Funny you should ask: what qualifications do you need to be a municipal judge?

 

Judge Jack's last official day behind the bench

After 10 years of faithful service as Chetek's Municipal Judge, Jack Harrison has decided to step-down mid-term from his post. Since two years remain on his current term, I have appointed Paul Poppe as interim Municipal Judge effective June 1. In 2025, when Judge Harrison's term of office officially expires (four years is the municipal judge's term), Paul can decide if he wants to take out election papers for himself. Until then, he's our man behind the bench at municipal court.

Paul receiving the honorary gavel
from Judge Jack

Shortly after posting this news to the Mayor's Facebook page, I began to get inquiries about why I chose Paul and how I could do so given that he is not an attorney (since 2015 Paul has served Faith Baptist Church as pastor). So I thought I give a little civics lesson with this article as a way of answering those questions.

If you go to the City of Chetek's website and click on “Departments” followed by another click on “Municipal Court” you will find the following information:

The City of Chetek is served by a municipal court that adjudicates all municipal ordinance actions.  The actions taken are related to:

• Traffic Laws

• Building Codes

• Animal related violations

• Adopting State Statutes relating to behavior, alcohol and other aspects of the law.

So, if you are issued a citation for (as an example) speeding or (as another example) your dog barking incessantly and you wish to contest that charge, you call the Court Clerk (Ashlea Olson) and she will arrange your day in court. Court is usually held twice a month. While you are free to hire an attorney, I have it on good authority that most folks choose to represent themselves. The city attorney lobbies the city's case and the Municipal Judge then serves as judge and jury. And his rulings are final.

The number one requirement for serving as Municipal Judge is that you must be a city resident. That's it. You do not need to be an attorney (Judge Harrison is a retired teacher) or have a background in criminal law. Previous municipal judges have been business owners or, in one case, a deacon at their church.

According to State statute, “each new municipal judge is required to attend the municipal judge orientation institute held in May. Each sitting municipal judge must earn at least four credits of approved continuing education per calendar year” (Wisconsin Courts). Paul recently returned from his very first “Municipal Judge U”. While there he was “coached up” and was introduced to the network of municipal judges on this side of the State who connect with one another for the purposes of sharing judicial knowledge.

I have known Paul for over 30 years now. He is a husband, the father of nine wonderful kids, a pastor of one of our local fellowships, and someone I consider a friend. I have always found him to be a straight-shooter who possesses a great sense of justice. And he lives within the city limits. If those aren't qualifications enough, he's also been an umpire at local little league games adjudicating the high crimes and misdemeanors of the ball diamond. I'm certain he will serve our community well in the capacity of MJ.

One of the most dangerous jobs out there:
being a Little League ump

Welcome Officer Salzman

On the same day Paul was sworn in at City Hall as Municipal Judge,
Officer Ryan Salzman was also sworn in as the newest member of our police department. He immediately comes to us from the Cornell PD but has had stints serving at the Fort McCoy PD, Baldwin County (Alabama) Sheriff's Department and has worked in a law enforcement capacity with both the Army and the Air Force. While serving with Fort McCoy PD he received the Federal Commendation Medal for Operations Allies Welcome (the federal program designed to secure housing and employment for 70,000 Afghan refugees following our withdrawal from Afghanistan in the fall of 2021).

Ryan has his EMS licence with the Cornell Area Ambulance Service and his certification in Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Respond Training (or ALERRT), an active shooter response training program, and ARIDE (Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement) which prepares police officers to conduct various drug-impairment detection tests for use in drugged-driving investigations. So this isn't his first rodeo. While he can never replace Officer Emily Breidenbach, he is a welcome addition to our Chetek PD family. By all accounts he seems to be fitting right in.

In memory of Officer Emily A Breidenbach

Emily with Officer Grizz

 Over the last few days I've given a number of interviews for several news outlets all wanting to know who Officer Emily Breidenbach was and what her loss means to our community. Where do you start? How do you do justice to any individual who passes unexpectedly and, in her case, in the line of duty?

Trying to be concise for their purposes is difficult. We have lost a darn good officer who wore a badge, carried a gun and helped maintain the public's safety. But like all good officers she did so much more than enforce the law. She built bridges into our community with kids and adults alike. In our schools, on our streets, downtown and around.

