ANNUAL MEETING OF
THE QUALIFIED ELECTORS
OF THE TOWN OF BARNES
OF APRIL 12, 2005
Chairman Gene Ratzel called the meeting to order at 7:00PM.
The Pledge of Allegiance was said.
Motion ( David Pease /Henry Aukee )to dispense with the reading of the Minutes of the Annual Meeting of April 13, 2004.
The clerk read the results of the Local April 5th Election:
For Chairman, Dick Collyard with 220 votes, Gene Ratzel with 179 votes, and Bud Pease with 1 vote. For Supervisors: Donna Porter 306, Christine Webb, 217, Vic Wekkin 142, and Ron Pearson 101. For Constable, Mike O’Keefe 348, Bonnie Buck 2, Tom Pieters, 1, Dean Peet 1, Ted DesRosiers 1, Tony Foat 1, Tom-Renz-Bob Miller 1, and 1 vote for Mickey Mouse.
Town Audit:
Lynn Lutz with Lutz, Bohls, and Ehlers. LLP. read the Annual Audit Report with explanations of the cover letter and she thanked the outgoing Treasurer and Clerk for their cooperation and good work they have done in the past years. Ms. Lutz referred to the Combined Balance Sheet page to explain the Fund Equities balance, which simply is the difference between your assets and your liabilities. Total Fund Equities balance is $295,328.00, which Ms. Lutz reported is a nice healthy fund balance. What the Department of Revenue considers a good fund balance is between 25% and 33% of your total Operating Budget for the year. This is important because the state aid, which is a good percentage of revenue doesn’t come in equitably month by month, it comes in streaks and spurts so at times it is necessary to fund several months of operations without having revenues coming in. It is important to keep a certain amount of cash reserves so as not to do short term borrowing to meet payroll. Regarding the Statement of Revenues and Expenditures, Ms. Lutz mentioned although some budget items went over budget, other items were under, and Revenues were higher than expected, which resulted in an excess of $17.00, which she stated was pretty close and you couldn’t expect much better than that with an annual budget of nearly a million dollars. Ms. Lutz stated she spent the day working with the old and new Clerk and Treasurers examining cash balances and other accounts to give the outgoing Clerk and Treasurer and the incoming new Clerk/Treasurer some assurance that everything was in order. She felt this year she was going to work with the computer program with the Clerk/Treasurer to make the Financial Statements more usable on a month to month basis for the Board to be able to determine where we are at with the Budget and become more of a management tool for them. Ms Lutz then asked for any questions, then thanked the Town Members and Board saying she appreciated working for them. Chairman Ratzel then asked for a motion to approve the 2004 Annual Budget.
Motion ( Ron Peasrson /John Harness ) to approve the 2004 Annual Report as presented. Motion Carried with a show of hands from the members present.
Chairman Ratzel asked for volunteers from the audience for two clerks and two tellers. Clerks appointed were Lu Peet and Janine Watts. The two tellers appointed were Dave Pease and Ron Pearson. Ratzel asked that everyone make sure they were signed in so that we had an accurate count of the qualified electors to vote for the resolutions being presented. Ratzel then read the first resolution as follows:
Resolution # R05-03
TOWN OF BARNES, BAYFIELD COUNTY, WISCONSIN
RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE TOWN BOARD TO SPEND MORE THAN THE $5,000.00 PER MILE FOR THE TOWN HIGHWAYS
Shall the Town of Barnes spend up to $397,032.00 over the $746,050.00, which is the annual limit of the product of $5,000.00 multiplied by 149.21 miles of highway under the jurisdiction of the Town which is measured by the most recent highway mileage for the Town, as described under section 86.302 of the Wisconsin State Statutes, for the construction, maintenance, and repair of its highways and bridges? The total budget for the Highway Department for 2005 is $1,143,082.00.
This Resolution will take effect April 12 2005 on the day of the Annual Meeting.
Ratzel asked for a motion to approve Resolution #05-03.
Motion(John Harness/RonPearson) to approve the Resolution as stated. Ratzel then explained the need for the additional monies was because the Budget for the Highway department was already approved for
$1,143,082.00, but since the limit set by statute was only $746,050.00, which is the $5,000.00 times the number of highways in our jurisdiction of 149.21, we needed the Resolution to go forward with the already approved budgeted amount for 2005. Other discussion followed regarding the loan approved by the Board recently would eliminate the need for an increase in the levy, and the need to keep the roads up to an acceptable level. Votes were cast by ballot with a total of 48 electors voting. Motion carried by vote of 44 yes to 4 no to approve Resolution # R05-03
Resolution # R05-04
The resolution was presented by Ron Pearson as follows:
The plowing of private driveways has been discontinued this year. Since the Town now has an additional new larger dual wheeled truck which will make snow plowing more efficient since it can plow much faster than previous equipment, and since the drivers will have more time available because of this increase in efficiency, I am requesting that the Town of Barnes provide this service once again on an optional basis.
Those residents, such as myself, who are currently satisfied with private plowing will be able to continue to have it done.
However, those, who either for financial reason or lack of reasonable plowing fees in their area, should be able to contract with the Town as was the policy in the past.
Fee structure will be as it was in the past, allowing for inflation and current increases in fuel costs.
