Village Board

MINUTES VILLAGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES AMUNDSON COMMUNITY CENTER 200 SPRING ST., CAMBRIDGE, WI 53523 TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 6:30 PM 1. CALL TO ORDER: President Hollenbeck called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. 2. ROLL CALL: Members Present – President Hollenbeck, Trustee Blackwood, Trustee Jacobson, Trustee Kreklau, Trustee Schulz, and Trustee Trendel. Members Absent – None Others Present – Cathy Yerges, Beverly Semmann, Courtney Sargent, Jen O’Branovich, Laurie Struss, Kjel Kaashagen, Interim Clerk/Treasurer Brian Wilson, and Administrator Kris Breunig. 3. PROOF OF POSTING: Confirmed - Upper and Lower levels of the Amundson Center, Cambridge Post Office, Badger Bank, Bank First, and the Village website. 4. PUBLIC COMMENT (LIMIT OF 3 MINUTES PER PERSON): Kathy Yerges (Collaborative 523) announced the first cohort 2026 Business Pitch Competition launching Thursday, 2/26/2026, with UW–Madison SBDC and the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation. Details available at collaborative523.org and applicants still welcome. Requested pedestrian crossing improvements downtown on Main Street with more visible crosswalks and enforcing the 25 mph speed limit. She asked how CUPs with special conditions are enforced. Encouraged pursuing a permanent downtown public restroom solution and suggested collaboration for grants and location, noting that port-a-potties are not ideal for the Arts Council or businesses. Beverly Semmann (Rowe Pottery) supports providing restrooms for events but objects to portable restrooms being located across from her business for months. She expressed concerns regarding unsightly storefront impact, reduced visibility and parking, odor during servicing disrupting customers, employees, and park users. Seasonal need is limited with only six Friday evening concerts. She proposed and alternative location as prior year’s bank parking lot location worked for concerts. Noted that many businesses provide restrooms for customers during operating hours. 5. Motion by President Hollenbeck to move item 10a under New Business forward regarding discussion and possible action on Cambridge Arts Council 2026 plans. Second by Trustee Kreklau. Motion carried by voice vote. Laurie Struss outlined summer concerts, Lions Memorial Day coordination, and Midwest Fire. They have submitted their plans and permits for approval by the Village Board. a. Action on 2026 sculpture placement. Plan is to place the 2026 sculpture in Mill Park (strip by the plow), between two trees near Spring Alley entrance. Concept is to add a third piece in 2027 to form an accessible sculpture park with a one-block circle route. Village Board discussed approving both placements together since the placement of the 2026 sculpture will be affected by where the 2027 sculpture is planned. Motion by Trustee Blackwood to approve placement of the 2026 and 2027 sculptures by the Cambridge Arts Council in Mill Park. Second by Trustee Trendel. Motion carried by voice vote. b. Action on 2026 portables placements. Past placement near Veterans Park front while an alternative placement last year by Badger Bank on private property. Various concerns were discussed including the aesthetics of placing them near Veterans Memorial and downtown frontage, patrons lining-up in an active street, and accessibility challenges when placed at  Badger Bank as well as the impact on parking near the church. Favored option was to keep in or near Veterans park to improve accessibility for visitors including during non-business hours. It was also discussed to consider placing them mid-park on the west side in the grass. Placement in mid-park would require ensuring service truck access. This location would eliminate street queuing but would have an impact on the park’s turf. Staff would need to determine the exact placement with members of the Cambridge Arts Council. Motion by Trustee Blackwood to approve placement of the portables for 2026 in mid-park on the west side of Veteran’s Park. Second by Trustee Schulz. Motion carried by voice vote. c. Action on permits for 2026 Fire Fest. Motion by President Hollenbeck to approve the 2026 Fire Fest permits which includes the Temporary Class B License, Street Permit for Water Street, Street Permit for Pleasant Street, Mill Plaza Park Permit, and Westside Park and shelter Park Permit. Second by Trustee Kreklau. Motion carried by voice vote. d. Action on permits for 2026 Concerts in the Park. Motion by President Hollenbeck to approve the 2026 Summer Concerts permits which includes the Street Use Permit for North Street, and Park Reservation for Veteran’s Park. 6. APPROVAL OF CONSENT AGENDA: a. Approval of Village Board Minutes for February 10, 2026. Trustee Kreklau moved to approve the Consent Agenda. Second by Trustee Blackwood. Motion carried by voice vote. 7. APPROVAL OF BILLS: Motion by Trustee Trendel to approve bills totaling $79,790.33. Second by Trustee Jacobson. Motion carried on a roll call vote. Yes – President Hollenbeck, Trustee Blackwood, Trustee Jacobson, Trustee Kreklau, Trustee Schulz, and Trustee Trendel. No – None 8. Motion by President Hollenbeck to move items 10b and 10c under New Business forward regarding recommendations on matters brought before the Plan Commission. Second