Edgar considers church zoning change
The Edgar Village Board on Monday agreed to hold a public hearing in January to consider changing its zoning code to allow construction of a church on a property zoned commercial.
Village administrator Jennifer Lopez said there is a church group negotiating on a commercial parcel in Edgar as the site of a new church, but that the village’s zoning code only allows churches in residential areas. Lopez declined to state the church group or property in question.
Board members indicated interest in modifying the zoning code but agreed not to rush the process in order for the public to have time to respond at a future public hearing.
In other village board business:
_ Board members appointed Jeremy Apfelbeck to fill a vacancy on the board. Apfelbeck’s term will run through April 2021. He took the oath of office at Monday night’s meeting.
_ Board members approved an operator’s license for a new tavern in Edgar, Home Bar and Grill, at 115 W. Redwood (formerly BS’s Bar).
_ Board members authorized sale of over 3,000 rounds of .45 caliber ammunition stored at the Edgar Police Department through a state surplus site. The current department uses 9mm ammunition.
_ Board members accepted a $500 bid for its water utility 2007 Chrysler Town and Country van.
_ Administrator Lopez reported that USDA wants the village to have a single engineering firm involved in its wastewater treatment plant update, which includes some miscellaneous street work. The village has to date split next year’s street design work between Cooper Engineering, Rice Lake, and Ayres Associates, Eau Claire.
_ Board members voted to rollover cash in this year’s budget to next year’s for park improvements. Trustee Jon Streit, however, said citizens in the village were impatient that village parks were not being properly addressed. “We are pretty darn stagnant about that,” he said. “There is a lot of chirping about nothing getting done.”
_ The board approved an insurance contract with Boehm Insurance, Edgar for 2021. Cost of next year’s policy will be $37,799, an increase of $2,189 or six percent over the current year.
_ Board members approved granting select employees $250 bonuses for filling in for an employee who took medical leave. The board also agreed to give to employees $50 holiday Scrip gift cards from St. John’s the Baptist Catholic School for use at four Edgar area businesses: River Country C-Store, the Edgar Family Restaurant, the Edgar IGA and the R-Store.
_ It was announced next year’s total tax mil rate (including the village, county, K-12 school and tech school) was $21.67 per thousand dollars of assessed property. Administrator Lopez said 2020-21 property taxes (not counting lottery and First Dollar credits) on a $150,000 home in Edgar will be $3,250.50, a $10.50 increase over the 2019-20 tax year.
_ Board members approved employee compensation for 2021: administrator, $64,728; chief of police, $54,060; deputy clerk, $17.70 per hour; public works full time employees, $25 per hour; police officer, $13 to $16 per hour; village president, $60 per regular meeting and $1,400; trustee, $60 per regular meeting and $750. The increase in elected official pay will kick-in after an election cycle.
