By Andrew Walsh
awalsh@wbcowqel.com
Against the hustle and bustle back drop of Hatchery Festival preparations, the business of the New Washington Village Council was short and sweet. Outside the village hall was a buzz of activity as rides and vending stalls were being assembled, and inside council tackled a few topics of discussion.
Fire Chief Dick Ackerman asked for matching funds for a grant he received to cover new turnout gear. The department will receive just shy of $10,000 from the Fire Marshall’s office and asked for a matching amount from the fire fund.
Ackerman will use the money to replace as many sets of turnout gear as possible. This should be about $1,800 to $2,000 per set, as the department will be replacing coats and pants only; not boots, helmets or hoods. This will be a timely contribution as Ackerman reported that he has three new firemen joining in the near future, with the possibility of a fourth.
Brian Agin asked, during new business, what the procedure for raising a speed limit in town would be. He was speaking of the stretch of High Street inside town limits that is 25 mph but not near to any buildings. He asked if this could be raised to 35 mph and/or how someone would go about doing this. As a topic for discussion this was referred to the Safety Committee.
Clerk Julie Cronau asked for a motion to allow her to put the catch basin project up for bid. This project will replace 12 of the 14 catch basins around town. It’s a total of $67,000 for the project of which the OPWC granted $25,000.
The next meeting will be at 7 p.m. on June 22.