No action on ATV route

With the Cumberland Public Library’s renovation project well underway, on Tuesday, January 5, the council discussed various financing options for the $320,000 the city pledged to the project as their portion of the funding.

The State of Wisconsin sets limits on how much debt a municipality can carry, and according to Sean Lentz of Ehlers and Associates, the City of Cumberland is well within that limit.

Lentz explained different options to the council, and ultimately the council decided to apply for a 10-year loan from the State of Wisconsin, contingent upon results from local banks.

Lentz explained that there are not significant differences in cost by using a state loan rather than approaching the commercial market, except that a state loan is pre-payable each year.

ATV Route

It may not feel much like it right now, but soon the snow will be gone and spring will be here. Scott Benesch, representing the Dusty Trail Finders ATV Club was available to field questions from the council prior to their approval or denial of the proposed ATV comprehensive plan.

Council members questioned Benesch on why ATV enthusiasts can’t use the snowmobile trail, and Benesch explained it is because of DNR regulations.

Benesch also explained, the “check is written,” for the railroad bed, and the “DNR will take it more seriously if the city approves this route.”

“We don’t want to be on the street for any amount of time,” Benesch said.

Alderman Rob Taylor told Benesch he has been trying to work with Senator Bob Jauch to figure out a way to make the route happen. Taylor also had been trying to make contact with a DNR representative but hadn’t been able to reach him.

Because there had been some confusion with another party Benesch has been working with, and where the city limits to the south are, the council asked Benesch to revise a phase of the plan for consideration at a later date. (A route cannot be designated on a numbered or lettered road if it is not in the city limits. After discovering that the city limits run farther south than Benesch and the other party initially thought, there is a possibility that the plan can be revised.)

Pay raise for alder persons

The council voted for pay raises for future council members, following comments from Dennis Zappa. The measure, which both Rob Taylor and Marty Peters voted against, will pay the council members $200 per month, plus $50 for additional expenses. The previous rate, which had not been changed for eight years, was set at $150 per month plus $50 for expenses. Zappa’s argument in favor of the raise was, he told the council, that after recording the time spent in meetings and the time he spent preparing for meetings, he figured his time was only compensated at a rate of approximately $3 per hour.

Other business

The council approved the sale of some property associated with the Cumberland Golf Course. The city issued bonds to the golf course, (which have been paid), however, the course’s facilities are in need of some capital improvements. The course owns two lots across the road from the facility, and the board would like to explore the possibility of selling the property (which isn’t used by the golf course) to pay for the needed improvements. Because of the contract signed between the City of Cumberland and the Cumberland Golf Club, the council needed to approve this measure.

This is just the first step in the process, Dennis Zappa noted, as the golf course’s board has not yet voted on this issue.

The council also approved: