Neillsville City Council Discusses Allowing Kwik Trip Employees to Park at Former BMO Building

Thursday, April 29th, 2021 -- 12:01 PM

The Neillsville City Council discussed the request by Kwik Trip to use the new City Hall parking lot when training new employees.

Mayor Diane Murphy stated that Kwik Trip has requested to temporarily use the parking lot behind the BMO Building.  Council Member Julie Counsell stated she talked to Amber Vine, Store Leader at Kwik Trip. They are looking at training ten people at the most, on the 1st and 2nd shifts, during the day.

They have a camera that shoots at the parking lot. At the last meeting there was talk about liability and waivers. Counsell stated they don’t ask for waivers at the Farmers Market or parks. Are we putting an onus on them or a liability that doesn’t exist?

Mayor Murphy asked how many months would it be, downtown people have to pay $35 per vehicle per quarter to park.  Council Member Counsell stated it would only be to the end of July for ten people.  Council Member Joe Neville stated we give business owners a free pass and we don’t have the lot signed.  He asked, what are we going to do-tow them?

Mayor Murphy asked about the liability.  City Attorney Bonnie Wachsmuth stated she would be hard pressed to see the trouble.  It is not winter with slips and falls and they are at their own risk.

In the end, the council approved to grant Kwik Trip’s request to use the parking lot behind the BMO Building from now until the end of July with up to twelve business parking spaces maximum with the understanding that if the City needs to get in with equipment, they will work with them.

The council then discussed purchasing flagpoles for a project.  Council Member Neville stated that they have not decided on a project budget.  City Attorney Wachsmuth stated that you can pass the flag poles tonight and have the Finance Committee discuss a budget.

Council Member Counsell stated that there is a long lead-time to order flag poles.  The council approved to order the flag poles at a cost of approximately $3,500.

The Council then discussed the City becoming a co-signer on the DNR Grant Trail Application for the O’Neil Trailhead for the Rails-to-Trails project.  Council Member Counsell asked if City Attorney Wachsmuth had a chance to review the grant application documents.

City Attorney Wachsmuth stated she looked at the grant application, she doesn’t know the specifications of the project, but the application is not a contract and she did not see anything that concerns her.

Several residents came out in support of the project. Deanna Heiman, Neillsville Improvement Corporation (NIC) President, stated that for over thirty years NIC has been collaborating with the City, including with the Town Square Park and Library expansion are examples of our past partnerships, placemaking exercise and long range planning for economic development.

NIC will serve as the Fiscal Agent and hired professional engineers to help with Trailhead planning. The trail will become a public space and contribute to economic development, benefiting the community. We ask for your support.

Denise Clough, NIC Treasurer, stated NIC has prepared the grant application proposal, the trail has been in various plans for many years, in June 2019 the City passed a Resolution in support of a trail, this is just a portion of a larger trail project.

The trail will benefit the community as well as provide more outdoors activity for people. She doesn’t understand the negative push back, life is short, we need to work together to make things better and benefit the whole County.

Deb Perkl appeared in support of the Rails to Trails project and stated that she doesn’t understand the controversy about it.  Tom Opelt appeared in support of the project, stating his grandchildren want to ride bike when they visit, and a trail is safer than a road. If this trail saves one life, it is worth it. 

Judy Lindner stated she likes to walk and bike and a trail would promote and enhance recreation programming.  Kathleen Watson appeared in support of the trail, riding bike on the road is putting yourself out there, a trail is more safe and wider.

Brent Shoup appeared in support of the trail and urged the Council to become a co-signer on the grant application. He has concerns about the downtown area and losing businesses.

Susan Backaus, NIC Secretary and retired Health Department nurse appeared in support of the trail and the City being a co-signer on the grant application. The County has a 150 page Health Improvement Plan which happens to support walking and bike trails.

Connie Opelt stated that she is a strong supporter of NIC, the trail project, the Dog Park and Friends of the Black River. Everyone of these projects are great and has safety behind it.  The Black River project will bring in out of town people, the Black River is extremely dangerous and should be signed. All these projects are safely oriented. Neillsville is her hometown and she would like to see it grow and development projects are essential.

Ann Clark, Eve Lindo, Marie Wentz, and Ann Wegner all appeared in support of the trail.  The Council approved authorizing the City to become a co-signer with NIC on the DNR Grant application for the O’Neill Trailhead and Trail Project.

