Is more than one really a good thing? (KJs expansion project)

 

Last week I posted this picture to my mayor's page and my page “blew up” as the saying goes these days. Per Facebook, over 1,100 people engaged in this one post and over 50 took time to post their opinion about it. Of all the things I have posted to Jeff Martin, Mayor since being elected back in 2016 this has generated more reaction than perhaps anything else I have ever posted. Talk about a picture being worth a thousand words!

In the entryway of KJs

Last year, KJs bought the building from the Kurschners with the
intention of expanding into what was once Family Dollar. They've made no secret about their plans. They have the general schematic posted in their entryway in a “preview of coming attractions” kinda of way. When complete sometime next year, the new addition will contain a bait shop, a bakery and a Caribou Coffee outlet.

The comments posted ranged the gambit from “neah” to “yeah” (honestly, more “neah” than “yeah”) and as much as I welcome any kind of comment to my page some of them are worth responding to if only to clarify a few matters.

There were several comments that essentially posed the question: “How could the city have allowed this?”

JYN: Couldn’t the City have said, “no” to the bake shop, chain coffee and bait shop? The Family Dollar is needed in town. And as others said, don’t need more bake shops, coffee shops or bait shops. Already have those.

BOS: Why coffee shop, bakery, bait shop?!?!?! Don't people realize it IS NOT BRINGING people to town it IS TAKING AWAY from the already great places we have!!! How about come up with something this TOWN doesn't have!! Same with the new liquor store! Sure didn't need it!!

L.S.: Doesn't make sense to me or a lot of people in this community to add a bakery, coffee shop, and another bait store. Why do you need 3 bait stores? Why do you need 2 bakeries? Why do you need 2 coffee shops? Seems to me the board who approved this doesn't have their community and local business owners' best interest at heart......

You can access our Code of Ordinances
from the city's website

So I placed a call to Joe Atwood the City Inspector to follow up on this question as I couldn't recall KJs ever appearing before the Plan Commission to get approval for their expansion. The answer, Joe explained to me, is in our Code of Ordinances, the “bible” by which we live. KJs is a business in what is defined as the Central Business District (CBD) and according to Sec 118-79:

• Sec. 118-79. - CBD Central Business District.

Purpose. The CBD District is intended to provide for the location of sales, service, cultural, entertainment and other activities which benefit from a central business location and pedestrian traffic and which cater to the general public.

Permitted uses:

• Any use permitted in the General Commercial District except for multiple-family dwellings.

• Hotels and motels.

• Theaters, bowling alleys and places of amusement.

• Drive-in restaurants.

• Taverns.

• Automobile service stations.

• Transportation terminals, not including trucking.

• Appliance and small machinery repair establishments.

• Retail stores and shops.

• Churches.

• Newspaper and magazine publishers.

• Private lodges and clubs.

• Apartments above the ground floor of a permitted or conditional use with a minimum floor area of 500 square feet.

• Marinas and related sales and service.

• Automobile sales and services.

• Uses customarily incident to any of the above uses.

So the answer to the question “How could the city allow this to happen?” is KJs did not need the city's permission to expand their business as the things they are planning to do are already allowed in the CBD. (The same goes for any existing business in the CBD who wanted to expand their current facility so long as it is covered by this ordinance.)

As much as I'm happy to join the chorus questioning whether or not the city really needs another bait shop, bakery or coffee shop (let alone another liquor store) it doesn't really matter what I think. This is America, the land of opportunity, a place to pursue your dream. The fact that someone else in our town may have the same dream as me is, in the end, irrelevant. The city sets the standards by which businesses will operate and then the principles of capitalism drive the market. Consumers frequent the places that provide good and friendly service at costs they can afford. Otherwise, they go elsewhere.

Cue "Those were the days, my friend,
I thought they'd never end..."

A few people made reference to the good old days when there were
four grocery stores in town, several filling stations (off-hand, places like the Chetek Museum, the Courtyard [aka Hope & Anchor/Whimsical Wares] and Great Pines Plaza all stand where former gas stations used to be) and a Ben Franklin to boot.

