Peshtigo Auditor Advises 3% City Water Rate Hike

After 19 years as an officer with the Peshtigo Police Department, Lt. Jared Phillips is changing career paths. At its meeting on Tuesday, May 3, Peshtigo City Council unanimously approved hiring him to fill a vacant laborer position with the Department of Public Works.

In her motion asking Council approval for hiring Phillips to fill the Public Works Department vacancy, Alderman Debbie Sievert, who chairs the Personnel Committee, said Phillips will start his new public works job as a 6-month probationary employee at probationary pay, but will retain credit for all his years of service to the city.

"I want to thank him for his dedication and all his years of service to the Peshtigo Police Department. He will be missed there," Sievert declared.

Police Chief Fred Popp said after he meeting that he expected Phillips to give his formal 2-weeks notice as a police officer on Wednesday.

Popp said Phillips is the third long-time Peshtigo Police officer to leave the department in six months. Officer Steve Kessler joined Oconto County Sheriff's Department and Officer Ryan Nemetz is now a Deputy with Marinette County Sheriff's Department.

Officers Adam Hynnek and Josh Lindt were hired in March as full time patrol officers with the Department, and Officers Shawn Veriha and Rebecca Praegitzer were hired for part time positions. Veriha is now working full time, and Praegitzer will probably be doing the same soon, Popp said.

Meanwhile, the City Engineer/Director of Public Works position remains vacant, and Council approved a motion asking the Finance Committee to research and consider hiring a recruiting service to help get it filled, since there has been a shortage of suitable applicants.

Alderman Brigitte Schmidt, who chairs the Parks and Recreation Committee, told the board that Wednesday, May 4, would be the last day of use for the Badger Boardwalk playground. It is being removed to make way for new playground equipment, and the committee had authorized Schmidt and parks and Recreation director Lori Tonn to work with the citizen committee on removing the old equipment and installing the new.

A Street use Permit was approved for Zion Lutheran Church for a car show on Saturday, July 23, was approved without dissent. Alderman Allen England, who abstained from voting, explained the event will be handled basically the same as last year. They will close half of the 200 block of Ellis Ave. from the corner to the end of the church property, so residents can reach their homes. England said they would be asking the Parks and Recreation Department to provide some picnic tables and trash containers for the event.

Also approved without dissent was a request from St. Mary Catholic Church for a beer license for a "Denim & Diamonds" dance on Friday, May 13.

There were no speakers during time for public comment, and there was no monthly report from Tom Smith Inspections. "We've been keeping him pretty busy lately," Mayor Cathi Malke commented.

The Council meeting had begun with a report on the 2021 city audit presented remotely by Scott Sternhagen of the CliftonLarsonAllen LLP (CLA) accounting firm. The audit covered city operations as well as the water and sewer utilities. In view of the slight profit margin of the water utility, Sternhagen recommended that they start the process for a 3 percent increase in water rates, which would have a very slight impact on customers, but significantly help the utility keep up with inflation.

The water utility had pretty much broken even, with a cash increase of $110,000, and $250,000 spent for capital improvements. He said the utility income and outgo have been really consistent for the past five years.

The large increase in sewer rates during the past year resulted in a significant increase in income, from approximately $1 million to $1.5 million, but only a slight positive increase in the bottom line, to a positive $78,000. Sternhagen said a large outstanding bill for a very big customer accounts for the slight difference.

(Sternhagen did not identify the customer, but was almost certainly referring to BPM, Inc. which has been billing the city and/or its utility $72,350 per month for use of the mill property for the city's main sewer line across the Peshtigo River. The utility is protesting that charge, and BPM has declined to pay the sewer bill. BPM Manager Jim Koronkiewicz at the City Council meeting in April presented a bill for a total of $509,418.50 for use of the mill property, and said legal action would follow. BPM has constructed its own on-site wastewater treatment facility, which is now in use.)

The city's total in governmental fund balances had dropped slightly more than $1 million, from $6,104,196 to $5,085,993. This includes a drop in the General Fund balance from $3,647,487 to $3,026,391, which Sternhagen said was mainly due to the $536,000 spent to buy the new fire truck.

The two unusual sets of expenditures for 2021 were purchase of the new fire truck and funding for the Sesquicentennial Celebration.

The debt service fund showed a negative balance of $9,804 at the end of the year, but that will soon be corrected, he said.

