TheMunicipality Your Voice Your Wisconsin. December | 2020 GARBAGE Wisconsin Municipalities Wisconsin’s Solid Garbage Collection DNR Update on Can Provide High-Speed Trees Support Enforcing Seasonal Waste Management and Recycling Recycling Internet — Some Mental Health “This Is Not My Weight Limitation History – A Timeline FAQs in Wisconsin Already Have… During COVID-19 Beautiful House…” Ordinances 4 8 9The Municipality13 | December 202017 20 23 1 CYBER LIABILITY? DON’T WORRY, YOU’RE COVERED. Insured by LWMMI? You are automatically covered to Policy Limits with no deductible - including the investigation on how the breach occurred, notifi cation to people affected and defense of potential claims. If your municipality is not insured by the LWMMI you may be “phishing” for trouble and left to “phlounder” on your own. With LWMMI Insurance you have the peace of mind to run your City or Village the way you want to and Don’t Worry, You’re Covered! Protecting The Communities We Live In. 608.833.9595 | www.LWMMI.org A Mutual Company Owned by Member Cities and Villages. TheMunicipality The Municipality Official Monthly Publication of the League of Wisconsin Municipalities Volume 115, No 12, December 2020 December | 2020 Editorial Offices 131 W. Wilson St., Suite 505, Madison, WI 53703 Dial (608) 267-2380 Feature Fax: (608) 267-0645 e-mail: [email protected] Website: www.lwm-info.org Wisconsin’s Solid Waste DNR Update Voters Approve Your Turn Management History – on Recycling Municipal Levy Limit The Municipality serves as the medium of exchange of ideas and information on municipal A Timeline in Wisconsin Referendums affairs for the officials of Wisconsin cities and villages. Nothing included herein is to be construed as having the endorsement of the League unless so specifically stated. The 3 4 9 11 Municipality (ISSN 0027-3597) is published monthly at $25 per year ($5.00 per copy, back issues $5.00 each) by the League of Wisconsin Wisconsin State Shorting Municipalities, 131 W. Wilson St. Suite 505, Municipalities Can Trees Support Cities for Costs of Madison, WI 53703. Periodical postage paid at Provide High-Speed Mental Health Providing Services Madison & additional offices, WI. POSTMASTER: Internet — Some During COVID-19 to its Facilities Send address change to: The Municipality, Already Have… 131 W. Wilson St. Suite 505, Madison, WI 53703 12 13 17 OFFICERS President, Todd Schmidt, Administrator, Village of Waunakee 1st Vice President, Justin Nickels, Legal Mayor, Manitowoc 2nd Vice President, Maureen Murphy, Administrator, Mount Pleasant Enforcing Coaching Past President: Zach Vruwink, Rhinelander Garbage “This Is Not When a Governing Seasonal Weight Employees Collection and My Beautiful Body Wants to Limitation to Better Recycling FAQs House…” Change Its Mind DIRECTORS Ordinances Performance Emily Berge, Council Member, Eau Claire Steve Genisot, Mayor, Marinette James Grigg, Mayor, Horicon 8 20 23 26 28 Danny Helgerson, Mayor, Westby Chantia Lewis, Alder, Milwaukee Emily McFarland, Mayor, Watertown News/Updates/Training Randy Meyer, Mayor, Sheboygan Falls Mary Motiff, Mayor, Washburn Mark Rohloff, City Manager, Oshkosh Tomika Vukovic, Alder, Glendale Board President, Transitions Anissa Welch, Mayor, Milton Todd Schmidt Yee Leng Xiong, Trustee, Weston STAFF 32 32 Executive Director: Jerry Deschane Deputy Director: Curt Witynski Legal Counsel: Claire Silverman Assistant Legal Counsel: Maria Davis On the Cover Member Engagement/Communications Director: Gail Sumi Director of Marketing & Administration: The city of Sheboygan transitioned from a manual recycling Robin Powers and garbage collection system to a new, automated cart-based Event Manager: Carrie Jensen collection system on May 4, 2020. The Department of Public Works delivered over 37,000 garbage and recycling carts to our residents Project Manager: Elizabeth Kazda in April. As a result of the conversion, preliminary data has shown Staff Accountant: Tracy Kern a 13% increase in recycling with 112 new tons. This represents an Administrative Assistant: Sandy Scott increase of four pounds per household. The city was awarded a 2020 DNR Recycling Excellence Awards in the Projects and Initiatives category. Pictured on the cover is John Burkard operating one of the city’s seven new automated side-loading trucks. 