Rough Notes of Whitewater Township Meeting
Wednesday, April 9, 2009
Annual Meeting Highlights (5:45pm)
· Taxes were discussed and it was pointed out that there are two key meetings up-coming if someone wants to do something about their taxes:
1. There’s an “Open Book” meeting May 6 from 4-6pm to talk with the assessor and review the detail behind your tax bill.
It was noted that on the one hand the assessor mentioned recently that the home values have fallen at least 20%. On the other hand the State is pushing to get all counties to get their assessments to market value. The Town may be faced with a $20K-$30K bill to do another assessment in the near future.
2. There’s a Board of Review meeting May 23/Sat. to present
Your case as to why your taxes should be changed. Need an appointment.
· Roads and their poor conditions were discussed. While everyone agreed that there’s a lot to do it was pointed out that there’s no money. Ron Ferro pointed out that the budget has each year $100K-$110K in it for ‘road repair’. (I’m getting a copy of the Town’s 2009 budget and will send that on. It looks like 10% or less of the overall budget is spent on ROADS!) It costs $50K/ mile to lay 2 inches of black top. There are 53 miles of road in the Town. Probably not much paving in 2009; a lot of patching.
Shirlee Wickersheimer did a great job of representing the Ridge & Wood Chuck Alley. She mentioned that the influential Master Gardners group was visiting Whitewater Lake and the Ridge in July and that the Lake needs to get ‘spruced up’ accordingly. Ferro & company are doing a drive-around Friday-Apr. 10 to determine needs and set a priority plan. (I think Shirlee and Nancy Dynkowski are hosting a breakfast for the Town contingency…… Just kidding)
There was a mention that residents of the Ridge had approached Ferro recommending that they be “special assessed” for road repairs. (Must have been deep-pockets Morris). We may hear more about special assessments in the future. They don’t need referendum voting to be initiated.
· High-speed Internet was discussed. A couple of residents came prepared to form a committee to try and work the bureaucracy to get Federal bail-out money to help rural areas get high speed internet service. Ferro took the information and said he’d look into it.
· Web site The Town is looking into developing a web site
Planning Committee (6:30pm)
· Committee reported on their final recommendations for long-term land use in the Township and will be submitting their recommendations to the County. It was pointed out that the City of Whitewater continues it’s march exerting it’s “public domain” rights to more and more Town land. There are 1447 residents in the Town…175 children who us the schools….
· The committee commented on the controversy over a bike trail from the City of Whitewater (under a tunnel in the new hwy 12 by-pass) to the camp grounds by the lake. The DNR is somehow involved and will visit the trail soon to try and resolve the issue.
Board Meeting (7:30pm)
· The issue that consumed most of the Boards time was a proposal by a man asking for a “mooring buoy” at the end of Hill Drive (Hill Dr. is the 50’ wide public access area off Lakeshore Dr. and Hwy P-near Cruse’s house). The discussion ranged all over the place with extreme discussion suggesting that the Board consider developing an ordinance for mooring buoys for all 13 public access locations on Whitewater & Rice Lakes. It was also suggested that since the Town was light on funds that a significant charge/license be assessed from the lottery winner of the buoy in the area of $10K.
After the Towns attorney spoke and Ferro pointed out that Richmond Township rejected any mooring buoys on public land the request was turned down.
· Mineska Ski team/Tom Beere made a well organized proposal for continued use of the Lake for practice and shows. He pointed out how the Ski Team has reached out last year to raise money to help two children in the lake area suffering from rare diseases: Stenosis & AT. His proposal was overwhelmingly granted. This years theme is James Bond. Performances 6:30pm Saturdays starting Memorial Day weekend. Maybe a Sunday night performance that weekend.
· Tom Otterbacher will conduct a boat safety class May 16 & 17 8am-2pm.
· The county is trying to get control of Kettle Moraine Dr. from Hwy P to Hwy H. Speculation is that they want control because if Chicago gets the Olympics there will be money and a need to finish Hwy 12 extension from Elkhorn to Whitewater and Kettle Morraine Dr. will be affected….The Township does not want to give up control of Kettle Moraine Dr.
· Computer Round-up is May 1/Friday. Time to dispose of computers, monitors…..
· Town is trying to determine if the new owner of Parkside Jeff Widner/JNT will be carrying on with Safety Buoy placement. In past Phil Stilke/Parkside donated his equipment for that purpose. The Town in turn made a donation to Parkside’s 4th of July Fireworks.
Adjourned 9:10pm
Next Meeting: 2nd Wed of month-May 13…………..