ELMWOOD, WI- January-
Incumbents Stewart, Buck and Stohr all filed candidacy paperwork. Trustee Neil
Boltic filed non-candidacy papers, as he does not plan on returning to the
board after this term. Village Office Hours had changes made. Monday, Tuesday
and Thursday open hours will be 8am – 4:30pm. Wednesday the office will be open
from 8am – 2:30pm, and Friday they will be open 8am – noon. A schedule change
is also occurring for two of the village employee’s, Vicki and Butch had their
hours cut back. Public Works Employee Jamie Reitz will be able to use Butch at
different times in the summer as their needs will fluctuate more. The board
then discussed the upcoming purchase of a new police vehicle. They approved a
bid of $28,346 from River Valley Ford. Another $500 was approved for graphics
from Velocity Vinyl, and $6,692 was approved for the installation of lights and
sirens from Emergency Vehicle Services of Wisconsin. The Elmwood Public Library
also felt cuts by the Board as well. A reduction in the hours open, as well as
employee’s working will have to be made to stay within their budget. A
twenty-seven percent cut
was made by the village board last month, for the
upcoming year.
In recent School Board
news: The Board has approved the changing of eight doors on the building, by
Laforce at the cost of $14,969. A tax levy in the amount of $2,022,176 was
approved for the 2012-13 school year. This was increased by $99,154 from
discussions one month prior. A bid was approved to replace the baseball
backstop fence by American Fence of Chippewa Falls, at the cost of $5,544. In
the Superintendent’s Notes that were published most recently, the following
quote was read. I felt that it should be passed on for the school district
families to read, in case they didn’t get a chance to see it yet.
Superintendent Paul Blanford wrote, “On December 14, 2012, an unimaginable
tragedy took place at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT. What can we
do to prevent or be prepared for such an event? The truth of the matter is that
in order to deal with an event such as the one that took place in Newtown, CT,
we would need a military-like protection; nothing short of a perimeter fence
with armed guards ready to kill the assailant. On December 18, 2012 we
conducted a secure lock down drill. As an Administrator, it is comforting to
know that we completed the drill and we are prepared to react. I am confident
that our staff will do whatever it takes to keep our kids safe; and I am
confident that our community will do whatever it takes to keep our kids safe.”
February- The Library Committee report was provided by
Trustee Trisha Knops. She spoke of changes to the hours the library will open,
due to recent budget cuts. The new hours will be Mon.- Wed. and Fri. opening at
11 am and closing at 5 pm each day, except Wed. Closing will be at 6 pm. On
Thurs. they will open at 9 am. The hours on Saturdays will be 9 am to noon. The
Library will also continue having “Story Hour” on Wed. at 10-11 am. The last
Friday of each month, they will have a movie showing at 3:30 pm.
In School News: During the February 18, 2013, the
board agreed to a short-term 9-12 grade English Teacher. Ann Vue was selected
to teach the second semester. They also approved the co-op with Spring Valley
for wrestling. A long-term position was approved for the substitute in vocal
music. Taylor (Brummond) Wallace takes a maternity leave. The Open Enrollment
has been closed for the special education due to the lack of space. The
resignation of Bus driver Bryan Bechel and the hire of Bob Taplin were
approved.
March-
Due to a medical issue, I was unable to attend this month’s meeting. I received
the minutes from the village clerk and I also was able to see an article
written online by Sari Gordon, for the Pierce County Herald. This was more
information than I received. To have a more accurate account of the meeting
information, I have included a few items for her article. In her article for
the Pierce County Herald, She noted that Trustee Brian Buck was telling the
board that they needed to get rid of all the part-time employees. They can’t
afford them anymore. She quoted Buck on his statement to the board. “The first
goal is to ensure the financial stability and security, and breaking the trend
of robbing Peter to pay Paul, every year.” Buck went on to state that the
village is “severely underpaying” the employees and they may take jobs
elsewhere. It was clear that Buck was comparing Elmwood to Spring Valley is his
comparisons. Gordon reported that Buck told the board members, “The full time
employees could easily get six dollars an hour more in a different community.”
