Special Village Board Meeting
Special MeetingSister Bay, WI · November 24, 2025
Minutes
1 VILLAGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETING MINUTES
2 Tuesday, November 24, 2025, at 9:00 AM
3 (Approved as amended)
4
5
6
7 1. Call to Order & Roll Call
8 President Bell called the meeting to order at 9:00 AM on Monday, November 24, 2025.
9
10 Present: President Nate Bell, trustees, Kurt Harff, Denise Bhirdo, Lousie Howson, Brigid White, and
11 Chad Kodanko. Patrice Champeau excused.
12
13 Others: Vivian Nienow, John Lijewski, Ben Andrews. Zoom: Sarah Bertges, Vlad Gannik, Megan
14 Barnes
15
16 Staff: Village Clerk Julie Thyssen
17
18 2. Approve Agenda
19 Bell proposed moving agenda item 5 ahead of agenda item 4.
20 Motion by Bell, seconded by Harff, to approve the agenda with item 5 moved ahead of item 4.
21 Motion carried – all ayes.
22
23 3. Comments, Correspondence and Concerns from the Public
24 Bell called for public comments. No members of the public came forward to speak.
25
26 5. Review and approve Employment Agreement for Village Administrator
27 Bell explained that the Board had previously discussed the employment contract for the Village
28 Administrator candidate in closed session but had not formally voted on it. The contract was now
29 before the Board for approval in open session.
30
31 Bell asked if Board members had any questions about the contract. No questions were raised.
32 Motion by Howson, seconded by Kodanko, to approve the employment agreement for the Village
33 Administrator. Motion carried 6-1 with Bhirdo opposed.
34
35 4. Presentation of Final Candidate for Village Administrator and Confirmation/Appointment by the
36 Village Board
37 Bell welcomed Ben Andrews, who was present for the meeting. Bell noted that the agenda had been
38 put together quickly, approximately half an hour after they received confirmation of Andrews'
39 acceptance of the position.
40
41 Bell suggested that a motion to appoint Andrews as Village Administrator effective January 5, 2026,
42 would be appropriate.
43
44 Motion by Howson, seconded by Kodanko, to appoint Ben Andrews as Village Administrator effective
45 January 5, 2026. Motion carried 6-1 with Bhirdo opposed.
46
47 Board members welcomed Andrews to his new position.
48
49 6. Matters to be Placed on a Future Agenda or Referred to a Committee, Official or Employee
Minutes of the November 24, 2025, Special Meeting of the Village Board of Trustees - Unapproved
1 Trustee Howson suggested that the Personnel Committee develop an onboarding plan for the new
2 Village Administrator. Howson noted that the committee would meet in the next week or two and
3 could then present a recommendation to the full Board.
4
5 Howson invited Andrews to attend the December 3 Personnel Committee meeting, noting it would
6 be an open meeting and that Andrews could participate via Zoom if needed. Andrews expressed
7 interest in attending.
8
9 Bell confirmed that the onboarding process would be referred to the Personnel Committee, which
10 would develop a recommendation for the full Board.
11
12 7. Adjourn
13 Motion by Kodanko, seconded by White, to adjourn the meeting at 9:05 a.m. Motion carried – all
14 ayes.
15
16 Meeting Minutes Respectfully Submitted,
17
18
19 by Julie Thyssen, Village Clerk
2
Agenda
VILLAGE BOARD MEETING
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2025 – 9:00 AM
Sister Bay Liberty Grove Fire Station, 2258 Mill Rd., Large Meeting Rm.
Deviations from the agenda order shown may occur
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#
For additional meeting information visit: www.sisterbaywi.gov, click ‘Agendas and Minutes’
AGENDA
1. Call to Order & Roll Call
2. Approve Agenda
3. Comments, Correspondence and Concerns from the Public (Public comment limited to 3 non-transferable
minutes per person)
4. Presentation of Final Candidate for Village Administrator and Confirmation/Appointment by the
Village Board
5. Review and approve Employment Agreement for Village Administrator
6. Matters to be Placed on a Future Agenda or Referred to a Committee, Official or Employee
7. Adjourn
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 julie.schmelzer@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/Signature _______________________
Get email alerts for Sister Bay
A daily email when new agendas and minutes are posted.