Possible school site use reviewed

NEW BREMEN - Village officials are turning their attention to the elementary school site after voters last week approved a pair of levies to build a new K-8 facility.

"I want to thank the voters for their support of the school levy, and we look forward to that happening and all the possibilities with housing that has been talked about," mayor Jeff Pape said at Monday's regular council meeting.

Pape was referring to preliminary discussions about using the site for housing once the elementary school is demolished.

Council members heard first reading of legislation authorizing the village administrator to contract with an engineering firm to review the area's infrastructure to prepare for future building plans.

The 7.46-mill New Bremen schools construction levy and 1-mill permanent improvement levy passed with 62 percent of the vote, with 845 voters in favor and 511 against. The new levies will help construct a new $20 million K-8 building adjacent to the current high school.

Along with the new elementary building, the project will include limited renovations to house grades 6-12, parking lot improvements and paving. The current elementary school eventually will be demolished.

Also on Monday night, councilors discussed at length how to handle the dirt for a proposed sledding hill at Bremenfest Park. Officials plan to use dirt left over from the recent public works building project and the new EMS/police building project for the sledding hill. However, councilors questioned if the dirt could be hauled directly to the park and dumped at the site of the proposed hill, saving the expense of moving it twice.

However, administrator Christine Dicke opposed the idea.

"I am not against a sledding hill, I am against reacting without getting the proper engineering on a possible 40-foot hill. We need to have a plan," she said.

More discussion followed, and councilors directed Dicke to seek engineering plans for the hill and store the dirt at the village grass disposal area.

In other action, council members,

• approved final reading of legislation appropriating annual donations to the emergency squad and the New Bremen swim and dive team in the amounts of $15,000 and $7,300 respectively.

• approved an emergency measure authorizing Dicke to seek bids for the 2017 OPWC street resurfacing project.

• suspended the three-public-readings rule and approved a resolution authorizing Dicke to acquire bids for two spare transformers: a 2500 KVA and a 1500 KVA transformer.

• learned the flooring in the restrooms at the pool will be replaced by Minster Concrete Coatings personnel at a cost of $9,500 prior to the summer season.

• learned swimming pool season tickets will be sold at the pool from 10 a.m.-noon May 20, and from 1-3 p.m. May 21.

• after a 35-minute executive session, councilors announced a restructuring in office positions. The change will now title both office employees as utility clerks. Previously they were listed as clerk and assistant clerk.

• Pape announced a schedule has been set to rotate banners on the village poles.

The new veterans banners will be displayed for the first time from May 22-June 2, and then again the first week of July and finally in November for the week of Veterans Day. Bremenfest banners will be displayed in August, and the Cardinal banners will hang during the football season.