Village Board

VILLAGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES VILLAGE OF CAMBRIDGE, WISCONSIN 53523 OCTOBER 28, 2025 President Breunig was present and presided over the Village Board Meeting. The meeting was called to order at 6:30 pm in the Amundson Community Center located at 200 Spring Street, Cambridge, WI 53523 Present and responding to roll call were the following Following Voting Members: Schulz, Jacobson, Blackwood, Hollenbeck, Trendel, Breunig Absent Voting Members: Kreklau Also Present (Non-Voting Members) Betsy Busch, Carl Nurmi, Becky Philips, Brenda Swain, Tim Swain, Jenn Landowski, Patty Strohbusch, Joe Schulz, Julie Crist, Bruce Virgin, Steve Struss, Jeff Jeske, Bill Crist, Nick Phillips, Adam Stefanik, Matt Castillo 1. CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL • Trustee Breunig called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. 2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 3. PROOF OF POSTING • The agenda was posted in the upper and lower levels of the Amundson Community Center, Cambridge Post Office, Badger Bank and Village Website. 4. PUBLIC COMMENT • Julie Crist, 312 Oriole Ln, stated the following: I am married to Bill Crist who most of you know was a Cambridge village trustee for almost two years beginning in 2022 Bill is a retired CFO, vice president of finance and a CPA who started his career as an auditor he has extensive financial experience and knowledge when he joined the board it became evident to him there were numerous red flags when it came to fiscal responsibility being a village trustee he offered to help figure out some solutions to the fiscal irresponsibility that had bee occurring for years however he was ignored never allowed to meet with the Audit & Finance Committee which hardly even met and never given the opportunity to provide some of his expertise and knowledge we both became very frustrating and for Bill to the point of resigning his position as trustee in the last four months of his term why is this board so oppose to getting financial advice from a career financial professional who is a community member like Bill that he knows what he is talking about unfortunately it seems like you as a board that all of our financial problems will o away if we simply borrow money borrowing money is never a solution for fiscal irresponsibility you cannot borrow your way out of debt when does it end you get the idea that the only people of this community that show up to meetings are the ones who care I beg to differ you were elected to represent all of the citizens of this community and we all have a say even the single mom who cannot come to a board meeting because she can’t afford a babysitter to watch her children during the time of the meeting even the parents of elementary school kids or high school kids that have school activities the night of a meeting and the parents have to be there even the elderly residents who don’t drive at night and therefor they cannot attend the meeting even the residents that have become so frustrated with the way our village board functions that they feel what’s the use there are many more Cambridge residents that are upset the way our tax dollars are being managed by this board are here in attendance of this meeting we all  deserve respect and to no t be treated as our voices don’t count or matter a rude comment made to my husband Bill at a recent Audit & Finance meeting and nasty text you might about it later I urge you to do the hard thing and do your job as trustees of this Village and seriously consider making cuts to our spending for 2026 I believe Ehlers will be telling you later tonight how much you should borrow and how much the ta levy allows us to borrow please don’t borrow money simply because we can how about looking seriously at the budget line by line and figuring out which things are wants and which things are needs when we are in a budget deficit wants need to be put in the back burner until things get back in order it might not feel good and yes some people will inevitable be unhappy but let’s begin to turn this mess around for the good of everyone in the long run thanks. • Joe Schulz, 341 Waverly Drive, criticized the board’s decision to take out a one-time $200,000 loan, stating that the financial situation has worsened over the past year. Mr. Schulz noted that only one Audit and Finance Committee meeting has been held year-to- date, with the most recent meeting canceled. When Trustee Schulz asked Kris for the reason, he was told it was to avoid overwhelming trustees with too many meetings. Mr. Schulz emphasized that this lack of action is precisely why his wife, Sarah, joined the board—to make a difference. He stated that Sarah represents not just a neighborhood, but the broader community. Her “no” vote, he added, will inspire others to get involved, turning one