I first met Emily when she was a young girl back in the 90s. Her dad was our Chief of Police then and she would spend time at The Garage, the youth center that used to operate where AutoZone now is. From time to time I'd give her a ride home after we closed up shop. Many years later while on a ride along with now Officer Breidenbach we shared a laugh as our roles were now reversed and she was giving me a ride (and fortunately - for me - not in the back seat!)

My favorite picture of Emily (right) with another
fine officer in Lt. Jessica Larson (left)

Our son, Charlie, is on the autism spectrum and loves to build Legos models. In 2021 he was working steadily on a 6000+ piece model of Hogwarts Castle (of Harry Potter fame). Every day I was posting his progress on Facebook so that his grandparents and our friends could enjoy the journey with us. One early evening there was a knock on our front door from Lt. Jessica Larson and Officer Emily. They were stopping by as they wanted to see Charlie's work up close. I can tell you, Charlie was a bit curious why anyone would be interested in his work but in what town do you have two officers make a house call just to ooh and aah over someone's labor of love? This, in a nutshell, is what kind of Officer Emily was.

Not only did I get an education
but she gave me a treat to go with it

On that ride along I did with her on that Friday evening in May, she
bought me a cone at DQ, she followed up on a tip of someone who was attempting to solicit illegal drugs, she did a welfare check on an elderly resident and pulled someone over for an OWI. All in a day's work (or, in that case, a night's work). Personable and caring but professional and competent when duty called. In the last year, she took point on Chetek PD acquiring a therapy dog and became Officer Grizz's handler, yet another bridge into people's lives.

Serving dogs at the National Night Out

We have all lost a wonderful member of our Chetek family. May God bless her family, both her parents and siblings as well as the greater fraternity of officers which she was a member of. It's dangerous world out there and we will always need people like her to suit up and go into harm's way on our behalf. Thank you Officer Emily for your service. May God bless and keep you always.

Reading to a classroom of kindergartners
on Dr. Seuss' birthday 

requiescat in pace

Hats off to Gail Frye

After 45 years of service to the City of Chetek, Gail Frye is calling it good and retiring for the second time. She doesn't want a party so I've decided to salute her with this letter to the editor that will appear in this week's Chetek Alert

Dear Editor:

Gail

Something a bit historic is happening this Friday: Library Aide Gail Frye is retiring for the second time from employment with the City of Chetek. Between 1975 and 2002 she was employed at City Hall in various capacities including Water Utility Clerk and Head Bookkeeper. After about a two year hiatus she was employed again in 2002 at the Calhoun Memorial Library where she has worked ever since. But come Friday she's checking out of the library and this time for good.

What do you remember about 1975? For those of us locally whose memories stretch back that far you may recall that a gallon of gas at Gulf Gas Station (now the home of Hope & Anchor and Whimsical Wares) ran you 53 cents and it cost you $2 to get into the Lake Theater (now home of Auto Zone) to be scared out of your swimsuit that summer watching Jaws. Clumsy Gerald Ford was President and Archie Bunker held court every Monday night in his iconic arm chair on channel 8. As Archie and Edith would croon, “...those were the days.”

Before it was a Gulf Station
it was Cities Service
(can you see the future Hope & Anchor?)

When the Chetek Youth Center Project (aka The Garage)
first took ownership of this building and began remodeling it
we found the old proscenium curtain of the Lake Theater 

The summer of 1975  you could hardly get me in the lake
let alone think about swimming in the ocean

Archie was the prognosticator of all things
politically incorrect

Chevy Chase had an ongoing bit on SNL
having fun at our 38th President's renowned clumsiness

Well, from the mid-70s to the turn of the millennium (and a few years beyond), Gail worked faithfully at City Hall at times hand-writing out residents' water bills. For the last 19 years more than likely she expedited your book selection at the library. All total that comes to about 45 years of faithful service to the residents of our community.

She refused a party. Apparently we threw one for her back in 2002 when she retired the first time and she feels one is enough. So if you'd like to stop by the library on Friday to wish her a “fair thee well” into her second retirement, I'm sure she would appreciate it. Thank you, Gail, for your many, many years of service to our city. We wish you the very best on your second retirement. But, of course, if you get bored, currently there are two openings at the library and I'm sure Emily would be happy to have a conversation with you!

Sincerely,

Jeff Martin, Mayor of Chetek

And the winner is...