G.F.: Remember when we had Kirkwood's and Co-op grocery stores.
There was also Bill's Trading Post and I think his brother had a store on the north end of town. And we had a Ben Franklin! My kids loved that store

K.G. So sad. The bakery, bait shops and coffe shop we already have are pretty amazing. Why take away from these small family owned businesses? Especially after the year or two they have had...

What made them all go away? Well, two significant changes come to mind (there probably were others): Highway 53 became a freeway and WalMart came to Rice Lake. 15 minutes is all that separates a lot of people these days from cheaper prices for grocery and other items (like socks, as one individual lamented there not being any place in town now to buy socks these days.) There's just no denying the obvious that Rice Lake has been the retail center of the county for a long time now. We still have a local hardware store and lumberyard (thank God!) but the Big Chain stores have the ability to buy in bulk, something the smaller “ma & pa” stores just can't do.

As unsettling as the prospect of how their expansion may affect the Chetek Bakery, Hope & Anchor, and Rod & Gun, a few people made what I thought were good observations about the coming change:

NHH: No one can compare to your top notch customer service. Remember a great business owner loves competition. It creates more business and makes everyone evolve.

B.H.: New business, creates more business. Choices are nice. Pricing? Well It may cost a bit more for local but my time is worth something too. If I were vacationing I would rather not spend time chasing for some things. Local businesses may have quantities you want rather than a box of something you can buy individual. 

T.K.: Don't worry at all about this, or any other competition. Focus on what you're good at which is darn near everything and the competition will have no impact on you. Worst thing you can do is complain about it. Focus on being great and be proud of your service and product (which is all awesome!!!) and the sky is literally the limit.

Regardless of your age, change is not only difficult; it can be down right scary, too, especially if it looks like that change will cut into your bottom line. I recall one former restaurant owner giving me a piece of his mind from time to time because the city annually issues the license that allows the Panda Truck to set up shop every Wednesday on the south end of town. But the thing is they offer a service not offered anywhere else in town. I mean, where else are you going to get Chinese around here?

I expect a lot of us frequent the local businesses we do not only because we like to but also because we like the people who run their shops. When KJs finally turns on the OPEN sign in their new addition sometime next year, no doubt people will check them out and try their wares but ultimately they'll have to “win” their clientele just like Chetek Bakery, Hope & Anchor and Rod & Gun have to continue to appeal to their customers to keep them coming back for more. We can only hope that in the long run the change will be, well, good for everyone.

Going UP (water and garbage rates are soon to go up)

 

I hate to be the bearer of bad news but rates are going up – both water utility and garbage rates are on the rise and you should notice the difference as soon as your next water bill.

Effective October 1, our water utility rates went up. On average your monthly bill will be now approximately $7 higher for residential customers (commercial rates will go up as well but it may be higher depending on water use, etc). If you are a resident of the city you should have received a letter from the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin back in August informing you of the coming rate increase. It's not what I would call a quick-read, however, and rather on the confusing side as letters go but it tries to answer the “Why?” question.

I didn't read mine either

In case you glanced at it and tossed it out or misplaced it, here's the gist of what it says:

• A municipality can't just willy-nilly increase it's water rates because it wants to. There's a process to it. Earlier this year the Chetek Municipal Water Utility filed an application with the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSCW) to increase water rates. Why? Well...(no pun intended) the cost of doing business (i.e., such as chemicals, wages and other operating expenses) has gone up since January 2010, the last time water rates increased. That's right, water rates have not gone up in 11 years.

• How much more do we need to “break even”? Just shy of $57K which will mean an approximate rate increase of 15 ½%.
  

• Now here's where it gets a little technical (at least for me) so I'll quote from the letter verbatim:

  

  • The Utility currently collects $38,250 from the City of Chetek for providing public fire protection (PFP) to the City. This cost is approximately 28 percent of the total PFP cost. Additionally, the Utility currently collects a total of $97,837 directly from customers on their utility bills. This is approximately 72 percent of the total PFP cost. The total PFP cost of $136,087 covers the additional storage, pumping, and distribution required to provide the high flows and pressures needed to fight fires. The City collects the funds for the current municipal PFP charge of $38,250 from property taxes and pays this charge to the water utility...

  • Did you catch all that? Not only do we need to increase our rate because of the increased cost of doing business but to ensure the expenses inferred in fire protection are adequately covered. You know, Mrs. O'Leary's cow and all that.