1 TOGETHER WE BUILD WISCONSIN WISCONSIN HOUSING AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY www.wheda.com 2 The Municipality | December 2020 Feature Your Turn Jerry Deschane, Executive Director, League of Wisconsin Municipalities The League takes pride in focusing The Municipality magazine November is an important leadership transition month; on practical information. It’s a stewardship that we take very obviously for our nation, but also for the League. Each year, seriously. After all, for more than 120 years, this has been one-quarter of the League’s board of directors turns over. I’d where municipal elected and appointed officials have looked like to thank the four board members who are leaving us after for the nuts and bolts of governing. I like to think of it as the their term, including Shorewood Trustee (and League Past- Popular Mechanics of municipal governing. Each month we President) Tammy Bockhorst, South Milwaukee Mayor Erik focus on a specific element of local government operation. Brooks, Janesville City Manager Mark Freitag, and Richfield This month it’s garbage and recycling; next month it will Administrator Jim Healy. Each of you brought new ideas and be first-responders, followed by economic development in a unique perspective on local government to the League; our February and so on throughout the year. organization is better because of your work. Thank you. We’re always looking for ways to do that job even better. We will miss them, but we’re also excited to welcome four Starting this month, we’re going to ask you to help us with new League board members. In an unusual turn of fate, all our monthly task. We want stories about local leadership. four additions to the board this year are mayors. The new Inspired by new League President Todd Schmidt of group is dominated by mayors from smaller Wisconsin Waunakee, The Municipality now provides space for regular municipalities, including Jim Grigg of Horicon, Danny stories on the important topic of leadership. Helgerson from Westby, Randy Meyer of Sheboygan Falls, and Mary Motiff of Washburn. While they all carry the President Schmidt’s column on page 32 explains how we’re “mayor” title, they bring a variety of views from communities seeking stories that highlight the best in local leadership; throughout the state and will add to the good group of stories that are based on humility and service. Todd firmly directors who represent your interests. Enjoy the transition of believes (and I’m with him 100%) that the most important the seasons, mask up and stay safe from COVID, and send us leadership trait is humility. His goal, during his year as League your leadership stories! Happy holidays. president, is to demonstrate how humble, servant-based leadership leads to the best outcomes. As we go to print - the Legislative Audit Bureau (LAB) released its report on state recycling programs administered by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP). A companion report details recommended best practices for local recycling programs in Wisconsin. Details here: https://legis.wisconsin.gov/lab/audit-reports/reports-by-year/ The League appreciates the support of the following Business Members: • AARP Wisconsin • incrediblebank • WEA Trust • American Fidelity • MSA Professional • Weld, Riley, S.C • American Transmission Co. Services Inc. • Wisconsin Housing & • Boardman & Clark LLP • Municipal Property Economic Development • Ehlers Associates Insurance Company Authority (WHEDA) • GRAEF • SEH • Zerology • Stafford Rosenbaum LLP For more information, contact Robin Powers: [email protected] | (608) 267-2383 The Municipality | December 2020 3 Feature Wisconsin’s Solid Waste Management History – A Timeline LATE EARLY 1800s 1900s EARLY TO LATE TO THE MID TO THE THE IN 1800s 1900s 1950s 1960s 1967 Waste, which included mostly Rural areas continued to mainly In this era, the first sanitary The beginning of modern, The Wisconsin Legislature manure, coal ash, and plant rely on individual on-site landfills were developed. engineered disposal of solid directed the Wisconsin waste, generally was managed disposal with some development Landfills were designed for waste began in Wisconsin and Department of Resource on site. In urban areas, waste of town dumps. In urban areas, nuisance (rats and odor) nationally with the enactment of Development, a predecessor was thrown into waterways and/ most municipalities established control, with daily soil cover the Federal Solid Waste Disposal of the Wisconsin Department or disposed of through open programs to collect and and trenching to divert runoff. Act of 1965, which created the of Natural Resources (DNR), to burning, causing complaints manage waste, either through Groundwater protection was not Federal Office of Solid Waste develop “minimum standards about odor, air, and water municipally run programs a prime design criteria. Landfills (today the Environmental for the location, design pollution. To address the health or contracts with private were excavated holes without Protection Agency (EPA)). construction, sanitation, threats and nuisance conditions sector businesses known liners or containment. Most operation, and maintenance