TOWN OF ANGELICA

Annual Meeting

April 13, 2004

Chairman Richard Smith called the meeting to order at 8:00 p.m. followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. Smith verified with Clerk Janet Powers that proper noticing of the meeting had been done. Copies of the minutes of last year’s meeting were presented to those present for review. MOTION (Richard Ferfecki/John Kielar/PASSED) to dispense with reading of the minutes of last year’s annual meeting. MOTION (Tom Gwidt/Betty Kraning/PASSED) to accept the minutes of the April 8, 2003 annual meeting as presented.

Copies of the annual financial report for the year ending December 31, 2003 had previously been mailed to all town property owners. Chairman Smith asked if there were any questions in regard to the financial report. Ronald Krajewski had a question as to whether or not the revenue from town hall rental covered the costs of maintaining the town hall and if there should be a security deposit required of people renting the hall that would not be refunded if the hall had to be cleaned by the town hall custodian after they had rented it. MOTION (Joe Krause/Eugene Rudzinski/PASSED) to dispense with the reading of the financial report for the year 2003. MOTION (Tom Gwidt/Roger Kirchenwitz/PASSED) to approve the 2003 Annual Financial Report as of December 31, 2003 as presented.

Rick Raatz, of R & R Assessing Services gave a report on assessment of property in the town. Raatz stated that the 2003 level of assessment for the town is out of compliance with the required state percentage level of assessment of property. In the year 2001 the level of assessing was at 100 per cent of market value; in 2002 it was at 96 per cent and for the year 2003 it was at 89 per cent which is under the required 90 per cent of market value. A revaluation of property will have to be done within the next four years. Raatz also reported on the state requirement to change all Swamp and Waste Land into a new code called Undeveloped Land, which land will be reduced fifty per cent in valuation. This reduction could represent a $630,000.00 drop in valuation in our town. Another change is that there is a new class of land called Agriculture Forest Land. There are only 5 properties in our town that come under this new classification and the required fifty per cent drop in valuation will only be about $61,000.00 in our town. Raatz indicated that the nineteen new homes built in the town in the past year and a four million dollar increase in valuation should offset the effect of the valuation cuts in Undeveloped Land and Agriculture Forest Land. Brian Eckberg had a question as to how the Department of Revenue determines level of assessment and Raatz informed those present that the differences between sale prices of properties and assessed values is what the state uses to make this determination.

Joe Krause of the Tri-County Rescue Squad was present and went over a Rescue Squad Report that was handed out. The report showed who were the Squad Officers, Members of the Board of Directors, EMTs and First Responders. In the past year the Town of Angelica had 48 calls out of a total of 423 calls from 10/1/02 to 9/30/03 and 14 calls out of a total of 230 calls from 10/1/03 to 3/31/04. Krause reported that the transport charge is $300.00 for a resident and $350.00 for a non-resident and that a change in Medicare and Medical Assistance has forced the Rescue Squad to write off an amount from October 1, 2003 to March 25, 2004 that is greater than all of last fiscal year’s write-off. Krause also indicated that there are not enough cases to require a paramedic unit and there would be a difference in the call charge if service was provided by a paramedic unit. There was a question as to what Rescue Squad members were being paid and Krause reported that the member’s received $3.00 per hour for being on call and $25.00 per calls that they respond to. Krause also reported that their officers’ meetings are held on the second Wednesday of each month. When asked, Krause responded that he has been a member of the Rescue Squad for twenty years.

Gene Rudzinski was present and handed out a report from the Tri-County Fire Department. There was a total of 80 fire runs in 2003 with 10 runs for the Town of Angelica. The town’s portion of the cost of operation of the department for 2003 which included operating funds, fire runs and fire inspections was $27,019.12. Rudzinski also noted that the Fire Station Loan will be paid up in September of this year. He also reported that Fire Chief Frank Wichlacz had applied for and received four grants which totaled about $85,000.00. Rudzinski stated he has been a fire department volunteer for nearly forty years and introduced a new member of the department who accompanied him to the meeting, Brian Killinger.

Cliff Powers, County Board Supervisor for Wards 2 and 3 in the town gave a report on activities of the county board during the past year. Powers commented on the proposed County Shoreland Ordinance which could affect property owners in the town adjacent to the Pensaukee River. Powers stated that action on this ordinance has been tabled until the state finishes its shoreland plan. Powers also reported that the recent election resulted in there being ten new members on the county board. There was also discussion on the relaying of 911 emergency calls from Shawano to a Brown County operator and then to either the Fire Department or Rescue Squad in Pulaski. Powers reported he has been in contact with personnel in the Shawano County Dispatch Center and hopes to get something resolved on getting a direct contact from Shawano County to the Pulaski Tri-County Fire Department and Rescue Squad.

Chairman Smith introduced Pat Karcz, the newly appointed chairman of the Town of Angelica Planning Committee.