Per legend it was Mrs. O'Leary's cow
which kicked over a lantern that
started the Great Chicago fire of 1871

You will see the difference in your next water bill due out in early November.

I also have to tell you that your garbage rates will be going up as well come January 1. Chetek is the only municipality in Barron County that runs its own garbage service. We do so because it not only pays for itself but it allows us to hire two public works employees as well. By county ordinance, all our trash goes to the incinerator in Almena. The county sets the “tipping fee” (i.e., the expense of dumping our trash at the plant) which is currently $72/ton.

January 2018 was the last time customer rates increased (even though tipping fees have since gone up). Come the first of the year, residential customers should see an additional $1.50 on their monthly statement while commercial customers should expect an increase of approximately 7% per month as well.

So there you have it, Ben Franklin's proverb regarding the certainty of death and taxes come home to roost once again. But it's part of the cost of keeping our books balanced and our small community viable.

Ben said it first

While an extra $8.50/month ($7 water and $1.50 garbage) or approximately $100/year doesn't sound like a lot to ask from our residents for ongoing water and garbage services, the city is very much aware that 65% of our population is on Social Security. Even the slightest increase in cost for services puts more pressure on households already trying keep their heads above water. One of the reasons we are pursuing the current housing development on Knapp Street is to increase the number of taxable units in the city. More tax revenue means the love, as it were, gets spread even further. Of course, nothing is going to change on that end for at least another year or so but your council is busy seeking to grow our town and attract more residents to our community.

City Clerk Carmen Newman, Deputy City Clerk Cassandra Larson and Water Utility Clerk Mark Eby stand ready to answer your calls and field the questions this post may have raised for you. Please call 715-924-4838 Monday thru Friday between 8 am -4 pm.

The new docks are IN (Stout Street and Knapp Street docks)

 

The new Knapp Street dock

At long last, the new and expanded city docks are IN. Constructed right here in Chetek at Lake Country Custom Docks (Lake Country Custom Docks), Stout Street dock was expanded from a 1-slip dock to one that can now accommodate 4 boats. The new Knapp Street dock – located at the corner of Mound and Knapp – is a 3-slip dock. With the placement of garbage cans at both and a porta potty at the Stout Street location, they are now officially open and ready to receive watercraft.

Three years ago, following a year-long survey in which the city solicited input from locals and guests alike on things that would enhance their experience in the City of Lakes access for boaters to the downtown business district was one among many other suggestions we received. First Ward Alderman Scott Bachowski got the ball rolling and the council first looked at expanding the Stout Street dock from a 1-slip dock to an 8-slip one. Due to concerns expressed by the neighbors that it could potentially make their quiet corner of town a lot more noisier, the council then began to have a conversation about the narrow strip of undeveloped land at the corner of Mound and Knapp Streets.

Knapp Street shoreline before improvements

Since improvements

People have been having fun on our lakes
for many a year

According to one of the lifelong residents I know, way back-in-the-day, when the Blueberry Express still brought tourists to our town, for those vacationing on the island, a wagon would pick them up at the depot and transport them to this little spit of land at the end of what is now Knapp Street. A ferry then would take them OUT to the island from there (mind you, this was way before the causeway was built). The depot and the days of when passengers came to the city by rail are long gone but the city has maintained ownership of this small tract of land ever since. We just decided that the time had come to do something with it.

The hope of creating two smaller docks instead of one larger and longer one is that traffic and trash concerns that the neighbors understandably have will be mitigated. The Stout Street dock is wheel chair accessible. The Knapp Street dock definitely is not. In fact, it's a bit of climb up the ramp to Mound Street but given the possibility that there may be Native American remains beneath the soil (it is called Mound Street for a reason) we wanted to avoid the expense and the time involved in an archaeological survey. Lake Country assures us that the ramp is safe even when wet but all the same it's a good thing it has hand rails.