The unassigned fund balance, the amount the city can spend, increased slightly, from $1,525,108 to $1,579,167, which represents 63 percent of budgeted general fund expenditures, excluding the capital expenditures, and is well above the amount needed to have a healthy financial situation, Sternhagen said. The auditors recommend that Peshtigo maintain a general fund balance between $539,000 and $674,000 to finance regular expenditures for the year until the state shared revenue payment is received in November. The city also has $1.4 million set aside in non-lapsing funds for specific purposes, "so the city is in good shape," Sternhagen concluded. He said the city had achieved an "unmodified" audit report, which is the highest rating possible.

Sternhagen thanked the city for allowing him to present the report virtually and said it saved him about three hours of travel time. Sternhagen had been in Peshtigo in person in February to do the audit, and he thanked Clerk/Treasurer Tammy Kasal and her staff at City Hall for their cooperation wih the entire audit procedure.

The Council meeting had begun at 7 p.m., and regular business, including the audit report, was completed in slightly over half an hour.

Council then unanimously approved a motion to go into closed executive session for the purpose of "Conferring with legal counsel for the governmental body who is rendering oral or written advice concerning strategy to be adopted by the body with respect to litigation in which it is or is likely to become involved."

In the meeting room for the closed session were City Attorney David Spangenberg, Mayor Cathi Malke, Clerk/Treasurer Tammy Kasal and Aldermen Debbie Sievert, Brigitte Schmidt, Allen Englund, Keith Klimek, Chris Rohde and Katie Berman.

After returning to open session about 40 minutes later, the Council meeting was adjourned with no further action taken.

