Plan Commission Minutes
Town of Washburn
Town Hall
Tuesday, August 5, 2025

Commission members present: Kim Bro (chair), Caroline Twombly, Seth Vasser (town board
representative).

Commission members absent: Cyndi Belanger (secretary) out of town, Tim Schwenzfeier (vice chair)
meeting conflict.

Others present (at site visit): Mike Harvey (town road superintendent).

1. Chairman Bro called the meeting of the Commission to order at 7:15 P.M. and verified its legal
notification (posted at Town Hall and Tetzner Dairy) on July 31, 2025 and on Town website on
August 3, 2025).

2. The minutes of the April 7, 2025 meeting were approved (Caroline moves, Seth seconds).

3. Prior to the meeting at 6:00 P.M., the commission conducted a site visit at James and Kari Carlson’s
property (30605 Wannebo Rd). Sand fill had been extended beyond the former glacial beach edge to
provide a granular base for a proposed shop building, the corners of which were marked with flags. A
71-foot turnaround tee was marked with flagging, but with no fill, north of the proposed building. The
proposed main driveway extends south 225 feet south from Wannebo Road. There is a 24-inch, 24-foot
long metal culvert in the Wannebo Road ditch A seep area (now dry) was visible downhill (east) of the
added fill for the proposed shop. The proposed shop is on a slope of a former glacial beach over a silty
clay confining layer (a steep transitional soil area).

4. Prior to the meeting at 6:30 P.M., the commission conducted a site visit at Seth and Angie Vasser’s
property (~200 feet west of 76175 Paulson Rd). They propose constructing a driveway 48 feet south of an
existing shared, private driveway where they propose adding a second residence. The existing sand soil
provides an adequate base that with a six-inch gravel topping will provide adequate load bearing
capacity. The proposed driveway, in conjunction with the existing private driveway, would provide an
adequate turnaround tee. Drainage on this wooded, level site is good. The issue with this driveway is the
steep, sharp turn in transitional soils where the existing driveway turns to the west. The driveway leading
north to this turn is approximately a 16% grade, exceeding the 10% maximum grade required by the
Town Driveway Ordinance. Winter access of emergency vehicles to the Vasser’s proposed long-term
rental is likely to be problematic unless the curve is widened and the turn is excavated to a more gradual
slope.

5. The commission reviewed the driveway permit application and preliminary development plan for Seth
and Angie Vasser to construct a driveway and a second residence on their 34-acre parcel in a Forestry-1
zoning district (part of SW¼SE¼ Section 32 T.49N R.5W; Tax ID #31134). The marked layout of the
driveway provides an adequate tee-turnaround for emergency vehicles but the steep sharp turn in the
existing, shared driveway could be an impediment to emergency vehicle access to the site. The
commission recommends (Caroline moves, Kim seconds, Seth abstains) that the town board approve the
driveway permit. The setback of the entire site retains the forested character of the area (Objective 8.3).
The commission recommends that the Town Board, as part of its recommendation for a County Class A
Special Use Permit for constructing a second residence, recommend providing a wider turn with a more
gradual slope in the existing, shared driveway so that buildings on the hill at the top of the driveway can
be reached by emergency vehicles in winter.

6. The commission reviewed the driveway permit application and preliminary development plan for James
and Kari Carlson to construct a driveway and a shop on their 5-acre parcel in an Agriculture-1 zoning
district (Lot 6 of Block 1, Textor’s Addition in W½ NE¼ NW¼NE¼ Section 12 T.48N R.5W;
Tax ID #31280). The Commission recommends (Caroline moves, Seth seconds) that the Town Board
approve a driveway permit with the following conditions:

● The proposed turnaround tee adjacent to a proposed shop building needs to be raised to a more level
grade.
● The fill areas extending east beyond the edge of a former glacial beach need to have either heavy soil
or geotextile and heavy rock placed to prevent slumping of the fill from spring seeps in the steep
transitional soils (Objective 8.3). ).
● The existing road ditch culvert should be replaced with a 40-foot x 24-inch diameter culvert. Because
Wannebo Road is steep where the driveway enters, a longer culvert is needed to accommodate turning
vehicles without posing a hazard to road traffic.
The marked layout of the driveway provides an adequate tee-turnaround for emergency vehicles, and the
proposed addition gravel will accommodate the roadbed requirements of the Town Driveway Ordinance.

