County board advances design services for next phase of Interurban Trail

JEFFERSON — The Jefferson County Board has approved entering into an agreement with KL Engineering Inc. for design services related to construction of Segment 2 of its Interurban Trail from Watertown to Oconomowoc.

The project follows a We Energies path for 10.96 miles between Watertown and Oconomowoc.

During the board’s monthly meeting Tuesday, the resolution from the Parks Committee was read by county supervisor and Parks Committee Chairman Augie Tietz, of Watertown, a longtime driver of the project.

The board authorized County Administrator Ben Wehmeier to enter into the contract with KL Engineering Inc. at a cost not to exceed $209,827.21.

Also Tuesday, Supervisors accepted, with no discussion, a bid for repair and improvement of the Human Services Department parking lot at the Lueder Haus building on Jefferson’s southwest side.

The vote was 27-0 with three supervisors absent: Brandon White, Jeff Johns and Amy Rinard.

The bid from Parking Lot Maintenance was $40,695. Funds of $25,000 are in the 2019 Human Services budget. The balance of this project will be funded by an intra-departmental transfer from building improvement to land improvement.

The other bid was $48,069 by Wolf Paving.

The board approved a resolution designating September as National Recovery Month.

National Recovery Month is held to educate Americans that substance use treatment and mental health services can enable those with disorders to live healthy and rewarding lives.

It also serves to help reduce the stigma and misconceptions that could affect public understanding of mental and substance use disorders, potentially discouraging others from seeking help.

The board supported several appointments by Wehmeier, including that of Travis Maze to the Local Emergency Planning Committee to replace Duane Scott of the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, who is retiring.

 

Also appointed were Barb Elwood-Goetsch of Ixonia to the Oconomowoc Library Board for a three-year term; and Patricia Rabay, Palmyra, the Nutrition Project Council for a three-year term.

Annual reports from Matt Zangle of the Planning and Zoning Department, Patricia Cicero of the Land and Water Conservation Department and Eric Robinson of the county Library Board were heard.

As part of the evening’s public comment period, with three minutes at his availability, Jim Huff, a representative of Riverbend RV Resort in Watertown, talked about the home away from home.

He said it is his belief the board might have a false impression, perhaps in a negative way, about what the facility is all about. He went on to talk about what he said were the charitable and positive things the resort and camping park does, and urged the community and supervisors to contact him or the park’s operators with questions and to come out for a visit.

“We want to be good corporate neighbors,” he said.