May 15, 2017 at 1:31 p.m.
LdF board sticks by decision to charge town employees for transfer station usage
Moves to change fee policy
LdF board sticks by decision to charge town employees for transfer station usage
By Abbey McEnroe-
LdF town employee Sue Ackland requested an item regarding town board and employees use of the transfer station be put back on the agenda. Ackland was upset about the motion passed at the 2017 LdF annual meeting taking away free use of the transfer station from past and present town board members and town employees.
Bob Hanson, the newly elected supervisor, made the motion to strip the transfer station benefits and the electorate voted in favor of the motion.
"I just don't feel right about doing it when my neighbors have to pay," Hanson said at the May 10 meeting. "I don't think that's proper."
Irene Messinger, town treasurer, responded, "But if you work for Walmart you get a discount ... same principle."
Ackland said this has been a benefit since she has been working for the town and she relies on her benefits to keep her afloat.
"I depend on any benefit I can get and I would appreciate it if the town board would at least allow the employees to take advantage of it," Ackland petitioned.
Hanson responded that because the motion was in regards to compensation of town employees or town board members and happened at a town meeting the motion could not be reversed until the next town meeting.
"I don't think the board has the authority at this point to override the electorate," Hanson responded.
"It was done at a town meeting so it would have to be done at a town meeting again by more members of the electorate than what were at the last one," chairman Matt Gaulke said.
Open records fees
The Citizens for Education in Town Governance (CETG) sent the LdF town board a letter requesting the board reviews their open records policy. The letter was acknowledged at the March 29 meeting.
The letter in question was about the town board's ordinance, Public Access to Records (adopted Dec. 28, 2008), which may not be in compliance with Wisconsin Statutes, sec. 19.35(3)(c). More specifically, citizens being charged a 'research fee' that did not seem to be in compliance with Wisconsin Statutes.
"After looking at it further we realized that ... we had made a mistake in the way that we were interpreting the old policy that we have hung in the deputy clerk's office," Gaulke began.
Gaulke continued stating he would like to take the policy to the town attorney to craft a new policy.
"What I'd like to do, because that policy has been there for a long time ... I would like to take that or talk to our town attorney and have him write or create an open records policy that conforms with state statute and general operating procedures and I think that would be the best thing to do in the interest of everybody," Gaulke said.
The board authorized Gaulke to go to the town attorney to create a policy for open records requests and to refund fees that were charged incorrectly.
The board also
• appointed five members to the town/tribal road committee. Those members are Wally Olberman, Matt Gaulke, Bob Hanson, Bill Mccutchin, and Jim Tuckwell.
Abbey McEnroe may be reached via email at [email protected].
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