Old junior high walk-through reveals mess inside

By Sarah Nigbor

ELLSWORTH – After many closed session special village board meetings and candidate interviews, a new Village of Ellsworth administrator clerk-treasurer has been chosen. Brad Roy will begin in his new role Sept. 26, 2022.

The Ellsworth Village Board approved Roy’s contract at the Monday, Aug. 29 special board meeting. His salary will be $90,000 per year.

Roy has served as the Pierce County Zoning Administrator since August 2014. Before that, he was a zoning specialist with Pierce County from March 2005 to August 2014.

In his cover letter to the village, Roy stated, “I understand the importance of providing quality public services for a community. I am passionate about public service and enjoy working with elected officials to help make a community better for its residents. I have been fortunate to been given an opportunity to expand my roles and gain valuable experience.”

The village received six applicants for the position and four moved forward for interviews: Adam Newton, Roy, Mark Albarado and Jamie Feuerhelm. Two rounds of interviews were conducted.

Former Administrator Clerk-Treasurer Nicole Stewart was let go following performance reviews held in a closed session special village board meeting Monday, June 13. At the time, Village President Becky Beissel said the decision wasn’t taken lightly.

“While I’m not able to discuss personnel matters, I can say that the decision to terminate the contract of employment with Administrator Clerk-Treasurer Stewart was one the board did not take lightly, but one we felt was in the best interest of the village,” she said in June.

Stewart, an Ellsworth native, had been with the village since April 2020. She replaced long-time Village Clerk Peggy Nelson, who held the position for 34 years.

Former junior high

The village closed on the former junior high property at 254 S. Chestnut St. on Aug. 1. Before closing, vil- lage ovcials were allowed to do a walk-through of the building, which contained inches of standing water in some locations. They learned the windows were kept open year-round to keep the growth of black mold at bay.

“It was disappointing, yet not surprising, to see the current state of the interior of the old junior high building,” Beissel said. “What was once a substantial institution in our community was left to rot over the last couple of decades to a point where it looks like the set of a scary movie. I, myself, along with so many others have fond memories inside those walls and it’s sad to see what it’s become. However, it is ex- citing to finally be able to do something about this major issue in our community. I know our Board and Community Development Authority will work hard on the smartest and best path forward with demolition and development.”

The village board, plan commission and the joint TID review board have all approved the creation of Tax Increment District 12, which will help the village recoup any costs associated with demolition and development. Demolition of the building is estimated to cost around $1 million.

According to Beissel, the CDA is still in the early exploratory stages of determining what kind of development will take place at the property. The goals are to increase housing, create a gem in the community and produce enough of a tax base to fully pay back the TID.

At the Aug. 18 CDA meeting, Beissel said committee members brought examples of housing projects to dissect and discuss the pros and cons. No development projects have been chosen.

Updates can be found on the village website, at upcoming Village Board and CDA meetings, on Facebook, and in the quarterly Village newsletter. Residents are encouraged to attend meetings to provide input.

Other business

• The board approved Aug.

25 a payment of $86,223 for the Isabelle Creek stream bank project ou County Road C. BS Construction of Elmwood performed the work, meant to stabilize the stream bank and prevent erosion.

• At that same meeting, the board approved change order request #21 for the Ellsworth Public Library project at 388 W. Main St. for $14,934.

Village of Ellsworth officials were able to see the interior of the former junior high at a recent walk-through. The village purchased the building at 254 S. Chestnut St. on Aug. 1 with plans for demolition to come. Photos courtesy of Village of Ellsworth