November 2018
Fall General Election on Tuesday, November 6!
The Fall General Election will be held on Tuesday, November 6. Voting will take place at The Prairie School Johnson Athletic Center and the polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Races on the ballot will be: Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, State Treasurer, Representative in Congress District 1, State Senator District 21, Representative to the Assembly District 62, County Sheriff, Clerk of Circuit Court and a countywide referendum. To view a copy of a sample ballot,  click here.

Absentee Voting
The last day to absentee vote at the Village Office is tomorrow, November 2. The office is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. If you received an absentee ballot by mail, your ballot must be received by Election Day in order to be counted.

Voter Registration
If you are a first-time Wisconsin voter or if you changed your name or address since you last voted, you will need to register to vote. Also, if you have not voted in over four years, your voter record may be inactive and you may need to re-register to vote. To check your registration status, go to  http://myvote.wi.gov  and search for your voter record, or call the Village Office at 262-639-3524 and we can look it up for you. You can also initiate a voter registration on that website, but note you will need to print, sign and submit the form in-person with a proof of residence document. Voter registration may also be completed at the Village Office up until Friday, November 2 and at the polling place on Election Day. For any questions on voting, please contact the Village Office at 262-639-3524 or e-mail Administrator/Clerk-Treasurer Michael Hawes at  m.hawes@windpoint.org .
Change to On-Call Bulk Collections in 2019
On October 11, the Village Board approved a cost-saving measure from Johns Disposal to switch to “on-call bulk collections” in 2019. Instead of Village-wide bulk collections on the first Monday of each month, residents can call Johns Disposal to make an appointment for bulk item pickup. Each property will get one free call-in bulk collection per month and 12 per year.

Village Board members agreed that the change will be more flexible as residents will not need to wait until the beginning of the next month to have bulk items collected. The change also presents a more efficient way to collect bulk items, as it will not require a truck to drive through the whole Village looking for bulk items.

The change to on-call bulk collection will not affect what items are accepted:

  • Bulk collection will still be for the following items: furniture; carpeting (no wider than 4 ft. and rolled); extra garbage bags or garbage in personal cans; large metal items; cardboard (flattened & empty); appliances; tires (2 per home per month – 8 per year); drain oil & antifreeze (sealed in 1-5 gallon containers); paper & other recyclables (should be in clear plastic bags); humidifiers/de-humidifiers; water softeners; and air conditioners.

  • The following items will still NOT be accepted for bulk pickup: yard waste; electronics; hazardous materials; liquid paint and loose bulk construction materials.

Please note that you will need to call to schedule the bulk collection prior to placing the items out by the edge of the road. To schedule a bulk pick-up (starting in 2019), residents can call Johns Disposal at 262-473-4700. A pickup date will be scheduled, usually within the same week. The last village-wide bulk collection date will be Monday, December 3. To download a 2019 garbage and recycling collections calendar, click here .
Final Yard Waste & Branch Collection Dates
Yard Waste Collection  
Continues every Monday through November 26. Set yard waste out in brown yard waste bags with a yard waste sticker on each bag. Stickers can be purchased at the Village Office for $1.00 each. 

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 stumps, roots or shrubs with intact root balls. 

Branch Collection
The final collection date of the year is Tuesday, November 13. Branches do not need to be cut into shorter pieces but they should be no greater than 4 inches in diameter. Please pile branches in reasonably uniform piles with the the cut end facing the road. (See photo for examples of accepted and not accepted branch piles.)

Branch and yard waste piles should be set in the right-of-way no earlier than three days before collection date. Thank you for your cooperation and for helping to keep Wind Point nice!
Pedestrian Safety: Been Seen, Be Safe!
With the shorter days this time of year, it is especially important to wear reflective gear or carry a flashlight when you go out for a walk or bicycle ride. As a matter of safety, pedestrians need to be visible to vehicles and to other pedestrians. A variety of clothing items are available with lights or reflective fabric, such as jackets, vests, wristbands, dog collars, shoes and belts. Many stores also carry reflective tape - and pick something up for your dog while you are at it! Wind Point Police officers are also now carrying a supply of extra reflectors to hand out to pedestrians and bicyclists who need them!

If no sidewalks exist on the road, it is recommended to walk facing oncoming traffic on the same side of the road as the oncoming traffic. Also, you should get as far to the side of the road as possible to provide additional space between you and oncoming cars. When bicycling, you will want to ride on the right (going in the same direction as automobile traffic). Another safe way to get your exercise this winter is to take advantage of the paved walking path surrounding Village Green.

