Village Board of Trustees

VILLAGE OF WESTON, MARATHON COUNTY, WISCONSIN SPECIAL MEETING MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES Monday, January 8, 2024, held immediately following Plan Commission Meeting AGENDA ITEMS 1. Special Board of Trustees Meeting called to order by President Maloney Maloney called the special meeting to order at 7:07 p.m. 2. Pledge Allegiance to the Flag 3. Roll Call by Clerk for Board of Trustees Trustee Present Cronin, Steve YES Ermeling, Barb YES Hartinger, Jasper YES Maloney, Mark YES Pinsonneault, Jim YES Weiland, Jamie YES Zeyghami, Hooshang YES PUBLIC COMMENTS None. MOVE TO CLOSED SESSION PER Wis. Stat. §19.85(1)(e) 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 to wit: • Discuss Property Located at 5500 Schofield Avenue • Discuss the Police Department Staffing • Discuss Intergovernmental Study and Advisement Agreement with Village of Rothschild (Present in closed session were Maloney, Zeyghami, Ermeling, Cronin, Hartinger, Pinsonneault, Weiland, Gebert, Wodalski, Higgins, Trautman, Brehm, Maguire, and Attorney Yde) Motion by Cronin, second by Pinsonneault to move to closed session at 7:08 p.m. Yes Vote: 7 No Votes:0 Abstain:0 Not Voting: 0 Result: Pass Trustee Present Cronin, Steve YES Ermeling, Barb YES Hartinger, Jasper YES Maloney, Mark YES BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETING MINUTES 01/08/2024 Prepared by: Pamela Brehm, Village Clerk  VILLAGE OF WESTON, WISCONSIN OFFICIAL MEETING MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES Pinsonneault, Jim YES Weiland, Jamie YES Zeyghami, Hooshang YES RECONVENE INTO OPEN SESSION Motion by Ermeling, second by Zeyghami to reconvene to open session at 7:44 p.m. Yes Vote: 7 No Votes:0 Abstain:0 Not Voting: 0 Result: Pass Trustee Present Cronin, Steve YES Ermeling, Barb YES Hartinger, Jasper YES Maloney, Mark YES Pinsonneault, Jim YES Weiland, Jamie YES Zeyghami, Hooshang YES POSSIBLE ACTION ON CLOSED SESSION ITEMS • Property Located at 5500 Schofield Avenue Maloney announced that the previous action of denial stands, and the Village will move forward placing the property back up for sale and razing the buildings currently on the property and turning it into a green space with the intention of listing it for sale. The previous motion for denial of the Development Agreement stands. Discussion: Gary Guerndt had the following questions with regard to the denial of the Development Agreement. • Q by Guerndt: Why did Trustee Zeyghami make the motion to deny the Development Agreement when he was the one that made the initial motion to sell the property to Gary Guerndt? A: Maloney stated he would speak on behalf of the Board the history of the proposed sale. On 9/11/23 there was a motion by Trustee Zeyghami, seconded by Trustee Hartinger to lower the price of 5500 Schofield Avenue to $400,000 with buyer razing the buildings plus conditions on value of development agreement of $2.5 million assessment within two years, an additional $1.5 million assessment within three years, and an additional value of $1 million assessment within five years for a total of a $5 million increment. President Maloney stated the sale of the property was not final until the Development Agreement was complete. On 9/28/23 during a joint meeting with Finance, there was an acceptance of a revised offer which the conditions were less than what was approved at the 9/11/23 meeting. After that time, there were more changes made by the buyer and the Board was accommodating those changes which were not consistent with the initial motion. BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETING MINUTES 01/08/2024 Prepared by: Pamela Brehm, Village Clerk  VILLAGE OF WESTON, WISCONSIN OFFICIAL MEETING MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES • Q by Guerndt: Where did the valuation of $5,000,000 come from? A: President Maloney explained that at the Special Board meeting on 9/11/23 the Board approved a Development Agreement of $2.5 million assessment within two years, an additional $1.5 million assessment within three years, and an additional value of $1 million assessment within five years for a total of a $5 million increment. In addition, the motion was to lower the price to $400,000 with the buyer raising the buildings. A question was raised by Joe Jordan as to the Village turning it into greenspace because greenspace is taxed less than if there was a development. He indicated he had a hard time with that. Administrator Jami Gebert said that the greenspace would merely make it shovel ready for sale for a future development. Trustee Pinsonneault responded to Guerndt that the parcel should be sold as is and that the Board collectively decided that the entire parcel should be reconfigured, and this was per Kristen Fish-Peterson and Director Higgins so the Village could raze the buildings and use the parcel to its