Cadott Village Board; Electric study given a-go in preparation for voltage switch

By Julia Wolf

EPS Engineering & Design will conduct an electric study for the Village of Cadott, following approval during a regular board meeting June 6.

The study was previously brought before the board, but sent back to the committee for further discussion. The study comes at a price not to exceed $21,300 and is part of the larger process for upgrading the village system, from 2,400 volts to 7,200 volts.

“If we want reliable power in the village, we really don’t have any choice but to do this study,” said board member Russ Falkenberg.

Falkenberg also says, in talking with Dave Krause, EPS, if grant opportunities do become available, there will not be time to do the study before the applications are due.

Grant opportunities to benefit the village with the voltage switch, were also discussed.

“There is a ton of work and that is an understatement, to put together a grant application,” said Falkenberg.

Board members moved to have Power System Engineering (PSE) look for grants for the project, for the cost of $2,500. If a grant is found, there will be an additional cost for the village to have PSE put together the application.

Board members also voted to table the Brown Street project until next year, in hopes that the material costs go down.

Anson Albarado, board president, said, at one time, the cost estimate for the project was about $60,000. Now, the project is estimated to run just over $100,000. The village has until 2027, to use the Local Roads Improvement Program (LRIP) funds, to blacktop the roadway.

“I hope those people who live on that short street have a little patience with us,” said Albarado.

The board also approved engineering services through Cedar Corp., for an amendment to TIF No. 5, for $10,000. The TIF currently includes properties owned by the Daniel and Jean Winger Trust, and Chilson’s Corner Motors.

“Because of some future plans to the property to the south, we wanted to maybe extend, or amend, the TIF to include those properties,” said Albarado.

Albarado says, if the TIF is amended this year, and the proposed project is completed in 2024, the TIF would start capturing funds in 2026.

The Planning and Development Committee will meet with Cedar Corp., to discuss the potential options for amendment, some of which were included in board members’ packets.

The amendment costs were approved, in order to extend the TIF.

Members also approved moving forward with a 3 percent simplified water rate case increase and a full water rate case, which takes longer, as recommended by the auditors, at a previous meeting. The increases are to keep the water fund from falling too far behind.

However, board members decided to table a decision on the auditors’ suggestion that the hydrant charges be placed on customer bills, until they know the exact amount it would cost residents each month.

Cadott School District superintendent Jenny Starck also was on hand during the meeting, to gauge thoughts on future plans for the high school commons area.

“We are in the middle of some long-range facility planning,” said Starck.

She says they would like to update the high school office to make the entrance more secure, as well as kitchen and commons updates. One potential option for that, would be to expand the building by the commons area toward Myrtle Street.

Starck says she is not sure that option would even happen, as they are early in the facility planning process, but wanted to know the board’s thoughts were, if the expansion were to go into the street and the street would no longer go through.

“If you really think we shouldn’t even consider that, then we wouldn’t even think of that as a possibility,” said Starck.

Board member Bart Chapek noted there may be sewer and water under the roadway, which is also something to keep in mind. Albarado says if the planning group comes up with a plan that includes the street area, to bring it back to the village.

As a reminder to the public, grass clippings should not be blown onto roads. Residents are asked to keep grass clippings in their yards or clean up adjacent roadways, if clippings are blown onto the road.