Marilyn J. Pedretti

The board received updates from the Mississippi Valley Conservancy regarding local bluffland preservation and from the Holmen Area Community Center on their annual performance. Key actions included the approval of bids for park court construction, authorization of contracts for bike trail paving and construction engineering, and the approval of repair costs for town vehicles. The board passed resolutions supporting sustainable transportation funding and authorized a loan for new plow truck equipment. Administrative discussions covered the renewal of a boundary agreement with the Village of Holmen, road school participation, grant application statuses for the fire department, and stormwater management contract renewals.

The meeting included a welcome for the new commissioner. Key discussions focused on the Fonstad Road culvert repair, which is scheduled for completion this spring. The commission reviewed and made edits to the draft 5-Year Action Plan for stormwater work, providing direction to prioritize inspecting culverts eligible for grant money. The draft report will be presented again for final recommendations at the next meeting. The next meeting chair was confirmed.

Key discussions included the status of road repairs on Amundson Coulee Road and Folkert Road, pending State results from DOT grant applications. A presentation was given on the Federal 'Safe Streets for All' program. The Park Committee addressed the Holland Bluff Bike Trail project status and setting a dedication date of May 16th. The Board accepted a donation from the Holmen Rotary and United Way for 'Born Learning' stations along the walking trail. Budget items included resubmitting bids for pickleball and basketball courts, accepting a donation of two culverts from County Materials for Dresen Park, and approving the removal of 15 Chinese Elms at Town Hall Park and associated replacement tree purchases and stump grinding costs. Public Works discussed switching the Green Earth Yard Waste contract to a flat fee and hired Norm Clark as an on-call snow plow driver. The Stormwater Utility Commission reviewed the draft 5-year plan, noting that a culvert inventory item would be discussed next meeting, and planning to develop a grant application for a qualifying culvert. The Fire Department discussed options for reworking a collaborative fire department study after one municipality declined to commit costs. Finally, the Board accepted the treasurer's report and approved paying bills totaling $99,385.34.

The Park Committee meeting addressed the progress of two bike trail projects: the Holland Bluff Bike Trail, which is expected to go out for bids in March, and the County Road MH Bike Path, where engineers are working on Phase 1 and awaiting approval for Phase 2. For the Town Park Walking Path, the committee recommended accepting a donation from the Holmen Rotary Club to create "Born Learning" activities along the path, including 11 signs and stencils. The committee also approved naming the walking trail the "Van Dunk Family Walkway." Budget discussions included recommending seeking new bids for pickleball courts and fencing, replacing the removed tunnel equipment at Dresen Park with a concrete culvert, and discussing Phase 3 of the Wildflower Park project. Furthermore, a plan was recommended to remove 15 invasive Chinese Elm trees from Town Hall Park and Wildflower Park, with replacement costs not exceeding $2,000.

The primary topic of discussion was securing financing for the purchase of a plow truck, which included modifications to the initial equipment specified. The Board discussed loan rates from three local banks and ultimately approved Resolution 2026-1. This resolution authorizes borrowing $181,268.50 from the First National Bank of Bangor at a 4% interest rate over two years to cover the total cost of the equipped plow truck, including modifications and associated fees.