In School News: Scott Brown was
hired by the School District as the new Food Service Director. He has been a
General Manager for Restaurants in Minnesota. He recently had his own
restaurant at the Spring Valley Golf Course. He also spent time at the Science
Museum in St. Paul. Brown is married with four children. One of the newer items
that have been added for the students since Brown has come to Elmwood is the
Healthy Salad Bar that is available Wed. thru Fri. During the January 21, 2013
The Board agreed to hire Kelsey Hannack as the long term substitute teacher for
2nd grade. They also accepted the resignation of Jason Mountin as
the assistant High School Basketball Coach. They had a second resignation to
approve and that was for Christine Carlson as the English teacher. In the March
18, 2013 Meeting, the board spoke of a grant that was received for the forestry
program. They received $1,500 from Fairmount Minerals in Pierce County. This
was done in collaboration with the CESA 10 sustainability services. The board
also approved two requests to retire, by teachers. Brenda Kado and Diane
Hurtgen will retire at the end of this school year.
April- The Spring Election was then discussed.
Write-in candidate Delorse Radtke became a member of the board again, after
many years of not being involved. Trustee Neil Boltic ended his time on the
board at the meeting, as he came up a couple votes short of staying. He was
also a write-in candidate. Incumbents Brian Buck and Mike Sand both remain on
the board. The Deputy Clerk Retirement was then approved. It was stated by
President Bill Stewart “After cutting her hours back twice, the deputy clerk
decided to leave her job with the village. We will move forward and hire an
assistant at 50 percent.” This was voted upon, and was unanimous. After 21
years of service to the residents of Elmwood, Deputy Clerk/Treasurer Vicki
Lehmann has retired. While speaking to Mrs. Lehmann over the phone, she told me
“I will greatly miss working with the citizens of Elmwood. I felt like it was
the time for me to leave the village office and move on. My work with the
residents was very fulfilling and I will miss that the most. I will spend time
with my grand-children who live in the Menomonie Area.” The Public Works
Employees raise was then discussed by Trustee Brian Buck. He explained to the
board members “The Personnel and Finance Committee met, and they also spoke to
other members of the board, in order to consider giving a raise to the
underpaid workers.” Buck claimed they were underpaid, compared to other
communities. It was stated “They had been putting applications out with other
municipalities.” As of April 22, 2013 the raises will go into effect. Jamie and
Josh were given raises to keep them employed in the village, instead of them
retaining employment elsewhere. Jamie was bumped up $2.15/Hr. and Josh received
$2.71/Hr. “In the past, we have provided a one to three percent raise, at the
annual reviews.” Buck added. This was voted on unanimously. Buck then explained
the village received a 49K payment from Genesis, and they decided this was the
time to do this. Buck said “We felt the part-time staff was getting way too
much in benefits, and we needed to cut them back. President Stewart added “They
could easily drive 18 miles and get $6/Hr. more in wages.” If the citizens
would like to know what the employees are receiving for wages and benefits,
these are all public records that are available for review upon request.
In School Board News: Reorganization of the board
was completed. Greg Nelson was voted as the
President, Sandra Weix as the
Clerk, Bernie Christman as the Treasurer and Paul Peterson as the
Vice-President. Committee seats are set as; Staff Negotiations: Nelson,
Christman and Weix. Finance: Nelson, Christman and Glaus. Building and Grounds:
Peterson, Weix and Crownhart. Kelsey Hannack was hired as the Third Grade
Teacher. Jessica Suter was hired for Title I/Sage teacher/Title I
Coordinator/Reading Specialist. Ann Vue and Samantha Thomas were hired for
Secondary English Language Art Teachers. Kristy Hoffman was hired for the
Summer Wellness Coordinator position. A two-year co-op was agreed to for Plum
City-Elmwood Track. Note: MS/HS Principal Jennifer Alwin was not present at the
meeting.