Recent stories, opinions and photos

Issue Date	Department	Headline
07-05-2022	Perspectives	Pete Pfankuch's Letter to the Editor
07-05-2022	Perspectives	Tim Pelzek's Letter to the Editor
07-05-2022	Perspectives	Herbert Grover's Letter to the Editor
07-05-2022	Perspectives	The Weed War - From My Window 6/29/22
07-05-2022	Perspectives	Country Cousin 6/29/22
07-05-2022	Obituaries	Vincent W. Beckley
07-05-2022	Obituaries	Fredrick Bergstrom
07-05-2022	Obituaries	Dolores M. Brandle
07-05-2022	Obituaries	Patricia A. Brendemihl
07-05-2022	Obituaries	Mary L. Brennan
07-05-2022	Obituaries	Russell J. Bridger
07-05-2022	Obituaries	Gerald E. Devroy
07-05-2022	Obituaries	Geraldine Haltug
07-05-2022	Obituaries	Steven D. Herning
07-05-2022	Obituaries	Shana A. Howarth
07-05-2022	Obituaries	Janet Johnson
07-05-2022	Obituaries	Charles F. Kass
07-05-2022	Obituaries	Steven Kudirko
07-05-2022	Obituaries	Judith A. Luedtke
07-05-2022	Obituaries	Connie D. Martin
07-05-2022	Obituaries	John S. McClain, Jr.
07-05-2022	Obituaries	Michael J. McGuire
07-05-2022	Obituaries	Clara M. Pansier
07-05-2022	Obituaries	Bonnie Monahan
07-05-2022	Obituaries	Alexander S. Rennie
07-05-2022	Obituaries	Julie A. Smith
07-05-2022	Obituaries	Gary F. White
07-05-2022	Community - Wausaukee	Drury Announces Spring Dean's List
07-05-2022	Community - Wausaukee	Women's Group Donates $29,151 at Anniversary Event
07-05-2022	Community - Wausaukee	Athelstane Fire Department Fundraiser Picnic July 9th
07-05-2022	Community - Coleman	Suring School Board Accepts Kelly Casper Resignation
07-05-2022	Community - Coleman	Coleman FFA Alumni Annual Auction Aug. 6
07-05-2022	Community - Coleman	Coleman 2nd Graders Create Solar Ovens
07-05-2022	Front Page	Marinette County Drug Court Program Helps Community
07-05-2022	Front Page	McClintock Park Murder Saga Comes To An End
07-05-2022	Front Page	Seek Candidates To Replace Dist. Supervisor Don Pazynski
07-05-2022	Front Page	Marinette County Breakfast on The Finger Family Farm A Huge Success
07-05-2022	Front Page	World War Two Veteran Arden Nelson To Turn 100
06-23-2022	Sports	Marinette's Schreiner Named NEC Soccer Player of the Year
06-23-2022	Sports	Peshtigo's Peters Is Packerland Softball Player of the Year
06-23-2022	Sports	Peshtigo's Peters Is Packerland Softball Player of the Year
06-23-2022	Community - Wausaukee	Wausaukee Invites Veterans To March Or Ride In July 2 Parade
06-23-2022	Community - Wausaukee	Parker-Jose-Stockwell Legion Auxiliary Celebrates Memorial Day
06-23-2022	Community - Wausaukee	Athelstane Raises Building Permit Fees, Adds New Cemetery Rules
06-23-2022	Community - Wausaukee	Amberg Adopts Sex Offender Ordinance
06-23-2022	Front Page	Raven Wood Gardens Reports Successful Caregiver Retreat Weekend
06-23-2022	Community - Coleman	Nine Suring Students In Summer Credit Recovery
06-23-2022	Community - Coleman	Jessica Olson Seek Clerk of Courts Post
06-23-2022	Community - Coleman	Coleman School Board Okays New Track
06-23-2022	Perspectives	Jeff Jandrey's Letter to the Editor
06-23-2022	Perspectives	The Lion in Winter - From My Window 6/22/22
06-23-2022	Perspectives	Country Cousin 6/22/22
06-23-2022	Obituaries	Randall T. Anderson
06-23-2022	Obituaries	Carol J. Beaudoin
06-23-2022	Obituaries	Dorothy E. (Limberg) Caebe
06-23-2022	Obituaries	Barbara J. Carlson
06-23-2022	Obituaries	Barry Flannery
06-23-2022	Obituaries	Allan L. Hummel
06-23-2022	Obituaries	Dennis E. Kenney, Sr.
06-23-2022	Obituaries	Peter J. Krulatz
06-23-2022	Obituaries	Randal K. Meyers
06-23-2022	Obituaries	Don Pazynski
06-23-2022	Obituaries	Rex R. Radley
06-23-2022	Obituaries	Kimberly M. Roberts
06-23-2022	Obituaries	Dwane D. Rohleder
06-23-2022	Obituaries	Lori Ramsey
06-23-2022	Obituaries	Janet L. Shevy
06-23-2022	Obituaries	Louis S. Skarda
06-23-2022	Obituaries	Keith M. Thoune
06-23-2022	Obituaries	Tammy Tuma
06-23-2022	Obituaries	Edward Waldron
06-23-2022	Obituaries	Barbara L. Wolfe
06-23-2022	Front Page	Judge Dismisses All Six Criminal Charges Against Kelly Casper
06-23-2022	Front Page	Marinette County Breakfast on the Finger Farm Sunday
06-23-2022	Front Page	Town Of Peshtigo Okays New Custom Fire Truck
06-23-2022	Front Page	Town Of Peshtigo Okays New Custom Fire Truck
06-23-2022	Front Page	Deacon Richard Elfering Charged With 2nd Degree Sexual Assault