Please do your part to protect yourself, drivers and other pedestrians!
Over 130 children and adults were in attendance for the Wind Point Halloween Party on October 27 at Meadowbrook Country Club! The annual event is organized by Wind Point Living Magazine. A Wind Point Garden Tour is also being planned for 2019 - if you have any ideas for this new event or wish to be involved, contact Gary Smith of Wind Point Living at gary.smith@n2pub.com .
Wreath Lighting Ceremony on November 25
The annual Wind Point Community Club Holiday Party and Lighting Ceremony will be held the Sunday after Thanksgiving (November 25) at 5:30 p.m. at the Wind Point Lighthouse. Bring the kids and help kick off the holiday season with food, refreshments and singing carols as the lighthouse wreath is lit. Enjoy a visit from Santa himself!

Please RSVP to Cecelia Heck by Friday, November 23 at 262-639-5370 or   cecelias@wi.rr.com .
Wind Point School Property Updates
Newport Development reports that they continue to make progress on plans for the former Wind Point School property. They have been reviewing infrastructure options and considering market information relative to housing amenities. Once design concepts are ready, Newport Development plans to hold a neighborhood meeting with surrounding residents to gather feedback on options for the site. There is currently no date set for the meeting. More information will be provided in this newsletter and on the project webpage when available.
Proposed 2019 Village Budget
The 2019 Village Budget will be considered for adoption at the Village Board meeting on November 8 after a public hearing. The budget is the result of a three-month process that involved several public meetings with the Village Board and standing committees. The resulting budget reflects the Village's ongoing mission to provide high-quality municipal services in a cost-effective and efficient manner. Compared to 2018, the overall 2019 Budget shows an overall decrease of 10.9% ($195,839), primarily due to no major road resurfacing projects planned for 2019. Following are highlights from the proposed 2019 Budget:
 
Revenues:
 
  • 0.3% increase, $3,553, to the Village-portion of the property tax levy, which is the allowable amount under state law based on net new construction in 2017.
  • 10.0% decrease, -$3,578, in General Transportation Aid from the State.
  • 0.0% change to Shared Revenue and Recycling Grants from the State.
  • 0.0% increase to water consumption rates; 3.0% increase, $1,363, to stormwater utility fees.
  • 17.2% increase, $3,650, to Wind Point Lighthouse revenues due to tours and fundraising.
 
Expenses:
 
  • Reduction of $51,500 in Public Fire Protection fees due to shifting this expense from the Village General Fund to the quarterly water bills.
  • 0.0% change to fees for contracted fire/EMS, assessments, household hazardous waste collection and public health.
  • 1.7% increase to Johns Disposal for garbage/recycling collection services.
  • 3.0% base increase budgeted for staff wages; actual individual wage rates to be set by resolution of the Village Board.
  • 3.0% increase budgeted for property and liability insurance; 25.0% increase budgeted for worker’s compensation insurance.
  • 3.9% decrease to lighthouse operating expenses, partly due to energy efficiency improvements made in 2018.
  • $13,900 budgeted to upgrade municipal court software.
  • $7,500 budgeted for a Bicycle & Pedestrian Safety Study.
  • $13,000 for Village Office window replacements.
  • $141,500 in capital improvements at the Wind Point Lighthouse, including entrance sign replacement, pathway improvements, landscaping and historical signage (to be partially funded by grants).
  • $42,000 to resurface two small sections of Four Mile Rd.
  • $37,258 to replace the police squad vehicle and $10,000 to replace the squad video system and laptop.
  • 3.0% increase in wholesale water cost from Caledonia Utility District.
  • $25,000 for the second phase (of three) of a water utility dead-end valve replacement program.
  • $10,000 to rehabilitate an outfall pipe located near Lake Pointe Circle.
 
The public hearing for the budget will be held at the beginning of the meeting on November 8 and the budget will be considered for adoption that evening. To view the proposed budget,  click here . Please note the proposed budget does not include the narrative sections which will be added when the budget document is finalized.
Village Board Updates
The Village Board of Trustees held a regular meeting on October 11, 2018. The following actions took place at the meeting:

  • Approved a one-time credit from Johns Disposal in the amount of $8,892 to correct a billing error.
  • Approved a 1.7% increase to Johns Disposal’s collection rates in 2019.
  • Approved Resolution 18-R05, shifting $51,500 of the public fire protection fee from tax levy to user fee in 2019.
  • Asked Brewfest Partners to submit a proposed contract for the Lighthouse Committee and Village Board to consider for a pop-up biergarten event at the lighthouse in 2019.
  • Denied a request by CertaPro to pay $4,127 for an unauthorized second coat of paint on the lighthouse tower.
  • Reviewed a full draft of the 2019 Budget.

The next regular meeting is scheduled for Thursday, November 8 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