City Council

MINUTES of the JOINT MEETING of the PLAN COMMISSION and TOWN BOARD Wednesday, July 2, 2025 St. Joseph Town Hall / Online CALL TO ORDER by Chair Anton Rang STATEMENT OF PUBLIC NOTICE read by Chair Rang ROLL CALL: Chair Anton Rang, Chris Matter, Erik Lorenz, Dave Lallier, Craig Sykora, Rick Caruso, Justin Kruse. Online: Carol Loncar. Not Present: Joanne Kocik PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE recited. APPROVAL OF PRIOR MEETING MINUTES: MOTION to adopt the meeting minutes from June 4, 2025 (Kruse/Lorenz). Motion carried. PUBLIC COMMENTS: None 1. Conditional Use Permit: Ben & Leah Murawski, 462 River Road, contractor’s storage yard. 1a. Public Hearing called to order at 6:32 pm. Chair Anton Rang asked three times for comments on the Conditional Use Permit. No comments. The Public Hearing was closed at 6:33 pm. 1b. Discussion by commission: Ben and Leah Murawski were present to discuss their application. They run a lawncare business and are requesting a conditional use permit to continue to run their business at their property. Chris Matter asked about a gasoline storage tank that is present on the property. Ben replied that the tank is owned by Skoglund Oil. Discussed the setbacks being added to the CSM. Discussed the lot line adjustment that was done and the access roads. MOTION to recommend to the Board to approve the Conditional Use Permit at 462 River Road (Lorenz/Caruso). Discussed outdoor storage. Motion carried. 2. Lodge, Anthony, 26 Rainbow St., Houlton, St. Croix County Variance to setback in Riverway District: Chair Rang discussed the variance and the need for Town approval. The Town’s setback is 10’ in this District and would like to ask the Board to keep the setback at 10’ from the sideline. MOTION to recommend to the Town Board to approve the Variance for Anthony Lodge, property owner, at 26 Rainbow St., Houlton with the recommendation that the side setback on the adjacent lot line to the east of this property be 10 feet, as the map they submitted looks like it is 5 feet, and keeping the 40-foot setback from the bluff line (Matter/Lorenz). Motion carried. 3. Ordinance reviews. 3a. Chapter 168, Subdivision of Land: Chair Rang has not yet heard from Doug Zahler regarding the questions on this ordinance. 3b. Chapter 183, Vehicles and Traffic: Discussion about reducing the speed limit on Perch Lake Road which prompted the need for revisions to be made to this ordinance. The Town may mark the speed limit as 15 mph when children are present as there is a park nearby. MOTION to forward this change to the Chapter 183 to the Town Board for their consideration (Rang/Lorenz). Motion carried. 4. Standing items: Review of budget; updates from county; update on complaints: Nothing new to report RECOMMENDATIONS TO TOWN BOARD: CUP-Murawski, Variance-Lodge, Chapter 183-Vehicles and Traffic. ITEMS FOR NEXT AGENDA: ITEMS FOR TOWN BOARD AGENDA: Alex Rome Variance (Bass Lake Road) – recommend bringing this to the attention of the BLRD. ADJOURNMENT: MOTION to adjourn at 7:10 pm (Kruse/Loncar). Motion carried. Minutes submitted by Teri Kelly