06-23-2022	Front Page	Tornado Destroys 9 Silver Cliff Buildings, Fire Station
06-16-2022	Community - Wausaukee	Spring Trap League Results at Lake Noquebay Club
06-16-2022	Community - Wausaukee	Camp Daniel To Hold Grand Opening
06-16-2022	Community - Wausaukee	Amberg Legion Post 428 Meeting
06-16-2022	Community - Wausaukee	Niagara Lions Community Picnic Set For June 24-25
06-16-2022	Community - Crivitz	OK Plans To Name Crivitz Bandshell For Bob Berndt
06-16-2022	Community - Crivitz	New Garbage Containers Ordered for Middle Inlet
06-16-2022	Community - Crivitz	Country Music Jam is June 17
06-16-2022	Community - Crivitz	Change Allows More to Participate With NLMG at Harmony Arboretum
06-16-2022	Community - Coleman	Village of Coleman Resident Brazeau Running for Clerk
06-16-2022	Community - Coleman	Pound Fire Dept. Receives Grant
06-16-2022	Community - Coleman	Equity Hall Bar & Grill Announce June Events
06-16-2022	Community - Coleman	Coleman School Board May Accept Track Bid On June 20
06-16-2022	Obituaries	Frances (Fran) M. Alsteen Everson
06-16-2022	Obituaries	Glenn E. Anderson
06-16-2022	Obituaries	Robert "Bob" G. Boettcher
06-16-2022	Obituaries	Russell J. Coble II
06-16-2022	Obituaries	Darwin Dale Grosse
06-16-2022	Obituaries	Bernita C. Heisler
06-16-2022	Obituaries	Beverly "Bev" Kratz
06-16-2022	Obituaries	Frank J. Kusnierz, Jr.
06-16-2022	Obituaries	Geraldine LaCount
06-16-2022	Obituaries	Norman E. Olson
06-16-2022	Obituaries	Mark A. (Fuzzy) Pleshek
06-16-2022	Obituaries	Lona Schindler (Jutte) R.N.
06-16-2022	Obituaries	Patricia "Pat" M. Sebero
06-16-2022	Obituaries	Harvey Otto Seefeldt
06-16-2022	Obituaries	Adriane L. St. Pierre
06-16-2022	Obituaries	Barbara L. Wolfe
06-16-2022	Perspectives	Roger Lanich's Poem - "The Child in Your Younger Days"
06-16-2022	Perspectives	Mary Labunski's Letter to the Editor
06-16-2022	Perspectives	Kathleen Marsh's Letter to the Editor
06-16-2022	Perspectives	Carol Fick's Letter to the Editor
06-16-2022	Perspectives	Bill Blair's Letter to the Editor
06-16-2022	Perspectives	June Bugs - From My Window 6/15/22
06-16-2022	Perspectives	Country Cousin 6/15/22
06-16-2022	Front Page	Town of Grover Hears Road Damage Report
06-16-2022	Front Page	Rain Dampens Attendance At Veterans, Responders Weekend
06-16-2022	Front Page	Oconto Co. Deputy Involved in Shooting
06-16-2022	Front Page	Peshtigo Sets Flat $35 Rate For Septic Waste
06-16-2022	Front Page	Middle Inlet Cemetery Items Removed, Speakers Upset
06-09-2022	Sports	Team and Individual Champions Crowned at State Track & Field
06-09-2022	Sports	WIAA Softball Tournament Starts Thursday at Goodman Diamond
06-09-2022	Sports	STAA's Bailey is 10th Place at State Meet; Badker/Derusha are 1st/2nd in UP Finals
06-09-2022	Sports	Area Athletes Earn Medals at D3 State Track & Field Meet
06-09-2022	Sports	Lena/Oconto Win Regional Championships
06-09-2022	Community - Wausaukee	Expressions of Gratitude and Thankfulness
06-09-2022	Community - Wausaukee	Wausaukee Club Honors Scholarship Recipients
06-09-2022	Community - Wausaukee	Silver Cliff Fire, Rescue Auxiliary To Meet June 13
06-09-2022	Community - Wausaukee	Legion Post Held Amberg Memorial Day Services
06-09-2022	Community - Crivitz	University of Dubuque Lists Spring Graduates
06-09-2022	Community - Crivitz	Rescheduled Camp Bird Painting Day
06-09-2022	Community - Crivitz	Crivitz Legion Post Celebrates Army Birthday, Flag Day
06-09-2022		Vannelli Earn Degrees from Shorter University
06-09-2022	Community - Coleman	Pound Village Clerk To Present ARPA Update
06-09-2022	Community - Coleman	Lena Knights Hold Knowledge Contest
06-09-2022	Perspectives	Kristen Edgar's Letter to the Editor
06-09-2022	Perspectives	Summer Neighbors - From My Window 6/8/22
06-09-2022	Perspectives	Country Cousin 6/8/22
06-09-2022	Obituaries	Howard T. Ballard
06-09-2022	Obituaries	Augusta M. Baumler
06-09-2022	Obituaries	Elizabeth R. Caine
06-09-2022	Obituaries	Charlotte M. Christensen
06-09-2022	Obituaries	Nancy M. Ebidon
06-09-2022	Obituaries	John T. Flood
06-09-2022	Obituaries	James W. Gunderson
06-09-2022	Obituaries	Teresa A. Meyer
06-09-2022	Obituaries	Joseph A. Milan
06-09-2022	Obituaries	Charlotte Olsen
06-09-2022	Obituaries	Arleen Rocheleau
06-09-2022	Obituaries	Gloria A. Smith
06-09-2022	Obituaries	Blanche M. Sweig
06-09-2022	Obituaries	Katherine C. Waldrop