They will be our general contractor
for the future WWTP

 As I'm sure you're aware, the City of Chetek is at the beginning of a
major municipal project. Our current waste water treatment plant (WWTP), though continuing to function with passing grades from the state, no longer can meet the new water quality standards set by the DNR. No upgrade to our current system will do. There is no software program that we can download (especially because the technology we're running on is from the 1980s). Nope. We got to start from scratch. And, of course, these things aren't cheap to design or build.

Last Tuesday night in council chambers the common council of the City of Chetek officially awarded the bid to Market & Johnson of Stillwater, Minnesota to be the general contractor for our new waste water treatment plant. Construction will begin as soon as the snow goes.

They did that

You may have heard of them as they were the prime movers behind the remodeling of the L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library, the new transit facility and the Children's Museum, all of Eau Claire. On January 19, in what was described to us as a competitive bidding process, the envelopes were opened and of the four general contractors they had the low bid (and by USDA rules a municipality that receives USDA funding has to take the low bid).

Not a long commute for these guys

What's even more gratifying to learn is that many of the sub-
contractors, who will be doing the lion's share of the work, are local including Stout Construction (who will be handling all the earthwork), Huff Concrete of Chippewa Falls, B&B Electric of Eau Claire and J.F. Ahern of Menomonie. Not only is it great to employ local workers it also helps in the event of a hiccup in the project to not have to wait to hear from “headquarters” a state or two away.

The Roberts' plant was real
intriguing

We'll be using a system akin
to what Bloomer is using

This process towards a new WWTP actually began back a few years ago when the DNR informed us that essentially we were on the clock to construct a new plant. Over the last few years, the council has made a few field trips to neighboring communities to inspect their plants (specifically Roberts and Bloomer) before settling on a sequencing batch reactor model (combined with a reactive sand filter) much like our neighbors down the road from us in Bloomer use.

Tia was the 2022 American Council
of Engineering Companies (ACEC)
of Wisconsin
Young Professional of the Year recipient

That was 2021. It takes time to design and engineer these kinds of projects and now that we've reached this stage in the process a year and a half later our costs have gone up. At our meeting last week, Tia McCarthy of CBS₂ , the engineer overseeing the project, carefully walked us through from where we've been and brought us up to where we are now. In 2021, our estimated costs of design and construction was $20.6 million dollars (a little over half of which will be paid by the USDA). Today this same project will run just shy of $25 million or a difference of $4.2 million from the original estimate. What gives? Simple. Inflation and economic forces outside our control. Them's the breaks.

Here were the principal bidders

Here's the fine print

We've already begun the process of applying for additional grant and/or low interest loan money to cover the $4.2 million. As soon as the snow field in the south industrial park evaporates come March or April, expect to see the blue trucks of Stout Construction begin to shape and level and move earth making way for the plant that has to be operational come November 2024. Make sure to look either at the City of Chetek's or Jeff Martin, Mayor's FB pages for updates and pictures as we slow-walk through from first turned dirt to ceremonial “first flush” toward the end of next year.

Coming soon to an industrial park near you

Pennies from heaven: The second installment of the American Rescue Plan monies

 In March of 2021, President Joe Biden signed into law the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). Regardless how you feel about the wisdom of whether or not Congress should have appropriated this $1.9 trillion aid package by a certain equation every municipality and township in America received a little slice of the pie. In Chetek's case, that piece amounted to $219,280.62 sent to us in two equal installments of $109,640.31 in 2021 and 2022. While an accompanying government document outlining what these monies can and cannot be used for came with each disbursement distilled into layman's terms the gist of that hundred-page manual is: “Here's some money to alleviate your pain and suffering brought about by Covid-19. Spend it wisely.”

In my dreams

No doubt if anyone of us suddenly received an approximately $220K windfall we would be both ecstatic and energized to build that deck complete with hot tub and any other multiple home improvement projects that have been on our wish list forever. In municipal spending terms, however, it amounts to, essentially, pennies from heaven. But since they're ours to spend as we see fit here is how we allocated the first $109 thousand:

2021 disbursement

• $5,482.00: Donation to the Chetek Area Ambulance Commission (CAAS)*

• $9,317.00: Purchasing a sound system for council chambers

• $24,200.00: Municipal parking lot behind Home Town

  

  Nearly done

  
  Pharmacy**

• $58,000.00 Boat landing improvements to be done in 2023***

• $7,945.00: Rip-rap for both the Stout and Mound Street docks

* This was a request by the CAAS to all participating townships. The common council decided to allocate 5% of each disbursement for the purchase of new equipment for the CAAS. This money has been set aside and as soon as these items have been ordered we will forward the money to them.

