The Hollandale Village Board heard from Jeff Garthwaite at their meeting on Tuesday, January 7, asking them to consider selling him village land at the corner of State Street and 1st Avenue in the village of Hollandale.
Paul “Zeke” and Karyn Garthwaite own the property located at what is technically 402 State Street. The village owns a small parcel at that corner where the fire siren is located.
Jeff Garthwaite, Zeke’s son, told the board that they have ideas to build a shed on their property and want to know if they can purchase the village’s lot so they can build the shed and understand if they have access to the land off of Ist Avenue. According to the register of deeds, there is an alley that runs from Severson Street to 1st Avenue. Garthwaite stated it would be safer to have access onto the land via 1st Avenue rather than cut into curb off of Scott Street or State Street.
They questioned if the alley has been formally abandoned and who is responsible for the siren. These questions came up previously when Garthwaites had tried to build a duplex on the land and asked if the siren could be moved. They didn’t have any paperwork that indicated that the alley had been abandoned. Also the village thought the Hollandale Fire District Board were the ones responsible for the siren.
The board stated they would look into the alley’s status, who takes care of the siren, and also the size of the lot before giving Garthwaite’s an official answer.
Library maintenance
The village once again is looking at the maintenance that is needed to the library building. The village purchased the building several years ago for $1 and it is in desperate need of repair. The board has been talking about getting tuck pointing done on the outside of the building, having it sand blasted, fixing some broken double-pane windows and doing some painting. There are moisture issues inside in the renters living quarters upstairs that need to be addressed. Much of the money made from the upstairs being rented has helped with the maintenance but these items will need additional money to get them completed. The renter pays for their electricity and the village pays for the heating (fuel oil), and the internet and electricity only for the library.
The village has exhausted their contacts for a bricklayer or someone who can help with the outside of the building and the tuck pointing and are looking for any additional contacts and quotes. They would like to get these issues address by the spring. They are also looking for obtaining grant money to help pay for the maintenance and are in need of a grant writer. The grant writer will not only help them with finding grants for the maintenance of the library but any grants that will help them with the wastewater treatment plant.
Other business
The water bills finally got completed and sent out. The new water bills will be a week late once again due to glitches with the system. The village is going to talk with Workhorse Software Services Inc., to see if there is anyway they could get onto that system this year and not have to stick with the current system. Workhorse Software Services Inc., is the software that all other municipalities in the area use and is very easy to use.
Amazing Auto Sales has been sold. The business had a conditional use permit through the village but since it has been sold, that permit is not null and void. If the person who purchased the business would like to sell vehicles, they would have to apply for their own conditional use permit.
The Pecatonica Area School District did pay for their half of repaving School Road and paid the $18,275 water bill from the water leak that happened at the school, starting in September 2024.