Elk Mound approves conditional use for Elk Mound Seed
By LeAnn R. Ralph
ELK MOUND — The Elk Mound Village Board has approved a conditional use permit for Elk Mound Seed to build a storage facility.
The Elk Mound Village Board approved the conditional use permit at the August 19 meeting to allow Elk Mound Seed to build a storage facility 80 feet long by 25 feet wide.
The village board postponed taking action on the application at the August 7 meeting to allow additional time for the plan commission to review the proposal.
The Elk Mound Plan Commission recommended two conditions.
The first condition is that Elk Mound Seed must submit a Certified Survey Map (CSM) that combines the five separate lots owned by the business into one lot.
The second condition is that Elk Mound Seed must make the storage facility “aesthetically pleasing” with landscaping on the south and east sides.
At the August 7 meeting, village board members learned that nearby residents were concerned the storage facility would depreciate their property values.
The landscaping will provide a “visual break,” said Andy Peterson, village president.
The plan commission is expected to review the CSM either prior to the September 4 village board meeting or prior to the September 18 village board meeting.
The Elk Mound Village Board voted unanimously to approve the conditional use for Elk Mound Seed.
Voting in favor of the motion were Peterson and Village Trustees Tony Schrantz, Pat McDougall, Deborah Creaser-Kipp, and Travis Wenzel.
Village Trustees Tom Gilbert and Paula Turner were absent from the meeting.
Water leaks
Terry Stamm, director of public works, reported that the leak detection survey had been completed and that four potential leaks were located that would account for one to two gallons per minute.
About 20 million gallons of water per year come through the wastewater treatment plant, but the village actually only sells about 17 million gallons of water, he said.
The question is — where are the other three million gallons of water coming from? Stamm said.
In addition to potential leaks in the water mains, it is important to test the water meters to be sure they are accurate, he said.
Two years ago, one water main leak in the Princeton Drive area resulted in a loss of about 100 gallons per minute, Stamm noted.
Because a substantial deposit of shale is located beneath the village, rainwater also can collect in the shale and can shift back and forth and infiltrate loose joints in the sewer mains, he said.
The next step will be to try to find the leaks and fix them, Stamm told the village board.
Other business
In other business, the Elk Mound Village Board:
• Learned that there was a substantial sewer main backup at N204 Holly Avenue the evening of August 7. Tree roots had blocked the sewer main, and in the process of clearing the main, it was discovered that tree roots had blocked the main in four other places, Stamm reported. Drought conditions cause tree roots to seek any little bit of moisture that they can find, he noted.
• Learned that the ditching is finished for the Kings Court street project and that Senn Blacktop was expected to work on the road surface within ten to 12 days after the village board meeting.
• Learned that Eau Claire Tree Service will be removing the cracked silver maple on Wapiti Circle at a total cost of $300. The homeowner will pay for half of the removal, and the village will pay half.
• Approved purchasing a taser for the Elk Mound Police Department at a cost of $1,638.70, which includes an extended warranty for a total warranty of five years. The warranty covers anything that might happen to the taser. Elk Mound Police Chief Travis Hakes said he hopes he never has to use the taser, but that it is better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.