by Joseph Back

“From what I can tell your street was de- signed to flow into the existing outlets and go down,” Ayres representative Lisa Fleming told the Council Monday August 1, re- ceiving an avrmative reply. Starting earlier this year, an electrical contracting business named RESCO out of Hudson, Wisconsin expressed interest in land in the East Business Park.

The parcel, located east of Junction Avenue, requires an extension of Pine Street, as would other businesses the city hopes to attract should they choose a site nearby.

Acting with motion by alderman Kevin Hendrickson seconded by alderwoman Laurie Foster, the Council approved engineering

See COUNCIL, Page 10

Lisa Fleming of Ayres Associates was on hand at the August 1 Council meetings the council moved to approve Ayres for professional services on the Pine Street extension. Photo by Joseph Back. COUNCIL

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firm Ayres Associates of Eau Claire for the Pine Street ex- tension work, with a certified survey map prepared by Rick Denzine of Denzine Survey ing Inc.

As to general updates from Ayres, Fleming said that work on South Broadway was still waiting on the dewatering permit from the DNR, while a CDBG grant for street work from the state needed 60 percent design to have a chance.

“All of a sudden everybody does their budgets and they do them in November and want the work in January,” Fleming said of municipal government and road projects.

Also in streets but separate from Ayres, a motion was made by Kevin Hendrickson seconded by Laurie Foster to recommend street painting on all four corners of East Dodge Street, along with all four at Fourth and North Franklin, with addition of bus stop only. First and Franklin—said to be the worst corner in town when it came to school bus passing violations—was also singled out for yellow paint.

Meanwhile, there was green to talk about—the green Emerald Ash Borer, that is.

Native to Siberia and first found with regard to North America in Michigan in the early 2000s, the pest has spread, decimating ash tree populations continent wide.

Targeting ash trees specifically laying eggs that then hatch to larvae and burrow in to eat the tree’s innards, the ash borer is driving ash tree species to functional extinc- tion, first confirmed in Stan ley on First Avenue last year, and since spreading to Second Avenue, with a dead tree canopy visible at Chapman as well. As the nest defense is a good ouense, the time is now to get the ash borer under control, the city feels.

Approached by Joe Karlen of Argonne Timber in February on a plan to remove and replace the city’s ash trees before they become a liability or hazard, the City of Stanley plans to put out the mammoth

size project for bids to diuer ent area contractors, with two separate bids to be made.

The first, which would take out trees marked with red dots while leaving those with white dots for the present, is a more gradual approach to the project.

The second bid would take out all trees, both those with red and those with white dots. John Hoel laid things out in his report to the council.

“All of the information for the ash tree survey has been turned into City Hall for the bid process to begin,” Hoel told the Council. “We would like to have the contractors bid the project two ways. One with removing all of the ash trees and one with only the trees that are marked with red paint to see what the price difference is.” Appearing before the Council during public comment meanwhile was Marthamae Kottschade, speaking in reference to a proposed Heroes Tribute Park, which couldn’t get underway until the ash tree situation was addressed, as a concrete pad for the tank would be involved. Kottschade was told to get the topic on a future meeting agenda, while Kevin Hendrickson made a clarifying note.

“She’s not here asking for money,” he said, with Kottschade saying she would take care of finding funding for the proposed park and already had verbal commitments from some.

As to the fire department, Fire Chief Korey Hagenson spoke to the Council on establishing a graded pay scale, with new hires making less and those with training and experience making more. The change with adjustment was estimated by Hagenson to have cost $100 more than the present budget had a change been approved last year.

“I don’t want the raise,” he told the Council Monday August 1. What he does want, is a graduated pay scale that rewards firefighter longevity and training, as well as rank for those who will be making calls on a scene. Currently each firefighter makes $16 per hour regardless of experience or longevity. Having a pay scale that rewarded making it through 90-days schooling and staying on as well as higher pay for ovcers who would make the calls on a scene, meant better service. Some had questions “So you said if we did this it would only be $100 more than last year,” Holly Kitchell said. “How does that work if there’s a raise?”

The way it worked, it was made clear, was to have those just entering the department start out lower, while those with schooling and experience would make more, in line with the risk taken on.

“When they’re on scene they’re the ones that are going to be making the call. If it goes to court, they’re the ones that are going to have to answer,” Hagenson said of com- mand stau. A pay scale in line with the increased risk, made sense. The final decision is yet to be made on the matter.

Expect changes at the intersection of East Dodge Street and Fourth Avenue, along with two Franklin Street intersections, as the city moves to make these areas safer with yellow paint to indicate ‘no parking.’ Photo by Joseph Back.