Fontana trustees ink $45,079 contract for 2024 lifeguard services; Fontana-Walworth Water Pollution Control Commission rate increase OK'd

Already turning their sights proactively to the approaching new year, Fontana village trustees at their October board meeting approved a 2024 lifeguard services agreement with Williams Bay-based Geneva Lake Water Safety Committee, Inc. (Geneva Lake Water Safety Patrol).

The $45,079 agreement includes $33,294 for lifeguard services, $4,990 for liability insurance, $780 for workman's compensation, $570 for uniforms, $390 for first aid supplies, $4,970 for swimming lessons and $85 for a new megaphone.

The contract calls for two lifeguards (overlapping shifts) daily at Fontana Beach from June 1-Aug. 25, 2024, plus the weekends of May 25-27, 2024 (Memorial Day) and Aug. 31-Sept. 2, 2024 (Labor Day). A third lifeguard will be added for the dates of June 8 through Aug. 4 at Fontana Beach, and will also serve as a roving lifeguard to cover breaks at Country Club Estates Beach. A fourth lifeguard will be added at Fontana Beach for peak weekends and holidays (overlapping shift with the other three lifeguards) for the dates of June 8 through Aug. 4.

Hours of coverage at Fontana Beach will be 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. After Aug. 11, the hours will be reduced to 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Under the contract, one lifeguard will be provided at Country Club Estates Beach daily from June 8-Aug. 11, 2024. Lifeguard coverage will be provided at Country Club Estates Beach from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. from June 8-Aug. 4, with lifeguard coverage hours reduced to 1-5 p.m. after Aug. 4. Lifeguard lunch hour and breaks at Country Club Estates Beach will be covered by a roving lifeguard from Fontana Beach.

Water Safety Patrol will provide as-needed back-up emergency servies with its Boat Patrol.

In cases of dangerous forecasts or questionnable, rainy or cold weather below 65 degrees, lifeguards may be dismisses early or temporarily at the discretion of Water Safety Patrol management. If the village closes the Beach House for any reason, lifeguards may be dismissed at the time the Beach House closes.

Lifeguard services will be subject to staff availability. If the Water Safety Patrol cannot provide service on any scheduled days due to lack of available staff, a refund will be issues to the Village of Fontana for many days not covered.

A "swim at your own risk" policy is in effect whenever lifeguards are not present on the beach, with the village responsible for posting signs to that effect.

In related news, Village President Patrick Kenny presented lifesaving awards to Rich Gluth and Victor Larimer for their "heroic and lifesaving actions" at Fontana Beach on July 19, 2023.

"With your quick thinking and recognition of the severity of the emergency taking place, you directly impacted the saving of an individual's life,' Kenny said. "A failure to act or lack of action could have led to a tragic outcome without your intervention."

Fee increases approved

As its contract with Whitewater-based Johns Disposal Service, Inc. nears its final year in 2024, Fontana trustees in October approved a 4.5%, $1,415 year one increase in village garbage and recycling fees from $30,860 to $32,860 in exchange for a five-year Jan. 1, 2024-Dec. 31, 2028 extension of its current contract at prevailing service levels.

The village's cost for garbage service will rise $1,012 from $22,495 to $23,507. The village's cost for recyclables will rise $403 from $8,950 to $9,353.

"Thankfully, both fuel prices and CPI (Consumer Price Index) have been dropping, which will result in an opportunity for some relief in ... pricing," noted Johns Disposal Service Municipal Accounts Manager Nate Austin in a letter to the village. "Unfortunately, the cost to process and market recyclables is still near an all-time high."

New customer user rates approved

Village trustees approved the adoption of Resolution No. 100923-01, approving new customer user rates proposed and previously approved by the Fontana-Walworth Water Pollution Control Commission (FWWPCC).

The changes implement a 16% rate increase for the wastewater utility effective Jan. 1, 2024, and 3% automatic annual rate increases beginning Jan. 1, 2025.

The board also approved FWWPCC's proposed balanced 2024 budget, encompassing $1,152,320 in expenditures and $1,152,320 revenues encompassing $1,070,704 in user fees and $81,616 in other income, including rental and interest income./

According to a five year 2019-2023 budget assessment by Strand Associates, FWWPCC ran revenue surpluses of 3.4 and 3.1% in 2019 and 2020 respectively before falling to budget deficits of 3.9% in 2021 and 5.3% in 2022 as actual customer revenue began falling short of projections, with another revenue deficit projected for 2023 basued upon data through Aug. 15.

It was noted that in addition to revenue deficits, FWPCC's expenses have risen dramatically over the same time period.

Geneva Lake Police budget request

Fontana village trustees approved a $73,000 budget request for 2024 from the Fontana-based Geneva Lake Law Enforcement Agency (GLLEA), also known as Geneva Lake Police,

The budget request is unchanged from the present year.

With a $292,000 annual budget, Geneva Lake Police law enforcement operations on Geneva Lake are funded equally by $73,000 municipal budget allocations from the Village of Fontana, City of Lake Geneva, Village of Williams Bay and the Town of Linn.

GLLEA's 2024 budget calls for $298,300 in revenues — $292,000 in aggregate income from the four contributing municipalities and $6,300 in anticipated additional income — and $335,875 in projected expenses, requiring the use of $38,000 in reserve funds to balance the budget.

Municipal funding in support of GLLEA stood at $45,000 per contributing municipality in 2020 and 2021, $63,000 per municipality in 2022, and $73,000 per municipality in 2023 and 2024.

