Lake Holcombe Town/Sanitary Board - Sharing is a way to make things easier for everyone

Jeff Anders, Lake Holcombe Sanitary Board chairman, discussed May 9, about what a joint agreement would look like between the sanitary board and the Lake Holcombe Town Board. It was agreed the sanitary building would house the office and the town shop could provide space for larger sanitary equipment. Photo by Ginna Young

By Ginna Young

Now that there is a new Lake Holcombe Sanitary Board, it was decided a meeting was needed May 9, with the Lake Holcombe Town Board. Some items to be discussed included where the exact boundaries are of the sanitary district.

As it was laid out, the boundaries include all of the township.

“It is a separate entity…but we are also under control of the town board,” said sanitary chairman Jeff Anders.

Since the town and sanitary employees often overlap work, it was suggested that an intergovernmental agreement needs to be drawn up, stating what each entity’s responsibility is. Brian Guthman, town chairman, also wanted to share buildings and equipment.

That way, the town employees could have their office at the sanitary building, instead of at the town shop, which creates a lot of dust to keep files and computers in, with one internet and/or phone line, and who would pay for that. They could also store bigger equipment at the shop.

“These guys are going to be working together, I don’t know that that would be a problem to do,” said Guthman.

The only concern for town roadman Ben Jordan, was insurance liability, but town clerk Tracey Larson pointed out they could combine the policies.

“That may even lower the costs,” said Anders. “We just have to figure the logistics of everything,” said Guthman.

After the joint meeting, the town board conducted their own business, including reports that there is a green light from the DNR to go ahead with plans for a satellite fire station in Holcombe. The Fire Board can now move forward, but have to show where the wetland will be avoided, in order to apply for a driveway permit from the county and a few other things.

“Plenty of room to build in there,” said Guthman. Guthman also shared that there are cameras at the County Hwy. M bridge, which are activated by traffic passing.

“If you drive across that bridge with something too heavy, you’re going to get caught and going to be paying big fines,” said Guthman.

There is a funding problem, as numerous signatures were collected to pass onto Sen. Tammy Baldwin, requesting federal funding to replace the bridge. Now, however, according to Guthman, Congressman Tom Tiffany refused to consider the request at the federal level, citing he doesn’t like line items.

“That’s how municipalities get big chunks of money to do things,” said Guthman.

Despite Tiffany saying he wouldn’t change his mind, even with a barrage of messages from his constituents in Holcombe, Guthman asks that people still contact Tiffany, sharing why they feel funding the bridge is important.

During the meeting, the board adopted the Chippewa County ATV/UTV ordinance for Lake Holcombe, which allows law enforcement to write citations easier, if everyone is on the same page. It also brought some surprises to light for the board, as to the requirement for operating an ATV/UTV on roadways. “You have to have a drivers license,” said Guthman.