EM plans to replace tractors, Gator for $65,000
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By LeAnn R. Ralph
ELK MOUND — The Village of Elk Mound will soon be replacing two John Deere tractors and a Gator with new Kubota equipment for $64,900 with trade-ins.
The 2010 John Deer 2520 (the compact tractor used to move snow off the sidewalks), the 2007 John Deere 5525 (tractor with a loader) and the 2014 John Deere 8251 (Gator utility vehicle) all need maintenance that will amount to over $10,000, said Mark Levra, director of public works, at the Elk Mound Village Board’s October 5 meeting.
The trade-in value on the compact tractor is $11,500, which is over half of the original price, while the trade-in value for the 13-year old tractor and loader is $25,500, and the trade-in value for the Gator is $9,000, he said.
Replacing them all with comparable Kubota equipment, after the trade-in value is included, would cost $64,900, Levra said.
Elk Mound has used municipal leases in the past, and with a municipal lease, the interest rate would be 3.19 percent for five years, with no payment in 2020, and payments of $14,354.10 in 2021 through 2025, for a total of $71,770.50, he said.
Pat Hahn, village clerk-treasurer, said she had checked into taking out a state trust fund loan that would allow the payments to extend out over 10 years.
Financing for the equipment will be on the village board’s agenda for the next meeting on October 19, she said.
The Elk Mound Village Board approved three separate motions to replace the compact tractor, the tractor and loader and the Gator with comparable Kubota equipment.
Closed session
The village board met in closed session for more than a half an hour shortly after Steven Abraham, village president, called the meeting to order.
The topic of discussion in closed session was the sale of the village-owned lot adjacent to the village hall to Golden Warrior LLC as the proposed site for a Dollar General store.
When the village board reconvened into open session, village trustees approved a motion to table the offer to purchase pending the resolution of outstanding issues.
Clerk-treasurer
Hahn, who has served as clerk-treasurer in Elk Mound for many years, plans to retire.
The Elk Mound Village Board approved salary increases of 3 percent for village employees in 2021 through 2023 and a change in vacation hours for employees, along with a plan for training Hahn’s replacement.
Village employees will now receive 120 hours of vacation after five years of service and will receive 160 hours of vacation after 10 years of service.
Under the current schedule, employees receive 120 hours of vacation after 10 years and 160 hours after 15 years.
As for Hahn’s position, $20,000 will be allocated in 2021 for the deputy clerk-treasurer, who will become full-time clerk-treasurer in 2022, and Hahn will become part-time with full-time benefits. In 2023, Hahn will be part-time as needed.
Steven Abraham suggested that perhaps a retainer arrangement for Hahn would be beneficial in 2023 and suggested the village attorney should research how to implement a retainer contract for the retiring clerk-treasurer.
The Elk Mound Village Board unanimously approved the motion for salary increases, the changes related to vacation time, and the replacement plan for the clerk-treasurer, with Terry Stamm, village trustee, abstaining from the vote since Stamm is Hahn’s husband.
Hahn plans to retire after 41 years of service to the village.
Other business
• Approved seal-coating the village hall parking lot, to include line striping, at a cost not to exceed $2,700. Seal-coating the village hall parking lot is a budgeted item, Levra noted. If the work cannot be completed this fall, Levra said he had asked the contractor to hold the bid until spring.
• Approved reconstructing the drainage ditch near the public works building at a cost not to exceed $1,800. Levra said he had considered filling in the draining ditch and installing a culvert to provide more parking area, but hauling in fill and installing a culvert would be too expensive.
• Approved contracting with Shackleton Tree Service at a cost not to exceed $3,000 to trim trees at Mound Hill Park to open up the view from the top of the hill.
• Approved an ice rink lease agreement with Margaret and Steve Dieter, 307 University Street, in the amount of $400.
• Discussed forming a village economic development committee since it appears the Dunn County Economic Development Corporation may be downsized or eliminated and approved a motion to table the item until the next village board meeting.