Stout Street dock before improvements

Improved Stout Street dock site

This project cost $22,800 (including the purchase of the new docks and prerequesite tree removal at the Knapp Street location). We want to thank everyone who gave and contributed to the dock expansion cause to a total of $13,150 including:

Sterling Bank

Community Club

Xcel Energy

Lion's Club

Chetek Chamber

Resort Owners Association

TLS Companies & Marquee Construction (Todd & Heidi Severson)

Sweetwater & Fostbites (Jason Fostvedt)

David & Linda Mickelson

Larry & Vicki Hagness

Michael Hover

Red Cedar Riders

Rod 'n Gun

Bill Waite

The remaining balance of $9,650 will be appropriated from both the Park Development and Fixed Asset funds.

The new docks will be governed by the same rules that apply to our parks in that they will be open from 7 am to 10 pm and overnight docking is not permitted. While there are no parking meters at the docks the rule of thumb is that boaters will observe a two-hour limit. Those who use the Knapp Street site, where there is no fencing to indicate the next-door neighbors' property, boaters are kindly reminded to stay on the ramp and respect private property.

These are great additions to our city and I think will prove to be assets for both downtown business owners and the folks that pull up at one of these docks to frequent their favorite dining establishment or pick up what supplies they need for their stay in the City of Lakes.

That's A Wrap (enter the BolaWrap)

 

Last night at our regular monthly meeting, the city council approved unanimously to appropriate a penny less than $2,100 (i.e., $2,099.99) given to the Chetek Police Department from the Law Enforcement Foundation of Barron County (LEFB) to purchase two bolawraps (and plenty of cartridges to fire them).

The LEFB is a non-profit local

organization (Law Enforcement Foundation of Barron County) that is dedicated to wherever they can pick-up the slack for Barron County police departments who have enough to fund their operations but not enough for other tools in their tool box that can make their job both safer and more effective. Last night, with the help of the LEFB, CPD picked up another gadget – or actually two – that if needed can help restrain a resisting subject without having to taze them. It's called the BolaWrap. As Chief Ambrozaitus put it, “it's like Wonder Woman's lasso without the truth”.

One of Wonder Woman's gadgets is
the lasso of truth

It seems like on a regular basis there's a story on national media outlets describing police having to detain a resisting suspect who is brandishing a knife and threatening to harm himself or others. These are potentially very dangerous encounters for both the suspect and officers. With a single shot, however, they can be temporarily immobilized allowing police the extra seconds they need to disarm them.

Here are two videos – one for promotional purposes – and the other (following the council meeting last night) of Chief A allowing Officer Breidenbach to use him as a guinea pig to demonstrate to the council how it works. (“It's the only time she will be allowed to do this,” Chief says). 

Just like any other device the police employ officers have to be certified in the proper use of it and each member of the department has already been so certified. While we can hope our officers rarely have to use the device, it's good to know they have it should the need arise. Ultimately, we want our men and women in blue to get home safely after their shift is over and those who are resisting arrest be detained in the most humane way possible.

Just to clarify (a response to the Chetek Ambulance Commission and Concerned Citizens of Chetek)

 

Last week's Alert

If you're a regular subscriber to The Chetek Alert you're aware that there seems to be a dust-up of sorts lately between the Chetek Ambulance Commission (CAC) and some of their personnel as well as with the city itself. In last week's Alert there was a letter from the CAC and a large three-column ad taken out by the group calling themselves the “Concerned Citizens of Chetek”, made up of an anonymous group of “members of the ambulance service”, seeking to address “negative attention” of late from (among others) “the city of Chetek”.

There was way more to this ad

On the main, the bulk of the ad seeks to clarify things that one of their employees and members of his family said at a recent city council meeting. Given that the city does not run the ambulance service I am not going to comment on internal matters nor pick a side in that dispute. That is a personnel issue that the CAC is responsible for resolving and it's not our place to meddle. But given we are a paying customer at the table – a customer, by the way, who in the last few years has seen significant increases to our annual subsidy – I think it's fair for us to have a better understanding how that dollar figure is arrived at.

Honestly, up until last November, most of what I knew about the CAC I learned through 4^th Ward Alderman Mark Edwards, our representative on the commission. But on the morning of November 7 after receiving a call from an upset owner of one of our local restaurants who wanted to know why one of their customers was laying on the floor for 45 minutes awaiting an ambulance, I've tried to learn a few things more. Granted what happened on that morning was something of a perfect storm but we were out of service that morning and I wanted to know why. Since then I've attended a few CAC meetings in seeking a better understanding of just how it works.

