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