2008 Fall/Winter Newsletter
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TOWN NEWSLETTER FALL/WINTER 2008 www.town.cedarburg.wi.us Local Community Activism Decides Recycling Debate WHATS INSIDE By Gary Wickert, Town Supervisor Town Administrator’s Desk….…..2 Property Tax Payment Info.….…..2 At the October 1st Town Board meeting, local residents turned Building Inspector Tips……...…...5 out in droves in favor of keeping the recycling center open. Fire Department & Library………6 Town Administrator Jim Culotta had recommended closing Constable’s Corner …………..….7 the center and engaging current Town employees to pick up Message from Town Chairman…..8 recycling along with refuse. The recommendation came on the Public Works Notes…...……..… .9 heels of a study which showed that Town pickup of recycling History of Hamilton…………... 10 would save taxpayers $42,987 annually over the status quo. Although supervisors reported receiving calls and emails from Winter Refuse Collection residents both for and against eliminating the recycling center, The Public Works crew makes 100% of the residents who showed up at the meeting were in every effort to collect refuse on favor of keeping it. The Board voted unanimously to keep the the scheduled collection day dur- center. The issue illustrates that representative democracy ing the winter months. Unfortu- works and residents who become active in local politics can nately, winter storms don’t coop- make a difference. erate with day to day operations. Residents should put their refuse This means that the Town will operate curbside refuse collection only on a weekly at the roadside on the scheduled basis, and residents can drop off items for recycling on Thursdays from Noon to pick-up day. If the refuse is not 6:00pm and Saturdays from 9:00am - 2:00pm. The Town recycling center has been in picked up on the scheduled day, operation for 26 years. The interest taken in what might otherwise have been it will collected as soon as considered a rather benign issue serves as a very subtle tribute to the special people weather conditions permit. which make up the special community of Cedarburg. A few residents who spoke out in favor of the keeping the center had questions about the study underlying the assumption that its elimination would save the Town money. But most residents who New Polling Location!!! favored the status quo recognized that the recycling center constitutes one of the Effective immediately, Town resi- “little” things endemic to small communities which seem to be disappearing one by dents in Wards 5 thru 9 will now one from communities across the country. vote at the Town of Cedarburg Fire Station on Covered Bridge It is undisputed that the recycling center loses money. Not a lot – about $3,000 per Road, adjacent to Kohls Floor Cov- year– but these days, it is rare that government actually looks for ways to save money, ering and Wayne’s Drive-In. Wards rather than spend it. Nonetheless, the Town Board listened to the residents and noted 5 thru 9 will no longer vote at the the conspicuous absence of any residents in favor of curbside single-stream recycling Country Keg. The address for the pickup by Town employees. Things worked out just the way they are supposed to. Fire Station is 1350 Covered Bridge Town residents were put on notice, however, that the current recycling center sits on a Rd Cedarburg, WI 53012. Wards 1 prime piece of real estate which figures prominently into the Town’s Five Corners thru 4 and 10 will continue to vote Master Plan – a vision for the future which creates a much-needed business and com- at Town Hall. Elections in 2009 mercial tax base and which will define the Town of Cedarburg for generations to come. include the Spring Primary on Feb- Its highest and best use for taxpayers can hardly be opening it for a mere eleven hours ruary 17th and the Spring Election Continued on page 3 on April 7th. Town of Cedarburg Town Administrator’s Desk Jim Culotta The Town’s Mission Statement is, “The Town of Cedarburg will provide its residents and businesses with quality, essential services, performed in a modern, cost-effective and efficient manner.” In 2008, residents gave Town services high marks, according to our 2008 Performance Survey (see below). This survey helps Town staff monitor the quality of services provided to residents. The 2009 Performance Survey will be sent in the spring/summer newsletter. FY 2009 Budget Approved – No Tax Rate Increase On December 3rd, the Town Board unanimously approved the Fiscal Year 2009 budget as proposed. Next year’s budget calls for the same property tax rate as 2008, which is $2.65 per $1,000 of assessed valuation. The 2009 budget includes expenditures of $2,296,412, down 3% from 2008. Total