By Alex Wong
PINE GROVE — Newly appointed Pine Grove Town Chairman Rena Laska officially took the oath of office during a special Town Board meeting last week, then immediately joined discussions on road repairs and concerns surrounding a large-scale solar project.
Laska was unanimously appointed earlier this month to fill the vacancy left by former Chairman Ben Sawyer, who stepped down before the end of his term.
During the meeting, Laska — rather than being sworn in by a clerk — recited the official oath of office herself before attendees.
“So I, Rena Laska, have been elected or appointed to the office of town chairperson for the Township of Pine Grove, swear or affirm that I will support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the state of Wisconsin, and I will faithfully discharge the duties of said office to the best of my ability,” Laska said.
“I’ll do the best I can,” she added.
One of the first issues before the board involved damage to a recently chip-sealed section of Mill Road. Officials said a farm disc operated by Wysocki’s Family Farms damaged the roadway, prompting the town to seek repairs.
The board approved a $15,000 plan to repair the affected section using 3/8-inch pea stone gravel. Scott Construction will perform the work.
Sawyer, who attended the meeting, noted that Wisconsin law allows municipalities to seek up to three times the cost of repairs when roads are damaged.
“Just so you know, they can get charged three times more than what the price on that place is,” Sawyer said.
Town officials ultimately agreed to pursue reimbursement through the farm’s insurance carrier rather than seek additional penalties.
“If damage has been done to a road, then it needs to be repaired,” Laska said.
Supervisor Bill Pratt agreed.
“It should be their responsibility to make sure it’s fixed,” Pratt said.
Pratt said he preferred a straightforward resolution.
“I’d rather just have them fix the damage and we’re done with it,” he said.
The board also received an update regarding the proposed Porch Light Solar project.
Sawyer informed board members that Savion is no longer involved with the project.
“Just so you guys know that Savion is no longer the contractor for Porch Light Solar over here,” Sawyer said. “It’s a whole different ball game. They can change your rules right in the middle of the game.”
The change prompted discussion about hiring legal counsel to help review project agreements and ensure adequate protections are in place if the solar facility is eventually decommissioned.
Board members considered entering into a joint agreement with the neighboring Town of Buena Vista to retain the VanderWaal Law Office. The attorney would assist the towns in reviewing reclamation requirements intended to ensure the site is properly restored if the project ceases operations.
“We want to make sure they clean up their mess if it dissolves or their project doesn’t,” Sawyer said.
Supervisor Fred Altenberg questioned whether a proposed 50-50 split of legal costs between the two municipalities would be equitable, noting that most of the project is located within Buena Vista.
No final decision on the legal agreement was made during the meeting.
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