Fall Creek Village Board approves first reading of measure to change downtown parking in village

FALL CREEK - The first reading of an amendment to change Fall Creek village ordinances concerning parking in the downtown business district was approved by the village board during its April meeting held back on the 13th at the current Village Hall.

The amendment would allow future parking lots only as a conditional use and only as an accessory to a principal structure. The amendment passed unanimously upon first reading. Second reading was made at the recent May meeting of the Board and was also approved

In other agenda items from the April meeting of the Board, plans to rezone several lots on Adams Ave. from Two-Unit Residential (R2) to Twin Homes were unanimously approved along with new library/village hall construction pay requests for ∙RJ Jurowski for a net due of $547,677.70 and for Haas Sons for a net due of $293,507.74. The oath of office to newly elected Board members was given by Clerk/Treasurer Renee Roemhild to Village Trustees Ryan Aylesworth, Bryan Kaatz and Curt Strasburg.

A special meeting of the Board was held back on April 16 at the current Village Hall. Approved at the meeting unanimously was a bid to Atmosphere Commercial Interiors for $379,940.71 to provide furniture for the new library/village community center and a request of Fall Creek Youth Sports to install pitching backstops in Keller Park.

The first meeting of the Board in its new term took place on May 11 at the Village Hall. Various appointments and committee assignments for the new term were reviewed and approved

A second reading of amendments to the village zoning code concerning commercial districts was approved after its first reading was made the month before,. The Board approved the village audit report for 2025 from auditors Dan Carlson & Madison Hageness. Their report stated their audit opinion is "unmodified" which is the highest level of audit a municipality can receive. They stated the Village was in good financial position.
Also approved new village library/community center construction pay requests for RJ Jurowski for a net due of $643,764.20; for Tanner Excavating for a net due of $110,698.00 and GRD Masonry for a net due of 23,090.00.

The Village's Inland Lake Protection & Rehabilitation District Commission held its quarterly meeting during the regular Board meeting. Trustee Ryan Aylesworth thought the Board should again consider dredging the pond to cut back on sediment and improve water flow and pond look. Dredging, the way the pond needs it, would cost well over $5 million dollars. Board consensus was that village taxpayers would not be able to support that. After some discussion over sediment traps, board consensus was to get a rough order of magnitude, high-level engineer’s estimate on what could be done to maximize the effectiveness of the current trap.

After a closed session, Board members agreed sell the lot in the business district at the discussed price. There's was also a closed session beforehand with respect to litigation in which the Village is or is likely to become Involved. No action was taken coming out of that closed session.

In the June meeting of the Board back on the 8th, new village library/community center pay requests were unanimously approved for RJ Jurowski for a net due of $476,330; for Tanner Excavating for a net due of $16,149.17 and for an associated change order of Tanner Excavating in the amount of $16,149.17 to install a new hydrant; for Haas Sons for a net due of $53,360.45 and for Haas Sons in the amount of $15,000 for the dewatering incident.

All village retail licenses for alcohol and cigarettes were unanimously approved with a special probationary clause for Avon WI LLC in regards to recent failed compliance checks selling tobacco to minors. All; garbage hauler licenses were approved as well.

The Board also unanimously approved the Downtown Business District Façade application of Thomas Lillevold for 115 E Lincoln Ave to reside the east side of his building; approved a Certified Survey Map (CSM) for a new Dollar General store in the village contingent upon completion of the remaining clerical revisions to the satisfaction of the Village Administrator Jared McKee, approved the Building Code Services Agreement with
Eau Claire County, approved the purchase of two selected stainless-steel refrigerators for the new Village Hall and two selected white refrigerators for the break rooms and approved the village's CMAR report.

The Board voted to direct McKee to begin the draft process of the short-form water rate increase application and bring it back before the Board.

The Board went into closed session twice, one concerning utility easement litigation and the other on a possible land sale. Coming out each closed session the Board approved a). send the letter regarding closing any pending litigation as talked about in closed session and b). to enter into negotiations regarding the possible sale of land as talked about in closed session.