7. Kim explained the site visit report he wrote regarding the additional maintenance required for the closed
Section 29 landfill. The three municipalities responsible for maintaining the landfill are hoping that the
East Bayfield Street road construction project in the City of Washburn will provide in 2027 clay of
sufficient quality to fill areas if subsidence and sanding water on the clay cap. The fill brought in from
the West Bayfield Street road construction filled only part of one swale on the east side to the clay cap.
Most of the fill was placed in a low area on the east side of the landfill.

8. The next meeting will be Tuesday, September 2, 2025 at 7 PM with site visits beforehand.

9. The meeting adjourned at 8:00 P.M. (Caroline moves, Seth seconds).

Draft submitted by: Kenneth Bro, Chair, Town of Washburn Plan Commission (August 12, 2025).

Plan Commission Report
The commission recommends that the Town Board approve the driveway permit for a second residence for
Seth and Angie Vasser. The Commission recommends that the Town Board recommend creating a wider and
more gradually sloped turn in the existing, shared driveway as part of its review of a County Class A Special
Use Permit for constructing a second residence so that emergency vehicles can readily access residences at
the far end of the .

The commission recommends that the Town Board approve the driveway permit for James and Kari Carlson
with the conditions that 1) the turnaround tee be brought to a more level slope and have reinforcement at the
base of the fill, and 2) a 24-inch by 40-foot culvert be placed in the Wannebo Road ditch.

TOWN OF WASHBURN
BOARD RETREAT – July 16, 2025

Attendees: Scottie Sandstrom, Fran Rechcygl, Christina Eliason, Seth Vasser, Matt Tetzner, Dale Houdek (WTA)

Call to order 9:04AM

This is considered a public meeting. As such, Scottie verified that the meeting notice was duly posted for public review.

Pledge of Allegiance

Motion was made to accept agenda by Seth, 2nd by Matt, all aye.
Topics of discussion will be:

• Board Roles w/division of responsibilities, plus legal requirements for boards.
• Road Maintenance
• Timeline of meeting sequence and content necessary to properly prepare and properly notice when executing the fall budgeting process.
• Thoughts on updating the Town website and who will be tasked for this (could perhaps mean a few residents from our Town).

This meeting is for discussion of the above agenda items and for sharing of thoughts only. No decisions will be made at this meeting.

No virtual connection was provided for this meeting.

Motion was made to adjourn the meeting as 12:15PM by Seth, 2nd by Matt, all aye.

Respectfully submitted by
Fran Rechcygl, Clerk

TOWN OF WASHBURN
MEETING NOTES – July 8, 2025

Attendees: Scottie Sandstrom, Fran Rechcygl, Christina Eliason, Seth Vasser, Matt Tetzner, Jim Park (Remote), Trevor Schwenzfeier, Bill Bailey, Ryan VanLanduyt, Darren Nyrose (Remote), Wendy Stein (Remote), Joe Groshek, Sandy Sky, Kim Bro.

Call to order 7:00PM

Pledge of Allegiance

Public Comment Period:

• Trevor Schwenzfeier said spraying helps but that it’s starting to burn off and needs redoing again.

Motion made to accept the agenda with the following amendments:
• Discuss Forest Service contract.
• Potential additional striping costs
• Move tandem truck repair issue up to Road Crew Report
Motion to accept agenda with amendments made by Seth, Matt 2nd, all aye.

Motion to accept June 10th 2025 minutes made by Matt, 2nd by Seth, all aye.

Motion made to open public input to dust mitigation made by Scottie, 2nd by Matt, all aye.

• Ordinance sent to WTA for review. They don’t do Ordinance review. Suggested it be turned over to attorney.
• Matt mentioned that this would probably cost more than fixing the problem. He suggested sitting down with Bob re his trucks and let him know what is/will be done. Inform him of costs as they can run from $500 – $5,000. Mike will figure out cost (to incl salt, spreader, man hours, etc.) and get back to us at August meeting. Get Bob involved in price sharing twice a year.

Motion to exit public input made by Seth, 2nd by Matt, all aye.

Clerk Report: Bills paid and up to date. Voting equipment maintenance during early August. Mike and Matt to get them over there. Tried balancing the checkbook and got close. SAM reporting finally resolved. MOE submitted. WTA is working to get this unnecessary reporting removed.

