Board Meeting
Regular MeetingSister Bay, WI · January 20, 2026
Minutes
1
2 VILLAGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETING MINUTES
3 Tuesday, January 20, 2026
4 (Approval Pending)
5
6 1. Call to Order & Roll Call
7 President Bell called the meeting to order at 6:00 PM on Tuesday, January 20, 2026.
8
9 Present: President Nate Bell and trustees Denise Bhirdo, Louise Howson, Kurt Harff, Patrice
10 Champeau, and Brigid White.
11
12 Staff: Village Administrator Ben Andrews, Finance Specialist/Treasurer Vlad Gannik, Zoom: Utilities
13 Director Megan Barnes, Parks & Streets Director Erik Linczmaier, Marina Manager Dave Lienau and
14 Administrative Assistant Sarah Bertges.
15
16 Others: Laurel Harff, Ken Church, Rick Dahlstrom, Erin Peddle, Ellie Soderberg-Guger. Zoom: Hidden
17 Maple Resident, iPhone, iPhone, Michael, MKS, Ron Kane, Trustee, Tyler L. Duvall, Esq, Sally Pfeifer,
18 Steve Basci.
19
20 Before proceeding with the agenda, a moment of silence was observed in memory of Fire Chief Chris
21 Hecht, who recently passed away.
22
23 2. Approve Agenda
24 Motion to approve the agenda by Bell, seconded by Harff. Motion carried - all ayes.
25
26 3. Approve Meeting Minutes: Dec. 16, 2025
27 Bhirdo noted several corrections needed to the minutes, including name misspellings and
28 terminology corrections. These included corrections to Megan Barnes' title, Skip Heidler's name,
29 changing "helper project" to "Halbrook project," correcting Louise's last name in two instances, and
30 changing "I pay would" to "IPE."
31
32 Motion to approve the minutes as amended by Bhirdo, seconded by White. Motion carried - all ayes.
33
34 4. Comments, Correspondence and Concerns from the Public
35 Bhirdo inquired about correspondence from a "jefftoms@sisterbaywi.gov" email address. It was
36 clarified this was not a legitimate village email address.
37
38 5. Proclamations
39 a. Recognizing Ron Kane for Years of Service
40 A proclamation was presented recognizing Ron Kane's service to the community. Bhirdo and Howson
41 shared personal tributes highlighting Kane's contributions to the village over more than 30 years,
42 including his work as Village Administrator, on the Plan Commission, with the Sister Bay
43 Advancement Association, and the Historical Society. Andrews noted that a plaque had been
44 prepared for Kane, who would pick it up later in the week.
45
46 Motion to approve the proclamation by Bhirdo, seconded by Champeau. Motion carried - all ayes.
47
48 6. Discussion/Action Items
49 a. Acceptance of Trustee Kodanko's Resignation
Minutes of the January 20, 2026 Meeting of the Village Board of Trustees - Unapproved
1 Motion to accept Trustee Kodanko's resignation from the Village Board of Trustees by Bell, seconded
2 by Bhirdo. Motion carried - all ayes.
3
4 b. Contract Amendment; Update Zoning Map; Bay-Lake Regional Planning Commission
5 Andrews explained that the existing contract with Bay-Lake Regional Planning Commission for zoning
6 map amendments needed to be extended from January 31, 2026 to June 30, 2026. The extension
7 would accommodate services related to finalizing the zoning map, including potential GIS services
8 for the village website. The contract remains a time and expense contract with no change to the
9 original $20,000 project cost.
10
11 Motion to approve the contract amendment as presented by Bell, seconded by White. Motion carried
12 - all ayes.
13
14 c. Approve Well 1 Rehabilitation Expenses
15 Andrews explained that rehabilitation services for Well #1 that were budgeted for 2025 could not be
16 completed in that fiscal year due to contractor scheduling issues. The proposal was to utilize 2025
17 fund reserves to pay for these expenses in 2026. Andrews noted these were mandatory services and
18 that Wells #2 and #3 rehabilitation would also occur in portions of 2026.
19
20 Motion to approve expenses for Well #1 rehabilitation from fund balance by Bhirdo, seconded by
21 White. Motion carried - all ayes.
22
23 d. TIF Policy and Deviley PUD TIF Incentive Request
24 The Board discussed a TIF incentive request from Nick Deviley for his planned development. Deviley
25 explained the project would include approximately 55 homes and sought TIF funding of
26 approximately $2.75 million to help reduce home prices and make them more affordable for local
27 residents.
28
29 Board members expressed concerns about setting precedent, determining fair criteria for TIF
30 awards, and ensuring affordability of the resulting homes. Several members noted more information
31 was needed about how TIF incentives have been used in other municipalities.
32
33 The Board decided to refer the matter to the Finance Committee and potentially the Housing
34 Committee for further evaluation, with a focus on developing a formal TIF policy.
35
36 e. Monthly Financial Report & Appropriations
37 Several financial items were discussed, including a $10,000 donation to SAIL that was questioned
38 because the original approval was contingent on what other communities were contributing. The
39 Board requested follow-up on this matter. Additional questions were raised about vehicle repair
40 costs and Baird budget consulting fees.
