resolution from the school board to add comment on tax bill. Christina Eliason – as a citizen not as a board member, stated she is opposed to the town board getting involved with the school board resolution. The Town should concentrate on Town business only. She feels we need all the budget numbers.
A motion was made by Seth to accept the agenda. Matt seconded the motion. All ayes. Motion carried.
Seth made the motion to approve the minutes from previous meeting: Matt seconded. All ayes. Motion carried.
School Board of Washburn Resolution- The board discussed their views on the resolution. Scottie stated that he is opposed to resolution and thinks the Town should be about town business. Matt said he received several messages about this topic and talked to Superintendent to hear both sides. He agrees with the town doing town business but understands both sides of the issue. The School District is considering a newsletter. Seth is for the resolution and thinks transparency is important. Scottie moved that we do not pass the resolution. There wasn’t a second to the motion. Seth made the motion to pass the resolution. Matt seconded the motion. 2 ayes, 1 nay from Scottie Sandstrom. Motion carried. The town will include a statement on the annual cost of the school voucher program on tax statements.
Update/Action on Town Dust Ordinance(s)/Town Roads Dust Mitigation -Seth moved to open the floor to town attorney John Carlson, Matt seconded the motion. All ayes. Motion carried. Scottie presented the information from recent meetings and phone conversation with parties involved. The Board decided the following:
• The Town agrees to rescind Dust Mitigation Ordinance #2025-2. Seth made the motion that we rescind ordinance #2025-2. Matt seconded the motion. All ayes. Motion carried.
• The Town should adopt Ordinance #2026-1 Town of Washburn Fugitive Dust Ordinance for Unpaved Roads which includes posting signs with a speed limit of 15 mph for material hauling trucks. Seth made the motion that we pass Ordinance #2026-1. Matt seconded the motion. All ayes. Motion carried. Scottie made the motion that we purchase two road signs for the 15 mph speed limit. Seth seconded the motion. All ayes. Motion carried.
• The Town should invest in a salt/sand spreader for use of spreading Calcium Chloride. The estimated cost is $1800. Matt moved to purchase the spreader equipment. Seth seconded the motion. All ayes. Motion carried.
• Bob Olson has agreed to pay for two applications of Calcium Chloride per season. The Town will offer dust mitigation to other residents once costs are calculated. Currently expected to be $1.50/foot.
• The Town will exercise its prosecutorial discretion regarding the enforcement of the new adopted ordinance.
Reports:
Clerk: reported that 278 people voted during the Spring Election, April 7. 44 absentee ballots were issued, 38 were returned but one was rejected due to no witness signature, one was rejected because it was received on April 13. We had 60% voter turnout. Reminder that Open Book is scheduled for May 8 from 1:00 – 3:00 at the Town Hall. Board of Review is scheduled on May 20 from 6:00 – 8:00 at the Town Hall. See Notice posted on the website, at Tetzner’s Dairy and the Town Hall for guidelines. Annual Meeting is on April 21. Attended webinar for completion of Form CT Municipal Financial Report that is required by WI Dept. of Revenue.
Treasurer: looking into changing banks for our checking account, will present info at the May meeting. Presented current budget report. Will send out invoices for snow plowing next month. The bank accounts are reconciled for March.
Road Crew: Scottie recognized Mike for 20 years of service with the town. He was given a gift certificate to a local restaurant. He reported that things went well through the winter but it was a tough winter with ice accumulation and lots of snow. There are a lot of soft areas on gravel roads. Wants to buy a Box Scraper attachment for tractor. Lulich has one for $3000. Scottie made the motion to purchase the box scraper. Seth seconded the motion. All ayes. Motion carried. Back Hoe issues, Caterpillar was here again and the bucket works better now.
Chair: The DOT approved funding for Wannebo Road project at 69.72% of project cost. The project costs are estimated at $700,000 with $488,040 reimbursed by WIS DOT. Emmer Shields and Bob Anderson helped with application for the grant. Forrest Service mtg last Thursday. Scottie attended. Road Superintendents requested better cooperation and communication regarding logging and roads that need to be cleared/plowed. Mentioned Agenda items for Annual Meeting: board members will report on the past year, decide on driveway plowing for the future, change from electing Town Clerk and Treasurer to Appointment, Review pay levels for clerk, treasurer, and board members. Village Powers Resolution, Town indebtedness, open floor, and next Annual meeting April 20,2027
Seth made the motion to approve the reports. Matt seconded the motion All ayes. Motion carried,
Plan Commission – Kim Bro reported that Bayfield County is rewriting zoning policy and hosting public meetings. The one in our area is April 29 at Bayfield Town Hall at 6:30. Town Boards need to agree to be part of zoning, some zoning may change. We received a Driveway Permit request from Tracy DeFoe – need sketch of where the residence will be placed on property and will review in May if received in time. Share the road signs will cost $65 each.
Town Board Resolution for Transportation Funding as presented by the Wisconsin Towns Association: Seth made the motion to approve, Matt seconded. All ayes. Motion carried.
Scheduled Bid for West Engoe Road Double Chip Seal Project – request for bids will be in Ashland Daily Press Thursday, April 16 and Thursday, Apil 23. They will be reviewed at the May 12. Meeting.
Mowing the Landfill this Summer – Scottie talked to Duane Raspotnik to see if he would mow this summer. There is more to mow this year and he requested $700 for the summer. Scottie made the motion to move forward with Duane Raspotnik mowing the landfill for $700. Matt seconded the motion. All ayes. Motion carried.
Items to be placed on future agendas:
Kelly Traczyk from WEDC to share her role in upcoming solar project
Open bids for Engoe Rd project
Schedule Road inspection
Authorize the payment of bills – After reviewing the bills, Seth made the motion to authorize payments. Matt seconded the motion. All ayes. Motion carried.
Adjournment – at 9:10 Seth made the motion that we adjourn. Matt seconded the motion. All ayes. Motion carried.
Respectfully Submitted,
Vicki Thoen, Clerk