April 2017
Wind Point Blizzard of 2017!
National Weather Service reported that 23 inches of lake-effect snow accumulated in Wind Point on Tuesday, March 14 - the most of any area in the state! Clearing the roads was an around-the-clock effort. Racine County Sheriff's Department responded to multiple vehicles off the road along Shoop Park and Main St. Thank you to our public works crew and public safety personnel for your hard work during and after the storm. Enjoy this short video clip (right) taken from our plow truck.
Spring Election Information
The Spring Election will be held on Tuesday, April 4. The polls will be open at The Prairie School Johnson Athletic Center from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Races on the ballot include State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Circuit Court Judge, Court of Appeals Judge, Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, Village President and Village Trustees. To view a sample ballot for this election, click here. For more information on voting in this election, click here.
Yard Waste and Branch Collections
Yard Waste Collection
The first yard waste collection day of the season is Monday, April 3 and collections will continue weekly through November 27. Yard waste includes leaves, grass clippings, yard and garden debris and brush including clean woody vegetative material no greater than 4 inches in diameter; it does not include branches, stumps, roots or shrubs with intact root balls.  Set yard waste out in brown paper bags with a green yard waste sticker placed on each bag. Stickers may be purchased from the Village Office, located at 215 E. Four Mile Rd. for $1.00 each.

Branch Collection
The first branch collection date will be Tuesday, April 11 and collections will continue the second Tuesday of each month through November. It may take up to three days for your branches to be collected, depending on demand and weather.  Branches should be placed by the road in small, reasonably uniform piles with the cut end toward the road, all in the same direction.  Piles should not exceed 4 feet in height and 4 feet in width. Branches that exceed 8 feet in length and 4 inches in diameter will not be collected.  Residents are asked to keep branches at their original length and not cut into smaller pieces. There is no fee for branch collection and stickers are not required to be placed on branch piles. Please note branch collection is for tree maintenance, not tree removal. For more information on branch collections,  click here .

Wood Chips Request
Residents can request excess wood chips from branch collection to use for landscaping. Requests must now be submitted using the online form or by completing the form at the Village Office.  Chips will be delivered after collection in the order they were requested (based on availability). Chips cannot be picked up from the public works yard.
Wind Point Lighthouse Updates

Caretakers Transition
Our on-site lighthouse caretakers Susan and Mike Arts have announced they will be stepping down from their roles on August 15, 2017. The Village has been fortunate to have Susan and Mike as caretakers since 2007. They will be missed at the lighthouse, but they plan to stay in the Wind Point area! The Lighthouse Committee met on March 27 and will meet again this month to discuss the next steps for filling the position.

Beach Area Improvements
Improvements at the lighthouse beach are scheduled to take place this spring! The project will involve beach nourishment, installing a butterfly/hummingbird garden and native vegetation, and building a limestone pathway and cord-walk. Miller Engineers & Scientists is soliciting bids for the project and work is expected to take place in late spring, pending approval on DNR permits. The project is funded by an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) grant of $122,691 with an expected Village contribution of $5,000 to remove the small jetty. For more information, visit the project webpage.

Volunteers Needed
The Village is seeking volunteers to assist with Open Tower Days, taking place on the first Sunday of the month from June to October. Volunteers assist with greeting and directing tour-goers, sharing lighthouse history and helping ensure a high-quality tour experience. It's a great way to meet people visiting from all over the country and to spend time up close at the beautiful lighthouse grounds! Volunteers can work either half-day shifts or the for the full day (8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.). If you are interested, please complete the online form or contact the Village Office at (262) 639-3524 or info@windpoint.org. More information about the tours is available at windpointlighthouse.org. 
Village Green Project Updates
As announced in the March E-News, plans are underway for improvements at Village Green Park in 2017. In February, Village Engineer Mark Madsen solicited bids for a comprehensive bid package of park work; only one bid was received so the Village Board agreed to re-bid components of the park work separately in an effort to garner a variety of bids and to complete the project within budget.  The project is still on schedule to be completed this summer. Due to expected construction, the annual Village Picnic will be moved to the lighthouse grounds and will take place on Sunday, August 13.  Stay up-to-date on the Village Green project by visiting the project webpage or look for updates in the upcoming E-News!
Village Seeks Office Intern
The Wind Point Village Office is seeking the assistance of a part-time administrative intern to help with scanning, filing and other day-to-day office needs. The ideal candidate could be a high school or undergraduate student seeking office experience who is skilled with computers. The position will be about 10 hours per week and pay is $9-$10 per hour depending on skills or prior experience. Interested individuals should fill out an employment application and submit it to the Village Office.

