Meeting Wednesday, April 10 in regular meeting, the Gilman Village Board swore in incumbents Dee Bornheimer, Ericka Bertsinger, and Cheryl Rosemeyer, all three re-elected to serve at the April election. Bornheimer received 59 votes, Bertsinger recieved 60 votes, and Rosemeyer received 67, with seven write-ins cast as well. All three candidates ran unopposed.

Covered in routine annual items, the village board made an Arbor Day Proclamation, a celebration to  take place at the Gilman School on Friday, April 26 at 12:30 p.m. The Tree Board has sponsored a cake for the whole school with cookies for the fourth grade.

Likewise routine were the approval of a DNR Recycling Compliance Assurance Plan and designation of four village depositories, these being Superior Choice Credit Union, Forward Bank, Royal Credit Union, and the Local Government Investment Pool.

Less routine from Wednesday’s meeting was a change in cemetery maintenance: the town of Aurora will no longer partner with Ford and Gilman in the maintenance of Meadowbrook Cemetery, located south of town on Highway B/Polley Lane. As such, a new agreement will be put together and addressed by the board next month.

Contained in the President’s Report, Village President Jane DeStaercke reported that a Sheriff’s sale of the Hendricks property at 180 South Fifth Avenue had been completed. DeStaercke also shared that Village Clerk Candice Grunseth had been in communication with the fire department regarding an agreement about which first responders are eligible to serve with the Gilman fire department. The news comes as Taylor County has set up a new first responder program. With 10 people certified at present in the Gilman area, the county is looking to add six more, making the rounds of local meetings.

As for road news, DeStaercke reported that communication from the Department of Transportation and the railroad indicated beneficial changes in store for the Highway B/Trucker Lane intersection, with lighting and improved blacktop part of required upgrades. Closing out the President’s Report, DeStaercke said comprehensive planning assistant Northwest Regional out of Spooner was requiring the village board to approve a Public Participation Plan as part of revisions to the existing Comprehensive Plan, required of the village under section 66.1001(4) of the state statutes. The village must also hold a public hearing on the ordinance and the plan as part of public participation, to be noticed 30 days in advance of same.

In other news from village board, the Finance Committee met April 8, reviewing and signing monthly vouchers for the April 10 village board meeting. Clerk Grunseth discussed bills including the first half of annual payment for the sewer bond, Hawkins, and USA bluebook, due to be reimbursed by a safety grant. Also shared was that 17 water/sewer accounts were past due from 2023, for a total amount of $7,615.70. The figure does not include billings that were due April 13 for the first quarter of 2024.

As to village budget news, spending for 2024 is at 19.59 percent for revenue and 15.72 percent for expenses as of end of February. The water and sewer budgets were also reviewed. The next Finance Committee meeting is May 6 at 3:30 p.m.

Moving from Finance to the Clerk’s Report, Grunseth reported that the election April 2 had 82 voters with 40 percent turnout. No changes were made to committees post election but reapproval was needed. Grunseth said a countywide cleanup day for electronics and appliances is scheduled May 11, with a village cleanup day scheduled May 13.

Completing the annual recycling report March 25, the audit was carried out over four days from March 25 to March 29, reported as going “pretty smoothly.” Sewer Use Charge Ordinance and rates had been sent to Larry Gotham for review, Gotham meeting with the village president, Treasurer Fran Prasnicki and Rosemeyer to explain suggestions. Grunseth said she had received information for the Expenditures Restraint Worksheet on Tuesday April 2, working on this April 5 and sending questions to the Department of Revenue. Additionally, while ERIP has been frozen for the next year, meaning the village wouldn’t be affected after being over 7.7 percent following a January budget amendment. ERIP is a state program related to expenditure restraint. Lastly, Grunseth reported that she had completed the Unemployment and 941 quarterly report on April 1.

The next regular village board meeting is May 8 at 6:00 p.m.