Exeter Village Board Discusses Road Plan

Exeter Village Board met on Tuesday, Oct 2 and quickly approved the minutes, budget hearing and invoices before moving on to a short agenda.

First on the agenda was JEO employee Andrew Wilshusen who presented a certificate of completion and pay order for recent street construction. The pay orders included the Burlington and River street paving.

He also reported that the fine grading and seeding is started and that two inlets on River need to be done by Van Kirk Construction. 

The board and Wilshusen discussed some issues with the flag holders on the new street lights. “We are talking with the flag pole distributor to find some solutions for that,” Wilshusen explained.

“We might as well get them fixed because otherwise we will be fighting them” added Chairman Alan Michl.

The Board approved the substantial completion certificate on Burlington Avenue along with a pay order to Werner Construction for $39,544.04.

Steve Parr from JEO was at the table for a one and six year road plan review. Michl reminded the audience, “I always tell everyone the one (year plan) is what you are going to do and the six year is a wish list.”

Parr noted, ”All the streets on the six year plan are unpaved streets except for Missouri avenue.”

The board discussed adding several additional blocks that need to be repaired to the six year plan. 

The plan will be on the table for approval in January.  Parr also noted that the new paving completed will be added to the lane mileage report for the village to present to the state.

The Board discussed the possibility of improvements on Lincoln Avenue to the east of the football field that was graveled and opened during the street construction.

Michl commented, “We are talking about permanently opening Lincoln Avenue from Tecumseh to South Boundary for a couple of reasons.  Since it was open during construction and people were using it to go to the dump, people thought it worked out pretty well. The second reason, with a conceivably new business going out on Tecumseh it would save on truck traffic.”

“I think it’s a good idea and I move to open Lincoln Avenue,” added Vice Chairman Tim Wilbeck

In the continuing discussion of roads, the board discussed another street in the area, Cheyenne. It runs between Lincoln and Williamson Avenue and is only platted now.  It lies from the corner of the football field and goes east and west just north of the wells.  

Michl informed the board that a new business wants to build there but they need the road vacated so that they can build their business further to the south because of the setback requirements on the lot and the size of the business. 

Board member Kathy Erdkamp confirmed that “houses could still be built there? I don’t want to limit us.”

Kenny Harre, who is the business owner, confirmed, “It would all be open to the south (side of the property). I need about a hundred foot for augers and dumping. We want to keep as much traffic off of the street near the school as we can.”

The board approved vacating Cheyenne.

Village Maintenance Supervisor John Mueller gave a brief report and Michl added that the village had ordered “ice remover for the new sidewalks through the guidance of JEO and it is available at the Lumberyard.”

Clerk Becky Erdkamp reported that sales tax for July was $8343.94 and Keno for August was $495.25. She presented a letter from a downtown business owner who requested compensation for lost income during the construction.  Clerk Erdkamp reported she had discussed the letter with the village attorney who advised the board not to pay out as the business owner had plenty of notification on the construction and also had an alternate entrance that was available.

Clerk Erdkamp also reported that the Library board had found a replacement for the vacancy new Librarian Lynette Trauger left on the board.  The village board confirmed Diane Hanson to the library board.

Chairman Alan Michl commented on the positive changes at the library before making the board aware that there are rumblings of the state senate working on trying to place term limits on all elected council members.

The board set the next meeting for November 6.