WAUPACA COUNTY TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION
April 19, 2012
The meeting was called to order at 12:00 p.m. by Captain Terry Wilz. The meeting location was Hotel Fremont in Fremont, Wisconsin.
Members Present: Patrol Captain Terry Wilz, Area DOT Program Manager Thomas Knoop, Sheriff Brad Hardel, Emergency Management Director Andy Carlin, , Coroner Barry Tomaras, , District Attorney John Snider, State DOT Representative John Keiffer, State Patrol Representative Kendi Linjer, Waupaca County Board Chairman Dick Koeppen, Population Representative Bob Flease and Mukwa Town Supervisor Lee Shaw,
Patrol Captain Wilz read the open meeting statement.
Motion by Tom Knoop, seconded by Bob Flease to approve the minutes of the previous meeting. Motion carried without a negative vote.
Motion by Tom Knoop, seconded by John Snider to approve the agenda. Motion carried without a negative vote.
Public Input - None
Patrol Captain Wilz - see attached Traffic Report. Due to Dr. Weber’s retirement from the Traffic Safety Committee, Barry Tomaras has contacted Dr. Jerry Salan and he has agreed to be a member. He does not have a current medical license, but that is not a necessity. Captain Wilz had received a notice from DOT that a substantial amount of money that is going to be spent on Hwy 10 and 45, however, there was no indication what was going to be done. Captain Wilz asked Tom or Jack of they knew what the money was for. Captain Wilz said the amount was for $192,000.00. Captain Wilz asked if the money might be for mile markers. It was found in October 2011 minutes that mile markers and exit numbers were scheduled to be done in 2012 after the Marshfield section of Hwy 10 is completed. The $192,000.00 would be the range of money needed for this.
Jon Snider – Mentioned the time lag for receiving drug screen results from the State Lab of Hygiene and had a judge get impatient and dismissed the ticket. Jon wasn’t aware of this until after the ticket had been dismissed when the drug screen arrived.
Jack Keiffer – Follow-up for Dean asking the status of Hwy 22/QQ and Hwy 54/QQ. Hwy 22/QQ is a highway improvement project by King. Project is scheduled to start in July 2012. It will include right turn lanes and lights. Hwy 54/QQ – is budgeted for safety fund money from a federal program. This is set for summer of 2014. This would include moving islands up, doing signals and right turn onto CTY QQ. Met on Vaughn Road issue and is waiting for minutes of the meeting to be sent to the DOT. Captain Wilz asked about a guard type medium on Hwy 10. This is part of the Hwy 10 project from Marshfield. This a cross over medium cable. It was put on a hot-spot list and waiting for funding. Also mile markers, which are tied to another project. Jack said dates would be in previous meeting minutes. Captain Wilz asked what is happening with Hwy 110 by Weyauwega with the railroad tracks, referring to the maintenance of the crossing. Jack will talk to maintenance person and get the name of a contact person to Captain Wilz (See attached e-mail to Captain Wilz from Jack on 04/24/12).
Bob Flease – Referenced the cable that Jack had just talked about. Dean had brought it up a number of times and is needed and probably saved a life. Asked what lead time might be? Jack said 2013 sounded like it might be right, but didn’t have his minutes in front of him. Jack said there is certain criteria in the highway that needs to be met to qualify for the cable. If medium is narrow and no concrete then that is an area where the cable would be placed. Dick Koeppen asked if the medium cable worked. Tom said it is designed to stretch. He said it held a semi on Hwy 41. After an accident, the cable needs to be re-tensioned to make it usable again.
Dick Koeppen – Spoke of committees on County Board. There are five new supervisors on the County Board. Average turnover is 25% in each election. Bob said Outagamie had over 20 supervisors replaced. Dick addressed a question to Jack regarding the Hwy 22/156 intersection in Clintonville. This is a very dangerous intersection, especially when schools release. Industries coming from Hwy 156 and they all meet. Jack is familiar with the area and will drive by on his way home. He will look at a crash study for five years for an in-depth safety study.
Tom Knoop – see attached. 126 fatals thus far in 2012. Waupaca County has one fatality to date. Preliminary crash data fatals are 567 for 2011. Legislative session has ended. Act 73 was passed which is a bicycle safety bill where motorists can pass on a solid yellow line in a no-passing zone. This includes bicycles as-well-as vehicles traveling 25 mph or more under the speed limit. Other Acts passed were #91, #111, #113, #141, #164, #173, #184, #241, #256 (effective 8/1/12 penalties increase for failure to notify law enforcement of a crash – included drivers and occupants) and #279. The law of the month for April is “Absolute Sobriety Law”, May is “drivers must yield to pedestrians” and June is “drunken drivers face court-ordered install of ignition interlock devices”. Tom asked if the DA’s Office has seen this as a tool to get people to plead to a lower BAC. John said they have not seen any of this.
Sheriff Hardel – Follow-up on the meeting regarding Hwy 10/Vaughan Road. A meeting was held with some representatives from the DOT, Dean Steingrager, Captain Wilz, Sheriff Hardel and Paul Roloff from Paul’s Concrete and Mr. Mittelstaedt from Alliance. Business owners are aware of issues at the intersection. They want to help, but don’t want something done that will run them out of business. The DOT brought up some issues about some things that the Sheriff’s Department would like to do. Jack said if meeting minutes could be sent to the DOT, that would trigger a review by a 3rd party, or a consultant to come in and view the problem. Dean was going to send out minutes of the meeting. The initial thought had been to close the cross-over and Paul said that would put him out of business. Sheriff Hardel some ideas were to possibly put a right turn lane going eastbound on Hwy 10, going into Vaughn Road, which would help to get the traffic off the road. Possibly putting an accelerating lane for trucks going eastbound so they could get up to speed. Kendi asked about putting up a flashing fog sign. Jack said they don’t have something like that and then the question of how the weather would trigger the sign. Sheriff Hardel said another meeting will be scheduled with the DOT. Dean Steingraber had mentioned at their meeting that there is a house that reduces visibility just before Alliance Industries. Mittelstaedt’s own the house and rent it out. He indicated they would take down the house if the state would purchase it.
Andy Carlin – Nothing
Kendi Linjer – Nothing – her concerns had been Hwy 10/Vaughan Road.
Motion by Tom Knoop, seconded by John Snider to adjourn at 1:08 p.m. Motion carried. Our next quarterly meeting will be held on July 19, 2012 at 12:00 p.m., at Hotel Fremont, Fremont, Wisconsin.
Vickie Thoe, Secretary