LANSING | The village board voted to approve payment of its bills for the month of November, but not before a trustee questioned an expense for fence removal.

They also questioned possible ties by the village attorney to companies receiving money from the village, although the attorney discounted any "special tie" involved.

The board was asked to approve payment of $315,364.29 and $721,745.24 for its prepaid and corporate expenses during November, along with $562,004.40 for payroll of municipal employees and $25,433.14 for bills incurred by the Lansing Public Library.

Those bills were paid Tuesday with a single 5-1 vote by the village board.

Trustee Bob Ryan was the lone trustee to vote against bill payment.

He questioned payment of $11,900 to Discount Fence Co. for removal of a fence along the levee that keeps the Little Calumet River from overflowing into Lansing.

That fence was damaged back in September when heavy rains caused severe flooding throughout the Calumet region, including in Lansing.

Village public works Superintendent Tim Watkins said the fence needed to be removed and replaced, and the company was hired to do the job. Although the village is being asked to pay the bill now out of taxpayer funds, Watkins said the village's insurance policies eventually will reimburse Lansing government for the full amount of money paid out.

Ryan also asked about a couple of other expenditures, saying he believed that village attorney Dale Andersen had financial ties to the companies that received money, which he hinted could be seen as improper.

Andersen denied he had any financial connections to any companies that received village money, although he noted as a local attorney, he had helped some companies that do business with Lansing government back when they originally incorporated themselves.

"I've helped incorporate many companies," Andersen said. "That doesn't mean there's some special tie."