Finance committee reviews contracts, library HVAC options and budget variances

The Random Lake Finance Committee spent much of its May 11 meeting reviewing April financial reports, vendor contracts and operational items, including a $96,000 insurance payment for fire department repairs, an apparent sharp increase in a vendor’s uniform charges and preliminary estimates for a library furnace repair or replacement.

Member Chuck Mueller asked about a $96,000 insurance claim; Duane Urbanski said the amount covered repairs after the fire department ladder truck struck a bridge. DPW Director Peter Lederer described a change in charges from Vestis, the village’s uniform vendor: the contract began at about $52 per week with a 5% annual escalation but pricing has recently risen to more than $100 per week. Vestis, Lederer said, asserted the contract allowed such increases. Clerk/Treasurer Stephanie Waala said that contract does not end until December 2027 and she will investigate options for ending the agreement early.

Director Lederer proposed moving away from vendor-provided uniform service and instead giving employees a uniform stipend to cover shirts, pants and jackets. Chairman Dave Borchardt asked Lederer to conduct additional research and refer the matter to the Public Works Committee for further review.

The committee also discussed a persistent odor at the library. Lederer said three contractors inspected the furnace but could not definitively identify the cause; he estimated a heat-exchanger repair at roughly $10,000 and a full unit replacement at $40,000–$50,000, and noted replacement could be preferable if relocation or more changes will be needed in the near future.

Other items reviewed included a $25,000 annual payment from Scholler Development recorded in April receipts; an unbudgeted permitting software expense that will cause the building-inspection supplies account to be over budget; and the use of excess funds in the sewer operations account to repay the Collins State Bank line of credit, with Chairman Borchardt asking that loans be shown on next month’s balances report. Clerk/Treasurer Waala also reported that employee alarm-monitoring may be handled remotely with software identified by employee Dave Tisler and that staff have contacted Computer Service Specialists about installation.

On personnel policy, Waala presented examples of comp time programs from other municipalities and recommended a policy requiring employees to use comp time before sick or vacation leave to avoid abuse. Borchardt and Duane Urbanski discussed how paying overtime versus granting comp time produces different effects for employees and the village and agreed supervisors would manage overtime call-ins at their discretion.

The committee listed future agenda items including a vehicle equipment plan, loan balances and a uniform contract update. Several items require further investigation by staff before the village board or a committee can take final action.