Cross Plains trustees authorize trail engineering, approve police-village hall project and several local measures

The Village of Cross Plains Board of Trustees on Jan. 27 voted to begin engineering work on the County KP adjacent trail project, approved a final payment for the Brewery Road reconstruction, and authorized moving forward with the new Village Hall and Police Department design work, among other measures.

The decisions came after residents were not present for public comment and more than an hour of staff and trustee discussion that weighed grant timing, road condition and future capital needs. The board voted to begin engineering in 2025 so the village can accept grant funding for the trail while leaving construction timing and large capital commitments for later decisions.

The trail and roadway debate centered on whether the village should limit 2025 work to the trail itself or include full road reconstruction at the same time. Trustees noted the grant covers the trail and that engineering would clarify whether additional roadway reconstruction would be necessary. One trustee said they were not comfortable approving full road reconstruction at this point and preferred authorizing trail engineering only; another trustee said completing full engineering now keeps options open for later construction. The board approved engineering work to prepare plans and cost estimates.

On the Brewery Road project, the board approved a final pay disbursement of $42,505.70. Nick Wood, the Town & Country representative who worked on the project over the summer, told trustees, “The final number for the project was $1,750,000 — so a good $190,000 under the estimate.” He said remaining punch-list items were corrected by the contractor under warranty.

Other measures approved by the board included:

- NoMo May resolution: The board passed a resolution designating May as “NoMo May,” a month when residents are encouraged to allow lawns to grow to support pollinators and wildflowers. The resolution follows an identical action in 2024 and passed with trustees voting in favor.

- Position grade pay adjustments: Trustees approved the annual minimum and maximum pay range adjustments under the village’s position grade system policy, as scheduled for January.

- Sign code amendment for Bear Park: The board amended section 86.06 of the sign code to create an exception allowing advertising on ballpark fences and the Bear Park scoreboard; the amendment passed after plan commission review and a public hearing with no objections.

- Village Hall/Police Department project: Trustees authorized moving the Village Hall and Police Department project forward to the next design phase. Trustees discussed sustainability options, including participation in a Focus on Energy review and consideration of future electric-vehicle charging rough-ins; staff said Focus on Energy can provide design-level input at no cost and might help analyze geothermal and solar options during specification development.

Votes at a glance (select items):

- Start engineering for County KP / adjacent trail project — Motion to begin engineering work for 2025 (engineering budget previously identified as $85,000). Roll call recorded: Trustee Grant — yes; Trustee Borger — yes; Trustee Polmankowski — no; Trustee Kowalewter — yes; President Langer — yes. Outcome: approved.

- Brewery Road final payment ($42,505.70) — Motion to approve final pay disbursement. Outcome: approved.

- NoMo May resolution (2025) — Motion to adopt resolution. Outcome: approved.

- Position grade system pay-range adjustments (2025) — Motion to approve annual adjustments per policy. Outcome: approved.

- Amendment to ordinance section 86.06 (sign code) for Bear Park advertising — Motion to amend ordinance as proposed following plan commission review and public hearing. Outcome: approved.

- Move Village Hall/Police Department project forward — Motion to advance the project into the next design/specification stage; trustees asked staff to include energy-efficiency and future EV-charger rough-ins in specifications. Outcome: approved.

The board did not set final construction dates for the trail or the Village Hall project; trustees noted that state law and local budget cycles limit how far ahead this board can obligate multi-year funds and that a new board seated after April elections will have authority over 2026 allocations.

A staffing and facilities update earlier in the meeting noted purchase of a bench, bike rack and picnic table connected to a bank partnership for a parking lot rehab (bench $850; bike rack $245; picnic table $1,126; shipping $935.10; village share of parking-lot work $16,500), and a retirement announcement for a long-serving public facilities employee.

The board adjourned after approving the consent agenda and the items above; several trustees indicated follow-up engineering reports and contractor bids will be brought back for subsequent review.