Gillett approves 2023 city budget

Discussions include replacement fund for fire department ladder truck, new city attorney
By: 
Warren Bluhm
Editor-in-chief

The Gillett City Council on Dec. 1 approved a $1.764 million city budget for 2023. The measure includes a $644,165 property tax levy for city purposes.

Approval was held up briefly after some confusion over whether the budget included the latest changes made during a Nov. 14 review by the finance and personnel committee.

Alderperson Gary Spaulding said he didn’t see a $20,000 investment that was supposed to go into a fund to buy a new/used truck for the city fire department.

“We should be planning this stuff,” Spaulding said. “You know, ‘In four years, we’re going to put a new street sweeper in; in five years, we’re going to get a new truck.’ We gotta be doing stuff like that; we’re not doing that.”

City Clerk/Treasurer Chelsea Anderson said the $20,000 was part of the city’s capital outlay budget. Once the council was convinced they had the right numbers, the budget was OK’d.

Fire Chief Kurt Hicks said he has checked out several vehicles to replace the department’s existing aerial/ladder truck, which dates to 1998.

“They all look pretty on the deal, until you really get talking to them,” Hicks said. “Some of them even on the turret in the back, their seals were shot. They had replaced transmissions. We’re not going to get a truck for $30,000 or $40,000; you’re going to have to spend $100,000 or $150,000 to get a good used truck that should last us 20 years.”

Hicks said he’s constantly looking at online sites, but promising trucks are often off the market again before he can bring a proposal to the city council.

In other business, the council hired the law firm of Hinkfuss, Sickel, Pettitjean and Whiting to serve as city attorneys.

Alderperson Deb Rudie said a representative from the Green Bay firm was the only person to actively seek the job.

“He was the only one who came and spoke to us, answered our questions, stayed for our entire meeting, took notes, learned about us. I would say we hire them,” Rudie said. “If it doesn’t go well, it’s a month-to-month agreement; we have no commitment to them.”

Alderperson Marie Blaser said she would like to see them at monthly council meetings. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the city attorney was expected to sit in on meetings, and the consensus around the table was that the council wants that practice to resume.

Hanaway Ross Law Firm has been the designated city attorney. The changeover is effective Jan. 1.