With regards to the EMTs who man the rig and come running when we are in need, it cannot be said enough how grateful we are for your service. This isn't your primary job and we appreciate the sacrifices you make to provide emergency services to our citizens. If we have a bone to pick, it certainly isn't with any of you. But given that subsidies have increased significantly over the last few years it is not for nothing that without coordination every single council member and myself were in attendance at the CAC's April meeting. We have questions that we're seeking answers for and if you feel unfairly treated by our increased attention to the commission that hasn't been our intention.

As far as the commission offering to post a regular column of sorts in The Chetek Alert or at a social media site that might be a good thing to better educate all of us of the challenges of your industry that most of us are not aware of. But the bottom line for every elected official, every member of the commission included, is to be able to assure those who put us in those places of authority – the taxpayers – are getting the very best service that our tax dollars can afford.

Zooming in on City business

 

One of the staples of all municipal government is the monthly common council meeting. I don't know how it goes in other communities but per ordinance (Article 5, Section 2) our regular common council meetings are held on the second Tuesday of every month at city hall. And with exception to matters covered under Wisconsin State Statue 19.85 (dealing with personnel and other contractual matters) these meetings are open to the public.

But in case you hadn't noticed, a pandemic changes everything including how a city conducts its business.

During the shut-down last year city hall continued to conduct day-to-day service even though we were closed to the general public. This past summer we opened up again but put a limit on how many people could attend both city council and plan commission meetings. This fall we began holding our meetings via Zoom. Speaking only for myself, a child of the 70s, up until last year the only thing called Zoom I was aware of was that 70s PBS kids' show by the same name. There would be a drum roll and then those bare-footed kids would come running out singing the Zoom song:

We’re gonna ZOOM, ZOOM, ZOOM-A-ZOOM.

I used to watch it now and again

Come on and ZOOM-A, ZOOM-A, ZOOM-A, ZOOM

Come on give it a try

We’re gonna show you why

We’re gonna teach you to fly - high!

Come on and Zoom! Come on and Zoom Zoom!

Obviously, I'm dating myself. Nowadays the only Zoom that matters is the platform that allows people to connect and communicate with each other remotely. Pretty much all municipal departments employ it these days – plan commission, the library board and Lone Oak as well. Meeting this way allows us to still communicate together and prevent the spread of airborne diseases, particularly Covid-19.

Personally, I don't like to meet this way as it seems so artificial and stale. Think about how much communication is made up of the non-verbals and simply being in a room together. And heaven help you if all you have is buggy-speed internet. But given the current state of affairs, it just seems to be the more prudent thing to do for the time being.

Speaking from personal experience, council meetings BC (Before Covid) were, with few exceptions, sparsely attended. Up until the shut-down at my own expense I would put out juice, bars and cookies to help lighten the mood and encourage greater participation from the public to no avail. After all, unless an agenda item directly affects you who wants to spend an hour or more on a metal chair on a weekday night as the council slowly works through its business? There are, it would seem, a lot better ways to spend your evening. But I will say this: since we began broadcasting our meetings via Facebook LIVE, our meetings have been viewed several hundred times. Of course, it doesn't mean that those who tuned in watched the entire meeting but it's way, way more involvement than we've ever had before.

One of the staples of every monthly meeting is PUBLIC COMMENTS. That's where any member of the public can show up and speak their peace about matters that concern them. While the council can't take action on what that person says, they have their attention for the next three minutes. Complaints, ideas, concerns – you name it, we want to hear it. But how does it work now that our meetings are digital?

Here's a couple of ways:

• Join us tomorrow night (the link changes from month to month):

  • Join us on-line by following this link: https://zoom.us/j/95773118201?pwd=akZKaEgySDlLVU5kMUhKVjAwRUlMZzo9

  • Meeting ID: 95773118201

  • Passcode: 602802

• Join us.

  • Dial in by phone 1-312-626-6799 and listen in

• Watch us.

  • Via the City of Chetek's Facebook LIVE or Chetek Alert LIVE feeds.

  • Feel free to type your comments preferably at the front end of the meeting when normally PUBLIC COMMENTS occur.