May- EPD Chief Matt Broehm gave his two week notice
to the village clerk on April 10, 2013. He has been in Elmwood since March 2,
2009, when he was hired to take over in the village, after Chief Adam Meyers
was terminated by the village board. Chief Broehm completed his training at
Chippewa Valley Technical College in May 2007. I asked Matt what he felt about
being a one man department. “I feel the job could be performed much better, if
there were at least two officers in the village.” I then asked him what he was
going to miss about Elmwood; he replied “I will miss working with the people.
That is the hardest part about leaving. I will return as often as I can, to
visit the many friends and acquaintances that I have here.” After asking Broehm
what was one of the worst parts of his job, he claimed “The bark Chief Broehm
has done plenty of the work, getting the new truck for the EPD. He leaves the
village before the truck is completely equipped and ready for service next
month. His final day of service for the Village of Elmwood was April 24th,
so there is very little time for everyone to wish him well in his future career
at Whitehall. His plans for Whitehall include the opportunity to become Chief
in a decade or so. A Hearing was held prior to the regular board meeting, so
the sewer plant details could be provided to the village, by Gary Sweeney of
Foth Engineering. After hearing many details about the three separate plans
that have been considered, the primary plan was looked at, as the best for
Elmwood. This sewer plant change will make it very similar to the one located
in Spring Valley. The cost for the plant will be near $4 Million. After losing
longtime Deputy Clerk Vicki Lehmann, the board approved the hiring of a fifty
percent assistant for the village office. Angie Fisher, from Maiden Rock was
one of about twenty applicants to apply. She was accepted for the position and
will start work on May 14, 2013. Joann Baier had spoke to the library board in
regards to the funds that were donated by Clark Smith. A donation over $80K was
received with restrictions on the use by and for the library. It was clarified
that the funds could only be used for goods and services to the people coming
to the library. These would be the physical goods that can be carried out for
use. Absolutely no use for remodeling, wages/salaries or other reasons are
allowed. Knops brought a single question to the board on behalf of the library.
She requested minutes to clarify the fact of who is responsible for the
maintenance of the library, when the village is the owner of the building. Due
to the reduction the village made in the library budget, they are trying to get
their priorities set, and they want to know clearly who is supposed to be
responsible for this area of concern. The Clerk will need to research the
minutes back when the library moved out of the auditorium building, to see if
anything was put into documentation in regards to that request. Verbally, it
was stated back in 2004 approximately, that the Library would be required to be
self sufficient if they wanted to move to the old drug store location.
In School Board News: MS/HS Principal Jennifer Alwin
was absent the meeting. Approval of the Insurance for 2014 was approved at a
cost of $35, 369. The Workers Compensation Insurance was approved at a cost of
$34, 786. A 3D-AVRover with a camera was then approved for purchase at a cost
of $7,500. Approval of increases to the breakfast (.20) and Lunch (.25) program
prices was completed.
