GAYS MILLS - The biggest news at the Gays Mils Village Board meeting on Monday, Feb. 5 was delivered in the public input portion of the meeting, when Martha Querin-Schultz announced the village had been approved a state-funded planning grant.

The Wisconsin Economic Development Grant would fund up to $25,000 per year for two years to hire planners, designers and architects to create a plan for using the space across the parking lot from the Gays Mills Mercantile Center, Querin-Schultz explained.

The designated area in question currently includes an under-used public space known as the plaza. Querin-Schultz and other members in the Gays Mills Connect Communities group dream of building a pavilion on the current plaza site.

In approving the grant, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation officials were asked about the possibility of including landscaping plans in the adjoining village-owned lots.

WEDC officials told the group to use the grant to include the entire block.

Phase 1 would focus on building the pavilion, but the planning grant would include the entire block and could involve future housing and commercial development grants.

Querin-Schultz told the board that Gays Mills was one of 10 communities accepted for the grants. 

It was a fast turnaround. Querin-Schultz approached the board at their meeting held in January seeking their approval to apply for the grant. Five weeks later, she was able to announce the village had been selected for the grant.

From there, the board moved through the agenda rapidly. 

Village board election

The board heard a report on the current state of village board election, which included the news that one candidate had filed papers to run as a registered write-in for one of the three vacant village trustee seats. Kim Pettit, who filed the papers, is a former Gays Mills Village Trustee. Pettit joins incumbent trustees Nathan Eitsert and Kevin Murray in seeking election to the village board. Incumbent trustee Lee Ruegg is not running in this election.

However, unlike the incumbents who filed their papers earlier, Pettit’s name will not appear on the ballot. She is running as write-in candidate.

Gays Mills Village Clerk Dawn McCann told the board that other papers to run as registered write-in had been given out, but Pettit was the only one to return her papers so far.

McCann also told the board that registered write-in papers can be filed until Friday prior to the election on Tuesday, April 2.

New business

During the new business portion of the meeting, the village addressed the situation involving two parties who previously have selected village lots in the redevelopment area to build houses. Neither has begun construction and some of the delay may be caused by not get funding.

The board which has given extension on starting date for building in the past, agreed to have the Lot 27 deadline extended to September 11, which is already the deadline for Lot 24. By September 11, owners of both lots must have started construction or have plans in place to do so.

The board also took up the situation at 212 Main Street, the old Gays Mills Community Building, where renters are renting spaces upstairs to work in, but not live in.

Each rental space pays the village $100 per month. The $200 goes toward paying the building's utility bills, which are more than$2,400 per year.

However the renters only use a very small second floor space compared to the total size of the building.

In answer to a question. village clerk Dawn McCann confirmed that heating costs. She said the heat cost more than $500 for the building during a recent cold month.

Some board members questioned whether rents should be higher to cover these costs. It was pointed out that building’s first floor is rented and/or used for other activities. Other users include the monthly Second Harvest Food Pantry and weekly pickle ball play. Additionally, the building is often rented by others for a variety of events.

Do rents cover expenses? Clerk Dawn McCann was tasked with finding the expenses for the building and the income derived from renting the facility.

Beaver issues

One of the last items the board addressed was ‘beaver issues.’

Gays Mills resident Robin Babb, who owns property just north of village-owned property on Highway 131, presented his problems with beaver dams and water diversion being caused by them.

“The dam needs to come out,” Babb told the board.

The water being backed up by the beaver dam is making it impossible to go across his property.

“Something needs to be done,” Babb said.

Gays Mills Village President Harry Heisz told Babb that the village was working with a trapper to try and remove the beavers, but he had not caught any yet.

“We’ve done trapping and other things….but right now we have water backed up into the pasture," Babb said. 

Heisz asked Babb to allow the village more time to see if the beavers could be trapped.

In other business

In other business, the Gays Mills Village Board:

• approved spending federal COVID Project funds on buying $1,600 worth of fire hydrant markers/bags that will help responding firefighters locate working hydrants in an emergency

• learned that village attorney Elizabeth Brownlee was retiring and Eric Hagen, who has been shadowing her would be taking over and agreed with village president Harry Heisz to leave the relationship with the firm in place

• set the next meeting time for March 4 at 6 p.m.

Following a closed session discussion, the board reconvened in open session and extended the deadline for swimming pool applications to March 4.

The board also approved requesting legal advice on a village procedure.  And, requested having the village clerk provided village disconnection procedures for water and sewer.