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Weekly Blast!: It was yet another historic week in the Town of Grant…942 residents cast ballots in the mid-term election. That represented approximately 75% voter turnout - wow! Approximately 11% of our residents voted early either by mail or in person absentee voting. Our thanks to Clerk Stefanie Schlapa, Deputy Clerk Vicky Zimmerman, and all our wonderful election workers who met everyone with a smile on Tuesday. Also, be reminded that Clerk Schlapa will continue to hold scheduled in-person absentee voting the Saturday preceding any future elections. There have been some inquiries regarding the proposed discontinuing of a partial section of Griffith Avenue between 110th St and County Road F (pic). There are several feet of wet organic material underneath this section of road. As such, it has been the subject of “mudding” and breaches during times of flooding. This has repeatedly resulted in vehicles getting stuck with abutting landowner and law enforcement being asked to pull vehicles out. Landowners have since asked that portion of the road be considered for discontinuing which is the right of landowners and local government to consider. This is a very different situation than Buena Vista Road (CTH F – 130th) where the landowners asked that the materials under the road be “mucked out”, and repaired. We were able to get a significant Wisconsin Department of Transportation grant to fix that road because it was declared a safety hazard as emergency vehicles could not access that road at all times, and persons living on 130th complained that Safeway school bus would not traverse the road to take their children to school. The parents had to drive four miles around to meet the bus. Griffith Ave. is very different. It is abutted by WDNR and agricultural land and there are other access points to get to their properties. And the two homes at either end will continue to have access as their sections will not be impacted if a portion of the road is discontinued. A public hearing is required to consider discontinuing a road. That will be held on Wednesday December 9th. Another nice weekend in store. Enjoy, Sharon

Posted on by vanja

Weekly Blast!

Last week the Town of Grant hosted the Portage County unit meeting of the Wisconsin Towns Association (WTA). This week I attended the WTA Annual Convention in Stevens Point. Town and village officers from all over the State of Wisconsin were present; hundreds of them. Each year this event helps to educate officers about state statutes, current legislation, road maintenance and construction, budgeting, ambulance and fire protection, and so much more. No one officer can attend all the sessions available (we need the entire board to do that!) but these are the ones I attended: 1) Cypersecurity Attacks; 2) Fire Protection Service Fees; 3) Legal “Cracker Barrel” (where officers can ask the WTA attorneys ANYTHING); 4) Large-Scale Wind & Solar; and 5) Industrial Development. Each session was extremely interesting and educational.

Of particular interest was the session on Fire Protection Service Fees. Currently we pay for fire protection services from our general fund to the Town of Grand Rapids and the Village of Plainfield. The first uses equalized value to determine what we pay whereas the second uses a formula that is proportional to each contracted municipality. The former does not and so unfortunately, we pay a disproportional amount to T. Grand Rapids. In this WTA session they recommended two options if we don’t want to continue pulling from our general fund: 1) referendum to increase our levy; or 2) using a formula based on square footage of homes/businesses/land size, etc. to have landowners pay proportionally based on the anticipated expense of a fire to their parcel. It’s a very interesting option and several towns are working with their assessors to create a fair formula for landowners. For example, an agricultural field would pay far less than a large commercial building, or a small home would pay less than a large one with several accessory buildings, etc. Moving forward the Town of Grant will be looking at options as the price of fire protection increases every year. We need to find ways to make it fair with the greatest protection for all our residents, their homes, businesses, and land.

Enjoy the anticipated stunning weather, Sharon