Village Board

MINUTES VILLAGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES AMUNDSON COMMUNITY CENTER 200 SPRING ST., CAMBRIDGE, WI 53523 TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2026, 6:30 PM 1. CALL TO ORDER: President Hollenbeck called the meeting to order at 6:31 p.m. 2. ROLL CALL: Members Present – President Hollenbeck, Trustee Blackwood, Trustee Jacobson, Trustee Kreklau, and Trustee Trendel. Members Absent – Trustee Schulz Others Present – Dan Wagner, Michelle Wagner, Bill Pinnow of MSA Professional Services, Patrick Osterbrink, Christian Krueger, Cambridge Assistant Fire Chief Shane Johnson, Deerfield Assistant Fire Chief Larry Hewitt, Katie Michel, 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): Patrick Osterbrink requested establishing a taxi/cab service in Cambridge, citing mobility challenges for residents without vehicles, disabled, and elderly. Brown Cab advised the process should start with the village. Michelle Wagner (401 Highland) raised concerns regarding a proposed development near her property. Her concerns included: • Lot widths (some 61 ft) not compliant with code and adjacent 75 ft lots. • Proposed side setbacks of 10 ft vs. required 12 ft; abutting properties should have consistent setbacks. • Zoning concerns: noncompliance with RL low-density; not meeting RH either. • Environmental concerns: significant old-growth woods; Nature Conservancy-related code implications; nesting red-tailed hawks (tree cutting restrictions Feb–Jul). • Traffic and speed concerns on Highland/Christiana; requested a traffic study; speed limits unclear or unposted. • Lowland and sewer concerns: grinder pumps vs. gravity; power outage risks and backup/battery requirements; referenced Stoughton precedent rejecting grinder pumps and higher density. A handout submitted for reference was provided to the Village Board by Administrator Breunig. Katie Michel introduced herself as a Candidate for Dane County District 37. Her background includes: six years on Deerfield Town Board, three years on the school board, 45-year Dane County resident, active in local churches and community centers, small business owner, and 10 years with Madison Metropolitan School District. Her priorities include maintaining essential services within budgets and advocating for more Dane County resources for towns and villages. 5. APPROVAL OF CONSENT AGENDA: a. Approval of Village Board Minutes for February 24, 2026, Personnel Committee Minutes for February 5, 2026, and February 18, 2026, Plan Commission Minutes for January 26, 2026, and Water & Sewer Committee Minutes for January 20, 2026. Trustee Blackwood moved to approve the Consent Agenda. Second by Trustee Kreklau. Motion carried by voice vote. 6. APPROVAL OF BILLS: Motion by Trustee Blackwood to approve bills totaling $267,706.18. Second by Trustee Trendel. Motion carried on a roll call vote. Yes – President Hollenbeck, Trustee Blackwood, Trustee Jacobson, Trustee Kreklau, and Trustee Trendel. No – None 7. COMMITTEE REPORTS: a. Fire and EMS Commission Trustee Blackwood reported that Fire and EMS Commission reworked the 2026 Budget from scratch. Duplicate entries were removed and line-item allocations were reduced. Proposed budget is $1,208,248 which is down over $200,000 from original total of $1,467,000. Drivers of reduction were tighter oversight, reduced attorney presence at meetings, debt service reductions with line of credit paydown, and a collective bargaining agreement with minimal impact. Cambridge’s 2025 budgeted share cited as $363,783 while this year’s first quarter payment will be $147,888. This is an approximately $29,000 reduction per quarter from last year though annualized costs across entities unclear. Village may need a year-end loan if budget is approved though Village staff continues to seek cost savings to minimize borrowing. Administrator Breunig noted interest income of $3,500 last month due to changing banking accounts. Fire and EMS is considering a money market checking account to earn interest and canceling unused services. Trustee Blackwood cited additional costs for 2026 Budget being due to debt for apparatus payments and 24/7 EMS staffing. Reducing personnel would lower service levels; partial-day coverage risky. Alternatives have included obtaining preliminary external provider