If four years of mayoral service has taught me anything it's that when people are truly upset or concerned they find a way to let me or other members of the council know about their ire or their reservations about any particular matter. It doesn't mean we jump on it and get right what is perceived wrong but we do try and hear people out and see if we can address what they see as disconcerting. 

Going digital, even if it is ultimately only in the short-term, is not meant to cut the public out or conduct our business on the “down-low”. We have big decisions to make regarding “Area 51” (the 39 acres on Knapp Street) and our future Waste Water Treatment Plant (to name two items) which will become a reality in the next few years. As we make our plans and plod forward we hope we're doing our best to keep everyone who wants to know in the loop.

Funny you should ask: Who ya gonna call OR What's going on with our ambulance service?

This past Saturday morning I got a call from a local restaurant owner who asked me pointedly, “What's going on with our ambulance service?” She then began to relate to me that one of her customers was in need of medical assistance and had laid on the floor “for nearly an hour” before an ambulance arrived. If you read this past week's Chetek Alert you may have caught the article Short of EMTs, Nov 7 medical 911 calls had longer response times (Section A, Page 5) which gives a more detailed account of the particular circumstances that led to the unique situation of an unconscious man waiting nearly 50 minutes before medical personnel arrived. What gives, you ask?

Read all about it (Chetek Alert)

Well, first let's be clear: The City of Chetek does not run the ambulance service. We do not run the fire department either. Both entities are run by commissions made up of representatives from the city and the surrounding townships which contract with the ambulance and the fire department for services. Chief Ryan Olson is not a city employee, either. The only departments that we truly own are the police department and the department of public works. Otherwise, we're a paying customer just like the other neighboring townships are.

Given the fact that our subsidy for ambulance services was north of $40K in 2020 and looks to be a little more than $46K in 2021, shouldn't we expect 24/7 emergency services? I had a conversation with Chief Olson this morning about the ambulance service in general and about November 7 in particular.

According to Olson, nation-wide volunteer departments like Chetek's are in the same boat scrambling to fill their shifts. There are just not as many EMTs out there as there once were. At the present time there are 23 individuals on his roster all of which are part-time. That is, driving the ambulance or riding shot-gun is not their full time gig. Many of these same individuals are already working in the health care field and are often picking up extra hours at their present place of employment. Only three of the twenty-three live within the city limits. The rest hail from around the county and, in one case, another state.

The log says it all

Due to the demographics of our current roster, the main challenge for Olson is filling evening or weekend shifts. As The Alert reported, on the weekend of the 7^th our own ambulance service was out of service (on account of lack of staff to work the weekend). At the time that the 911 call was placed for the patron at our local restaurant, there were already four ambulances in Chetek responding to calls between 9:30-10 a.m.: Marshfield Medical Center (Rice Lake), Mayo (Barron), Bloomer Community (Bloomer) and Rusk County (Bruce) (and therefore the 48-minute wait time before help arrived). It was, if you will, a “perfect storm.” All total there were 11 EMS calls made this past weekend where help had to come from elsewhere to assist those here with medical care.

Olson explained to me that by ordinance the Chetek Ambulance Service does not triage care. That means that if a 911 call comes in for a student with a broken arm at the school and shortly afterward a call comes in on account of a major accident out on Highway 53, they respond to the incident at school as it is literally 'first come, first serve.' Only dispatch can re-direct them otherwise.

And I haven't even mentioned how the reality of Covid-19 is placing even greater stress on an already undermanned force. In the last week alone there were 30 calls just for Meadowbrook alone. The ice, as it were, is getting pretty thin.

20% of the time
CAS is out of service

In my conversations with local commissioners they assure me that what happened last weekend won't happen again but given the reality of the current health emergency we are all living with I'm not sure they can promise that. In the meantime the city is exploring its options regarding contracting with another ambulance service. That's not meant to be a threat. But the fact that 65% of our population are senior citizens, generally the most medically frail in our community, we should do what we can to make sure that the very best service we can afford is available when someone picks up the phone and dials 911.

If you would like to speak with Chief Ryan Olson of the Chetek Ambulance Commission (CAC) you may do so by calling 715-764-5788.

If you would like to speak to the City's representative on the CAC, please call Alderman Mark Edwards at 715-914-9122.

As always you may call the Mayor to lodge your concern about this matter and any other matter by calling 715-925-6078.