Gilman board warns property owners to clean up their acts

It was all about getting things done, June 11, at the Gilman Village Board meeting, specifically, cleaning up properties around town. Members of the public were present to request that something be done about the condition of the village.

For Pat Ustianowski, enough was enough, as she shared that she has talked to the owner of one the properties multiple times, with no results. It hit home to her, how bad the place looks, when she had a child with her as they drove by and the youth commented on the state of neglect.

“So, even little people notice that,” said Ustianowski. “It reflects on the community, I feel.”

Darrell Romig also added his thoughts on the mobile home courts on County Hwy. B, how new mobile homes have been brought in, but not set in place.

“Something should be done and done quite fast,” said Romig.

However, police chief Tom Tallier felts the mobile homes moved in are much nicer than what was there previously, but he is also stymied why they have not been set in place.

“If you drop by there right now, it is 100 percent better than it was at this time last year,” said Tallier.

It was agreed that the village will contact the property owner mentioned by Ustianowski and go from there.

“We need to pick one thing and start with it, then pick another thing,” said village president Jane DeStaercke.

Village trustee Cheryl Rosemeyer pointed out that this case can be used as an example how to handle these matters, while it was agreed that other property owners may take notice and take the initiative to clean up their places on their own. No matter what, the board wants to continue to clean up the village and be vigilant that it gets done. Tallier reported that seven ordinance violations that were recently collected on, showing that the ordinances do work, when you follow through with legal proceedings.

“We have to commit to carry through,” said DeStaercke.

Another matter plaguing the board, was an ordinance on storage containers, as they decided whether or not to approve the ordinance. The recommendation came from the Planning and Development Committee, along with advice from zoning administrator Jim Flood, but trustee Ericka Motte had a different viewpoint. She feels that people should be allowed to have a storage unit on their property, as long as it is well-maintained (no rust and mowed around).

“The ones I’ve been seeing around, are fine,” said Motte. “I would rather have a storage unit sitting in someone’s yard, than a bunch of garbage.”

Trustee Dee Bornheimer also was concerted that the ordinance says the residences can’t have equipment parked inside, but can have it in a garage. With the new concerns brought up, it was agreed to send the ordinance back to Planning and Development, for some tweaking.

Members also discussed the bridge repairs that need to happen. There some rumors of extra grant money that might be available, according to Butch Podolak, who was supposed to have had a plan together for the bridge, but nothing has occurred.

“We’re getting mixed messages there,” said trustee Russell Baker.

There are safety concerns, as the surface of the bridge deteriorates and Russell says people are fed up with nothing happening. One thing was for sure, an estimate to renovate the bridge came in at $37,000. That’s why it was agreed to resurface, for now, with marine plywood, which would extend the life of the surface by at least four years, giving the village time to apply for grants and stick money back to renovate.

Village clerk Candice Grunseth encouraged the board to have someone get a quote to install the plywood, since the village workers are not confident in installing it.

“You can move on it, if you get a quote,” said Grunseth. Members decided to ask Podolak to attend a Parks Committee meeting, to see what he had in mind for the bridge and to go from there.

Bornehimer also reported that the Parks Committee wants to fix up the old Boy Scout building and are taking donations, whether it be supplies or monetary amounts. They intend to clean and paint the inside of the building; clean the fireplace and close off the pipe hole; repair/replace the fireplace bricks; enclose the doors and windows, with wired mesh cloth and screens, to help keep animals and insects out; landscape around the building, with mulch and plants; install a solar-powered light and security camera; and fix the step going into the building.

Anyone who wanted to donate, can contact Liz Schmitt, at 715-773-0282, or Kim Anderson, at 715-2712587.

Tallier also brought up that he is playing a lot of pickleball in Cornell, and wondered if the village could explore the cost of coating the courts that are close to the park in Gilman, using the Cornell courts as a pattern.

“What a great set-up that they have,” said Tallier. It was also reported that Gilman does have a dedicated 10th Avenue, which only goes “about halfway,” not all the way through to the highway. That stretch was called Summer Road or Summer Avenue, and was platted about 100 years ago, with the other streets.

Members also approved closing Third Avenue South, Thursdays, through Oct. 2, from 2-6 p.m., for the Gilman Farmers Market, as long as they notified Gilman Cheese ahead of time, to let their shipping trucks know of the closure.

It’s clear that Gilman is getting some notice for their efforts in improvements, as Missy Hughes, secretary of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC), was in the village a few weeks ago, to see the new apartments that the WEDC awarded a $250,000 IDLE Site Grant to. The grant went to the owners of the old nursing home that is now Hickory Haven Apartments, while Hughes also toured the back patio at Vault Village, which was awarded a Vibrant Spaces Grant.

“She was most impressed with several things in Gilman,” said DeStaercke. “We are getting on the map at the state level.”