A condition of the snow plowing by the Town of Barnes will be similar to conditions set up in the past: that driveways meet conditions such as adequate turn-around space, clearance, and be free from obstructions. These conditions will be determined by an inspection of driveways of citizens who have requested plowing service. Inspection of driveways is to be made previous to the snowy season by the Town as was done in the past.
Therefore, I make a motion that the Town of Barnes provide snow plowing of private driveways once again on an optional basis.
Submitted by Ronald M. Pearson, 5685 Snowshoe Road, Barnes, Wi. 54873
Ratzel asked for a motion to approve Resolution # R05-04
Motion (Ronald Pearson/RobertaPearson) to approve Resolution # R05-04 Chairman Ratzel stated this would be an advisory Resolution to the Board only. Discussion followed with Chris Webb stating there were currently 10-12 local snowplowing contractors now working in Barnes and with that number of competition the fees are decent as long as you shop around. When the Town quit snowplowing it gave additional income to these 10-12 people. It would be different if we had never quit, but since we did Webb felt the State would frown on the Town going back and being in competition with private individuals. It was also noted that the 10-12 individuals currently snowplowing had made considerable investments in their equipment and would most likely be very upset if the Town went back into the business. Someone stated they thought the Town could be making money if they went back to it, but Ratzel said actual determinations were not so. Bud Pease also gave a brief history on how snowplowing of driveways got started, stating years ago, there were no other snow plows around so it was done so people could get out in the winter. Then it became illegal to do it for free so a small fee of $5.00 was charged, which slowly increased over the years. He also felt the Town should not be in the snowplowing business as there was too much work needed now to maintain just the roads. There was no further questions or discussion. Ratzel called for the vote to be taken, stating the vote would be yes to return to snowplowing of driveways or no to not return to snowplowing of driveways. Motion failed by vote of 6 yes to 41 no and 1 abstaining for Resolution # R05-04
Treasurer’s Report
The Clerk/Treasurer read the Treasurer’s report for the evening as follows:
Checking Balance from last meeting $ 118,517.55
Receipts # 16322-16335 $ 85,998.70
Check #s 19040-19152 $ (116,841.99)
March 2005 Service Charge $ (9.21)
March 2005 Interest $ 39.44
March Federal Tax Payment $ (3,914.60)
Checking Balance $ 83,789.89
Ambulance Dept. Investment Fund $ 2,847.47
Highway Department Sinking Fund $ 1,062.92
BES Sinking Fund $ 16,069.91
Park Savings $ 10,883.17
Ski Trail Savings $ 411.26
Parade-Event Calendar Fund $ 1,825.44
Balance of all Accounts $ 116,890.06
Motion(Ronald Pearson /Don Foss ) to accept the Treasurer’s report as presented.
Annual Highway Department Report
There was nothing to report
Annual Ambulance Department Report
Del Jerome had nothing to report
Annual Fire Department Report
Tom Renz was in class and absent from the meeting.
Annual Constable Report
Constable Mike O’Keefe reported there were approximately 152 calls last year with roughly 60 % being divided between alarms, disturbances, robberies, deer hits with approximately 40% I handled on my own which were mainly ATV disturbances, trespass, and an occasional domestic disturbance.And importantly, for the first time in the Town’s history, we became part of the Bayfield County Court System, and our Ordinances are in place and are in the County system, and now when a violation does occur, the Town is able to cite that individual, or warrant, and the County is able to follow through with it.
Gene Ratzel then introduced the new members of the Board, Donna Porter as Supervisor, Dick Collyard as Chairman, and Chris Webb as incumbent Supervisor, and also thanked Dave Scharlau and especially Lu Peet for all the time and energy they have put in for the Town’s benefit. He also thanked the members of the Town for the opportunity to serve the Town himself and added it was a high point for him the last two years. Ratzel then asked for a motion to adjourn.
Motion(Gale Chermack /Ronald Pearson ) to adjourn the Annual Meeting of the Qualified Electors of the Town of Barnes April 12, 2005 to the second Tuesday in April 2006 at 7:00PM. The Annual Meeting was adjourned at 8:35 p.m.
Members of the Electorate present: Lu Peet, Janine Watts, Mike O’Keefe, Carol Pease, Dave Pease, Harry Watts, Bud Pease, Dean Peet, Gale Chermack, Pat Pease, Marcia Wellnitz, Gladys Aukee, Don Foss, Kay Leppien, Henry Aukee, Evelyn Hanson, Bert Heerema, Rita Johnson, Jim Johnson, Florence Prickett, Jim Prickett, Roberta Pearson, Gerald Gustafson, Nancy Collyard, John Harkness, Susan Pence, Bill Pence, Carol Tierney, Barbara Harkness, Gordy Lund, Ron Pearson, Pat Tierney, Mitch McKee, Mary Foss, Sue Wiesner, Gene Miller, Lee Wiesner, John Kudlas, Bob Oberstar, Linda Oberstar, George Martin.
Members of the Town Board in attendance: Outgoing Chairman Gene Ratzel, Incoming Chairman Dick Collyard, Jack Meinke, Dixie Chermack, Chris Webb, and Donna Porter. Also present was the Clerk/Treasurer Elaine Brustad.
Others in attendance: Del and June Jerome
Respectfully Submitted,
Elaine J. Brustad,
Barnes Town Clerk/Treasurer
Dated this 16th day of April, 2005.