Crescent town board updates residents, awards projects in dual meetings

Last Tuesday, April 21, nine Crescent residents attended the town’s annual meeting to hear the town board’s overview of the past year and ask questions, and then saw the board in decision-making mode in the special meeting that followed.

Board chairperson Grady Hartman reminded those in attendance, in the annual meeting “citizens get to run the meeting.”  The residents waived the reading of the minutes from last year’s annual meeting, and left the date of the next annual meeting as its statutory April 20, 2027.

They heard from town clerk Tracy Hartman, who presented the 2025 annual financial report, that the year’s actual revenue was $1,245,821. The approved budget’s projected revenue had been $1,462,943. 

Among the factors accounting for the difference, she explained, was less intergovernmental revenue due to the Transportation Alternative Grant (TAP) Grant not being used, the Airport Road grant not yet being used, and the Davenport Street project coming in at less than expected, which lowered the grant amount.

The year’s expenditures, projected to be $1,462,953, were also actually less, coming in at $1,257,126. Contributing to those savings was the Airport Road project not being completed, and only $23,000 worth of the budgeted $84,000 in capital improvement projects were completed in 2025, she reported.

“Much of the rest of that (unspent money budgeted for capital improvement projects) rolled into this year,” she added. “Capital improvement projects are really decided by the board. (For example) the previous board may have set aside some money to build a park … and then this board may decide, ‘we’re not going to build a park, it’s more important that we buy a fire truck.’ The capital improvement project money is set aside, but it’s not restricted. They can choose to do with it what they want.”

While on the topic of finances, Grady Hartman advised the crowd that Crescent has been ordered by the Department of Revenue to do a full town reassessment.

“A lot of towns are getting that because the property values have gone up so much,” he said. “ … So town people should understand that their values of their properties are going to go up significantly on their tax bill. And then the mill rate should come down in proportion, because ultimately the general liability of $755,000 stays the same.”

He said an assessor will be making the rounds, looking at properties from the outside.

“He’s very approachable,” Grady Hartman said. “You can argue with him and discuss it, and he’ll explain himself.”

Asked for an update on a wake boat ordinance being established in Crescent, as requested at the previous annual meeting, town supervisor Jonathan Jacobson explained that it had been established in August and is posted on the town website.

“The DNR doesn’t like the ordinance,” Grady Hartman added. “They did not approve it, but we still do have an ordinance on the books — basically not enforceable, which we discussed all through the process when the room was full. We discussed how and why it was not going to be enforceable, and that’s where we stand currently.”

He said he has given permission for it to be posted at Squash Lake, and has no problem with Crescent Lake posting it as well.

Following the annual meeting’s adjournment, the board and audience returned after a brief break for a special meeting. 

On April 8 the board had opened bids for Crescent’s seven prospective road projects for 2026 and a project to replace part of the town shop’s roof. After having studied the proposals, the town supervisors now met to award the projects.

To stay within budget, the decision was made to go forward with five of the seven proposed road projects:

• The Hat Rapids Road project, awarded to American Asphalt for $9,511.

• The North Rifle Road project, awarded to Fahrner Asphalt Sealers for $77,550.43. 

• The Sterling Road project, awarded to Pitlik and Wick for $8,200.

• The Beyer Road project, awarded to Pitlik and Wick for $26,799.30. 

• The Long Lake Road project, awarded to Fahrner Asphalt Sealers for $88,978.22. 

Proposed work on Fire Tower Road and Range Line Road was shelved for this year. 

The possibility of teaming with the town of Newbold on a Soo Lake Road project will be revisited at next month’s meeting.

The board also decided to move forward with Oettinger Excavating on the Crescent Creek culvert for $26,843. As a cost share with the Oneida County highway department, Crescent would only have to pay for half, or $13,422.

Approved too was the $28,628 bid of Quality Roofing to remove and replace the town shop’s roof.

Also on the agenda, the board agreed to again use a recycling grant, received through Oneida County Solid Waste, to do brush-chipping for residents.

“Residents can contact the chair to get put on the list to have the town crew come out and chip brush for them,” Tracy Hartman told the River News. “That will be available starting the first week in June.”

Ardith Carlton may be reached at [email protected].