March 2019
Village Secures Grant for Lighthouse Grounds
The Village recently learned it has been awarded a significant grant from the Wisconsin Coastal Management Program (WCMP).

The $22,000 grant will be earmarked for future improvements at the Wind Point Lighthouse grounds.

These improvements will be guided by the recently-completed master plan for the Wind Point Lighthouse grounds (see master plan renderings here ). The main objectives of the plan are to enhance the beauty of the grounds while making it more functional for residents, visitors and events.

The WCMP is administered by the state's Department of Administration, in collaboration with the US Department of Commerce, Office of Coastal Management.

The public is always welcome at meetings of the Lighthouse Committee. Meeting dates and times and agendas are available on the village web site .
Trustee Applications Due March 6, 2019
Selected Candidate Will Serve Remainder of Term That Expires April 2020

Are you interested in serving the community as a member of the Wind Point Village Board? Due to the recent resignation of Robert Quam from the Board, the Village of Wind Point is currently accepting applications for Village Trustee.

Letters of interest and qualifications will be accepted until 5:00 pm on March 6, 2019, at the address below.

All applicants will be required to appear at the Village Board meeting on March 14, 2019, at 5:30 pm, at the Village Hall to be interviewed by the Village Board. Interviews will be open to the public.

The vacant trustee position has a term expiring in April 2020.

Village residents who are at least 18 years old and are legal citizens of the United States are eligible to serve on the Village Board. Please submit a letter of interest and qualifications to Susan Sanabria, Village President, 215 E. Four Mile Rd., Racine, WI, 53402. Electronic submissions in PDF format should be sent by e-mail to info@windpoint.org by the deadline noted above.

About the Village Board

Village Board members make policy decisions, enact laws, approve an annual budget, and act for the overall benefit and long-term best interest of the Village.

Regular Board meetings take place on the second Thursday of each month at 5:30 pm at the Village Hall. Board members are also assigned to serve on 2-3 Village committees, which meet on an as-needed basis.

The vacated trustee position receives an annual compensation of $2,400, which is paid in four quarterly installments.
Spring General Election Set for April 2
The spring general election will be held in Wind Point on Tuesday, April 2, 2019, at The Prairie School (Johnson Athletic Center) between the hours of 7:00 am and 8:00 pm. Several local and statewide contests are on the ballot.

A sample ballot for this election will be available from the county approximately 21 days prior to the election. When it is available, a sample ballot will be placed on the village web site at http://www.windpoint.org .

Absentee Voting – by mail
Absentee ballots for this election will be mailed out beginning on March 12 to electors on the permanent absentee ballot list and others who already had requests on file for this election. Other electors wishing to receive an absentee ballot by mail may do so by submitting a request online at  http://myvote.wi.gov  or at the Village Office. Absentee ballots must be received by election day, April 2, in order to be counted for this election.

Absentee Voting – in person
In-person absentee voting will be available at the Village Office, 215 E Four Mile Rd., from March 18 through March 29 during normal business hours, Monday through Friday 8:30 am to 5:00 pm. A valid photo ID is required to obtain a ballot.

Voter Registration
Residents wishing to register or re-register to vote may do so at the polls on election day, online at  http://myvote.wi.gov , by mail, or at the Village Office.

If you have any questions about the election, please contact the Village Office at 262.639.3524.

Results from the Spring primary election, held on February 19, can be found at here .
Reminder: Fee Change on March Water Bill
Wind Point property owners are reminded that they will see a modest increase in their quarterly water bill beginning with the first 2019 bill, which will be mailed out in mid-March. The typical home, with a ¾-inch water meter that consumes 9,000 gallons of water in a quarter, will see their quarterly bill increase by roughly $12.00.

As first reported in the December E-News, the increase reflects a decision by the Village Board, and subsequently approved by the Wisconsin Public Service Commission, to shift the funding of Public Fire Protection (PFP) from Village property taxes to a user fee.

PFP funds the additional storage, pumping and distribution system required to provide the higher water volumes and pressures needed at the hydrants to fight fires. 

The Wind Point Water Utility collects $84,792 annually for PFP, an amount set by the Wisconsin Public Service Commission. Previously, $51,500 (61%) of this was paid from property taxes, and $33,292 (39%) was collected as a direct charge on the quarterly water bill. The new funding distribution will collect 100% of the fee through the direct charge.

In approving the change, the Village Board noted that the new distribution will provide a more equitable process for funding PFP. Under the prior distribution, tax-exempt properties did not pay into the portion of PFP funded through property taxes. Under the new distribution, every village property owner will pay a proportionate share of the total fee based on the size of their water meter, regardless of the property's tax-exempt status.
Garden Club Forming in Wind Point
Are you an established gardener, or one who is just starting out? Whatever your gardening interest, you're invited to join other gardeners to share ideas and to form the base for a Wind Point Garden Club. Club participants will discuss gardening triumphs, problems and the inevitable “mishap”.

Whether you have yet to put your first plant into the ground, or have been gardening for years, please plan to attend an organizational meeting on Tuesday, May 7 at 6:30 pm at the Lighthouse.

Let’s get growing! 
 
To RSVP or to request more information, please contact Cheryl Foley at cheryl.foley@ymail.com or 262.639.8655.
Village Board Updates
The Village Board of Trustees held a regular meeting on February 14, 2019. The following actions took place at the meeting:

  • Approved a process to interview and select an individual to serve on the Village Board. The selected individual would fill out the remainder of the term of Bob Quam, who resigned effective January 26.
  • Approved a resolution (19-R02) to amend the wages and salaries of two village staff positions.
  • Approved a resolution (19-R03) to adjust the fees related to lighthouse tours for private groups. The changes would reduce the minimum fee for adult groups from $250 to $100, and eliminate the higher fee categories for non-residents.
  • Accepted the report from the Lighthouse Committee on the outcome of the Village application for grant funding from the Wisconsin Coastal Management Program.
  • Received an update on the live testing of elections equipment prior to the spring primary election on February 19.
  • Received a letter from Village Prosecutor Christopher Schultz on his joining the Municipal Law and Litigation Group.
  • Heard a progress update on the recruitment of an Administrator/Clerk-Treasurer.

The next regular meeting is scheduled for Thursday, March 14 at 5:30 pm at the Village Hall.
Village of Wind Point, Wisconsin
215 E. Four Mile Rd.
Racine, WI 53402
262.639.3524