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Public Works committee waives meter fees for Random Lake School District, approves five-year repayment plan
Summary
The Random Lake Public Works Committee on Jan. 21 agreed to remove meter fees billed to the Random Lake School District and set a five‑year repayment schedule after a dispute over electronic meter readings and a disconnected device. The committee also requested corrected billing data before the district's board meets.
Jamie Vorpahl, chairman of the Public Works Committee, said the committee considered a billing dispute with the Random Lake School District at its Jan. 21 meeting.
The committee heard that an electronic device on the school's water meter had been disconnected and the meter was not being read electronically for several years. Peter Lederer, DPW director, told the committee the meter itself had not stopped recording but that "the wires were not reconnected when reinstalled in spring," which prevented electronic reads. Mike LaFever, Random Lake School District maintenance, confirmed the district removes the meter each fall and previously provided readings by phone; Patti Degnitz, RLSD business manager, said she refused to pay $3,000 assessed as meter fees because she believes the meter is broken and asked for corrected usage data before the school board meets.
Committee members debated options for addressing the accumulated charges and future monitoring. Degnitz asked for corrected data and proposed a payment approach; Mueller said the committee needed to determine what should be billed and how to prevent a recurrence. Clerk/Treasurer Stephanie Waala warned that if monthly readings are not called in, large end-of-season bills could recur.
Member Chuck Mueller moved to remove the meter fees and establish repayment over five years, with payments due by June 29 of each year; Member Blaine Werner seconded the motion, and it carried 3-0. The committee also directed staff to prepare corrected billing information for the district to review before its board meeting.
The action resolved the immediate billing dispute but left open operational steps: the committee advised confirming reading procedures for the school and preventing future gaps in electronic readings.