Treasurer Report: Received shared tax revenue of $6K from the state. Bremer Bank CD to renew 7/9/2025. What do we want to do with it. Worked on cleaning up QB. Keep treasurer report format along with the Budget. Discontinue sending a P&L / Balance Sheet. 2nd half of tax payments should be received end of July to early August.

Road Crew Report: Cold mix repairs ongoing. Each load costs around $1,000. Tandem truck has broken down and will cost around $3,500 to fix per Zifco Auto. Road crew was asked to make sure that when the budgeting process comes around, we need to try and make sure we anticipate possible repairs/improvements to avoid future overages.

Motion to repair tandem truck made by Seth, 2nd by Matt, all aye.

Work to begin on the big culvert. All homes involved have received notification of work to begin. They will need additional gravel for shouldering. Crooked Lake Dr – $21/ton for shouldering – need 252 ton @ $5,292; $22/ton Crossroad Brevak @ $21,010; Maple Hill N – 238/ton – $5,236 AND 2” minus $23/ton – $5,520.

Motion to approve $15,000 of gravel and 2” rock but retain the ability to discern when purchased based on budget made by Matt, 2nd by Seth, all aye.

They will be purchasing one (1) filter at a time.

Chair Report: Forest Service sent an agreement for forest rock for their use. We will order the rock and they will reimburse us.

Motion to order forest rock made by Matt, 2nd by Seth, all aye.

We were informed by Washburn County that we must mark the center line of the roads. If we don’t do it, they will, at an additional cost of $2,250, over and above the $15k+ for striping.

Motion to spend up to $2,250 to mark roads if Mike can’t do it made by Matt, 2nd by Seth, all aye.

Recognize the 4 previous board members with $35 gift certificates paid for by town.  WISLR & PASER training is to happen next week. We are eligible for a free series because of SNAFU with CD. Mike feels that Matt Lippo should take the class. This will allow him to fulfill WISLER/PASER reporting online. Clerk will need to set up a training session for Matt L.

Motion to accept reports made by Seth, 2nd by Matt, all aye.

Bill Bailey & Ryan VanLanduyt indicated that the solar system is scheduled to install next summer. If construction begins before July, we will get a tax credit of $26,000. Money must be paid upfront.

Planning Commission Report: Landfill clay added last fall is to be re-graded by the City of Washburn to utilize current clay for more effective coverage, and the Public Works director is to come up with a plan going forward, including using more fill which would be available with the 2nd phase of the City of Washburn paving project in 2027. Important to prevent spreading of invasive weeds. Suggested that the Town board confirm there is an emergency address system in place. The gravel portion of Sky Rd has been noted as being a private driveway, so Resolution 2025-1 was crafted, read, and signed, which confirms that status of that portion of the road, and will be sent to WisDOT, for removal from the Gas Tax Role of the Town roads.

Motion made to move ahead with the Resolution was made by Seth, 2nd by Matt, all ayes. Motion carried.

Darren Nyrose with Delmore Consulting gave a presentation on how his firm could provide the PASER road rating service for all blacktop roads in the Town, and placing them on the state WISLR system for $2500. This reporting is due to the state this year, and will get our ratings back on track. They will also add all of the gravel road ratings into WISLR at the same time, but those will be rated by Mike and Matt and provided to Delmore to add at the same time as the blacktop roads at no additional charge. Delmore will drive every road in the township and assign each section a PASER rating based on surface condition. This will then allow them to submit the data into WISLR and to update PASER ratings.

Motion made by Matt and seconded by Seth to contract with Delmore Consulting on this service for $2500. All ayes. Motion carried.

5 Year Road Plan – road repair priority to be discussed at August meeting. Mike to review priorities and have report for 8/12/2025 meeting.

Motion to authorize bills made by Seth, 2nd by Matt, all aye.

Motion to adjourn at 9:33PM made by Seth, 2nd by Matt, all aye.

Respectfully submitted by
Fran Rechcygl, Clerk

TOWN OF WASHBURN

06/10/2025 Meeting Minutes

Meeting was called to order by Chair Scottie Sandstrom at 7:00PM.

Attendees were Scottie Sandstrom, Seth Vasser, Matt Tetzner, Christina Eliason, Fran Rechcygl, Jim Park, Trevor & Nori Schwenzfeier, Matt Lippo, Tom & Connie Cogger, Wendy Stein, Deputy Jonathan Kroll  – Mike Harvey absent from meeting due to a death in the family.

