EM board of trustees approve 2021 budget, nixes Tax Increment District number two
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ELK MOUND – The village president and board started their December 21 meeting promptly at 6 p.m., and then closed to executive session for approximately 45 minutes, to “deliberate or negotiate the purchase of public properties, the investing of public funds, or conducting of other specified public business. Whenever competitive bargaining reasons require a closed session, with respect to the negotiation of a term sheet for proposed Tax Increment District number two.”
When the board reconvened to open session, Pres. Steven Abraham announced no action would be taken on creating a Tax Increment District. The next business item on the agenda was the public budget hearing for the general fund of 2021, but trustee Terry Stamm asked that agenda item 19 be moved up in the meeting; he informed the board that the villages of Elk Mound and Colfax had received notices of termination of the lease agreements with Dunn County Solid Waste and Recycling. This has been done in preparation for the Elk Mound waste and recycling site to be turned over to local control. Stamm asked the board if it would be possible for village attorney Jason Brasch to look over the agreement and get back to the village with his thoughts. The rest of the trustees agreed this was a good plan.
They then discussed the 2021 general fund budget. The proposed budget summary released to the public on the village website indicates 2021 will have a slight gain in revenue over 2020 with proposed revenue on the budget summary being $743,863.20. Clerk Patricia Hahn pointed out the 2021 budget balances.
From there, the trustees heard reports from village officials. According to the public works director, Mark Levra, there was nothing out of the ordinary in the public works department this month. He and his crew did some tree trimming around the community and worked on winterizing the village park.
Police Chief Chad Weinberger informed the board there were 52 calls for service in November. One of his most interesting calls was dealing with a muskrat with distemper at the village hall the day before the November election. His report indicated most calls were for public relations, traffic and ordinance violations, and one response for I-94. He said in his report that they are responding to calls in the village 74% of the time. The department logged 58 cases, but many were closed, unfounded, or sent to another agency. There were four juvenile cases in November, one with a juvenile disorderly conduct; one for obstruction by a juvenile, and two more unspecified. He indicated the department was notified there are three large farm pigs at a residence in the village. The Elk Mound Police Department assisted the Dunn County Sheriff’s office with a death investigation. He asks village residents not to call dispatch for non-emergency issues. Weinberger is working with Jason Brasch to resolve habitual junk vehicle issues at one residence; and pigs at another.
New business
The board approved the rehiring of part-time police officers Mark Hollister and Kyle DeVries for the calendar year of 2021. Weinberger indicated he wished he could have both officers as full-time employees, given their training and experience but understood they desire to maintain their full-time employment with their current full-time employers, and to stay working part-time for the village of Elk Mound.
The Board of Trustees will meet again at 6 p.m. on January 4, 2021.
