Village President:Eric Fisher
Village Trustees: Nathan Stork / Katy Kapaun / Scott Gerhardt / Terry Dull / Chuck Pizzi / Rand Waughtal
Village Clerk: Doreen Kruschke
Deputy Clerk: Delores Lewis
Police Chief: Ricci Prein
Police Admin. Asst.: Sandy Goulette
Village Building Inspector: John Rivard
Village Assessor: Dave Dueholm
Librarian:Brenda Hackman
Asst. Librarian: Kathryn Miller

Fire Chief: Jeff Vogt
1st Asst. Chief: Glenn Hall
2nd Asst. Chief: Mike Rutan
Captain: Joe Waalen
Captain: Amy Winkel
Rescue Captain:Sonia Kubesh
Rescue Lieut.:Brent Lindstrom
Secretary/Treas.:Jason Fouks

• New Homes
• Alterations
• Porches
• Garages
• Roofing
• Siding
• Sidewalks
  

• Additions
• Driveways
• Decks
• Pools
• Windows
• Heating
• Minor Repairs

A NOTE FROM THE VILLAGE PRESIDENT

Happy Spring, I think! I started this newsletter watching snow pile up on my lawn and two days later, I am basking in the fresh spring air coming in the windows. It is amazing how much weather can change in just a short time in our area.

Looking back on my first term as your Village President, I notice there is a lot of change in a short time in our community, as well. Since the fall newsletter, we saw changes on our village board. A dedicated board member and life long resident of Roberts, Bruce “Fuzzy” Liddle passed away suddenly in December. It takes a strong commitment to choose to serve on a public board and we appreciate the contributions that Fuzzy made to support our village. Rand Waughtal was selected from a number of interested candidates to complete the term. After the April 1 elections, Rand secured the seat by winning the public election. We look forward to Rand’s input and suggestions as we forge ahead.

You may have noticed some changes in village employees, as well. Our long-time librarian, Beverly Jacobson, retired from the village and started a new chapter in her life. We thank Bev for her expertise and dedication to the library specifically, but the Roberts community in general. We welcome aboard Brenda Hackman as the new librarian and encourage everyone to stop in and introduce themselves as she starts in this new role with the village.

As you stop in to the office to pay a bill or pull a permit, you may notice another new face. After the resignation of Nancy Espersen, Mary Demulling accepted a part-time office position at Village Hall. We thank Nancy for her work and welcome Mary to the team.
After spring elections, it is common in many municipalities to have an organizational meeting to review board structures and vacancies. By the time this newsletter reaches your home, the board will have had an opportunity to review board membership and consider any recommended changes. The whole community benefits from a broad perspective. Everyone who has served on a board or committee is fully appreciated for the time and energy that is required for that level of service. If you have interest in serving on a committee or would like more information, please feel free to stop by village hall and get more information.

Another change in the village is happening on Highway 12 where the Roberts Congregational UCC church building is nearing completion. With the sale of the former church building on Warren Street, we anticipate a request for rezoning that property to allow a commercial use. Watch for details as that comes together. At this time, we do not anticipate any new large scale projects in the village for 2008.
Residential growth continues to be quite a bit slower than in past years. There are more “For Sale” signs in front yards than I can ever remember seeing in Roberts. That might mean you are surrounded by new families or you are new to our community. Summer is an opportune time to get to know the new faces in your neighborhood. Those relationships help our community stay strong and secure in the midst of political and economic changes that are all around us.
Speaking of neighbors, Good Neighbor Days is just around the corner and I encourage you to participate in this celebration. It’s an opportunity for us to welcome friends and neighbors to our community. Mark your calendars for May 29-June 1 and join in the fun!
As we enter the summer months, I want to remind everyone about the importance of water conservation. The one question I get asked regularly is, “What can you do about the water bills?” As you probably noticed, the largest cost on your quarterly bill is actually sewer treatment, which includes the cost of the treatment plant debt as well as operating costs. Sewage treatment is an expensive process and there is no magical formula to make it any cheaper.

The water and sewer bills are measured by the amount of water that goes through your meter. While we all need to use water in our daily lives, I would suggest each family to conserve water whenever possible. One way is through use of a rain barrel to collect rain water for irrigation of plants and gardens. Rain barrels are available in many styles and price ranges at home improvement stores. St. Croix County also has rain barrel information on their website (see enclosed information).

Here are a few more water conservation tips:

• Water lawns early in the day or late in the evening to avoid unnecessary evaporation by the sun and heat.
• Concentrate sprinkler to avoid dispensing high into the air and to keep water off hard surfaces like driveways and sidewalks.
• Don’t over-water your lawn. Too much water can create shallow roots and make your lawn less tolerant during dry weather.
• Check your faucets and toilets for any leaks and repair them as soon as possible.
• If you need to balance your budget, consider making monthly payments to the village based on your prior quarter’s billing. If you need assistance calculating a monthly payment, contact the village office.

If each family can find ways to reduce water use, it not only saves on your household budget, but it also reduces the demands on our water and sewer systems. With less demand, we can delay large, expensive projects to increase capacity. Conservation helps save money today and reduces future costs.

In closing, I want to thank everyone for your support during this first year. Working together, we have a strong spirit to build a shared future for our community.

Village President – Eric Fisher

Dear Village Residents:

When you set your clock ahead, did you remember to change the batteries in your smoke detectors?

Jeff Vogt – Fire Chief


Watch What You Flush!

The Village has been experiencing difficulties with the lift stations in the Village. In appropriate items are being flushed down the sewer system. This is causing failure in the lift stations. We are replacing pumps and having other malfunctions. The repairs are costing money and eventually this will affect your sewer costs. Examples of inappropriate items are: diapers, swiffer dusting pads and any items that are not biodegradable. Please “Watch What You Flush”!


Park Building

Are you planning a graduation, wedding, special event or just a party? Check out the Village Park Building. A serving area has been added for your convenience. If interested call the Village Clerk at 749-3126.


Senior Center

The Roberts Senior Dining Site is open two days a week. Meals are served on Monday and Wednesday. The Senior Center has many activities planned. Contact 749-3755 for more information.


Neighborhood Crime Watch

We are a Neighborhood Crime Watch Community. Contact the Police Department if information needed.

Veterans Memorial Park
There are pavers that are available for purchase. You can have a name of a loved one engraved in a stone for $50. If interested in purchasing a stone for the park and would like more information, please call the Village at 749-3126.

“A strong positive mental attitude will create more miracles than any wonder drug.”
Patricia Neal

Severe Weather

April 21-25, 2008 is Tornado & Severe Weather Awareness Week. There will be a “mock” drill on Thursday, April 24 at 1:40-1:45 PM. If there is actual severe weather that day, the drill will be on April 25. If you would like more information it is available by clicking HERE.

The first Wednesday of the month there is a test of the severe weather siren at 11:00 AM. Sometimes, the county dispatch is busy and it may be close to 11:00 AM. The purpose of the test is to make sure the siren is working. This siren would be the same siren for severe weather.

Municipal Court Dates

The Municipal Court is up and running. If you are curious how it is run, you are more than welcome to attend. The Court is open to the public and starts at 6:00 PM. Dates are:

• May 22
• June 26
• July 24

• August 28
• September 25
• October 23