June- A change in the agenda was made to place Neil
Boltic back on the board, as Trisha Knops provided a written resignation to the
board before this meeting was held. Boltic then took his place at the table
once again, as a Trustee chosen by Village President Bill Stewart. “I got to
pick who would replace Trisha, and I spoke to Neil awhile back,” stated
Stewart. Public notice of this resignation was provided on Friday June 7, 2013
with the posting of the meeting agenda. The Wastewater Treatment Plant Grant
discussion and project approval was spoken over next. Brandon Hoffman, of the
local USDA-RD program spoke to the board and public in attendance. He provided
information on the process that was taken for the village to get grants to assist
in getting the sewer plant upgraded in the near future. A package was put
together by Hoffman, and then a loan committee discussed and approved the plan
he submitted. The Village will receive a grant in the amount of $1.4 million
dollars, along with a loan of $2.6 million for the new plant. The village will
be required to contribute $6,000 to the project. “This is so the village has
some skin in the game,” Hoffman added. The village received a grant for
thirty-five percent of the cost, which is considered pretty good. Pepin
received twenty-five percent and Spring Valley received thirty percent towards
their upgraded systems. To pay this loan back, the village will need to charge
$51/month for sewer charges per household for ten years. The Welcome Home Payment
Contract Addendum Approval was then discussed by the board. The owners of the
Assisted Living Home have asked for an additional month to be added to their
contract to make payment. Trustee Mike Sand told the members that contact with
the village attorney was made, and if this was not taken care of by August 1,
then legal action will be taken after that. The request to add one month to the
contract was then approved. The Personnel and Finance Committee
Budget/Expenditure Recommendations were provided to the members by Trustee
Susan Dzubay. There is a general fund with $46,920 that was looked into, and a
plan on spending the funds was then discussed. The following is how they plan
on using these funds: Road repairs will received $10, 301, The Auditorium roof
will get an additional $7K to complete the repairs, Butternut Park will get
$2,500 for equipment updating, A new door for the Auditorium will be purchased
for $3K, New signs for the village that are required by 2015, will get $2,500
put into that project fund, A zero-turn lawnmower, “to save time” will be
purchased at a cost of $6,500, The village office will get $1K for new paint,
New carpet for the Auditorium entry and kitchen area will be purchased at a
price of $3,400 (note- it was stated that the Enrichment Council was giving
$500 to this project, with the remaining $3K being paid by the village. That
would throw off these numbers), New chairs for the board room are wanted at a
cost of $2K, and the recent increase of wages to the Public Works employees
uses the rest at a cost of $8, 719. Trustee Delorse Radtke spoke on behalf of
the Police Committee, there were 77 applicants for the position, seven of those
were brought in for interviews on June 5th and 6th. Three
will be brought back in for a second interview, after Pierce County Sheriff
Nancy Hove does background and reference checks on them.
In School Board News: MS/HS Principal Jennifer Alwin
was absent the meeting. 6 I-Pads were purchased with a grant received by Kris
Flesberg. The cost for work on the parking lots was then discussed and bids
were approved for B&S Construction of Elmwood to do the grade work at a
cost of $6,350, and the asphalt paving was approved to be done by Asphalt
Maintenance of Spring Valley at a cost of $10, 892. Approval for 25 new
computers for the Technology Lab, were approved at a cost of $19, 634. An
upgrade to the 3D-AVRover was then approved at a total cost of $11,233.
Approval for 12 cafeteria tables was also approved at a cost of $17,644. A
special meeting was held in late June for approval to hire Amanda Lombardo for
the 6-12 Language Arts/English Teacher. They also approved tree trimming by
Norwalk Tree Care to trim trees around the grounds at a cost of $5,079.
July- The Committees needed to be reset since the
resignation of Trustee Trisha Knops, and the appointment of former Trustee Neil
Boltic. The Chairperson for each committee is as follows: Licensing: Delorse
Radtke, Parks and Buildings: Susan Dzubay, Personnel and Finance: Brian Buck,
Police: Delorse Radtke, Public Works: Mike Sand, Nursing Home: Neil Boltic,
Library: Delorse Radtke, Plan Commission: Susan Dzubay and President Pro Tem:
Brian Buck. Samuel A. Petrasko from Shawano has been hired to take the
position. Petrasko attended the UW Whitewater College from 2005-09. He
completed an internship with the Fond du Lac Police Dept. in 2008, and began
his Law Enforcement Training at the Fox Valley Technical College in 2009. Right
after graduating, he began working for the Menomonee Indian Tribe Reservation
as a tribal officer. He told me “There is plenty of violent crime in the poor
area on the reservation. The levels are higher than those of Milwaukee.” He has
been a police officer for the past year, at the Menominee County Sheriff Dept.
in Keshena, WI. Trustee Radtke then reported on the Police Committee, reporting
the hiring of a new officer, and some issues with the company that is supposed
to be getting the new truck preparations done. The company Sounds & Visions,
LLC was to complete the transferring of equipment from the old squad to the new
truck. They were paid for work that was not completed, and now fail to answer
continued calls to the business and cell phone that was provided to the
village. A contract was signed and a payment was made to the company, and none
of the work was been fulfilled. The company has until July 17 to respond, or
the village will take legal actions as needed.
