Walworth board votes 6-0 to join regional consortium to pursue state grant

The Village of Walworth Board voted 6-0 Wednesday to join an intergovernmental consortium with the Village of Salem Lakes, the Village of Twin Lakes and the Village of Paddock Lake to pursue a Department of Revenue grant, subject to final legal review of the agreement.

President Louise Czaja said she had prepared a timeline report on the consortium and that she and Trustee Matt Tanner had both followed up with Brian from the Village of Salem Lakes for contract clarifications. Czaja estimated “the payout for the Village of Walworth would roughly be $180k per year” under the grant’s five-year structure.

The agreement before the board excludes a previously discussed inclusion of John’s Disposal’s contract, Czaja said. Village Attorney Brad Lochowicz told the board there were no legal barriers to joining but framed the decision as a policy choice for the council and noted the contract is written for a five-year term; he said he would like to see language allowing withdrawal with 120 days’ written notice after that initial term.

Trustee Ken Ellerth asked whether a municipality could be limited to using only funds it was awarded; Lochowicz confirmed funds are tied to what each municipality is awarded while warning there is a theoretical risk that one member could receive a disproportionate share. Trustee Matt Tanner said his understanding was that each municipality’s funds would be kept separate but managed by the consortium administrator from Salem Lakes, and that administrative fees would be based on the percentage of funds the village received. "It's free money from the state and that never happens," Tanner said when discussing the grant’s upside.

Clerk/Treasurer Kellie Thelen cautioned that the village’s expenditure reporting in its accounting software may not reflect final figures because of recent amendments and reconciliation clean-up, and urged care in the numbers submitted to the Department of Revenue.

Following discussion, Tanner moved and Trustee Bob Ball seconded a motion for the village to join the intergovernmental agreement and submit required documents to the Department of Revenue, subject to final legal review. The board recorded a roll-call vote with Ball, Fell, Tanner, Ellerth, Sara and Czaja voting aye; the motion carried 6-0. The meeting adjourned at 5:42 p.m.

The board’s approval is conditioned on final legal review of the intergovernmental agreement; no further dates for implementation were specified during the special meeting.