By Gail Peckler-Dziki ~ Correspondent
At the regular Randall Town Board meeting of June 27, the board approved chip sealing for 117th ST, 118th Streets 385AV, 383th Avenue and 88th Place for $30,265.00. The chip sealing process is also called black boiler slag.
In this process an oil base is spread on the road and small chips of stone are laid on that. This process lasts longer than crack sealing. It also takes several days to a week before car tires and shoe soles stop picking up black material. The board said residents should exercise care, because that black material will transfer from shoes and ties onto the next surface they come into contact with.
“People should make sure they wipe off their shoes before entering homes,” supervisor Mike Halverson warned.
Crack sealing in the Knolls, Jefferson Island and Meadow Acres Subdivisions for $13,500.00 was also approved. This process involves simply laying sealant on cracks and while it extends the life of the road, it does not last as long as chip sealing. Fahrner Asphalt Sealers is the vendor for both projects. According to town officials, the work will be done when the company has crews in the area on other jobs.
Rock Fest gets approval
The conditional use permit required for the 95 WIL Rock Fest was on the planning and zoning board and town board agenda for June 27.
The event is planned at Show Hill Ranch on Saturday, Aug. 24 from noon to 2 a.m. Several planning board members wanted to table the item because no representative showed up to answer questions.
Planning Commission chairman Charlie Gitzinger said that he saw no problem to send a recommendation to the town aboard and then on the county for the permit. Commission member George Bailitz commented, “They shouldn’t expect a rubber stamp. I think we ought to table this item until someone is here to answer questions.”
Commission member Paula Soderman was concerned about the hours, which is noon to 2 a.m. “I think that 2 a. m. is too late for the loud music to end and that time should be changed to 1 a. m.”
Town chairman Bob Stoll pointed out that the event lasts only one day. “They held this fest last year,” Stoll commented. “There were no complaints.”
He further stated that the town has a long-term relationship with the group and that if the town tabled the item, it could prevent the event from occurring at all, since there was a deadline to receive county approval.
The board approved a motion to send a positive recommendation to the county with a stipulation that a representative appear before the town board in the future for any more conditional use permits.
Safe Harbor tabled again
The town currently contracts with Randall to accept stray dogs when no owner is found. For the past three years, Randall paid Safe Harbor a yearly retained of $206 that allowed the town to bring strays to that facility. Safe Harbor wants to raise that up to $226.50 a month.
Last year Randall paid a total of $2,472 to Safe Harbor and brought in four dogs. That’s $618 a dog.
In 2009, the Wisconsin state legislature passed a bill under then Governor Doyle that put restrictions on puppy mills but it also impacted Wisconsin veterinarians that took stray dogs. After the bill passed, vets in the area passed on contracts to handle stray dogs for municipalities.
The town cannot pay the new July bill of $226.50 unless the board approves it. The board tabled it and the bill will not yet be paid.