Other Village Staff Updates
Congratulations to the following individuals celebrating their anniversaries serving the Village:
  • Paul Maccari (Police Officer) - 5 years on April 2 
  • Bob Stauss (Police Officer) - 9 years on April 8
  • Jan Osborn (Deputy Treasurer/Court Clerk) - 3 years on March 27
  • Thomas Pie (Police Officer) - 4 years on February 19
Village Committee Openings
Have you ever thought about serving the Village as a member of one of the citizen committees? Now may be your opportunity as the Village is currently looking for interested residents to fill vacancies on the Architectural Review Board and Board of Appeals:
  • Architectural Review Board (ARB) is responsible for reviewing exterior aesthetics for new structures or modifications to at least 20% of the face of an existing structure requiring a building permit. ARB meets on an as-needed basis when applications for review have been filed (typically 5-10 per year). ARB is chaired by a village trustee and comprised of five citizen members who serve renewable one-year terms.

  • Board of Appeals is comprised of five citizens (non-village board) members. It is a quasi-judicial body that reviews variance applications, boundary disputes and administrative appeals. There are typically very few meetings in a given year, if any, but this Board plays an important role in deciding on appeals relating to zoning and property matters when they occur.
Interested residents should submit a letter of interest to the Village Administrator/Clerk-Treasurer Michael Hawes at m.hawes@windpoint.org or in person at the Village Office. Committee appointments are made by recommendation of the Village President and approved by the Village Board.
Open Book and Board of Review Dates
It is a maintenance assessment year in Wind Point, meaning the Village Assessor will be reviewing property sales data and accounting for new construction and demolished properties in the assessment roll. Properties with improvements in the past year may be reviewed by the assessor, but there will not be village-wide inspections as there are in a revaluation year like last year. If the assessor has made a change to your assessment in 2017, you will receive an assessment change notice by June 13.

Property owners have an opportunity to discuss their property assessment with the assessor at Open Book on Tuesday, June 7 between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. at the Village Office. Walk-ins are welcome, but appointments are recommended. To make an appointment, contact Associated Appraisal at  1-800-721-4157 or by email at  info@apraz.com . If you are not able to attend Open Book, you are welcome to contact the assessor anytime at the same phone number and e-mail address.

If you disagree with your property's assessment, you can appear before the Board of Review for an appeal hearing. Board of Review will take place on Wednesday, June 28 at 5:30 p.m. at the Village Hall (lighthouse).  For information on how to appeal an assessment and for other related information, see the  Wisconsin Department of Revenue’s  Guide for Property Owners.
Concrete Slabs Required for
New Accessory Structures
On March 9, the Village Board adopted Ordinance 17-03, requiring a concrete slab for all new accessory structures. Slabs must be at least four inches in thickness with a minimum of 6"x6" no. 10x10 wire mesh. The purpose of the requirement is to help ensure the longevity of the structure and to help prevent rodents or other vermin.

Accessory buildings are structures over 35 square feet of floor area that are detached from the house. Up to two accessory buildings are permitted in the rear and side yards only; they cannot not be closer than 10 feet to the house and no taller than 15 feet in height. They cannot occupy more than 20 percent of the rear yard area, and shall not be closer than 15 feet to any lot line, except for structures with a maximum footprint of 150 square feet or less in area which shall not be closer than five feet to any lot line. If you are interested in installing an accessory building on your property, you should first contact your neighborhood association which may have restrictions on such structures. Approval from the Architectural Review Board and issuance of zoning and building permits are typically required from the Village. Contact the Village Office at 639-3524 or info@windpoint.org for more information.
Village Board Updates
The Village Board of Trustees met for a regular meeting on March 9, 2017. The following actions took place at the meeting:
  • Rejected a bid received for the Village Green project and instructed Village Engineer Madsen to bid a revised bid package.
  • Approved an updated cost of the park pavilion in the amount not-to-exceed $61,250, subject to confirmation that Village staff would install the deck boards.
  • Accepted the resignation of the lighthouse caretakers Mike and Susan Arts, effective August 15, 2017. The Board referred the matter to the Lighthouse Committee to review the lighthouse needs and the role of the caretakers.
  • Approved a conditional use permit application filed by Michael’s Signs to install a new sign at the Entomology Research Center, 15 E. Four Mile Rd.
  • Adopted Ordinance 17-03, requiring a concrete slab for all new accessory structures in the Village.
  • Heard an update on the lighthouse video project and on a grant that staff would be pursuing for the lighthouse exterior coating study.
  • Approved a request by Reliable Property Services to conduct a controlled burn for Wind Meadows on a 1,000 sq. ft. section of field across from The Prairie School.
  • Approved a Street Use Permit Application filed by Racine Family YMCA to use Village roadway for the Lighthouse Run on June 17, 2017.
  • Announced Open Book will be held on June 6, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m, and Board of Review will be June 28, 5:30-7:30 p.m.

The next regular meeting is scheduled for Thursday, April 13 at 5:30 p.m. at the Village Hall (lighthouse).
Village of Wind Point, Wisconsin
215 E. Four Mile Rd.
Racine, WI 53402
262.639.3524