Athens prepares to apply for wastewater loan
By Casey Krautkramer
The Athens Village Board voted unanimously on Sept. 23 to approve a resolution declaring its official intent to reimburse expenditures for future upgrades to the village’s wastewater treatment plant. Village clerk Lisa Czech said the resolution was needed so the village can submit a Clean Water Fund loan application for the project.
Village board members in February approved approximately $1.1 million in upgrades to the treatment plant to comply with the state Department of Natural Resources’ phosphorus discharge limit into the Wisconsin River Basin.
Pat Morrow, wastewater treatment team leader at MSA Professional Services, said in February that the upgrades include feed equipment for phosphorus removal and pH stabilization, and an addition to sludge removal from the lagoons. He said chemical storage and related equipment will be located both inside the village’s existing Rotating Biological Contractor (RBC) building and outside adjacent to the building.
The board has agreed to pay MSA Professional Services $198,100 for designing and bidding out the treatment plant upgrades. The village’s wastewater discharge permit states that March 1, 2025 is the deadline for the village to start construction on upgrading its treatment plant. Czech said construction needs to be completed before a March 31, 2026 deadline.
Other business
■ The board approved picnic licenses for Friends of Christian Education on Oct. 19 and the Athens Sno-Pak Snowmobile Club on Oct. 12 at Athens Community Hall.
■ Taran Brodziski, chairman of the village’s streets committee, said the committee recently discussed a request from Trinity Child Care director Randalyn Ellenbecker to reserve two to three parking spots for daycare pick up and drop off in front of the former municipal building that is now the daycare.
The streets committee and Ellenbecker agreed to allow daycare parents to park in front of the former municipal building by the yellow curb for pick up and drop off of daycare children. Since this has only become an issue during sporting events at Athens Community Hall, the committee felt it was unnecessary to designate special parking spots for those few times during the day.
Brodziski said the streets committee is also allowing the Athens Area Trails Association to apply for a grant to cover the cost of a new sidewalk on a trail along CTH M from West Village Limits to the well house driveway.
■ The board authorized public works employee Nick Belter to attend the Wastewater Treatment Conference on Oct. 23-25 in Appleton at a cost of $600.
■ Tyler Socha, chairman of the public property committee, said the committee recommends the following 2025 budget items: $5,000 reserve for the Athens Community Hall furnaces, $15,000 reserve for equipment, $1,000 for street sweeper repairs, $20,000 for the Farmers Mill project, $2,500 for a plate compactor, $1,000 for a timer box for new building lights and $500 for leaf blowers.
■ The village board approved an alcohol operator’s license for Sara Evans.