dissenting vote into two. • Bruce Virgin, 213 Elm St, reiterated that "you cannot borrow your way out of debt" and urged the board to begin making difficult decisions regarding which services could be streamlined. They suggested exploring additional areas where spending could be reduced. • Steve Struss, 313 S. Street, spoke in regard to the Water & Sewer Committee and acknowledged the frustration currently being experienced by the Trustees. • Jeff Jeske, 605 Woodhaven, shared that he was invited to attend and express his concerns. He recommended pursuing available grants and thoroughly evaluating all alternatives before committing to any new debt. • Betsy Busch, 566 Cletus Street, stated the following: I am a relatively new community member here and what a shock it’s been guys from the debt you can’t dig a deeper hole to get out of a hole none of us I hope put our monthly expenses on our credit cards and make partial payments that’s what your doing and before we even moved here we got a letter telling us that our water and sewer was going up over 60% is that sustainable I hope not and what I find really disappointing and shameful as I lived here longer is that our former village president was a CPA what is going on I don’t understand it I’m here tonight because I am on various Facebook threads I know there are rumors going around and I don’t want to be part of the problem I want to be part of the solution and I expect you guys to be a part of the solution Kris you don’t even look at people when they are speaking to you and that is not ok even if you have nothing on an agenda for a finance committee have it anyway we are watching we want to know that you care and that you are transparent and that you are thinking forward and thinking out of the box and not just looking for low hanging fruit to cut that you are making capital plans that your looking into the future that you have hope for your kids and grandkids to want to live here and to be able to afford to live here thank you. • Bill Crist, 312 Oriele Ln, expressed concern that the board has gone an entire year without issuing a treasury report. He emphasized that every board typically provides such a report and called the lack of financial transparency unacceptable. • Nick Phillips, 703 Merlot Ln, stated that taking out a loan is not a viable solution, emphasizing that the board is simply “chasing its tail.” He stressed that the path forward requires greater transparency and warned that without it, the issue will only continue to grow. 5. CONSENT AGENDA  ALL ITEMS LISTED UNDER THE CONSENT AGENDA are considered routine and will be enacted by one motion. There will be no separate discussion of these items unless a motion to amend is passed in which event the item will be removed from the Consent Agenda and considered separately. A. APPROVAL OF MINUTES a. October 14, 2025 MOTION: Trustee Hollenbeck(1), Trustee Blackwood(2) moved to table October 14, 2025 minutes to the November 11, 2025 meeting. Motion CARRIED by Voice Vote. 6. COMMITTEE REPORTS A. Fire/EMS Commission • Trustee Blackwood reported that a meeting was held to discuss the Fire Department budget exclusively. Revisions to the budget are needed. Chief Evans requested a letter of support for the EMR and did give that letter so they can become a Fire Department member. A municipal meeting is proposed for November 12 in Christiana to further discuss next steps, including a possible AGI amendment. The board also agreed to schedule an interview for the director candidate within the next two weeks. B. Public Works Committee • Trustee Hollenbeck reported that the board discussed the bricks along Main Street and asked staff to evaluate the cost of replacing all individual bricks, noting that from a safety standpoint, this would help prevent liability concerns. The discussion also included prioritizing projects in order of importance. The park children play area did get installed, and the Welcome to Cambridge sign is up by the Kwik Trip. C. Water & Sewer Committee • Trustee Hollenbeck reported that the board discussed the potential installation of a bulk water station and is currently evaluating the associated costs. The new Water & Sewer Superintendent advised that a three-season station would be more practical than a four- season option. The board will continue reviewing cost estimates and also examined upcoming projects that the Water & Sewer Department may need to undertake. There are some things like the meter swap that will be in the capital planning. D. Administrator Report • Village Administrator Peterson reported that the Payment Service Network online payment system is now live. Links are available on the village website. There is no fee for users who pay via checking or savings accounts; however, a 3.5% fee applies to debit and credit card transactions. Residents can create an account to view payment history, set up automatic payments, or visit the office for assistance from staff. Administrator Peterson also announced that Brock Pinnow joined the team as a new employee. The second “Welcome to Cambridge” sign is currently in development, and Phase I of the LBK Park project has been completed. The budget was reviewed line by line with the Public Works Director, and a meeting with the Utilities Superintendent is scheduled to continue the budget review. Trustee Hollenbeck requested that a direct payment link be added to the homepage to improve accessibility.  