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Salem Lakes board approves up-to-$80,000 contract to rewrite zoning and land-division ordinances
Summary
Trustees voted 5–2 to request contracting with Von Briesen for a comprehensive zoning and land-division rewrite not to exceed $80,000; board members debated whether a budget amendment must precede the contract and agreed to complete any necessary budget adjustment before executing the contract.
The Salem Lakes Village Board voted 5–2 to request contracting with law and planning firm Von Briesen to rewrite the village’s zoning and land-division ordinances, including hamlet overlay districts, with a cost cap of $80,000.
Staff said Von Briesen was selected because the firm combines legal and planning services and can handle public outreach, including informational meetings and a dedicated web page. The proposal’s timeline described community visioning sessions, a public-outreach marketing package and multiple opportunities for public feedback.
Board discussion focused on procedure and budget authority. Trustees noted the 2025 budget included $65,000 for zoning updates and $50,000 for strategic planning (a total of $115,000); staff said the strategic planning work was not being done, leaving funds available. Several trustees raised a procedural question about whether Wisconsin law requires a formal budget amendment before approving expenditures that exceed a line-item budget. One trustee referenced Wisconsin Stat. 65.90 in that context.
Legal and staff advice differed in tone: some trustees said a line-item adjustment is normally done after the vote; others said an up-front budget amendment is proper. Staff recommended the board could vote on the request and then make the formal budget adjustment at a subsequent meeting provided the funds exist in the overall budget. The board agreed to take the vote on the request and to complete any required budget amendment prior to executing a contract.
A motion to approve the request to contract with Von Briesen for a zoning and land-division rewrite, not to exceed $80,000, carried 5–2. Trustee Gant (yes), Trustee Hopkins (yes), Trustee Favor (yes), Trustee Brooks (yes), President Buecher (yes); Trustee Polley (no), Trustee Barhydt (no). President Buecher said the contract and any required budget adjustment would be approved at a subsequent meeting before funds are spent.
