VILLAGE OF PEWAUKEE
SPECIAL VILLAGE BOARD MINUTES
August 20, 2024 – 5:00 p.m.
https://www.youtube.com/live/F0gYn2Pn5AI?si=VmkqTsUwXIn7uaJx
1. Call to Order, Pledge of Allegiance, Moment of Silence, and Roll Call
President Knutson called the meeting to order at approximately 5:00 p.m. The Pledge of Allegiance was recited, followed by a moment of silence.
Roll Call was taken with the following Village Board members present: Trustee Heather Gergen; Trustee Bob Rohde; Trustee Kelli Belt; Trustee Chris Krasovich; Trustee Kristen Kreuser; Trustee Jim Grabowski; and President Jeff Knutson.
Also present: Baker Tilly Representative, Matt Stark; Village Attorney, Matt Gralinski; Village Administrator, Matt Heiser; and Village Clerk, Jenna Peter.
2. Old Business
a. Continued Hearing on an Appeal of the 2023 Fire-EMS Protection Fee Filed by Cecelia Senior
Homes, LLC Regarding Real Property Located at 1061 Cecelia Drive and having Tax ID No. PWV
0902-996-008 and Possible Action Thereon
Attorney Gralinski explained this is a continued hearing from the May 21, 2024, Special Village Board Meeting. There were presentations from Cecelia Place’s attorney, Kristina Somers, former Village Administrator, Scott Gosse, and Matt Stark during that meeting. The meeting was also live-streamed and is available to view on YouTube. Gralinski further explained the Board made a motion to table the item pending receipt of further information from Baker Tilly. That information has been provided in a memorandum in the agenda packet.
Matt Stark gave his presentation. He explained he did a quick recalculation of the Care Home and Senior Living parcels, and the bottom line is that the Care Home category generates 6.34 ESE’s. The Senior Living category is only generating 3.16 ESE’s. Trustee Gergen asked if any had been mis-classified or mis-calculated on the original allocation’s spreadsheet. Stark stated the only error he found in the spreadsheet related to multi family units that were not populated in the spreadsheet. He had recorded the error in a memo in November 2023. That error was remedied, and no classifications of properties were changed.
Attorney Somers gave her presentation. Somers stated that most of the calls in the original Baker Tilly report are EMS calls; 2,211 for EMS and 374 Fire. In the event of an actual fire, Somers would anticipate that these types of calls would generate a higher cost associated with them. She does not have that data if this is the case; however, believes it would be fair and reasonable to separate out Fire from EMS into separate allocations. For Cecelia Place in particular, all calls were for EMS and none were fire calls. At the previous meeting, Matt Stark stated the call volume for 1061 Cecelia Place was 87 calls from 2019-2022. Somers stated that were some alarm activations, no fire, unintentional. In taking those out, the total number of calls should be 76. At the most, the fee should be adjusted down based on the usage which would be $51,993. The Cecelia Place Fire and EMS fee right now is about $65,000. Additionally, Cecelia Place had essentially the same number of calls as Hawthorne Place (81 calls) and they are being assessed at 1 ESE. Somers also stated that the data is from a limited time period of 3 years and handed out a spreadsheet to the Board with data based on the time span of 9 years. Cecelia Place has had a total of 171 calls in a 9-year period. Somers stated that Hawthorne Place had more calls than that and is requesting to be adjusted to a 1 ESE category.
Trustee Gergen asked Attorney Somers to clarify that she wants Cecelia Place to be equated the same as Hawthorne Place even though Hawthorne Place has 104 units and Cecelia Place has 57 units. Somers stated yes because the fee should be based on usage and Cecelia Place has the same number or less calls than Hawthorne Place does.
Somers also brought up occupancy being an issue because there are times where there will be more room vacancies. Trustee Grabowski stated there is no methodology that the Village could come up with to consider a kind of census number. For example, single-family homes could have a single person living in them versus a family. Trustee Belt the fees constantly fluctuating if it was based off of census data.
Trustee Krasovich asked Attorney Somers what differentiates Cecelia Place from Hawthorne Place? Somers stated the calls are almost identical, but there is additional care and additional services provided at Cecelia Place.
Trustee Rohde clarified that both ambulance and fire trucks will go out on EMS calls. As far as the equipment being used, it is the same so it would be difficult to split those services out. As far as time one scene, there will be more for fire calls.
Trustee Gergen moved, seconded by Trustee Krasovich that the fees assessed to 1061 Cecelia Drive are fair and reasonable by the current terms of the Village Ordinance. The Property is properly classified as a “Care Home” because the facility provides care services to its residents.
Motion carried 7-0.
3. Adjournment
Trustee Gergen moved, seconded by Trustee Kreuser to adjourn the August 20, 2024, Special Village Board meeting at approximately 6:05 p.m.
Motion carried, 7-0.
Respectfully Submitted,
Jenna Peter
Village Clerk