Lastly, Administrator Peterson shared that the Halloween event was a great morale booster for staff and a meaningful opportunity to engage with the community. Appreciation was extended to everyone who supported the event. 7. APPROVAL OF BILLS • Village Administrator Peterson presented the approval of bills in the amount of $104,292.06. MOTION: Trustee Blackwood(1), Trustee Hollenbeck(2) moved to approve the bills in the amount of $104,292.06. Motion CARRIED by the following roll call vote: Aye: Breunig, Jacobson, Hollenbeck, Trendel, Blackwood, Schulz Nay: (None) Abstain: (None) Absent: Kreklau 8. UNFINISHED BUSINESS – ACTION REQUIRED a. Discussion and Possible Action on the 2025 Financial Management Plan – Workshop #3 Presentation, Casey Griffiths - Ehlers • Casey Griffiths from Ehlers was present and presented the 2025 Financial Management Plan – Workshop #3 • No action was taken. b. Discussion and Possible Action on Rockdale Regionalization – Matt Castillo • No action was taken. c. Discussion and Possible Action on the Fee Schedule. MOTION: Trustee Hollenbeck(1), Trustee Schulz(2) moved to approve the fee schedule as presented in the packet effective immediately. Motion CARRIED by Voice Vote. d. Discussion and Possible Action on Fire/EMS – 4th Quarter Payment MOTION: Trustee Breunig(1), Trustee Hollenbeck(2) moved not to pay the Fire/EMS – 4th Quarter Payment and move to the November 11, 2025 meeting. Motion CARRIED by Voice Vote. e. Discussion and Possible Action on Moving to One Monthly Meeting. MOTION: Trustee Breunig(1), Trustee Blackwood(2) moved to approve moving to one monthly meeting. Motion FAILED by the following roll call vote: Aye: Blackwood, Schulz, Breunig Nay: Hollenbeck, Jacobson, Trendel, Abstain: (None) Absent: Kreklau f. Discussion and Possible Action on Village Hall hours.  MOTION: Trustee Hollenbeck(1), Trustee Blackwood(2) moved to approve new Village Hall hours with an additional day prior to 8 am one evening until 6 pm. Motion CARRIED by Voice Vote. g. Discussion and Possible Action of Weekly Check Runs with JotForm Approval Process. • Check runs will be done at 2pm on Mondays with an approval deadline of Thursday’s at 10am. MOTION: Trustee Blackwood(1), Trustee Jacobson(2) moved to approve weekly check runs with JotForm approval process. Motion CARRIED by Voice Vote. 9. UNFINISHED BUSINESS – NO ACTION REQUIRED 10. NEW BUSINESS – ACTION REQUIRED A. Discussion and Possible Action on an Amendment to the Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) for EMS Services. MOTION: Trustee Blackwood(1), Trustee Jacobson(2) moved to approve an Amendment to the Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) for EMS Services. Motion CARRIED by Voice Vote. B. Discussion and Possible Action on RFP for computer services MOTION: Trustee Breunig(1), Trustee Hollenbeck(2) moved to approve RFP for computer services, Auditing Services, and RFP for legal services. Motion CARRIED by Voice Vote. C. Discussion and Possible Action on Auditing Services. MOTION: Trustee Breunig(1), Trustee Hollenbeck(2) moved to approve RFP for computer services, Auditing Services, and RFP for legal services. Motion CARRIED by Voice Vote. D. Discussion and Possible Action on RFP for legal services. MOTION: Trustee Breunig(1), Trustee Hollenbeck(2) moved to approve RFP for computer services, Auditing Services, and RFP for legal services. Motion CARRIED by Voice Vote. 11. NEW BUSINESS – NO ACTION REQUIRED 12. CORRESPONDENCE 13. PUBLIC COMMENT • Bill Crist, 312 Oriole Ln expressed his concerns about the budget. • Betsy Busch, 566 Cletus Street, shared concerns about the village's finances.  • Matt Dozois, Drumlin Trail expressed a more detailed invoice from the Fire/EMS Commission. • Carl Nurim, 518 Allen St concerns about sex offenders in the village. 14. REFERRALS 15. ANNOUNCEMENTS A. Katie from the Village of McFarland’s Senior Outreach Services will be attending the meeting to provide an update. 16. ADJOURNMENT MOTION: Trustee Blackwood(1), Trustee Jacobson(2) moved to adjourn at 9:45 p.m. Motion Carried by Voice Vote. I hereby certify that the foregoing was action of the Village Board on October 28, 2025. Yessi Arce, Village Clerk/ Deputy Treasurer Minutes approved as distributed on November 19, 2025, Village Board of Trustees meeting.