In School Board News: MS/HS Principal Jennifer Alwin
has resigned her position the end of June, and the board approved the
resignation with the School District.
August- The Elmwood Fire Dept. had their annual
event in September on the 7th and 8th. A Picnic License
and Operator’s License were both approved, as well as the street between Omaha
and Groot will be closed for their event. Trustee Susan Dzubay spoke about the
revising of the personnel policy, and the fact that they spoke with Employee
Carl Schoeder about his job duties. No changes to his job duties were made.
Dzubay also provided information from the Parks & Buildings Committee.
Brier Pest Management will be brought in to get rid of a bat issue from the
Auditorium building. A handicapped port-a-potty was also gotten for the
Butternut Park, as well as new swings. New chairs for the board members use
have also been purchased this month, at a price of $2,000.00.
In Elmwood School News: Longtime employee Lois Adank has retired after 41 years of
service as the middle school/high school secretary. Adank graduated from
Elmwood School, and has lived with her husband Don for over 50 years. She also
spent ten years working at the village office. A party was held, as her final
day as an employee was Friday, August 16, 2013. Nicole Freirmuth, from River
Falls School District has been hired as her replacement. She has worked there
for 20 years. Approval of a cargo van was then completed at a cost of $10, 122.
Approval for a part-time nurse was then completed, as Lori Pelzel was hired for
8 hours a week (two days). Allison Reitz was hired for a part-time position in
the food service position at twenty-five hrs a week. It was also announced that
Dave Hoffman was named the Dean of Students after Principal Alwin resigned.
Mike Birtzer and Sue Thompson were given additional assignments as the
Athletic/Activities Directors.
September- In
Public Input, Keith and Linda Bernhardt spoke to the board in regards of the
huge “White Pine” that sits in the roadway at the intersection of Scott and May
Ave., near the school. Upon contacting the village clerk about the possible
demolition of this tree that has been under attack, numerous times in the past
sixty-plus years, I was sent an email back that stated “Village Public Works
Director (Jamie Reitz) has determined that this tree is in serious decline and
it needs to be looked more closely and probably removed. This meeting was
properly and correctly posted but there was not one person from the public who
attended this meeting to express any concerns. It has mushrooms growing from
the tree not on the tree that it indicative of decay/disease and Jamie has a
suspicion the base is hollow. Jamie is worried that this tree will do more
damage if left to further decay and possibly injure life and property. We need
to look at all angles of this tree not just some people’s personal
feelings about this tree. Unfortunately we are in a position with this tree
that will make no one happy, we are either upsetting the people who feel this
tree is a landmark and needs to be preserved or will be held
responsible/condemned if this tree is left to further decay and then causes
injuries or God forbid a death when it comes down in a storm or unexpectedly!!
Also it should be noted that this tree is in the ROW (Right of Way) and our
responsible to maintain or remove if necessary. (Note- The agenda for this
meeting did not specifically list this tree as a problem being looked into.) ”
Mr. Bernhardt explained to the Board, that he has requested a second opinion in
writing to them, and was wondering if that has been received. Village Clerk Amy
Wayne stated “None has been found yet, so we are in limbo.” Village President
Bill Stewart agreed with Mr. Bernhardt that if the historic tree is ok
(healthy), then it would be saved, as it has been a few times in recent years.
Stewart added, “It would be neat if we could do something, and it’s on hold.”
