Village Board hears reports, acts on overtime
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The Boyceville Village Board gathered for their regular monthly meeting at 4 p.m. on Monday, September 11 and went into closed session which lasted for more than an hour and a half.
According to the agenda the board was considering employment, promotion, compensation, and performance evaluation data of any public employee. The board met with the Village Clerk-treasurer, Responsible Unit, Police Department, and Public Works and determines compensation for 2024.
At the end of the closed meeting the board took a five-minute break and then at 5:45 p.m. Village President Luke Montgomery opened the meeting, and asked for a 22 seconds of silence in remembrance of the 22nd anniversary of the 9-11 attacks on America. No discussion or comment about the closed session was made during the open part of the meeting.
First on the open agenda the board heard several reports from village officials, including from Don Rose of the public works department. Rose went through his usual items including the needed reports have been filed with the DNR. Rose then informed the board that some 17,239 feet of the Village’s wastewater collection system had been televised and cleaned. “Most of what was televised was the original system that was installed in 1958,” Rose told the board. Later in the meeting when the board was reviewing the bills to be paid a question about the cost of televising and cleaning the wastewater mains, it was learned that the bill for that service was $21,000.
During his monthly report, Police Chief Greg Lamkin, noted that the volume of calls is slowly increasing with 230 calls handled by them and the Sheriff’s Department last month, including making seven arrests and issuing 13 citations.
The chief’s report indicated that he had responded to a report of a stolen vehicle and a burglary in the village. He identified “a juvenile suspect who was found to have run away from home. He subsequently stole another vehicle in Boyceville and two others in St. Croix County. The juvenile was located and numerous felony charges were filed. All of the stolen vehicles have been recovered and returned to their owners.”
The chief noted that keys were left in those vehicles that were stolen. He also noted that the juvenile is walking in the school hallways displaying his ankle bracelet.
In her report, Village clerk-Treasurer, Brittany Halvorson, informed the board that the job opening for public works opening has been posted on several medias, but she noted that they have not received the number of inquires that they had expected and she suggested that maybe the deadline should be extended. She also addressed the auditor for the village. Last month she had reservations about the village auditor because she could not get in contact with the firm that was handling the village’s account. But she informed the board that she found another firm out of Eau Claire that is putting a quote together for her.
On a four to two vote, the board approved a change in the employee handbook to read that overtime will be paid after 40 hours per week. They also approved that vacation time, sick leave, and PTO time will count toward work hours.
From the minutes of the Responsible Unit Board, which is the member municipals using the recycling facility at Boyceville:
The permit cost for 2024 will remain the same as this year with a cost of $160 for residents of Boyceville, Wheeler and Downing and $200 for anyone outside of the Villages. Also it was suggested that the employees be granted a $2.00 per hour increase in wages. The village board will need to act on that proposal.