estimates from Ryan Brothers and Deergrove, but this was not drastically different. Formal RFPs planned for discussion at a future joint municipality meeting at end of April. Three communities have voted or scheduled to withdraw at end of year from Commission. The long-term impact of this on Cambridge is uncertain and may not reduce costs. Village is legally obligated to provide fire service and reasonable EMS access. It was clarified that budget approvals require unanimous consent among municipalities. There will be no March meeting of the Commission due to school district spring breaks. Next monthly meeting planned for April 16 with the joint municipal meeting targeted for April 29 in Town of Christiana. Trustee Blackwood discussed a potential partnership among Cambridge, Deerfield, and Marshall Volunteer Fire Departments under a Department of Revenue Innovation Grant available for new intergovernmental entities. There is not enough lead time to complete this application process until 2027 so discussion will continue around this prospective partnership. Motion by Trustee Blackwood to approve 2026 Fire and EMS Commission Budget totaling $1,208,248. Second by Trustee Jacobson. Motion carried on a roll call vote. Yes –Trustee Blackwood, Trustee Jacobson, Trustee Kreklau, and Trustee Trendel. No – None Abstain – President Hollenbeck 8. VILLAGE ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT: Administrator Breunig updated on receipt of a Fluoridation Grant to pay for equipment at one of the Village wells. The Village has also submitted an application for a Charge Up Dane grant to provide EV chargers at several parking spots within the Amundson Center lot. Clerk/Treasurer Wilson discussed the content of a 2026 Budget-to-Actual report he provided through the end of February. A similar report should be provided at least monthly to the Village Board going forward. 9. UNFINISHED BUSINESS – ACTION REQUIRED: a. Discussion and Possible Action on updated Employee Handbook. No action taken due to no new updates to discuss.  b. Discussion and Possible Action on Highway 134 Project bid results received by MSA Professional Services. Bill Pinnow with MSA, reported that five qualified bids were received with the low bidder being Wolf Paving. Base bid was $524,623.08 and below engineer’s estimate due to favorable asphalt costs. TID funds can cover base and alternatives as the location within a one-mile radius of the TID boundaries. Two alternatives were provided regarding Lagoon Road: - Alternative A: Asphalt over existing gravel (original plan). - Alternative B: Add 3 inches of asphalt millings for a tighter, dust-free surface (~$29,000). Option available to award both A and B to give the final asphalt a more stable base. Concerns were discussed about groundwater, sinkholes, and rutting. There was general support for a millings- first approach to avoid paving over a weak, wet base. Contractor meeting on-site recommended to evaluate options (e.g., pulverizing); change orders could reduce costs if a better approach is identified. Plan would be to proof-roll millings with a quad-axle and if pumping observed, do not pave. Timing could be adjusted to when the base hardens. Add a 1–2% crown for drainage. Asphalt is more impervious than gravel and drainage improvements essential regardless of surface. Consensus Village Board to sequence of millings now, monitor over summer, and consider paving later. This will avoid paving in a wet spring. If paving is deferred beyond contract year, future paving would be under a separate contract and TID funds would remain eligible for later asphalt work. Motion made by President Hollenbeck to award bid to Wolf Paving including Alternatives A and B for a total of $587,608, enabling milling-first evaluation and optional paving based on performance. Second by Trustee Kreklau. Motion carried on a roll call vote Yes – President Hollenbeck, Trustee Blackwood, Trustee Jacobson, Trustee Kreklau, and Trustee Trendel. No – None 10. NEW BUSINESS – ACTION REQUIRED: a. Discussion and Possible Action on authorizing the Clerk-Treasurer as a signatory on Village bank accounts. Motion by Trustee Trendel to authorize the Clerk-Treasurer as a signatory on Village bank accounts. Second by Trustee Blackwood. Motion carried by voice vote. b. Discussion and Possible Action