** Technically, this project is not yet complete. The parking lot has been formed and paved but we ran out of weather before parking lines could be painted. These will be painted in the spring of 2023 and money from the first ARP installment has been set aside for this purpose.

*** The boat landing located where the Hydroflites perform is in need of serious improvements that will be done in 2023. This money has been set aside for this project.

If you do the math, that leaves $4,696.31 left which we are allowed to carry over to this year.

Last Tuesday night at a special meeting the council decided to allocate this year's disbursement in the following manner:

2022 disbursement

• $5,482.00: Donation to the Chetek Area Ambulance Commission (CAAS)*

• $5,000.00: To purchase/build a shed for the attendant at the compost site.

• $24,999.00: For sidewalk replacement in the downtown business

  

  Since 2017, the council has designated
  funds annually to replace old and
  deteriorating sidewalks in the downtown
  business district

  
  district**

• $10,000.00: For the re-surfacing of the airport runway***

• $15,000.00: For handicap access doors at both The Center and The Calhoun Memorial Library****

• $10,000.00: For the purchase of new holiday décor for the downtown business district.

• $5,000.00: Toward the development of a new athletic complex at Gotham Park*****

• $5,000.00: Toward the purchase of a new downtown wireless sound system******

First, it should be clear that these are approximate numbers and with the exception of the handicap doors for The Center, no bidding has yet been done. Otherwise here are some explanations:

* As stated above, we will allocate 5% of the second disbursement for the purchase of new equipment for the CAAS. This money has been “ear-marked” for just that purpose and as soon as the CAAS has a purchase order we will forward the money to them.

** Every year since 2017, the council has set aside money in our annual budget toward the replacement of old and deteriorating sidewalks in the downtown business district. Unfortunately, we were not able to do that for the 2023 budget. Instead, the council has allocated money from the ARP for this purpose.

It needs serious attention. If not now, the bill will
come due later.

*** Our runway at the airport is in need of serious improvement. At November's meeting the council voted to appeal to the State for funds for a “stop-gap” procedure that would involve filling cracks and such. This money is designated for this project should the State approve our request.

**** Neither The Center or the Calhoun Memorial Library have handicap accessible doors. The council voted to change that by replacing the entry door at the library as well as enhancing the First Street entrance at The Center as well as the entrance from the alley where parking is allowed.

***** For twenty years there has been talk of developing Gotham Park (across from Philips Park) into an athletic complex that could be the site of future basketball courts and/or a softball field and/or tennis/pickleball courts. This money has been allocated to hire the services of a mechanical engineer to give us a potential site map that would include water, lights, parking information as well as what could feasibly fit at this complex.

****** Following the very successful Santa Comes to Town event (complete with holiday parade) the council has designated money toward the potential purchase of a downtown sound system. This money is contingent on community groups raising the remaining funds needed for installing such a system.

If the math is correct that comes to a total of $80,481 leaving us well shy of the $109,640.31 (not including the nearly $4,700 carry-over from 2021). That leaves approximately $34K to work with. There's a reason behind that. Mainly, we don't know what the hard figures will end up as so wisdom is to leave the balance alone for the time being. Things being what they are we may be in for some sticker-shock when it comes right down to it. But here's hoping we'll be close.

On the main, if you peruse the list, I think you'll see that there is a trend to use these monies as what they really are: a windfall that hopefully will benefit the lives of the people who live here and call this place home as well as the many folks who live among us during the warmer months of the calendar year.

The race definitely does not go to the swiftest (updates and recent developments)

After weeks of building toward the big event, suddenly we are on the back side of Liberty Fest. Granted there's still plenty of good weather ahead of us for boating, water-skiing, fishing, golfing and general lying around on our backyard chaise lounges but for families with kids in high school sports, very soon we will be gearing up for fall. Don't blink!