Chair requested that all stand to say the Pledge of Allegiance.

Motion to accept the 6/10/2025 agenda was made by Matt Tetzner and seconded by Seth Vasser.  All ayes.

Motion to accept 5/13/2025 minutes was made by Seth Vassar and seconded by Matt Tetzner. All ayes.

Chair opened the meeting to the public comment:

Tom Cogger had questions regarding stop signs and requested an update on the replacement of them.  Scottie Sandstrom said the top half of signs is chipped off by the birds and that Mike Harvey had ordered a sheet metal bender to create a ‘sign canopy’ to prevent the birds from doing this.  Matt Lippo said that they had completed an inventory of damaged signs.  A solution should be available by the July 2025 meeting.

Deputy Kroll was expected to speak at this point but he had not yet appeared at the meeting due to other meetings.

Clerk Notes:  All new board members now entered into QuickBooks as well as reporting them to the state; QuickBooks does NOT have quarterly P/R options.  As all board members are now paid quarterly, this could become a bookkeeping problem.  All bills have been paid in full with the exception of the Engoe Rd project and are included on the activity list.  Chair will begin paperwork for reimbursement on Engoe Rd.  It was discovered that we are paying $300+/- per month during the summer for grass cutting around the town hall.

Garage Notes:  Engoe shoulder completed, fixed Larson’s driveway, brush-raked Nat’l Forrest Rd so that Mike can grade it.  Cutting of ditches was done along with some shop maintenance.  There is a trailer on Rustic Rd owned by Tom Cogger that he has agreed to move.  Some culverts have been completed and they’re slated to bring 2 big ones in on Church Corner Rd, along with ditching to control road runoff.

Planning Commission:  No activity.

Treasurer Notes:  We should have enough funds to operate through August 2025.  Snow plowing invoices went out.  It was suggested that we waive a $70.00 plow fee for the St Germain property.  She does not recollect calling for a plow and we have no proof that the plowing was done. It was also suggested that a better way to keep track of those services requests be developed.  This can be discussed with Mike Harvey at the next meeting. There are two savings accounts and 1 checking.  Suggests we should condense savings into one account and a checking account.  Will be addressed in the near future.

Mike Harvey phoned into the meeting.  Sheet metal bender not ordered yet, but will be shortly.  He will be getting cost on replacement stop signs along with some other state forest signs.  He’s got the Fahrner bid for crack sealing in his office.  Scottie will send Matt over to get it.

Sheriff’s Deputy, Jonathan Kroll, entered the meeting late. He introduced himself, and let us know that he is the liaison with the Town of Washburn, and that if there are any concerns or needs that we can contact him.

Chair Notes:  There will be an informational retreat on Wednesday, July16 with with Wisconsin Towns Assoc representative, Dale Houdek.  The meeting will be held at the town hall and will be considered a public meeting, so the agenda must be posted.  Solar update should be provided by July meeting.  Maple Hill landfill was visited.  A plan should be made to repair this as well as keep it mowed.  Road tour to be held 6/13/25.  Met with Delmore Consulting.  Should we use their services to help rate our roads.  Invited to virtual July meeting.

Motion to approve reports:  Seth Vasser motioned, Matt Tetzner seconded, all aye.

Discussion about records retention.  Bremer Bank to shred?  Ask for volunteers to go through existing records to review for destruction.

Open bids for Crack sealing:

1 – Fahrner Asphalt, Eau Claire, WI               $58,632.00

2 – Seal-Tech, Cambridge, MN                      $37,400.00

Motion to approve Seal-Tech bid was made by Seth Vasser and seconded by Matt Tetzner.  All aye.  Seal-Tech was awarded the bid.

Striping – .08/foot x 4 lines = .32/foot – amounts to approximately $15,300.  This would be for the new Wannebo Rd, the 251 west of Pajala past Long Lake, Ondossagon Rd from Wannebo Rd to Engoe Rd, Church Corner from C to Wannebo Rd, and Engoe Rd in conjuction with Barksdale.  They do ½ and we do ½.  No need to bid out.  Washburn County will do the striping.

Motion to accept striping made by Matt Tetzner, seconded by Seth Vasser.  All ayes.

Review of website and Facebook posting policies.  Jim Park to add Dog Tags, Snow Plowing.  He asked for $50.00 for doing same.