revenues are estimated at $2,296,639, down 3% from 2008. A homeowner whose home is assessed at $300,000 will pay approximately $795 to the Town in 2009, which is same as in 2008 and $9 less than in 2007. It’s important to note that a property tax bill also includes taxes levied by several taxing jurisdictions other than the Town of Cedarburg, including the state, county, school district, and the Milwaukee Area Technical College. The economy has impacted the Town as it has in most other communities. The most difficult budgetary decision was to reduce road improvement funding by approximately 66%, which was necessary to maintain a flat property tax rate next year. The generally good condition of our roads provides the Town an opportunity to decrease the number of road projects in 2009. The Town hopes to return to traditional road maintenance funding levels in 2010. Property Tax Payment Locations Property taxes were mailed out the second week of December. The first half of the tax bill is due by January 31st and can be paid at Town Hall or mailed to the Ozaukee County Treasurer; full payment is also accepted by January 31st at Town Hall or mailed to the Ozaukee County Treasurer (see your tax bill for this address). Town Hall is open Monday through Friday 8:00am-4:30pm. The second half is due by July 31st and is payable to Ozaukee County; Town Hall does not accept the second payment. Taxes can also be paid at several area banks, including: Harris Bank (City of Cedarburg and Five Corners location), Cornerstone Community Bank (Grafton lobby only), M&I Bank (Cedarburg lobby only), Tri-City Bank (Cedarburg lobby only and Grafton Pick ‘n Save), and Bank Mutual (Thiensville & Grafton locations). If you have an escrow check larger than the total tax bill, the banks are able to issue a refund check on the spot! Town of Cedarburg Continued from page 1—Wickert a week for recycling. Interest in the property by outside retail and commercial concerns has been high as excitement mounts over the entire Five Corners development. When this interest comes to fruition, the Town will probably look to sell or lease the current recycling property and relocate the recycling center to a more suitable location nearby. The Five Corners Master Plan is a vibrant and pedestrian-friendly “Town Center” featuring mixed-use development and providing a focal point and gathering place for residents of Cedarburg. You can go to www.town.cedarburg.wi.us and select “Planning” under the E-Government option at the top of the Homepage to see the plan. Part of the plan is to create a spectacular sports complex located behind Harris Bank on Highway 60 at Five Corners. This new Town park will be one of the largest of its kind in all of Southeastern Wisconsin. The park will offer a wide-array of active and passive recreational amenities for the entire family that include fields for soccer, baseball, softball, football, and other sports such as archery. A park facility of this magnitude will be able to host tournaments for Cedarburg area youth sport leagues. Future generations of Cedarburg residents – Town and City - will enjoy a spectacular commercial and retail center at Five Corners, reaping rewards from the planned Cedarburg Sports Complex. Weekly sports events and practices as well as weekend tournaments will bring in crowds of people from around the Midwest who will line up at businesses in the Five Corners area and in downtown Cedarburg. Many of them may even make Cedarburg their future home. The metal building which houses the recycling center may not fit into the future plans of Five Corners, but it certainly does fit into the definition of what’s special about the community of Cedarburg. Christmas Tree Recycling and Disposal of Artificial Trees The Town’s Public Works crew will pick-up real and artificial Christmas trees between January 5th and January 16th, 2009. Real trees will be chipped for reuse in Town parks and will be available for residents to pick up at the Town Recycling Center. In order to recycle your Christmas tree, all ornaments, tinsel, and wire must be removed. The Town will pick-up trees that are placed at the end of the driveway on the house side of the ditch on your regular pick-up day. Please do not place trees where they may impede snow re- moval operations. Trees that are flocked (artificially frosted) cannot be recycled and will be picked up with the garbage between January 5th and 16th. Beginning January 3rd, residents may bring their tree to the com- post area behind the Town Recycling Center during normal Recycling Center or Town Hall business hours. Town of Cedarburg Town Legislative Update Over the past two years, the Town Board has adopted several ordinances relating to land use and accessory buildings.