GLEA funding allocation

Trustees approved a $40,000 municipal funding allocation request from the Williams Bay-based Geneva Lake Environmental Agency (GLEA) for 2024, a $5,000 increase due to the rise in the cost of contracted services.

GLEA operations are supported by municipal funding allocations from the City of Lake Geneva, Village of Fontana, Village of Williams Bay, Town of Linn and Town of Walworth.

GLEA was formed as a shared unit of the local governments by the five municipalities ain the early 1970's, organized by a group of citizens concerned about Geneva Lake's future. Since 1975, GLEA has operated under a Uniform Resolution and Bylaws signed by the sponsoring units of government, which calls for GLEA to study 5,262-acre Geneva Lake and its 13,045 acre watershed and make recommendations to protect resources, improve living conditions, and foster legislation to accomplish these recommendations.

GLEA board members are Patrick Kenny, Village of Fontana; Rick Pappas, Village of Fontana citizen representative; Tim Dunn, City of Lake Geneva; Terry O'Neill, City of Lake Geneva citizen representative; Jim Weis, Town of Linn. Carol McAdam, Town of Linn citizen representative; Rob Umans, Village of Williams Bay; LaMarr Lundberg, Village of Williams Bay citizen representative; and Alex Rasc, Town of Walworth citizen representative.

Kenny serves as board chairman and Weiss as vice chairman.

GLEA staff are Executive Director Jacob Schmidt, Consultant Ted Peters, Administrative Assistant Aimee Townsend, Lake Manager Assistant/Intern Alyson Wisnionski, Attorney Tyler Jochman and Clean Boats Clean Waters Inspecdtor Lynn Burchard.

In related news, trustees approved again collaborating with GLEA in 2024 to apply for a Clean Boats Clean Waters (CBCW) grant through the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources for municipal CBCW inspections at boat launches, reimbursed by the DNR grant at $12 per hour, totaling $2,400 upon completing the required 200 hours.

Public Works contracts approved

Fontana trustees approved a sizeable slate of contracts in support of the village's Public Works Department in October.

Trustees approved a $3,600 geotechnical exploration engineering services agreement with Waukesha-based Professional Service Industries, Inc. (Intertek PSI) in preparation for the village's proposed 2024 road projects, which are slated to be inclusive of asphalt pavement reconstruction, utility relay and potential new stormwater management areas on Berwyn Drive, Waubun Drive east of Brinkley Drive, and Shabbona Drive from about Jensen Drive to South Lakeshore Drive.

Tuestees also approved a $43,133 low bid contract from Green Bay-based Aqualis., formerly Northern Pipe, Inc., for sewer televising for the village's 2024 streets and infrastructure projects. The contract includes $27,208 for light cleaning and televising of 15,200 linear feet of sanitary sewer, $7,375 for light cleaning and televising of 2,500 feet of storm sewer, $2,850 for 10 hours of if-needed mainline sewer obstruction removal, and $5,700 for 20 hours of if-needed mainline sewer cleaning.

Also approved by trustees was a $12,500 contract with Washburn-based LRE Water for hydrogeological well siting assessment for future water supply Well No. 5. Currently, the village's current water supply system in supplied by two wells — Well No. 2 in the unconsolidated Quaternary-age sand and gravel glacial outwash deposits aquifer, and Well No. 4 in the Mt. Simon sandstone aquifer.

The primary purpose of constructing Well No. 5, proposed to be located in the Quaternary sand and gravelaquifer, is to replace the capacity of Well No. 4, approximately 500 gallons per minute, and provide a similar or better water quality to the system. It's intended that well No. 2 will remain active.

In related news, trustees approved a $17,868 professional design assistance contract with Mount Horeb-based Water Quality Investigations. Under the contract, WQI will work with the Village of Fontana and Waukesha-based village engineering firm Ruekert & Mielke, Inc. with the design of Well No. 5.

Other news

In other developments at the October meeting, the Fontana Village Board:

Was informed by Fontana Fire Deparmtent Chief Wolfgang Nitsch that his last day as chief would be Nov. 4, with Nitsch indicating that he intends to "stay on the department at the discretion of an interim or future chief to assist with water related rescue/recovery and other assorted tasks as directed."Approved an exterior color change from light grey/tan to white for Abbey Provident Venture's recently-approved Residences on Geneva Lake development slated for Fontana Boulevard. Approved a $31,600 2024 audit contract with Brookfield-based certified public accounting firm Lucida Tax +Accounting Solutions LLC (formerly Sitzberger & Co., S.C.) for the fiscal year ending Dec. 31, 2023.Approved entering into a $23,500 contract with Whitewater-based Public Administration Associates, LLC for a study on a new public safety building. A final report is expected by mid-February.Approved entering into a 2-year agreement with Edgerton-based Midwest Prairies, LLC for 5-7 annual visits in both 2024 and 2025 to control weeds, brush and remove refuse from the Duck Pond Recreation Area, Hildebrand Conservancy, Fontana Fen and Mohr Road Creek Bank. The contract is for a fixed fee of $2,300 per visit in 2024 ($11,5000-$16,100) and a fixed fee of $2,415 per visit in 2025 ($12,075-$16,905).Approved a memorial bench requested by Darrell Frederick of Walworth in honor of William Austin, founder of Austin Pier Service in 1965. The Fontana Park Commission administers the village's Memorial Tree and Bench Program.Approved a 2024 switch of placement of the Village of Fontana's F-sticker resident-only seasonal parking sticker from the front of the vehicle to the rear of the vehicle.