Just to bring you up to speed on what's going on around town, here's a few talking points for you to ponder:

• 
  At June's council meeting, two sealed bids were opened to purchase 110 Moore Street (the former Jost Law Office) right next door to The Center. Originally, the city had purchased the building from the Josts in 2016 thinking to raze it and use the space for a parking lot. Our experience with the expense of tearing down the old Chetek Cafe cured us of that notion, especially given that we might have realized only seven parking spots for all our trouble. In May, someone approached us about purchasing the building and the decision was made to go public with our intention to sell. Travis Turner of Black Bear Properties was awarded the bid for $110,000. Given that we had bought the property from the Josts for $70K and gained a moderate rental stream annually, we did all right. I don't know what Mr. Turner's intentions are with the property but I know he has given notice to his renters to vacate and for the Chamber to remove the various items they have been storing there since the city took ownership in 2016.

• 
  If you have heard a rumor that the city intends to put in a 28-spot parking lot behind Chetek Hometown Pharmacy (formerly Ohde's Drug) you have heard rightly. We purchased the empty lot back in 2017 thinking to use it as an expansion to Main Street Park. After a few years of pondering, we've decided to convert the lot for parking purposes given how challenging it is to find adequate parking on Second Street during the busy days of summer. The fact that it's right across the street from The Center will be a boon to attendees on Salad Bar Fridays or whenever an event is going on there. Right now we're just waiting on Jerry's Tree Service to take the trees away. Public Works will put the lot in which will run us approximately $17,000.

• 
  Not only will we be putting in a new Waste Water Treatment
  Plant (construction to begin sometime in 2023) but we are also moving ahead on erecting a new water tower. Technically speaking what we have now atop city hill is referred to as a water stand, a giant tank that holds approximately 425,000 gallons of water (our daily needs are a little more than half that). What's more, to prevent it from freezing solid in the winter time Public Works Director Dan Knapp has to open a few hydrants in town to keep adequate water flow. And several companies in the north industrial park require extra pumps on account of inadequate water pressure. These are reasons enough to pursue building a new tower to say nothing of the needs of the new housing development that is still in the works. We applied for a grant for the tower to pay for half of it last year (the thing will cost us a little more than $2 million dollars) and didn't make the cut. This fall we plan to apply again but either way a new tower will be built (should we win the grant it can be applied to reimburse ourselves if the money doesn't come in until after the project is complete).

• 

  This is what it looks like

  Speaking of the new waste water treatment plant, by now you should have received notification that sewer rates will be going up approximately 23% this fall. You should notice the change come your October water bill. If you feel your bill is high now you may have to ask yourself, “Have I been watering my lawn during this dry spell we've been in?” If so, that may be your culprit. If you haven't already installed a water deduct meter and you like your lawn to be looking lush and fresh the whole summer long, it would be worth the investment. Call City Hall for how to go about getting one of these meters installed at your home.

• 

  Moving soon

  To make room for the new waste water treatment plant, this past spring the city put the house across from Whiskey Way (the former Brass Rail) up for sale. The new owner puchased the house for just under $12K and as soon as all the permits go through it should make its slow crawl to a lot over by Bailey Lake sometime later this month.

• 
  Carol Burnham, Calhoun Memorial Library's Director, is
  retiring come fall which means we are in search of a new director. Interviews will begin this week for the position that Carol has filled since the early 2000s.

• 

  One day there will be homes here
  instead of hayfields

  And finally, I get asked from time to time if “Area 51”, the 39 acres we purchased from Jenny O's back in 2018, will ever be developed. The short answer is “yes!” When we began to put together what's referred to as an RFP (request for proposal) we needed to do a Phase 1 (a history of the property) and just to be safe a Phase 2 (take soil samples looking for bones [i.e., Native American burial grounds] or contaminants. With the exception of a some roofing materials that were located in the basement of the former manager's house, we came out “good to go.” S.C. Swiderski, with whom we have had serious conversations about developing the property, is currently doing what is referred to as their “due diligence”. If there is nothing discovered in this phase that would give them pause the next thing to follow is agreeing on a site plan. So we are taking steps toward seeing homes where there are currently fields and trees albeit slow, baby ones.

That's the long and short of it. Like so many things in the governmental world the pace is agonizingly slow at times but, as a kid who once upon a time ran cross country for Chetek High School used to tell his coach before a meet, “Slow and steady wins the race, Coach!” That's really not true in cross or track but when it comes to municipal business I'll take “steady and slow” over motionless any old day.

