Board hears of ball field usage

The Baldwin Village Board held an extensive discussion regarding use of the village's ball field at Mill Pond Park. There are, sometimes, conflicting claims for use of the four fields with the various groups that use them, including summer recreation, traveling leagues, adult leagues and B-W High School baseball and softball teams. This is the first year of spring baseball for B-W HS.

The uses are still being sorted out but eventually scheduling of the fields will be the responsibility of Summer Recreation Director Jarod Dachel after priorities have been established, said Village Administrator Cindy Deringer.

In other action at the meeting:

-The board approved a modification to the village's subdivision ordinance raising the fee to developers to $150 from $50 in lieu of each tree a developer is required to plant in a subdivision. A brief hearing was held prior to the amendment to the ordinance and no one was present to comment. Village engineer Mike Stoffel explained that the increase is merely a reflection of the cost of trees.

-Don Somsen presented the annual report of Baldwin Hospital (Baldwin Area Medical Center) and following that the village board approved a resolution calling for the prepayment and redemption of the outstanding $1,770,000 taxable hospital mortgage revenue bond that was issued in 1998. The funds are available to the Hospital, Somsen said, and prepayment will
save the hospital over $19,000 a month in payments.

Hospital Administrator Greg Burns said "by paying it off earlier we'll save significant interest and improve our overall financial position."

On a roll call vote, all trustees and President McGee voted yes.

-The board approved installation of two flashing pedestrian cross walk beacons in the village. They will both be on USH 63 (Tenth Avenue), one at Oak Street and the other at Curtis Street. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation will do the work as part of the upcoming 63 upgrade work and the village will reimburse the approximate $15,000 cost to the DOT.

-The board was informed that Stephanie Zacharias has withdrawn her
request for a Class A Beer and Class A Liquor License.