SOLDIERS GROVE - The Soldiers Grove Village Board took up the issue of past due water bills in the village, and voted to draft a policy on when the utility could be shut off for non-payment at the board’s Thursday, Feb. 3 meeting.

The board had learned that there was currently $49,629 in past due water bills in the village, spread out over a maximum of approximately 200 households. The policy to be drafted by the village’s attorney will guide the village both in collecting the past due amounts, and in deciding when the utility would be shut off.

“I’m shocked to see such a large number,” trustee Vicki Campbell said. “I’m wondering why the village hasn’t yet turned the water  off for those who are behind in payment – I don’t mean to be hard-hearted, but that’s a lot of money.”

Soldiers Grove Village Clerk Kaitlynn Ott told the board that if the village were to add past due amounts for water to the property tax bills, then any amount paid by the resident would first go to pay off any past due amounts owed for water or sewer.

Village president Paul Nicholson explained that before the village could proceed with shutting a utility off, they need to have a policy specifying, for instance, how many past due notices would be sent to the resident.

Brewery agreement

Cynthia Olmstead from the Driftless Brewing Company (DBC) attended the meeting to ask that the board renew the ‘Hold Harmless Agreement’ with the Brewery for use of the outdoor space.

“I thought it worked well last year, and was a nice agreement,” Olmstead said. “We’d like to do it again this year, and perhaps start even earlier.”

Olmstead said that DBC had brought 1,000s of visitors to the village in the summer and fall of 2021, and that those visitors had in turn patronized other businesses in the village. She also mentioned that DBC had had a nice transition with the new owners of Country Gardens, and were exploring the possibility of doing some outdoor events together in 2022.

“Last year, some members of the board had expressed some concern about DBC using the outdoor space,” Nicholson said. “Since the Old Oak Inn was one of the businesses that was involved in that discussion, I would like Homer Arndt to refrain from voting on any decision the board makes on this issue tonight.”

Nicholson reminded the board that they can’t make decisions about businesses in the village based on what is good or bad for other businesses in the village. He said, for example, the board could not decide against allowing a second gas station in the village because it would hurt the business of the existing gas station.

Campbell asked Nicholson if he knew how much it would cost if DBC were to purchase the area in question, on the south side of their building. Nicholson responded that the parcel is assessed at $5,000.

Nicholson said that previously the board had discussed leasing the area to DBC on a square footage basis because there were those who were upset that DBC used the area free of charge.

“I’m not into charging DBC for the space,” Campbell said. “I just want to be sure that we are fair, and give all businesses in the village the same opportunity.”

The board voted to renew the Hold Harmless Agreement with DBC for 2022, but to look at a rental option for 2023, and research how to be fair to all businesses in the village. Trustee Harrison Heilman voted against the motion.

Schneider property

The board discussed how to proceed with the Schneider property that had been judged condemned by a building inspector in 2021. Village clerk Kaitlynn Ott told the board that the 30-day notice to the owner was “up on November 30.” She said the owners had said in November that they would do the work themselves, but the village has heard nothing from them since then.

Campbell moved and Heilmann seconded a motion to move forward with contracting for the demolition and then charging the owners for the service. The board voted unanimously to support the motion, with bids to be let in February or March.

Garbage issues

Nicholson reported that a board member had complained about garbage not being collected in the village as contracted. Nicholson said that the company had reported problems in securing adequate staffing.

Trustee Steve George reported that the company was once again picking up the garbage, but that he noticed that they were not separating the garbage and recycling.

“We’re paying for separate garbage and recycling pick up,” trustee Shayne Chapman observed. “If they’re going to just dump it in the same truck, then I don’t think we should be paying for separate recyclables pick up.”

Campbell said that she sympathized with the company’s challenges in securing enough staff, saying “it’s really bad right now.”

Chapman encouraged any residents who see the company combining the garbage and recyclables to take a picture and send it to the village clerk.

In other business

In other business, the board:

• heard from Community Development Alternative’s Gary Koch that the $1.37 million loan approved for the village from the Clean Water Fund, with a 20-year term at 0.86 percent interest, will pay off the amount the village borrowed from People’s State Bank for the sewer improvement project

• heard that Koch will need to evaluate the village’s sewer rates in order to demonstrate to the Wisconsin Department of Administration that the village will be able to pay the loan back

• voted unanimously to approve the Clean Water Fund loan

• heard an inquiry from village resident Justus Benson about how loans from the village’s CDC fund work

• heard that Nicholson had talked with American Sign of Boscobel about fixing the village’s electronic sign, and learned that the company the village had originally purchased the sign from had gone bankrupt several times. Nicholson said American Sign would present two options to the board at their March meeting for the sign

• heard from fire chief Roger Olson that the Red Coats holiday presents and food drive had provided 51 kids with Christmas presents, and that there had been lots of great volunteers who made the project possible

• heard that the new DNR water person working with the village has been super helpful, and that Brian Copus and Paul from Public Works have signed up for a class on cross connections