Chamois aldermen, at their meeting last Wednesday, came to an agreement with the delinquent water customer against whom the city had recently won a court case. 

Judge Sonya Brandt ordered Julie Walls to pay $3,229.99 plus court costs of $37.63 for a total of $3,267.62. At the time of the meeting, she owed a total of $3,089.98. Walls met with the board and offered to pay half of the bill immediately, make a monthly payment of $100 per month, and pay the remaining balance in July. She cited health issues that have prevented her from working.

Aldermen were clear that if Walls did not make the monthly payments, the water would be turned off immediately. She responded that that would not be an issue with her health issues resolved, and she was back at work full-time.

Aldermen were not overly enthusiastic about setting up another payment plan.

“The court asked us to work with her,” Mayor Elise Brochu said. “I think that it’s reasonable if she keeps up with the payment plan.”

Chamois will restore Walls’ water once payment of $1,544.99 is received.

In other business, aldermen approved dropping the minimum water bill of about $34 for the old Chamois MFA. The new business, Chamois Ag Supply, received the statements for both businesses, and the city charged the minimum water fee to both accounts.

“Normally, this is how we would charge for a transition,” Brochu explained. “They do not think it seems reasonable, but that is just how the system works.”

“I’m fine if (Chamois Ag Supply owner Mike Nolte) is paying the whole works to just charge him for one minimum charge in this special case,” Aldermen Marty Gerloff said.

“I don’t like special cases,” Brochu replied.

“We do them all the time,” Gerloff said. “Anyone who wants to spend that much money to help Chamois needs a break.”

“He’s doing a lot for the town,” Brochu agreed.

Chamois will take the minimum fee off the bill for MFA.

In another issue with the city’s water bills, Heritage Bank disputed a water bill indicating they owed $506.44 on a piece of property they owned from April 3, 2020, to July 8, 2020. Heritage Bank contends that they only are responsible for $106 of the bill. It is unclear who is responsible for the remaining balance. Brochu and Birmingham will do additional research and bring the bill back to the board for discussion next month.

  Aldermen have approved $200 per month for Mayor Brochu to spend on a summer program for the kids in town. 

“I would like to figure out something for the kids this summer to give them something to do,” Brochu said. “It’s going to be summer soon, and the kids are going to need something to do.”

“Anything positive for the kids, I’m for it,” Gerloff said.

“Yeah, they’ve got nothing,” Alderman Jim Wright agreed.

City Clerk Meghan Birmingham and Brochu will work on putting together a monthly program that will start in May and run through September.

  Alderman Jeffrey Connor is looking into a permit to put a crosswalk to get to Riverside Park. Connor will start the permit process, and then the city hopes to use Transportation Alternative Program (TAP) grant to fund the project.

Connor will report back to the mayor on the cost of the permit.

  Resident Bobby Simkins asked the board to look into the floodplain permit issued to Bobby and Misty Slusser. 

“When Bobby Slusser built up his area, it messed up or blocked the natural water flow,” Simkins’ daughter, Wendy Binggeli, explained. “It literally floods my mom’s backyard every time it rains. There is even water under her house.”

Simkins showed pictures and video of her flooded yard.

“It is like this all year long,” Simkins said, noting that she had tried to talk to the Slussers about the problem and had not received much of an answer. 

“The terms of their permit were they could do it only if the water didn’t drain into anyone else’s yard,” Brochu said.

“Well, it does,” Simkins said. “I had all grass before, and for the past year, I haven’t been able to use my property at all. I’ve spent hundreds of dollars on soil and heirloom seed, and it’s all gone.”

“I can’t even mow back there,” Binggeli said. “I get stuck in the middle of August.”

Brochu will look up the permit and asked Simkins to send the pictures and videos of the flooded yard to the city. Aldermen discussed going to look at the drainage ditch that runs behind the properties and consider a solution.

“I’ll have to talk to (the Slussers) because it is really their obligation to fix this, and they will have to figure it out,” Brochu said.

  The city will donate the use of Riverside Park to the Marty and Danielle Charlton fundraiser that is scheduled for May 7. The one stipulation is that the $100 refundable deposit is made for the park. The Chamois Lions Club is already committed to donating the hall for the fundraiser on that date.

  Chamois did not have an election on April 5. Birmingham explained the names were not put on the ballot because an email with that information did not go through to the county clerk. Brochu will talk to City Attorney Amanda Grellner and see what needs to be done. 

“We had two open seats on the board, and we only had two people file,” Brochu said. 

Brochu noted that if the city must hold an August election, the paperwork will have to be filed by May 24.

  Chamois is waiting on applications to become available for new funding for the water project. Nothing else has changed for the water project, according to Brochu.

  The Chamois Lions Club has plans to clean up the lot donated to the city.

  Aldermen approved unpaid bills totaling $8,091.90.

 The city had the following ending balances in their accounts: cemetery fund ($10,286.17), general fund ($28,885.04), water fund ($165,283.51), sewer fund ($76,395.54), Community Development Block Grant ($1,250), city park ($2,531.59), American Rescue Plan Funds ($38,606.84), sewer bond reserve ($26,650.30), sewer repair ($6,916.43), city cemetery ($20,253.97), meter deposits ($22,251.44), and water repair ($28,923.97).

  The next meeting is scheduled for May 18 at 7 p.m.