7.24.23 REGULAR BOARD MEETING

VILLAGE OF ORFORDVILLE

Regular Board Meeting

Monday, July 24, 2023 7:00 P.M.

Orfordville Village Hall-303 E. Beloit Street

Main Board Room

CALL TO ORDER

          President Dennis Burtness called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.  Present were President Burtness, Chuck Boyce, Nikki Tuffree, Terry Gerber, and Jason Knox.  Absent were Beth Schmidt and Cami Meyers-Alstat.  Also present were Chief Jeremiah Burdick, DPW Director Nick Todd, Attorney Maddie McCue, and Deputy Clerk Laura Wickstrum. 

AGENDA VERIFICATION

          On July 21, 2023, copies of the revised agenda were delivered to the President and Trustees, posted at the Village Hall, Library, Bank of Brodhead, and the Post Office.  There were no additions made to the revised agenda.

MINUTE APPROVAL

          Motion by Tuffree, seconded by Gerber, to approve the July 10, 2023 minutes.  Motion Carried. 

CITIZENS WISHING TO BE HEARD

          None

UNFINISHED BUSINESS

          None

NEW BUSINESS

          Update from President Burtness on Fire District financial situation.  President Burtness stated the following:  “The Fire District has continued to maintain a service level to the community this year that has far exceeded the out of service percentage time we experienced last year.  Chief Perkins and the staff have continued to be awesome during the challenges we face.  The Fire Commission is actively planning to proceed with the four remaining municipalities by working towards a hybrid staffing model that we will be able to fund.  This includes updating the district agreement to allow us to better act on the changes facing the district in the future.  As mentioned in past meetings, the agreement was based on the large volunteer staff the district had available then.  This is no longer a viable solution, and the agreement hinders the future of the department.  We plan to resolve this soon.  This will allow us to fund the department with the staffing need of the Fire District.”

         Replacement of the server at the Municipal Building.  Tuffree stated that the current server software at the municipal building can no longer be supported and is out of date.  President Burtness suggested the possibility of updating the current server which could then be used as a back-up system.  Currently our system backs up to the Cloud which could take several days to restore service.  The Sonic wall needs updating within the system as well.  The quote for the server upgrade including labor is $11,774.00.  Boyce asked if estimates from companies other than Premier Technologies were received.  Tuffree believes this company is currently the only viable option for the Village.  Knox also inquired concerning the potential opportunity to switch services from Premier Technologies.  Tuffree stated there is a 4-6 week lead time associated with ordering the components and she voiced concern about the current system crashing twice recently.  Chief Burdick offered 75% of the cost for the update to be taken from the budgeted part-time wages account.  Dennis stated there could be a disbursement between all departments.  He also stated there were financing options available which include a $7,000 downpayment and balance due when the project is concluded, a $336.15 monthly payment, and a leasing option for $390.78 per month.  Tuffree also feels that the additional camera recently purchased should also be included without any additional cost for installation.

          Motion make by Tuffree, seconded by Gerber, to purchase a new server based on the received quote from Premier Technologies and instruct Clerk Waege to work with the department heads to determine equitable distribution for funding purposes of the new server upgrade without utilizing the financing option.  Motion Carried.  

TREASURER’S REPORT

          Motion by Gerber, seconded by Tuffree, to approve the June treasurer’s report.  Motion carried. 

VOUCHERS

          Motion by Boyce, seconded by Gerber, to approve the vouchers with a check range from 35975-35997.  Motion carried. 

VILLAGE PRESIDENT’S UPDATE

President Burtness stated that the new Verizon tower is now operational as of today, July 24th.

ADJOURN

          Motion by Tuffree, seconded by Knox, to adjourn the meeting at 7:35p.m.  Motion carried. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Submitted by,

                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Dennis Burtness

                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Village President

                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Laura Wickstrum

                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Deputy Clerk