on a proposal by Safe Step to conduct sidewalk repairs for an amount not-to-exceed $10,000. Safe Step to evaluate and repair sidewalks using grinding/shaving where feasible with full replacement only as needed. Ordinance places costs on homeowners where Village may front costs and bill back. The Village responsible for curb ramps. $10,000 is budgeted for a phased, multi-year plan focusing on hotspots and contiguous sections. Public Works seeks a five-year plan for Village-wide sidewalk issues. Benefits include reduced crew burden, specialized expertise, reduced liability, and lower homeowner costs. Root mitigation considered and evaluation to include causes of heaving with measures to be taken to prevent future buckling. Acknowledged $10,000 won’t cover entire village and future annual plans are anticipated. Motion by Kreklau to approve the proposal by Safe Step at a cost not-to-exceed $10,000. Second by Jacobson. Motion carried on a voice vote. Yes – President Hollenbeck, Trustee Blackwood, Trustee Jacobson, Trustee Kreklau, and Trustee Trendel. No – None c. Discussion and Possible Action on sidewalk construction bid for Kwik Trip Development. DOT has withheld road aid for three years due to unfulfilled developer agreement obligations tied to the Kwik Trip development. Developer must complete sidewalks per agreement and close one entrance from the US 12/18 side. Plan is to keep entrance by Subway and remove the entrance closer to 134. Bids received for excavating and concrete total about $70,000, triggering formal bidding. There is a preference to have Developer handle work to streamline acceptance and compliance. Municipal revenue obligation payments to the Developer are withheld until improvements are accepted, incentivizing developer  completion. Targeted completion is August of this year so that DOT funding might be restored. No action taken at this time as next steps include defining roles (village vs. developer), finalizing procurement approach, reviewing DOT-required entrance changes, and setting a firm completion timeline to restore aid. d. Discussion and Possible Action on landscaping contract for Kwik Trip Development. This was part of the restoration costs discussed regarding potential sidewalk construction for the Kwik Trip Development. No action was taken. 11. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS: None 12. PUBLIC COMMENT (LIMIT OF 3 MINUTES PER PERSON): None. 13. 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 potential Development Agreements for Melster’s Property and Lucille Court and negotiations related to Intergovernmental Agreement with the Town of Oakland. Trustee Blackwood 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 potential Development Agreements for Melster’s Property and Lucille Court and negotiations related to Intergovernmental Agreement with the Town of Oakland. Second by Trustee Kreklau. Motion carried on a roll call vote. Yes – President Hollenbeck, Trustee Blackwood, Trustee Jacobson, Trustee Kreklau, and Trustee Trendel. No – None Village Board convened into Closed Session at 7:54 p.m. 14. 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, and Trustee Trendel. No – None Village Board reconvened into Open Session at 8:39 p.m. 15. POSSIBLE ACTION TAKEN ON CLOSED SESSION ITEMS: a. Trustee Kreklau made a motion to terminate the Intergovernmental Agreement between the Village of Cambridge and the Town of Oakland dated June 20th, 2006. Second by Trustee Trendel. Motion carried on voice vote. Yes – President Hollenbeck, Trustee Blackwood, Trustee Jacobson, Trustee Kreklau, and Trustee Trendel. No – None 16. NEXT MEETING DATES: a. Library Board – Wednesday, March 11, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. b. Plan Commission – Monday, March 16, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. c. Water & Sewer Committee – Tuesday, March 17, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. d. Village Board – Tuesday, March 24, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. 17. ADJOURNMENT: Trustee Kreklau made a motion to adjourn. Second by Trustee Jacobson. Motion carried by voice vote. Meeting adjourned at 8:41p.m. Respectfully submitted by Brian Wilson, Clerk/Treasurer, Village of Cambridge These minutes were approved by the Village Board of Trustees on March 24, 2026.