“So far March has been a rather quiet and uneventful month,” village president Jane DeStaercke wrote in her President’s report for the Village of Gilman March board meeting. “Let’s hope it stays that way.” With upcoming elections on Tuesday April 2 for county, village, school board and the presidential primary, the regular board meeting stuck to routine business.
As to village finance, the treasurer’s report showed a General Fund beginning balance of $626,214.81 and ending balance of $681,059.42 for the period dated Feb. 15 to March 12. In terms of Treasurer’s Cash Forward the Water Fund ended with a balance of $199,817.86, Sewer with a balance of $61,760.15, and the Tax Agency Fund with a balance of $109,982.76.
The CDBG Fund saw zero transactions to stay at $33,231.85, while the Revolving Loan Fund saw a debit of $4,858.64 to end at $97,964.90. The Water Depreciation Fund (which sets aside 10 percent of the water bond payment to the USDA) saw zero transactions to come out at $28,118.92, the necessary monies already set aside. The Sewer Fund Equipment Replacement Savings saw a debit of $25.69 two come out at $80,852.21, up from $80,826.52, whereas the Collection System Savings in the Sewer Fund to deal with matters like televising sewer mains saw a debit for $12.84 to come out at $40,427.33, up from $40,414.49.
Explaining this is the somewhat counterintuitive reality that debits act like deposits in the village billing system and increase the overall balance.
“Debits are deposits in the Workhorse system,” village treasurer Frances Prasnicki explained of the term difference. “Don’t ask me why.”
Returning to the President’s Report, DeStaercke said that she and trustee Cheryl Rosemeyer had attended Board of Review training in Eau Claire on March 2, and that trustee Ericka Bertsinger was also in the training process.
“After experiencing the training, it becomes apparent how necessary understanding what the purpose of the board of review is and what our responsibilities are,” DeStaercke said. “I would recommend that all board members attend the training at least once.”
Also attending a Revolving Loan Fund meeting to discuss a request, DeStaercke said that, “the parties have since withdrawn their application,” while she and a few trustees were to meet with Larry Gotham to better understand how sewer rates were calculated and what the village needed to do to stay current.
With the Tree Board meeting to finalize plans for an April Arbor Day event, trustee Eileen Grunseth will be going to the fourth grade to present a program.
“We are lucky that she still enjoys and will continue to head this board,” DeStaercke said of Grunseth.
Closing out the President’s Report, DeStaercke said that she and a few others were to meet with Larry Gotham to better understand how sewer rates were calculated and what the village needed to do to stay current.
“Candice, Fran, and I will meet with Larry Gotham on Wednesday to discuss and better understand how sewer rates are calculated and what we need to do to keep current with the necessary funding,” she said. Candice Grunseth is the village clerk while “Fran” refers to the village treasurer.
Shifting next to Public Works for department reports, director Dave Kroeplin reported that the water and sewer report was done for the month and that, “all was good.”
“I changed the water and sewer sampling to Thursdays instead of Tuesdays due to Gilman Cheese BODs and TSS being higher on Wednesdays,” Kroeplin said.
TSS stands for Total Suspended Solids, while BOD stands for Biochemical Oxygen Demand and registers the amount of oxygen needed to make organic materials inert.
Also shared by Kroeplin was that he had Thorp come in and help with flags and banners on Main Street.
As to other work at Gilman Public Works, Kroeplin and another employee had changed the flags in front of the library and Hidden Treasures, as well as exercising the Main water valves. Two employees had cleaned out the valve boxes that were full of mud.
Also contained in public works, the sludge test had been performed at the sewer plant, with good results.
“We did the sludge test at the sewer plant,” Kroeplin said. “The sheet next sheet tells us the level of solids settled in the holding tanks. They are all pretty low which is a good thing. That means the bugs (microbial organisms) in the tanks are eating the organic material.” In addition, Kroeplin said a fuel line in the generator at the lift station had also been fixed, that the lines had been flushed at the media filter bed and Kroeplin had the curbs painted.
“I had Rick and Grady paint curbs,” he said, with a call made to Tim from Supreme Sweeping regarding street sweeping.
Following DeStaercke and Kroeplin with the Clerks’ Report, village clerk Candice Gurnseth reported that the election was April 2, with three village trustee positions held by Ericka Bertsinger, Dee Bornheimer, and Cheryl Rosemeyer up for election. Notice had been posted at the Municipal Building, Romig’s Hardware, and the Post office.
In post election calendar items, Grunseth reported an Electronic and Appliance Clean Up day from the County May 11, while village clean up is May 13.
“In the past they have needed a few volunteers for this as well, please let me know if you can help,” she said of the county cleanup date.
Additionally, Grunseth said that the Sewer use Charge Ordinance and rates had been sent for review, while a Class B Combination Reserved License for Liquor Sales had been requested and applied for by Celebration Hall. The dates for the 2023 village audit were set for March 25 - 29, or “before Easter and the election.”
Sending in a letter to Grunseth, meanwhile, area resident and Sierra Club member Richard Pulcher said there was a March 18 meeting via Zoom by the Sierra Club that he suggested the village be part of.
“There is the possibility of gold and copper being mined in the Chequamegon National Forest near the Yellow River,” Pulcher wrote Grunseth. “The Sierra Club is having a Zoom meeting about it on March 18, 2024 (from) 6:00 p.m. - 8:00. The impact of such mining could greatly affect the Yellow River and the Village of Gilman. I recommend you become part of that meeting.”
The next village board meeting is April 10 at 6:00 p.m.
