Sunday, September 15, 2024
By Ben Rodgers
Editor
HOBART – At the Tuesday, Dec. 18 meeting, the Hobart village board approved the purchase of a truck chassis and plow that will be delivered by the summer.
The winning bid for the 2020 108SD Freightliner chassis from Truck City was $84,412, with the winning bid for a trailer and plow from Olson Trailer and Body was $95,164.
In the end, the total cost came in $424 under the budgeted $180,000 that was set aside for this purchase.
The new truck will come with a stainless steel box upgrade, as well as postless wing mount that makes plowing easier for the driver.
The new plow will replace a 2007 Sterling plow truck the village currently uses. There are currently four plows in the village’s fleet.
The village board also discussed a collaboration with the Pulaski Community School District to make crossing the street easier by Hillcrest Elementary School.
The village’s Public Works and Utilities Advisory Committee is working with the school district to create an improved crossing by the elementary school.
Jerry Lancelle, the village’s director of public works and utilities, said he is working on a list with about eight different options, which include everything from a crossing guard to signage and with flashing lights on Hillcrest Road.
No district officials were present at the Dec. 18 meeting, but Lancelle said the district is concerned with safety to the point that children who live across the street from the school are encouraged to take a bus instead of walk.
He also said the district will likely provide a sidewalk. If the village chooses to deploy a crossing guard, it would be at Hobart’s expense.
“We’re taking a microscopic look at this immediate area, but as a village we’re keeping our eyes on the big picture, which is continuity throughout,” said Aaron Kramer, village administrator.
The public is welcome at the next meeting on the issue on Jan. 14 at the village hall.
Finally, the village board postponed a number of ordinance decisions to its Jan. 2 meeting.
The first postponed measure relates to amending the village ordinance in regards to conditional use permits and conforming to changes in state law.
Kramer said the village will not go through its entire code book, but could adopt this as a way of saying it is cognizant of the changes to state law and modifying its ordinances appropriately.
He said the law takes away local control over the conditional use permitting process, but is now required.
“I see no reason to rush this,” said Rich Heidel, village president. “For people who claim they don’t know what’s going on, it gives them another opportunity to know what’s going on.”
The second postponed ordinance amendment relates to changing municipal code in regards to short-term rentals, also to conform to state statutes.
Because of the change, municipalities in Wisconsin can no longer prohibit these rentals of seven or more days, but can regulate them more closely, which is the village’s aim.
“We’re trying the best we can to regulate the enterprise of an operation we can’t prohibit,” Kramer said.
The permitting process will include things like insurance requirements, fire inspections, off-street parking regulations, in addition to the village’s existing noise, public nuisance and disorderly conduct ordinances.
In addition to those permits, the village will also prohibit advertising of any kind of short-term rentals, otherwise known as Airbnbs, without completing the permitting process.
“The mere advertising of a bed and breakfast without a permit will be a violation of this ordinance,” Kramer said.
Although the Dec. 18 meeting was technically the public hearing for these ordinances, the village board will likely allow the public the opportunity to express questions or concerns at the Jan. 2 meeting.
The board also had action coming out of closed session.
It approved an amended development agreement with Fieldstone Investments to construct a 60-unit, six-building leased residence development south of Centerline Drive.
Also it approved a development agreement with River Valley Industries, contingent on approval of the proposal by the Site Review Committee, to construct a 71,320 square foot (eight buildings) contractor/small businesses shops/self-storage complex along Camber Court in the Southeast Business Park.