highest and best use. In other words, to wipe the slate clean and start over, basically completely shovel ready and a blank slate. Kristen Fish-Peterson responded that the Village would be looking to get the highest and best use and highest taxable value that it could. • Q by Guerndt: What is the property worth as I can never get an answer from the Village to that? A: Trustee Zeyghami said that the Village is not getting fair market value for the property. He does not know what the fair market value is, and someone needs to figure that out. The Village assessor provided a possible assessed value of $900,000 and this was based on a recent sale of a comparable property in the Village of Weston. There is currently no value on this property, and Guerndt’s offer is not fair market value. He explained that the motion he made at the 9/11/23 meeting is not what the Development Agreement by Guerndt states. 5500 Schofield Avenue is public property, and it belongs to the people of the Village. The Village must get fair market value for it, and anything less is unacceptable. This is the Board’s job to get fair market value for the property. Joe Jordan spoke to the Board asking how long the property will be sitting there after the Village puts the money up to demolish the buildings on the property. Director Trautman explained that “increment” is not a good term for a property outside the TIF. The word “increment” is used for property contained in a TIF and it is determined by taking the base value at the time of creation of the TIF and the improvements, the difference between those two amounts is the “increment.” She explained that the amount the Village would be receiving for taxes would be minimal and absorbed in operating funds if the property were to be sold pursuant to the proposed Development Agreement. There would be minimal net new construction so the allowable levy increase would be very minimal. As an example, if a $500,000 offer was accepted, the Village would have that money up front and would be able to use it towards a capital item immediately such as a dump truck that would be used by the Village right now and for years as opposed to if they BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETING MINUTES 01/08/2024 Prepared by: Pamela Brehm, Village Clerk  VILLAGE OF WESTON, WISCONSIN OFFICIAL MEETING MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES accepted the current Development Agreement, it would take over 46 years to accumulate that same $500,000. Administrator Gebert said that at this time, the Village will move forward with making 5500 Schofield Avenue a shovel ready site. Trustee Cronin said he is not opposed to hearing another offer. Trustee Hartinger asked about the zoning of the property. Director Higgins stated that the Board has never come up with what development they want at this location. President Maloney said the Board would like something that would promote growth and that he would take an offer closer to the estimated assessed value over a Development Agreement. Trustee Cronin said he would like to know what the property is worth as it is currently and what it would be without any buildings on it. • Q by Guerndt: So, the property could be sold for $642,500 minus the $350,000 for the demolition of the buildings? A: President Maloney said that the value would be $900,000 less the removal of building of $300,000 which would be $600,000. Administrator Gebert said that if there was another offer to be presented, it should come to the Board on an agenda. • Police Department Staffing None. • Intergovernmental Study and Advisement Agreement with Village of Rothschild Motion by Cronin, second by Weiland to approve Intergovernmental Study and Advisement Agreement with the Village of Rothschild. Yes Vote: 7 No Votes:0 Abstain:0 Not Voting: 0 Result: Pass Trustee Present Cronin, Steve YES Ermeling, Barb YES Hartinger, Jasper YES Maloney, Mark YES Pinsonneault, Jim YES Weiland, Jamie YES Zeyghami, Hooshang YES REMARKS FROM TRUSTEES Ermeling stressed the importance of waiting for the Board President to recognize a person prior to speaking during a meeting. REMARKS FROM THE PRESIDENT FUTURE ITEMS Next meeting date(s): - January 15, 2024, Board of Trustees Meeting at 6:00 p.m. BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETING MINUTES 01/08/2024 Prepared by: Pamela Brehm, Village Clerk  VILLAGE OF WESTON, WISCONSIN OFFICIAL MEETING MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES ADJOURN Motion by Weiland, second by Cronin to adjourn at 8:30 p.m. Yes Vote: 7 No Votes:0 Abstain:0 Not Voting: 0 Result: Pass Trustee Present Cronin, Steve YES Ermeling, Barb YES Hartinger, Jasper YES Maloney, Mark YES Pinsonneault, Jim YES Weiland, Jamie YES Zeyghami, Hooshang YES BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETING MINUTES 01/08/2024 Prepared by: Pamela Brehm, Village Clerk