41
42 Motion to approve payment of bills in the amount of $256,204.32 by Bell, seconded by White. Motion
43 carried - all ayes.
44
45 7. Staff Reports
46 Andrews provided an update on his first three weeks as administrator, noting meetings with staff,
47 board members, community members, and regional officials. He announced an upcoming meet-and-
48 greet event scheduled for February 3rd from 5-7 PM at the fire station. Andrews outlined his focus
49 areas including reviewing the 2026 budget, familiarizing himself with department operations, and
50 preparing for long-term financial and strategic planning.
51
2
Minutes of the January 20, 2026 Meeting of the Village Board of Trustees - Unapproved
1 8. Committee Reports
2 The Board reviewed reports from various committees. Harff noted an issue at the library regarding
3 salting of sidewalks during winter storms. Linczmaier agreed to speak with the library staff to
4 address the concern.
5
6 Motion to accept committee reports by White, seconded by Harff. Motion carried - all ayes.
7
8 9. Matters to be Placed on a Future Agenda or Referred to a Committee, Official or Employee
9 The Board agreed to refer the TIF incentive request to the Finance Committee and Housing
10 Committee. Bhirdo requested a Finance Committee meeting be scheduled for February 9th at 2:00
11 PM.
12
13 10. Next Meeting
14 No discussion.
15
16 11. Adjourn
17 Motion to adjourn at 7:08 p.m. by Howson, seconded by White. Motion carried - all ayes.
18
19 Meeting minutes by Julie Thyssen, Village Clerk
3
Agenda
VILLAGE BOARD MEETING
TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2026 – 6:00 PM
Sister Bay Liberty Grove Fire Station, 2258 Mill Rd., Large Meeting Rm.
To access the meeting electronically, click:
https://zoom.us/j/4439901723?pwd=yAVpi40M1OIqgNufcVUE8XWCUSkKaH.1&omn=97063638580
Meeting ID 443 990 1723, Code 304078; Connect by Phone 1-301-715-8592, Meeting ID 4439901723#
Deviations from the agenda order shown may occur
For additional meeting information visit: www.sisterbaywi.gov, click ‘Agendas and Minutes’
AGENDA - AMENDED*
1. Call to Order & Roll Call (Zoom Participants Mute Devices)
2. Approve Agenda
3. Approve Meeting Minutes: Dec. 16, 2025
4. Comments, Correspondence and Concerns from the Public (Public comment limited to 3 non-transferable minutes per person)
5. Proclamations
a) Recognizing Ron Kane for Years of Service
6. Discussion/Action Items
a) Acceptance of Trustee Kodanko’s Resignation
b) Contract Amendment; Update Zoning Map; Bay-Lake Regional Planning Commission
c) Approve Well 1 Rehabilitation Expenses
d) *TIF Policy and Deviley PUD TIF Incentive Request
e) Monthly Financial Report & Appropriations
7. Staff Reports
8. Committee Reports (See below committee listing)
9. Matters to be Placed on a Future Agenda or Referred to a Committee, Official or Employee
10. Next Meeting
11. Adjourn
1. Finance Committee 10. Parks, Property & Streets Committee
2. Fire Board 11. Personnel Committee
3. Green Tier Legacy Community Committee 12. Plan Commission
4. Historical Society 13. Sewer and Water Utility Committee
5. Holiday Lighting 14. SBAA
6. Housing Committee 15. Technology & Telecomm Committee
7. Library Commission 16. Tourism Zone Commission
8. Marina Committee 17. Village Hall Planning Task Force
9. Parking Committee
Public Notice
Public participation at meetings and correspondence is welcome. Submit emails or letters to the Village Clerk at clerk@sisterbaywi.gov or at the
Village Administration Office at 2383 Maple Drive, Sister Bay. Letters may not be read at the meeting but referenced and/or summarized. You
may also email Board members directly. Questions regarding the nature of the agenda items or more detail on the items listed can be directed to
the Village Administrator at administrator@sisterbaywi.gov. Copies of reports and other supporting documentation are available for review online
and at the Village Administration Office during operating hours (8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays – Thursdays, 8 a.m. to noon on Fridays).
Upon reasonable notice, a good faith effort will be made to accommodate the needs of disabled individuals through sign language interpreters or
other auxiliary aid or accommodation at no cost to the individual. Due to the difficulty in finding interpreters, requests should be made as far in
advance as possible, preferably a minimum of 48 hours. For additional information or to request this service, contact the Village Administration
Office at 920-854-4118; (FAX) 920-854-9637; emailing the Village Clerk at clerk@sisterbaywi.gov, or, by writing to the Village Administration Office,
2383 Maple Drive, PO Box 769, Sister Bay, WI 54234 (allow adequate mail time).
It is possible that members of and possibly a quorum of members of other governmental bodies may attend the meeting to gather information;
no action will be taken by any governmental body other than the body specifically referred to above.
The Village of Sister Bay is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer
Posted Date: 01/19/2026
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