Exeter Village Board Sets Budget

 

The Exeter Village Board met on Wednesday Sept 9 with a budget hearing and a one and six year road plan hearing. 

The board discussed three options in the budget hearing.  The first was to decrease the levy but with the increase in valuations the dollar amount collected by the village would be the same.

Option two would maintain the levy and would increase the amount collected by $17,000.  Option three would drop the levy slightly but still increase the tax revenue.

After closing the first two hearings the board opened the special hearing to set the final budget.

Resolution 20-02, the third option, was passed which will provide a budget that allows the levy to go down but the amount of tax dollars the village receives to increases because of the higher valuations.

The board also approved Resolution 20-03 to adopt the one and six year road plan.  The board closed the special hearings and opened the regular meetings.

The minutes and the invoices were approved and Chairman Michl informed the board that the League of Municipalities would not be having their annual conference live.  In order to change the bylaws so that members of the League could vote villages were asked to approve voting by phone for this year. The board approved this change.

The board discussed a letter from a pool patron requesting an additional sunshade or more lounge chairs.  There are currently 10 chairs at the pool and two sunshades.  The patron also asked that the village provide more training for the lifeguards.

Village Maintenance Supervisor John Mueller noted that a new sunshade would be $6400 just for the sunshade which does not include installation which would be extensive as cement would need to be cut to install.

The board discussed the possibility of using heavier tables with sun umbrellas as an option.  New chairs made from recyclable material and are $330 but are currently out of stock.

Village Clerk Becky Erdkamp has compiled a training notebook to share with lifeguards.  The board also discussed talking to the lifeguards in regards to some of the rules governing young children in the deep end.

Recently Mueller worked with JEO Engineering to find where the pool was leaking.  They found several leaks and JEO confirmed that there is a warranty on the leak investigators work that was done at the pool earlier this year.

The board recognized that several of the sidewalks on the old tag factory ground are settling.  Mueller informed the board they would have to be torn out and replaced.  The board advised Mueller to have them fixed when other items are being fixed in town.

The board also asked Mueller to make a list of homeowners with Low hanging branches in the street so that letters could be sent to them to address safety concerns.

Board member Justin Harre asked the board about some improvements to the trap club which is on village owned property.

Harre wants to “tear one out the old trap house and pour a new concrete house with block base so it will be more permanent.”

Harre noted that the trap club would supply all of the labor and asked if the board would be willing to pay for all of the materials. He estimates the material costs would be around $1000.  He also asked if Mueller would be able to bring out the mini excavator to dig around the old trap house.

Michl explained that the trap club has been making a lease payment for over twenty years and also maintains the property which was the old dump.  “It’s a good thing to do with an old dump,” explained Michl.

The board advised Harre to go ahead with the project and continue with the lease payment which will recoup the costs for the village.

The board entered Executive session at 7:45 p.m. for the annual personnel pay review.  After coming out of session at 8:00 p.m. the board announced raises for all permanent employees.

Under the marshals report the board discussed the possibility of hiring an ordinance officer depending on the current marshals availability.

Under the maintenance report Mueller referred to the pool issues and concrete repairs that need to be made.  He also asked the board about purchasing a small cement mixer.

The board held a lengthy discussion on nuisance properties and the difficulties in addressing them through the proper channels.

Clerk Becky Erdkamp reported that June sales tax was $15030.49 and July Keno was $114.04.  The board set the next meeting for Tuesday, October 6.