Vlach says lake should be village’s primary concern
Complains to village board that weed cutter was not used enough this summer
At the Rib Lake Village Board meeting on October 12, Norman Vlach visited the Rib Lake Village Board meeting to raise concern for the state of the lake and the lack of use of the weed cutter.
“Our biggest asset in this community is the lake,” said Vlach at the meeting, “The Lake should be the top priority for the board.”
His main concern was that he said the weed cutter that was donated to the village was not being used to bring the lake to its full potential as a draw for outside people to visit the area.
The Board’s response to Vlach’s concerns was that they understand the complaint, and that there are already plans to be better next year. This was the first full year for the village with the weed cutter, and they are still trying to figure out how to best manage use of it.
One complication the Village is running into is lack of being able to schedule volunteers to both train and run the weed cutter. Rib Lake Fish and Game Association president Todd LaBrec stated that he and the Association felt disrespected by the Village Board for trying to help the community, and so they put the management of the weed cutter back onto exclusively the Village Board.
Vlach also raised concerns about the aeration system for the Lake, which LaBrec assured him is getting taken care of.
In other business:
The Board moved to submit an application for a simplified water rate case to get additional money for water tower maintenance. The Wisconsin Public Service Commission regulates water rates and the village is applying to seek a 4.5% increase on the current rates. The increase would be effective beginning the second quarter of 2023.
The Development Buildings and Grounds committee needed to purchase a new furnace for the ambulance garage. It has been ordered.
The fire department fixed the siren, and is upgrading the way to activate it in the case of a fire call. The department is going with a radio controlled wireless way to activate it and will not be using the telephone lines anymore.
Following a closed session the board voted to hire Joshua Bernt for the Public Works position at a rate of $21 per hour. A start date is being determined.
