Cadott Village Board - Residential and industrial can sometimes clash

Joe Barone referenced ordinances Nov. 6, for the Cadott Village Board, as he seeks a resolution to an issue with a neighboring property owner. Photo by Ginna Young

By Ginna Young

When Joe Barone bought his residential property on East West Street in Cadott, he didn’t see much of a problem coming from neighboring property owner Jon Bowe, who is zoned industrial. But, since acquiring the parcel between the two properties, Bowe has expanded his logging business to what Barone feels is encroachment.

Barone appeared before the Cadott Village Board Nov. 6, to air his complaints and ask that the ordinances on rodent control, noise limitations/pollution, industrial, outside storage of firewood and fences, be adhered to. Barone admits that every landowner is entitled to use their land for enjoyment of life, but not so as to disturb or injure the adjoining landowner.

“With everything that’s going on – the unsightly, the noise, everything – it’s going to diminish the value of our property,” said Barone.

He also feels the amount of wood is old and must be rotting, creating a health hazard, leading to vermin moving in, such as woodchucks, opossum and many cats that he’s already seen on security cameras around his property. Barone pointed out that woodpiles must be kept off the ground in an industrial situation, something that is not done on Bowe’s property.

“These lumber piles are right on the ground,” said Barone.

Lumber piles must be stacked no higher than six feet tall, but Barone believes Bowe has his stacked at least 30 feet.

“If that stuff starts on fire, from a safety aspect, I don’t know how you guys are going to put that out,” said Barone.

Barone also laments the lack of a buffer screen, such as trees, bushes or a fence, which abutts the residential district. Because of the noise from the neighboring endloader, firewood processing and log tumbler, it can get very loud for the Barones. Barone also doesn’t like that work begins by 6 a.m.

As a resident near an industrial parcel, Barone asked that the village enforce the ordinances and, hopefully, straighten out the matter.

“I’m not trying to shut him down,” he said. Bart Chapek, village trustee, wants to hear what other neighbors in Barone’s vicinity say about the matter, but agreed that the village needs to delve further into the issue.

“It needs to be addressed and it will be addressed,” said village trustee Eric Weiland.

Also heard from, were Dante and Kylie Martino, who just purchased a house in Cadott, but were not aware they could only have two dogs. They removed their third dog from the village limits, in order to abide by the ordinance.

“We would like to be able to bring her home,” said Kylie.

The dogs are all up-to-date on vaccinations and wellbehaved, as well as residing in a fenced-in yard. Chapek says it would be hard to enforce any ordinance, if they allow a third dog, in this instance.

However, the board is not unsympathetic, so they will hold a public hearing on the matter, where neighbors can speak if they have issues or are in support of bringing the third dog home. It will either then be approved or denied, based on public feeling.

To facilitate that, the Martinos filled out a kennel license with the village.

“I think that’s the step that should be done,” said village president Randy Kuehni.

Something that did get approved, was the village garbage and recycling services. Previously, Waste Management was the provider, at $2.72, per household, per month. But, recycling is every other week, with an increased charge of $7.15, per user, per month.

Waste Management also will no longer offer curbside pick-up for the special garbage days twice a year, but would instead have Cadott residents take their extra garbage to a designated spot with dumpsters.

Therefore, the village went with GFL, for recycling pick-up weekly, at $4.25, per household, per month, with no fuel surcharge. For an extra 25 cents, per user, GFL will drive by and pick-up the extra garbage twice a year.

“Hate to switch, but it sounds like that’s what we have to do,” said Chapek, while Weiland said he’s heard nothing but good things of GFL.

Todd Seeley, village trustee, asked if they’ve raised the haulers’ street charge, as the fee is woefully low.

“I haven’t raised it yet,” said village clerk April Bruhn. It was agreed that all garbage haulers will need to pay the fee.

The board also approved a Certified Survey Map for Tom Kucera.

“He wants to split it, I haven’t heard what he wants to do with it,” said Bruhn.

Members also approved the village tax levy of $609,851, and accepted the $3,600 that was left over from the initial playground equipment project. The remaining funds were turned over to the village for whatever needs they deem fit for the playground.

“That’s why it was donated,” said representative Emily Drilling.

Trustees also accepted the resignation of public works employee Terry Hladilek, agreeing to advertise for either a full-time or part-time worker, depending on the situation and qualifications.

Resident Cookie Kaste was also on-hand, to ask the board what to do about her recently purchased land, wanting to know about street rights. The property is marked as a future street for development. Kaste wants to thin trees and eventually build a house in a few years.

Kuehni promised that they will have engineers look into the property history and dig deep to find the heart of the matter.

“I just want to find out what I bought,” laughed Kaste. Kaste also shared survey results of where the village residents think the library should be located. For the Mills Street site, 54 residents were in favor of that, while 122 thought Main Street is the place for the library.

Because they were given money for the site on Mills Street, Kaste says the Library Building Committee is in a delicate position. She also mentioned that the Main Street sites would be around $4 million, while Mills Street is $3 million.

There are many variables about the availability of buildings on Main Street, but regardless, the library would have to raise money before they can apply for funding through a grant. Lynn McIntrye, Cedar Corp., said they have to have documentation in place, that the money is in the bank, to prove they are shovel ready, before applying for a $1 million grant.

“That’s an important piece to it,” said McIntrye. Kaste wanted to make sure the village board will support the location the library chooses, but without the money to go ahead, the matter is almost a moot point. Some members also felt that the survey results should be honored, since that was the point of sending out the questionnaire.

“My feeling is, the people have spoke,” said Kuehni.