Along with that, the council approved a resolution Authorizing the Submission of an Application by the City of Neillsville to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Stewardship Grant Program for the project.

The Council also approved to accept the recommendation to place all the other part-time employee applications in a pool for Cemetery, Parks, City Hall, Public Works and Recreation Department to draw from as needed.

The Council also discussed obtaining emails for City Officials on the City’s system.  Council Member Counsell stated that in light of what happened with the Marshfield Mayor, who is no longer Mayor, and the maintaining and keeping of City information, City Officials should obtain emails on the City system instead of personal emails.

City Clerk Rex Roehl states that officials could be added to the City system for $6.50 per month, per user.  City Attorney Wachsmuth stated that she had been given a City email account before, she didn’t like it at all, she was missing emails, it’s just another thing to check, it was just a mess, and she would rather keep her own.

Council Member Counsell stated we are expected to maintain our email, this is just for information.  Council Member Neville stated if you want a City email, it is available. If you don’t want it, don’t use it.  Council Member Dave Harnisch reported on checking on other communities and it appears to be a mix of use, some don’t have email addresses on their website, some use a City type address, and others use personal Gmail type.

The Council also discussed what qualifies as a communication that gets read at the Common Council Meeting.  Council Member Counsell stated at the last meeting she read two communications. What qualifies as a communication which gets read by the City Clerk at Council meetings?

City Clerk Roehl stated if correspondence is addressed specifically to the Mayor or Council Member it is given directly to them. If it is directed to the Council generally or information from the State, another unit of government, etc. it would be brought in.

The Council also briefly discussed the Chair of the Police and Fire Commission.  Mayor Murphy stated the Police and Fire Commission would be electing their own Commission Chair.

Mayor Murphy also presented a request from Randy Fitzmaurice, Motorhead Mafia Car Club President, for closing W. Seventh Street, W. Sixth Street, West Street and the lower City parking lot on Saturday, July 17, 2021 from 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM for a car and bike show.  The council approved that request.

Also, City Clerk Roehl presented Kolin Schmitz Eagle Scout Project donations in the amount of $1,550 for the Cemetery landscaping project.  The council accepted the donation and thanked everyone that donated.

Fire Chief Matt Meyer reported on the First Quarter 2021. Hosting the Clark County Emergency Services Association meeting, the old hotel evacuation, ice rescue training, did a public service program with WCCN for winter fire safety, ordered the 4th of July fireworks, did ladder tests; the whole department attended an eight-hour DNR Wildfire training, attended Community Fire Hall and Rural Fire Association meetings; changing the Smokey Bear sign, attending a Heritage Days meeting.

The Department responded to 19 calls (7-City: two structure fires, rekindled structure fire, motor vehicle fire, two ambulance lift assists, smoke smell; 12-Rural: two shed fires, two mutual aid calls, two structure fires, recall on structure fire, two chimney fires, two grass fires, ambulance lift assist).

The City’s trucks are in good condition; however, the 1978 International is 43 years old and cannot pass the pump test, the 1995 Freightliner is 26 years old. The Fire Department is in need of new firefighters.

Council Member Counsell asked about practice burns. Fire Chief Meyer stated that they are hard to do, DNR permission is needed and we can’t burn old buildings with asbestos.

Chief of Police Mankowski reported that Alex Marth and Erik Backlund were hired as Other Part-time Patrol Officers; Alex Marth will be promoted to Full-time Patrol Officer effective June 1, 2021; Mankowski completed an eight-hour training in investigating and interpreting videos recorded use of force incidents; working on Open Police Reports from 2019; and March citations, warnings, complaints, business checks and activity hours.

City Attorney Wachsmuth stated that with a number of new committee members she was asked to review the open meeting law and walking quorums. Members of a committee should never talk to a quorum of the committee outside of a posted meeting having an agenda.

This includes having an email go around or you talk to one member, then go to another or small groups where less than a quorum could affect the vote outcome.  Council Member Counsell stated you can talk to one other person.

Finally, a resident stated at the new City Hall, the City should look at Badger State Industries and Vendor.net for purchasing items, at a cost savings as they have pre-negotiated and contract rates.

Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.