Richard Smith reported on the spring breakup of roads and that the county estimate for repairs on Elm Road, Hickory Drive, Carroll Road, Beech Drive, Cedar Road and Green Valley Road would cost about $30,000.00 or more. It is planned to reconstruct two miles of road this year, one mile of Hillside Drive going west from County Road C and one mile of Willow Road south from its intersection with Middle Drive. Smith reported that he was working with the Army Corps of Engineer on reconstruction adjacent to wetlands on Willow Road and the Corps would allow a three-foot shoulder with a three to one ditch slope. Blacktopping of Hillside will be done this year only if there are enough funds in the road budget to allow it. It is planned to wait with the blacktopping of Willow Road until next year.

GENERAL DISCUSSION AND ACTION TOPICS:

Eugene Rudzinski questioned the roads that were being done and stated Green Valley Road should be finished before doing roads in other parts of the town. Rudzinski also had a question as to how the town was checking on the amount of stone that was being put down during reconstruction and said that in the past the supervisors were checking on this as stone was being brought in.

Kevin Wegner had a question as to whether or not Hillside Drive east of County Road C was going to be repaired.

Chairman Smith reported on a drinking water education program that was going to be offered in towns on the eastern part of Shawano County starting in August of this year. Well water tests would be done for approximately $33.00 and a report would be made on the condition of underground water in this area of the county.

A proposed resolution that would change the method in which names are placed on the ballot for the election of town officials was read by the Town of Angelica clerk. The town now holds a caucus to determine who will be on the ballot for the election of town officials. MOTION (Elmer Kraning/Wilbert Lewis/PASSED) that be it resolved by the electors of the Town of Angelica that starting with the spring election to be held in April of 2005, and thereafter, nomination of elective town office candidates will be at a nonpartisan primary with the candidates circulating nomination papers. The primary will be held only when the number of candidates for an elective office in the town exceeds twice the number to be elected to the office. A show of hands resulted in 27 voting aye for the resolution, none voting nay.

There was discussion as to whether or not the price for garbage stickers should remain at seventy-five cents per sticker or if it should be raised to one dollar. It was pointed out that the neighboring towns of Green Valley and Maple Grove are at one dollar and fifty cents respectively. There was no consensus of what the price should be and this can be decided later by the town board.

Two plans for an addition to the town hall were shown to those in attendance which would provide fireproof storage for town records, a handicap entrance, a meeting room that could be used by the Planning Committee for closed sessions and possibly a future office if the clerk and/or treasurer would work out of the town hall. (Clerk’s Note: A motion to add an addition to the town hall and to remodel the interior of the hall passed by unanimous oral vote at the November 11, 2002 Special Town Meeting to set the tax levy. An amount of $30,000.00 was included in the 2003 Budget and also an amount of $30,000.00 was included in the 2004 Budget. Two Certificates of Deposit have been purchased for this purpose.) There was discussion in regard to this with one suggestion being to provide safe storage by either building a small room in the storage building behind the town hall or partitioning off a part of the present town hall to provide both a storage room and small meeting room. Another suggestion was to have a roll-down partition placed in the opening of the kitchen wall and using that room for closed sessions. It appeared the majority in attendance were not in favor of constructing an addition at this time but would like to see the inside of the hall renovated to allow handicap access to the two restrooms and provide safe storage for town records.

There was discussion in regard to setting of salaries for town officials who will be elected and serve office in April of 2005. A handout was given those present showing present salaries of officers of the towns of Angelica, Hartland, Green Valley, Maple Grove and Lessor. The handout showed the 2003 population, 2003 equalized valuation and miles of roads for each town. Those statistics help to make a comparison of the workloads of the individual towns. The handout also showed what salaries would be if they were at 100 per cent of the Wisconsin Towns Association’s recommendation for salaries that the WTA made in 1999. Present salaries of the Town of Angelica officials range from 46.3 percent to 53.5 per cent of that recommendation. MOTION (Pat Karcz/Eugene Rudzinski/PASSED by voice vote without any nays) to raise the present salaries for all town officials to 75 per cent of the Wisconsin Towns Association’s 1999 recommendation. (Clerk’s Note: 75 percent of the recommendation would set the salaries for the town officials’ terms commencing on April 14, 2005 as follows: Chairman ~ $10,520.07, Supervisors ~ $5,260.04, Treasurer ~ $10,520.07 and Clerk ~ $21,040.14)

MOTION (Joe Krause/Frank Maroszek/PASSED) to adjourn the meeting. The meeting was adjourned at 10:25 p.m. There were 30 people in attendance. Refreshments were served courtesy of the Town Officials.

Minutes taken by ______________________________________________ Date:_______________________

Janet Powers, Town of Angelica Clerk

The foregoing minutes were presented to and approved by those present at the Town of Angelica annual meeting held on April 12, 2005.

They were approved without correction approved with correction

ATTEST:______________________________________________ DATE:________________________________

Town of Angelica Chairman