Theresa Renews Contract with HydroCorp for Cross-Connection Inspections

Village of Theresa Public Works Committee Chair Jim Polster informed the board of the committee’s recommendation to renew the village’s contract with HydroCorp for commercial cross-connection inspections at the board meeting on Monday, January 20.
The village must have at least twelve commercial cross-connections inspected by a contracted company each year to meet DNR requirements. The Department of Public Works inspects residential cross-connections. HydroCorp provided cross-connection inspection services to the village last year for roughly $185 per month. This year, the cost increased to $358 per month.
“We need to have this done because we need to have so many commercial accounts cross connections done per year; otherwise, we are in violation with the DNR,” said President Jody Steger. “Meanwhile, their price has almost doubled compared to what we were paying last year, so that’s why I asked [Director of Public Works] Bill [Weisensel] if he would check with other municipalities and maybe Wisconsin Rural Water Association…and find out if there are other companies other than HydroCorp that do that and get some pricing in on that [for] next year.”
“Do we have enough time that we could check for other pricing because that’s a lot of money for twelve properties?” asked Trustee Sandy Koenigs. Weisensel explained that there is no DNR set deadline for contracting commercial cross-connection inspections as long as the inspections themselves are done by the end of the year.
“HydroCorp bills us monthly, so I don’t know if they’re doing commercial ones every month or if they’re doing three in one month and none in another,” stated President Steger. “I would rather leave it like this. I know, Sandy, it does seem steep, but we don’t know what price other companies are going to give us either, and I would rather keep going so we don’t get behind.”

The motion to renew the contract with HydroCorp for commercial cross-connection inspections was made by President Jody Steger and passed unanimously.
Board Matters:
• The board discussed the discovery of a discrepancy between ordinance-mandated minimum payment amounts and actual payments made by a Land and Lease Community for an annual license requirement. Ordinance-mandated payment amounts have not been received by the Village since the opening of the Land and Lease Community in 1988. At the time of the meeting, the board was not provided with any written documentation by the owner, who was not present at the meeting, that an alternative payment amount had been arranged. Trustee Joe Haak made a motion to charge the owner the ordinance-mandated minimum annual license fee for 2025, which passed five to one. Trustee JR Koenigs opposed. Trustee Dave Brandenburg was absent.
• President Steger shared with the board that it had come to his attention that village representative terms on the Ambulance and Fire Commissions and Library Board were not being monitored and enforced. Village representatives are appointed to the commissions and board by the village president for two or three-year terms. Terms can be renewed three times; however, there are some representatives who have served longer than the allotted term limits. President Steger apologized for the lack of enforcement and is working with Clerk-Treasurer Becky Tellier to track term renewals. Once that is completed, available commission and board positions will be posted on the village website.
• The board discussed granting an operator liquor license to Amanda Gonzalez. Trustee JR Koenigs made the motion to grant the license, which passed unanimously.
• Police Chief Daniel Markus provided the board with the estimated cost of updating the dog kennel at the wastewater treatment plant. Updates would cost roughly $5,000 to create more humane conditions. Trustee Haak made the motion to approve updating the dog kennel contingent on the availability of funds, which passed unanimously.
• The board discussed allocating $2,000 annually for emergency use of the Dodge County Humane Society if dogs could not be kept in the wastewater treatment plant due to medical or behavioral needs. Fund allocation would be budgeted beginning in 2026, with unused funds carrying over to the following year. The motion to approve an annual allocation of funds to emergency humane society use was made by Trustee Haak and passed unanimously.