by Trustee Kreklau. Motion carried on voice vote. a. Discussion and Possible Action on recommendation by the Plan Commission to approve a Conditional Use Permit to all ground/street-level residential at 111 Spring St. as amended. Request was made by the property owner to allow residential use on the first floor of the building. The second floor is already residential. Plan Commission recommended approval with conditions including no exterior changes, window coverings needed, permit limited to three years expiring July 1,2029, and owner to provide four off-street parking spots. Enforcement of the CUP will be through the standard citation process. Motion by Trustee Kreklau to approve the Conditional Use Permit to allow all ground/street-level residential at 111 Spring St. as recommended by the Plan Commission. Second by Trustee Jacobson. Motion carried on a voice vote 5-1 (No – Schulz). b. Discussion and Possible Action on recommendation by the Plan Commission to adopt a text amendment to add commercial condos as a conditional use in the Mixed Use Business Zoning district (Section 17.28.070). Motion by Blackwood to adopt a text amendment to add commercial condos as a conditional use in the Mixed Use Business Zoning District (Section 17.28.070) as recommended by the Plan Commission. Second by Jacobson. Motion carried by voice vote. 9. COMMITTEE REPORTS: a. Plan Commission Trustee Kreklau reported that there is a desire for better coordination between Plan Commission and Economic Development to align development priorities, share data, and potentially hold joint workshops 1–2 times per year, and provide economic data to inform review of items before the Plan Commission. b. Cable Commission President Hollenbeck reported that the annual report was approved. She noted Town of Oakland discussing  use of franchise fee dollars and possible withdrawal from funding shared services which is recording and broadcast of local meetings and events. Shared community benefits were highlighted. Recommended recording of Oakland meeting on February 24 due to community impact of a planned discussion on this matter. c. Public Works Committee President Hollenbeck reported that the committee discussed sidewalk repairs, road fund allocation, LBK Park Phase 2, and other tasks to be completed in 2026. Staff is to gather bids/quotes and assess budget fit. A public comment at the meeting requested amenities for older kids at LBK Park such as a basketball court. Staff was directed to obtain a quote for such work. It was also reported that Veterans Park memorial area improvements may require funding if grant not obtained. d. Water & Sewer Committee President Hollenbeck reported that approximately 500 water meters are 20 or more years old and need replacement. There is a 5-year replacement plan of 20% per year with cost borne by the utility. An additional item was discussed in closed session. e. Personnel Committee Trustee Kreklau reported that the Personnel Committee reviewed substantive changes, identified 4–5 items for board review and added 4–5 more items to consider. They plan to present a full packet to the board. Trustee Trendel detailed specific changes to the Employee Handbook. f. Update on Joint Policing Trustee Blackwood reported on recent hiring of new deputy for patrol duties in Cambridge and Deerfield. The first-choice candidate was promoted to detective and declined the offer. The second-choice candidate accepted and is expected to start late July or early August following training and scheduled time off. With budget savings related to the new hire it was proposed to add officer hours without exceeding the contractual hours or the annual budget. 10. VILLAGE ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT: Administrator Breunig reported that 68 utility customers have now registered to pay online which meets the monthly goal for February. One candidate for the April Trustee election has indicated that they want to withdraw for health reasons. Unfortunately, candidates cannot be removed from the ballot once they have been reported to the State unless a death is reported. If the person is unable to serve, then this will create another vacancy on the Board of Trustees. Village bank accounts have bene restructured so that all funds are now accruing interest. Administrator Breunig turned over to Interim Clerk/Treasurer Wilson to report on the Spring Primary election. Despite early problems, 108 ballots were cast with 38 of those absentee ballots and 70 in-person ballots. Absentee ballots for the Spring Election will go out in mid-March. 11. UNFINISHED BUSINESS – ACTION REQUIRED: a. Discussion and Possible Action on updated Employee Handbook. Proposed changes were discussed which included: • Add definitions distinguishing between “flexible schedule” and “flex time.” • Sick leave accrual: revert to 1 day/month; cap at 150 days (12,000 hours); allow use for immediate family care and to extend funeral time. • Retirement benefit: eligibility requires at least 10 consecutive years of employment to roll sick leave into a Health Savings Account. • Add clause: no payout of sick time upon termination or separation; consider one-year retirement notice requirement and cap payout at $160/day per day over 150 days; consult Ahlers and auditors on OPEB budgeting/reporting. • Replace references to “clerk” with “village administrator”; correct typos/outdated language; align with legislative changes. • Update medical benefits to current plan offerings/effective dates. • Flexible Spending Plan amounts to read “per the allowable limits for the IRS.” • Define open enrollment period and qualifying events to align with Wisconsin ETF.  • Consider future employee review and sign-off once the full handbook is finalized. Final changes to the Employee Handbook will be made to the entire document before returning for final adoption by the Village Board. Motion by Blackwood to approve the changes discussed to the Employee Handbook as amended. Second by Schulz. Motion carried by voice vote. 12. NEW BUSINESS – ACTION REQUIRED: a. Discussion and Possible Action on creation of an Ad Hoc Selection Subcommittee for the Clerk-Treasurer position. Administrator Breunig reported that 22 applicants for the position with video interviews to be reviewed on February 27 to narrow down to three finalists. Finalist will be interviewed on March 6. Volunteers were sought to form an Ad Hoc Selection Subcommittee empowered to interview and hire the Clerk-Treasurer. Motion by President Hollenbeck to establish an Ad Hoc Selection Subcommittee for the Clerk-Treasurer position consisting of Administrator Breunig, Trustee Trendel, and Trustee Jacobson. Second by Trustee Blackwood. Motion carried by voice vote. 13. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS: a. US 12/18 Pedestrian Crossing Project. Crosswalk will be placed to the west side of the intersection on 12/18 at the Kwik Trip. Research on costs continues along with exploration of funding options. 14. PUBLIC COMMENT (LIMIT OF 3 MINUTES PER PERSON): None. Cathy Yerges made additional comments to the Village Board. She asked that the Village consider maintenance of the Eileen Scott Park and installation of a permanent restroom facility in Veteran’s Park. She inquired as to why no February meetings of the Village Board were videotaped and released. 15. CLOSED SESSION: The Village Board will convene into Closed Session pursuant to Wis. Stat. §19.85(1)(e) for deliberating or negotiating the purchasing of public properties, the investing of public funds, or conducting other specified public business, whenever competitive or bargaining reasons require a closed session: negotiations related to Water and Sewer Charges for Marc’s Garage, 206 Commerce Ave. and pursuant to Wis. Stat. §19.85(1)(c) to consider employment, promotion, compensation, or performance evaluation data of public employees over which the governmental body has jurisdiction or exercises responsibility: employee compensation. Trustee Trendel made a motion to convene into Closed Session pursuant to Wis. Stat. §19.85(1)(e) for deliberating or negotiating the purchasing of public properties, the investing of public funds, or conducting other specified public business, whenever competitive or bargaining reasons require a closed session: negotiations related to Water and Sewer Charges for Marc’s Garage, 206 Commerce Ave. and pursuant to Wis. Stat. §19.85(1)(c) to consider employment, promotion, compensation, or performance evaluation data of public employees over which the governmental body has jurisdiction or exercises responsibility: employee compensation. Second by Trustee Blackwood. Motion carried on a roll call vote. Yes – President Hollenbeck, Trustee Blackwood, Trustee Jacobson, Trustee Kreklau, Trustee Schulz, and Trustee Trendel. No – None Village Board convened into Closed Session at 8:06 p.m. 16. RECONVENE TO OPEN SESSION: Motion made by President Hollenbeck to reconvene into Open Session. Seconded by Trustee Blackwood. Motion carried on a roll call vote. Yes – President Hollenbeck, Trustee Blackwood, Trustee Jacobson, Trustee Kreklau, Trustee Schulz, and Trustee Trendel. No – None Village Board reconvened into Open Session at 9:03 p.m. 17. POSSIBLE ACTION TAKEN ON CLOSED SESSION ITEMS: a. Trustee Trendel made a motion to approve the Administrative Assistant’s compensation as discussed in Closed Session. Second by Trustee Kreklau. Motion carried on a roll call vote. Yes – President Hollenbeck, Trustee Blackwood, Trustee Jacobson, Trustee Kreklau, Trustee Schulz, and Trustee Trendel. No – None b. Trustee Trendel made a motion to approve the Village Administrator’s compensation as discussed in Closed Session. Second by Trustee Blackwood. Motion carried on a roll call vote. Yes – President Hollenbeck, Trustee Blackwood, Trustee Jacobson, Trustee Kreklau, Trustee Schulz, and Trustee Trendel. No – None 18. NEXT MEETING DATES: a. Fire and EMS Committee – Thursday, February 26, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. b. Village Board – Tuesday, March 10, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. c. Library Board – Wednesday, March 11, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. d. Plan Commission – Monday, March 16, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. e. Water & Sewer Committee – Tuesday, March 17, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. 19. ADJOURNMENT: Trustee Blackwood made a motion to adjourn. Second by Trustee Schulz. Motion carried by voice vote. Meeting adjourned at 9:07 p.m. Respectfully submitted by Brian Wilson, Clerk/Treasurer, Village of Cambridge These minutes were approved by the Village Board on March 10, 2026.