Trustee Brian Buck then stated “You can check the minutes to see if anything
has been done.” Stewart then spoke to Bernhardt, stating “I am compelled to
tell you that it’s in the roadway, and we can do what we want with it. There
are safety and liability reasons.” Bernhardt listened to what was being stated,
and replied that he would, as the property owner, at least like to be contacted
if anything was going to be done. He was never informed about this action, and
felt the Village could have at least gave him a courtesy call, when they
started the talk about it being removed. Stewart agreed, “A courtesy call could
have been made.” If the tree is diseased or failing in a way that it needs to
be removed, Bernhardt has no argument about it, but would like the chance at
getting the wood, being he has been paying the taxes for the property that it
stands on. If the tree is healthy however, he would ask that the village leave
it standing, as it does have an historical value to the community. (Note- you
can read up on this tree in the 2005 Centennial Book that was created and
released “Life in the Valley, Elmwood’s First 100 years” by the Elmwood
Historical Book Committee. There has been talk of a petition being started to
save the tree from destruction, just like in the past when the village targeted
the tree with the same claims back in 1986. At that time, the tree was listed
by the DNR as the 10th Largest tree in Wisconsin, in an article by
the Milwaukee Journal. In the centennial book, it adds that a recent book
through the DNR still listed the “Famous” tree as a “Champion”, in a book
called Wisconsin’s Champion Trees, by Bruce Allison. This information was
submitted by Joanne Baier of Elmwood, for the book. Trustee Susan Dzubay stated
“We cleaned up the policy, as there was language that was contradictory and for
liability reasons, we wanted to make the changes. Spring Valley sent their
policy over to us, so we could use theirs as a guide. The bottom line for the
board is, we can do whatever we want.” (Note: upon asking for some clarity on
exactly what changes were made, I was responded to by email. “There
were numerous and various changes, additions and deletions regarding the
policy, too many to list. Like Susan Dzubay stated it really was just cleaning
up and tailoring the policy to fit the Village of Elmwood.”
In School Board News: Dave Hoffman was approved and
appointed the “Dean of Students” instead of a new MS/HS Principal being hired.
The 2013-14 Budget was also approved at this meeting. Tony Hoffman was approved
for hire as a second shift custodian. A bid was approved for American Fence Co.
of Chippewa Falls to replace fencing for a total of $6,506.
October- Trustee Delorse Radtke provided the report
from the Library Board. She reported that check-outs were down thirty-percent
over a year ago. There was a statement made about the library being over budget
by $7-8,000, and the fact the Village is planning on cutting another $500 from
their budget at this time. She also gave information on the children’s story
hour, and she added the library would like the town officer to attend a story
hour. Radtke also provided the report for the Public Works Committee. The
possibility of the ATV trail through the village is still in talks at this
time. Trustee Brian Buck then gave information on the Personnel and Finance
Committee. The 2014 Budget talks have begun, with some areas still waiting for
information to get forwarded to them. Trustee Neil Boltic provided a report
from the Nursing Home. This was his first meeting that he attended as a village
representative at the Nursing Home. As with most of society, Insurance costs
are an issue for them. A new sprinkler system and talks over new facilities in
the area were all topics for their meeting. Officer Petrasko did let the board
know that he is still working on a grant for a newer computer system in the
squad, and he has been going through the ordinances, especially those with
information regarding dog complaints.
In
School Board News: The tax levy was discussed and stated to be $2,065,949 for
the 2014 school year. Operation cost of $1,798,346, Debt Service $242,603,
Community Service Fund cost $25,000. The Mill Rate estimated to be 16.56.
Approval for the four salaried employee’s to be made at $.40/hr. Approval of a
contract with Trane Co. for HVAC services at a cost of $24,438. Approval to
hire assistant coaches for the girls and boys basketball teams was completed with
Cody Holden and Christina McKune.
November-
A Resolution for the approval of an ATV Trail through the Village was then
discussed. Resolution 2013-13 ATV Trail in the Village Limits was approved
unanimously, with Buck and Boltic not in attendance to vote. The trail will
come into the village off of 110th Street on County Road P, and it
will end on top of the quarry hill by 70th Street on County Road P.
This allows for a straight through run on County Road P through the village.
Radtke then told the board “The library was up to three-thousand over budget,
and they will have to use funds from their Act 150 account.” The Village Board
also cut their budget dollars they provide the library this year. They cut
$10,000 last year also. I made contact with the Treasurer of the Library and
was told these numbers may not be that accurate at this time, as they have not
figured in the final numbers for the year, in the figures that have been
reported on. The year-end numbers will be reported on next month, at some time.
