ELLSWORTH – At the Monday, Dec. 5 Ellsworth Village Board meeting, the board voted to extend the sunset date for reduced residential and commercial impact fees in hopes of drawing more development.

The village has approved this reduction for the past several years. The current ordinance will now sunset on Dec. 31, 2023.

“By waiving impact fees, the village had done this for several years now, it’s to try to promote new construction,” Village President Becky Beissel said.

Impact fees are paid when someone builds a house or business, covering community needs such as sewer, parks, etc.

“The impact fees are broken down into various categories,” Village Attorney Bob Loberg said. “You could have one for a new library building or a sewer plant. The idea is to capture money to pay for the impact that the home will have on the village.”

Loberg said the village has 10 years to use impact fees once they’re paid. He advised it’s worth looking at requiring them again as a village funding source.

“I guess my thoughts are, since we are still in this transition of trying to get a handle on things, let’s keep it rolling for another year and look at it next year,” Beissel said.

The board agreed unanimously.

Other business

• The board will consider moving village board meetings to 6 p.m. at its Tuesday, Jan. 3 meeting.

• The board approved Market & Johnson October invoices for 388 W. Main St. totaling $8,745.81.

• The board approved a 4% raise for all Public Works Department employees in 2023, the police administrative support payrate of $23 per hour in 2023, and a part-time police officer payrate of $25 per hour in 2023.

• The board approved moving the full-time office assistant to a deputy treasurer position with a 3% pay raise in 2023.

• The board approved creating a deputy clerk position (eliminating the part-time office position). This new position will be 40 hours per week with benefits with a pay range of $23 to $25 per hour.

• Changes regarding PTO, drug and alcohol testing and voting leave were approved in the employee handbook. “The tone of it is so much more positive and pleasant, so I really liked the changes that were made,” Beissel said.

• The board approved a mobile home park license for Peak Holdings One LLC for Evergreen Estates for 2023. The company is based in Sunriver, Ore. The license, per state statute, costs $200 per year.

• Officer Hamilton resigned Dec. 2 to take a position with Pierce County Sheriff’s Office; Sgt. Darren Ekholm resigned his sergeant duties effective Dec. 11 and returned to a patrol officer status. Chief Eric Ladwig plans to advertise the sergeant position.

• The board awarded the sale of $330,000 general obligation promissory note to Bremer Bank at 4.4%. The amount is pre-payable at any time over a 10-year period.

• Beissel, Clerk-Administrator/Treasurer Brad Roy and Library Director Tiffany Meyer are working on a Vibrant Spaces grant application for the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation which could result in up to $50,000 to transform the library’s exterior and add interactive art beneath the former drive-thru area at 388 W. Main St.

• The village is looking at applying for a Clean Drinking Water grant to fund sewer system improvements on Piety and Grant streets. The application deadline is June 30.