Good news/Bad news (We're getting a new waste water treatment plant but we're also getting a $10 million bill)

 

Coming to us by 2024 (conceptual drawing)

Hopefully by now you've heard the news: Recently Chetek was the recipient of a ten million dollar grant from Rural Development. It is the largest public works grant of its kind in Wisconsin history which will be applied toward the new waste water treatment plant that will begin to be built sometime in 2023. That's the good news.

Now here's the bad news: the project is expected to cost a little over twenty million dollars. So, yes, we got the thing for 50% off but we still have to fund ten million dollars of the project. That means our sewer rates will go up over the next three years to pay for our $338,000 annual loan payment. And by ordinance the only way to pay for a new sewer plant is through sewer rates.

That's a lot of Benjamins!

How much will they go up? On average, the increase to our individual sewer rates will be 23.3%/year for the next three years translating to a 70% total increase (ONLY to our sewer rates, not on our entire utility bill). What that means is that the sewer usage fee will increase from $6.13 per 1,000 gallons to $10.40 by 2024.

I asked Carmen to put an example together and here's what she offers:

Based on current rates with a household using 4,000 gallons of water per month:

Water	13.24 (water usuage – 4 x 3.31)
WTRBS (water rate base)	10.00 (water base fee)
Sewer	24.52 (sewer usage fee 4 x 6.13)
SWRBS (sewer rate base)	14.67 (sewer base fee)
PUBFR (public fire protection)	8.22 (public fire protection fee)
STORM	2.75 (storm water fee)
GARBG	18.50 (garbage fee)

$91.90 current total monthly charge

To estimate your new bill after the increase in September 2022:

Water	13.24 (same as above)
WTRBS	10.00 (same as above)
Sewer	30.23 (take your above sewer charge x 123.3%)
SWRBS	18.09 (take your above sewer base charge x 123.3%)
PUBFR	8.22 (same as above)
STORM	2.75 (same as above)
GARBG	18.50 (same as above)

$101.03 projected total monthly charge

You may have a couple of questions that come to mind and here's a few I thought of:

We wish

Why now? Why do we need a new waste water treatment plant given that the present one is working well?

Given that it's nearly 40 years old, it is working well but it no longer meets the Department of Natural Resources' (DNR) requirements for effluent (what we put back into the Chetek River after its been treated) nor could it even if we chose to do a “remodel” instead of a “new build”. What's more if something breaks, it is increasingly difficult to find replacement parts given its age. So why now? Because the DNR will no longer give us a “free pass” on the level of phosphorus that returns to the river after the water has been treated. We are on the clock and they are insistent that we get it fixed.

Knowing that this was coming why didn't the city set aside monies for the inevitability of this project?

While we knew this day was eventually coming (nothing lasts forever after all) to just blindly increase sewer rates is neither practical or responsible as we didn't know, say, ten years ago what kind of plant we were going to need or what kind of requirements the DNR would insist on. While you can save for a $20K house (if you can even find one at that price!) you cannot save for a ten million dollar one.

Other than the amount, why is the Rural Development grant such a big deal?

Eligibility for grant money is based on an equation that factors in community need, community median income, current rates, revenues, expenditures and how much fund balance a community has in their sewer utility. Based on those criteria, we were eligible for the very substantial grant from Rural Development that we have been awarded. If forty years ago we had been able to discern and estimate that it would cost us $10 million in 2022 monies and began putting that money aside then by charging residents higher rates year after year, most likely utility customers would have paid for the entire $20 million through rates paid over forty years and we wouldn't have been eligible for the $10 million grant. Since no one has access to a crystal ball, however, the argument is mute. There is just no way to know what your costs will be a generation out.

When does this all start?

Coming to our mail box
by this September

At the May 2022 city council meeting it was the unanimous decision of the council to implement a three-year step program beginning September 1^st. That means that we should expect our sewer rates to increase by 23.3% this September. In September 2023, we should expect them to increase again by 23.3%. And then in September 2024, we should anticipate a third and final increase of 23.3%. The idea is to wade into the water rather than plunge into it.

We appreciate the fact that this information you just read may provoke further questions about your individual water bill. Please don't hesitate to call City Hall at 715-924-4838. We don't relish the fact of increasing your monthly utility bill but unfortunately it's the price of doing business for any municipality regardless of its size.