Motion to move to Open Floor made by Seth Vasser, seconded by Matt Tetzner.  All ayes.

Trevor & Nori Schengfrier created a Dust Mitigation Ordinance and brought it before the board.  It was decided that the dust issue on Hove Ln be resolved sooner than later and that resolution would be made by the July 8, 2025 meeting

Motion to move out of Open Floor made by Seth Vasser, seconded by Matt Tetzner.  All ayes.

Seth Vasser recommended an efficiency review of all buildings go on July agenda.  A pest control discussion should be tabled until Mike Harvey returns next month.

Mowing needs to be addressed for the landfill.  Buzz Raspotnik will do the job for $400.00.  Motion made by Seth Vasser, seconded by Matt Tetzner.  All ayes.

Cristine requested that we move the dust ordinance after the reports at the July meeting.

Motion to pay transactions made by Matt Tetzner, seconded by Seth Vasser.  All aye.

Motion to dismiss made by Seth Vasser at 9:05PM, seconded by Matt Tetzner.  All ayes.

Respectfully Submitted by

Fran Rechcygl, Clerk – Town of Washburn

Town of Washburn

Bayfield County

Town Meeting Minutes

April 8, 2025

Attendance: Sandy Raspotnik, Scottie Sandstrom, Jim Park, Lynn Adams, Lance Twombly, Mike Harvey, Kim Bro, Seth Vasser, Jim Miller, and Mike Sherry. Virtually: Wendy Stein, Mike Vavrus, Brenda Rechel, Ron Rechel, and Steve Bade.

At 7:00 pm, the town meeting was called to order.

Meeting notices were posted in the two public places, and on the website.

Public comments:

• Steve Bade thanked the current board for their service and wished the best of luck to the new board.
• Scottie Sandstrom commented on Earth Day event at Presbyterian Congregational Church in Ashland on Saturday, April 26^th and how the town should have a similar event in two years after the solar project at the Town Hall and Garage has been completed.
• Sandy Raspotnik wished Scottie and Seth well for the next two years.

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

Scottie Sandstrom made a motion to approve the March minutes. Jim seconded. All Ayes, motion carried.

Reports:

• Clerk report: 2025 Spring Election had 349 voters, 71 of which were Absentee. Good turnout. For town offices:
  • Chairperson: Scottie Sandstrom, 168. Sandy Raspotnik, 164
  • Supervisor1: Matthew Tetzner, 201. Supervisor2: Seth Vasser, 156. Alan Waite, 129, and Melissa Amrein, 102.
  • Treasurer: Christina Eliason, 286
  • Clerk, registered write-in: Francine Rechcygl, 29.
  • All sworn-in.
• Continuing: Form CT submitted today, will see if DOR accepts it. Should the current Chart of Accounts be changed to better match this form? Also, creating generic Project 1-3 accounts may not work depending on what they are and where they are in Chart of Accounts. Clerk asked about WI Towns Association roster form and dues due in June. Current clerk will fill out form and pay dues. Open Book will be on Friday, May 2^nd from 1-3pm at Town Hall and Board of Review will be on Monday, May 12^th from 6-8pm. Scottie, Matt, and Seth are registered in DOR for taking required BOR training on April 5^th. The affidavit is in the Assessment Book. Business Card is in current clerk’s name so it will have to be transferred over to new clerk and card number will have to be changed where it is currently on file. State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) reporting will be done tomorrow after a webinar. SAM.gov needs to be updated with new Chair and clerk.
• Treasurer report: Newsletter out. Need a volunteer for the next one. Meeting new treasurer on Friday after the Annual Meeting. PO Box key transfer, both parties must be in-person to sign. New Chair, treasurer, and clerk need to be added to bank accounts and remove current members. Financial reports sent out. $5 difference for Dog Licenses, still need to deposit. Scottie suggested a change to Budget format, and Jim stated that additional changes may be needed to see what works for new board.
• Road Crew report: Mike stated recent snowplowing resulted in a little gravel being pushed off road. Most culverts cleared. One still a problem on Lucia Rd. freezing up. Mike suggested re-ditching (and re-using as fill later) and replacing. Also, Church Corner N. needs a culvert replaced too. Motion to order two culverts (40×16 and 46×18) made by Scottie Sandstrom, seconded by Jim Park. All Ayes, motion carried. Mike continued about rut problems and fixing with cold mix from Northwoods Paving at $90/ton. $15,000 (6 loads) should do it. He also loves the new loader tires and hasn’t sold the old ones yet. Will drop price to $500/tire.
• Chair report: Thanked Scottie for work on Engoe Rd bid and working with Barksdale.
• Motion to approve reports made by Park and seconded by Sandstrom. All Ayes, motion carried.

