PESHTIGO – During the City of Peshtigo Common Council meeting on Aug. 5, the main topic of discussion revolved around the sewer system and water ways.
The council approved the low bid from Sabel Mechanical, LLC for the Wastewater Treatment Facility Secondary Clarifier Sludge and Scum Collector Replacement Project to be funded through the Clean Water Loan Fund.
The total bid came in at $1.8 million, which included the $1.4 million base bid and $342,000 for stainless steel clarifier components. Director of public works Matt Decur explained that using stainless steel will prevent corrosion and reduce long-term maintenance labor for upkeep.
Decur then shared that a notice was given to the city from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) that PFAS test results from the past two years came in “slightly higher than the target rate.”
In an effort to minimize PFAS, the city has been asked to complete a Wastewater PFAS Minimization Plan. This plan will involve public education, listing potential sources and creating a plan to investigate them. From there, the city will conduct more sampling and testing over the next seven years with the goal of reducing PFAS levels seen at the treatment plant.
Engineering firm Ruekert & Mielke will create the final plan for a projected cost between $7,500 and $12,500 and submit the plan before the September deadline.
Ruekert & Mielke will also complete a drone survey and storm water study of the east side for a total of $27,000.
In other department news, the resignation of Decur was approved. He shared that he accepted a position as the highway commissioner of Door County.
“We are excited for Matt and this wonderful opportunity, but we are also very sad to see him go. It has truly been a pleasure working alongside him, and I have appreciated his knowledge, leadership and dedication to our city. Thank you for all you have done for Peshtigo, Matt. Door County is lucky to have you, and we wish you nothing but the best in this next chapter,” City of Peshtigo Mayor Katie Berman shared online.
Berman and City of Peshtigo Parks and Recreation Director Lori Tonn then discussed the city’s DNR Stewardship grant application for a weed harvester.
The city previously projected the cost to be $283,400 and applied for a 50% state match of $141,700. However, the program funding was cut by 90%, which made the application much more competitive than it had been in the past.
Berman and Tonn expressed frustration with the process, sharing that they learned municipalities were applying without completing harvester management plans.
Municipalities were also applying for loans before receiving grants. Both of these actions were in the “gray area” of what is allowed, the DNR officials shared with them.
Due to the point ranking system the City of Peshtigo is not set to receive a significant portion of the funding. The council then discussed their two options for the weed harvester project — leaving the application open in case higher ranked projects drop out or fix the pump on the current harvester.
Tonn spoke against repairing the current machine because it could cost upwards of $4,000 just for the pump when more aspects of the machine are most likely broken.
Ultimately, the board decided not to take any action on the pump since it is late in the summer already. They plan to discuss more options going forward.
The council continued with police department updates, including the hiring of David Oginski and Mackenzie Teske. Both individuals have over five years of previous experience and will fill part-time positions.
A variety of financial items were then approved by the council, including payments of $25,602.50 to Motorola for invoices from 2022 - 2026 and $44,405.25 to Axon for invoices from 2024 - 2026 as well as a budget transfer of $12,500 to cover a 2022 police cruiser replacement transmission.
A 2026 Silverado 1500 fire/EMS incident command vehicle from Tim Witt Chevrolet was purchased for $50,719. The council also approved a quote of $20,709.27 from N.E.W. Vehicle Solutions, LLC to outfit the department’s Dodge Durango police vehicle.
In additional actions, the council approved a pay application for $12,603.00 to Balestrieri Environmental & Development, Inc. for asbestos abatement of the Landmark building at 310 Oconto Ave., contingent on receiving the final closeout documents. They also approved the five-year TOP Dog Park Lease spanning from 2027 through 2031.
The City of Peshtigo Common Council will meet next on Sept. 1.
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