Assistant Casie Lukes also provided a resignation effective Nov. 8, 2013, as
she has taken a job elsewhere. A second assistant also left for the same
reason. A Public Works
meeting was held on October 30 at 4:30 pm. Village President Bill Stewart, Doug
Fesenmaier and Robert Delong requested “another” extention to the mandatory
sewer hook-up. Trustee Delorse Radtke made a motion to grant a twenty-four
month extention with the last two assessments being added to the tax roll of
Stewart’s and Delong’s starting this year and ending next year. This will be
completed by November 15, 2015 and no later. Village Clerk Amy Wayne reported
the Village Water Utility is still running in the “RED” in the amount of $12,
947 and that an increase of three-percent allowed by the PSC after doing a
financial eligibility calculation would bring the water utility closer to
breaking even.
In School Board News: Discussions over the bathroom
remodeling and asbestos removal were completed. The remodeling is planned for
next summer. It was also reported that Dean of Students was going to be only
performing his duties part-time, as he is spending time with his son, as he is
dealing with cancer treatments. A regular substitute is being used for
Hoffman’s absences.
December- 2014-2015 Election Workers was completed.
Joanne Baier, Mabel Fritz, Marilyn Galoff, Judi Weinzirl and John Bates are all
selected as “Chief Inspectors.” John Bates and Adeline Nazer were selected as
“Special Voting Deputies.” Other workers include, Cheryl Bemis, Elizabeth
Delong, Yvonne Gregory, Judy Harmon, Roberta Holcomb, Jo Lewis, Donna Lien and
Karen Peterson. Trustee Susan Dzubay then made a motion to approve Wayne
Nohelty to the Library Board, since they only received his interest for the
position. Also reporting for the Police Committee, Trustee Delorse Radtke noted
communications with the town officer. She discussed the areas spoken over in
their meeting, including his holiday pay for November and December, as well as
his reports, contacts, citations, etc. Upon requesting a copy of the reports
used for the meeting, I was informed they did not use any formal copy, just a
brief discussion. I have continued to try and show the community some of the
available information on what their Police Dept. is doing for them. I have
requested a copy of the monthly reports, and I was told directly that they are
not legally held, to provide any such reports to the community. This is not in
any attempt to shame anyone through the reports, as names are not important, but
to show just what the Dept. is doing in the community, and what type of issues
are facing the community on a regular basis. As I noted last month, the budget
numbers were not yet completed for the Library Budget. I again spoke with the
Treasurer of the Library to get some final numbers for a more complete report.
I was given plenty of information to go through and summarize for a better
understanding on how the library is doing. After listening closely and
determining what information to pass on, I found that the Library has had a
tough time dealing with the major losses to their budget, due to the cuts made
by the Village the past three years. Two years had cuts of $500, and one year
had a huge cut of $10K. The Library had been working hard on keeping their
costs within their budget over the years, with a surplus becoming available to
them through great budgeting. The Library does everything they can with the
money they receive from the Village and an Act 150 Fund. They also use and
welcome all the public funds they receive through Gifts and Memorials. To keep
the Library doors open, they have operating costs that include maintenance and
salaries. This year their total budget was $50K, and they completed the year
$1K under the budget. One big asset has been the help from resident Susan
Dzubay volunteering her time to assist the Library in many areas. The Surplus
they had built up over the years, has been used completely due to the cuts the
past few years. The strategy for the Library for the future, especially if the
cuts continue, will be for them to show the community and all the users of the
Elmwood Library just how important they are, and hope the Gifts and Memorials
will continue to arrive and assist the community in keeping this very important
asset open. The Library would like everyone to know, they welcome any and all
volunteer help, as this can strengthen the Libraries ability to grow.
In School News: The EHS Student Council collected
toys for local kids, as well they collected a total of 1,095 pounds of food for
local families and Food Pantry. The local Crain-Ottman Post 207 Auxiliary
donated hats and mittens for the elementary students. The 2014 Graduation date
was set for May 23, 2014.