Plan Commission/County Zoning request: Kim Bro had two things to present. Driveway permit for Bridget and Forest Mann. Site visit last night. Some mitigation required to address seeps and spongy areas. Recommend approval with these measures. No fee since it is a shared driveway with an existing culvert. Motion to approve driveway permit for Bridget and Forest Mann made by Sandstrom, seconded by Park. All Ayes, motion carried. Next, Kim gave estimates from Copy That and Heart Graphics on printing the Comprehensive Plan, depending on how many copies. Motion to order 25 copies of the Comprehensive Plan made by Supervisor Park and seconded by Supervisor Sandstrom. All Ayes, motion carried. Regarding County Zoning, Kim prepared a memo suggesting residents come to town first for permits, creating cluster lots on large plots to prevent dividing up, and a clear element addressing no development on or near steep slopes. Kim asked if he should send it in or if the board wanted to. Board stated that Kim could send it in.

Insurance Review: Mike Sherry, from Holden Insurance, presented and explained the new insurance policy. Town decided to increase coverage on contents in the garage building.

Sand Sifter: Motion to purchase sand sifter for $6,800.00 made by Scottie, seconded by Jim. All Ayes, motion carried.

Speed Limit on Church Corner Road: Motion to rescind 45 mph speed limit placed on Church Corner Road in the 1990s made by Jim Park, seconded by Scottie Sandstrom. All Ayes, motion passed.

Permission for Norvado work: Motion that clerk fill out consent form and send to contractor made by Sandstrom, seconded by Park. All Ayes, motion carried.

Annual Meeting: Treasurer will print 25 copies of last year’s budget. Plan Commission Chair will give brief presentation about Comprehensive Plan.

Items to be placed on future agendas: Discuss board payment timeframes, Engoe Road bids, parameters for posting on website and Facebook, who will take over Newsletter, and reorganization.

Authorize the payment of bills: Motion to authorize payment of bills from March 12^th through April 8^th made by Jim Park and seconded by Scottie Sandstrom. All Ayes, motion carried.

Annual Meeting is next Tuesday.

At 8:55 pm, a motion to adjourn was made by Supervisor Park and seconded by Supervisor Sandstrom. All Ayes, motion carried. Meeting adjourned.

Lance Twombly, Clerk

Town of Washburn Annual Meeting

April 15, 2025

At 7:00 PM the Annual Town Meeting was called to order by out-going Chair Sandy Raspotnik.  Chair acknowledged and thanked attendees (26).

First order of business was to approve minutes from last year’s meeting.  Kim Bro made a motion to approve minutes and Alex Prediger seconded.  Motion was approved by all ayes.

Second order of business was to introduce the new board.  This was performed by incoming Chair Scottie Sandstrom.

Third order of business was for the Board to give highlights of previous years’ projects and potential future projects.

1. Scottie Sandstrom discussed the successful completion of the Wannebo Rd project. Two miles of road were pulverized and repaved from Ondossagon Rd to Chequamegon Heights.  This was a BIL Grant where the federal government paid 80% and the Town paid 20%.  The project came in on budget.
2. An additional road project from Pajala Rd, west to Forest Road 251, past the entrance to Long Lake where the old pavement was ended. This was repaved and new gravel laid west of the new pavement.  This project was paid 100% by a grant secured by Sandy Raspotnik through the Forest Service.
3. In the fall of 2023, the Town secured a $55,000 grant through the Elred (?) program through the state. This was/is a shared cost with Barksdale Rd.  This pavement project will be on Engoe Rd From Bjork Rd east, for a length of approximately 7/10 of a mile.  The project is currently out for bids.  Submitted bids will be opened at the May 13, 2025 Town Meeting.  Project is expected to be completed by the end of summer, 2025.
4. A large culvert project is planned for north of County Road C on Church Corner Rd, 4 Corner Creek. The Town road crew has reported that this culvert has not been draining properly for awhile now.  The Town received a 50% grant through the county.  Work on this project is expected to begin early summer, 2025.
5. Broadband is now available through Norvado and Bayfield Wireless. Bayfield Wireless has been completed as regards the Town of Washburn. They have indicated that there will be additional infrastructure improvements.  Bayfield Wireless provides complimentary wireless service for the Town Hall and the Town garage.  Norvado continues to build their infrastructure to cover the eastern portion of our township.  This work is slated to occur in the spring of 2025 into the fall of 2025.

Supervisor Jim Park gave an update on the solar plan for the town.  The project is scheduled to begin in the spring of 2025.  They will begin to place solar panels in the field next to the town garage with battery storage and an electric vehicle (EV) charging station.  The town will be required to pay a certain percentage up front.  However, the tax credit would then reimburse the town for the cost of the project, resulting in a zero ($0) cost to the town.  This project is being considered a ‘demonstration’ project, and studies will be performed in our community and other communities to determine how it works.  The charging stations will be available for resident use.  Costs associated with any individual charge will be the resident’s responsibility.  The cost and manner of payment will be determined later, but it’s believed that a credit card would be the payment option.

Kim Bro thanked all the volunteers from last year for their input into the town plan.  He posted some sheets on the chalkboard for things that would be helpful to our town.  Some of these items are listed below but are not limited in their scope. He asked anyone that’s interested in volunteering their time sign the corresponding sheet.

1. Brochure for historic sites with maps – Trisha Miller volunteered to take on the creation of the brochure.
2. Make country roads safe and helpful for pedestrians and bicyclists, with improved signage, speed limit controls, signs regarding bike lanes, etc
3. Work to make our town a certified Dark Sky Town. Getting information out to the community about how lights can affect the night sky and what they can do to achieve our goal.
4. Promoting local farms. Get information about local producers out to the community via the website.

Sandy Raspotnik discussed the closed landfill on South Maple Hill.  The town is in the process of ‘capping’ it.  The responsibility for this project is shared with the City, the Town of Bayview.  This is being done with dirt/soil received from the paving of Hwy 13 in Washburn.  The new soil is being placed over the current clay cap which is beginning to sink.  The new soil still needs to be smoothed out.

Chair Scottie Sandstrom discussed the debt appearing under Accounts Payable on the Balance Sheet.  The truck loan and the Maple Hill loan do not show the actual balances currently due.  Maple Hill balance is actually $70,246.64 and will be paid in full this fall.  The Bremer loan for the truck has payments of $30,514.31 and will be paid off by 2028.  The reporting appearance is because of the way it is currently being reported in QuickBooks.  These two items will reviewed and corrected by Clerk Fran Rechcygl by the next meeting.

Steve Bade recommended that the Annual Meeting minutes be issued in “draft” form and posted.  He also stated his concern with the speed of vehicular traffic using the short cut from C (Church Corner) to Ashland.  Vehicles regularly travel at excessive speeds.  There is currently no posted speed signage on Church Corner or Wannebo Rd. Currently, unposted roads are 55mph.  He would like to see the speed limit changed to 45mph on Church Corner Rd, Wannebo Rd, and Ondossagon Rd to the Barksdale line at Engoe.  The county representative said they have a new traffic counter.  It’s use was offered to the town at no cost.  Sandy felt this matter was something that should be discussed by the new board.

Steve Bade made a motion for the safety and liability of the township that speeds are defined as 45mph from Cnty C (Church Corner Rd), Wannebo Rd, and Ondossagon Rd to the Barksdale line (Engoe Rd).  Seconded by Kathleen Russell.  Motion passed with 26 Ayes and 0 Nays.

Chair set next annual meeting on April 21, 2026 at 7:00PM

Mike Harvey made a motion to adjourn.  Kim Bro seconded.

Meeting adjourned at 8:07PM

Those Present:

Sandy Raspotnik                 Scottie Sandstrom              Jim Park

Matt Tetzner                        Seth Vasser                          Lynn Adams

Christina Eliason                 Lance Twombly                   Fran Rechcygl

Bob Short                             Terri Short                            Kim Bro

Becky Brown                        Cheryl Sandstrom               Mike Harvey

Steve Bade                           Bob Adams                           Jake Benson

Phil Freeman                        Terri Bade                             Trisha Miller

Nick Hays                              Ron Rechel                           Brenda Rechel

Alex Prediger                       Kathleen Russell                  Wendy Stein

John Eliason

Respectfully submitted by

Fran Rechcygl, Town Clerk