Published by the Village of Union Grove - April 2021
Spring Election is on Tuesday, April 6
Polls will be open for the Spring Election on Tuesday, April 6, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Union Grove Municipal Center (925 15th Ave.). The ballot will include races for Village Board, School Board, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Court of Appeals Judge and Circuit Court Judge. For more information, and to view a sample ballot, click here. For election and voting related questions, contact Village Clerk Rebecca Wallendal at (262) 878-1818 or rwallendal@uniongrove.net.
Hwy. 11 to be Closed for Construction
Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) has announced that construction on Hwy. 11, between 67th Dr. and the West Frontage Road of I-94, is scheduled to begin. The full stretch of Hwy. 11, between Hwy. 45 and the West Frontage Road, will be closed to thru traffic beginning on Monday, April 5. Access to residences and businesses will be maintained during the duration of this closure. The section is expected to be closed until late summer 2021. Travelers will be encouraged to use Hwy. 45, County KR, and West Frontage Road to get around the closure. To learn more about the upcoming construction or to receive project updates, please contact: Athena Kuhl, Construction Public Involvement Lead, at Athena@devorpr.com or (262) 933-0467.
COVID-19 Updates
  • Mask mandate - The statewide mask mandate ended on March 31 and there are currently no local mandates in effect in Union Grove. The Central Racine County Health Department recommends that when you go out, wear a mask and maintain at least a six foot distance between yourself and others; even though we are making progress on vaccines, there are still many more people unvaccinated than vaccinated.

  • Vaccinations - Starting on April 5, everyone age 16 and over in Wisconsin will be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine. For information on where to get a vaccine, visit https://crchd.com/covid-19-vaccine.

  • Testing - If you have symptoms of COVID-19 or were in close contact with someone sick with COVID-19, you should get tested. Contact your doctor to ask if your primary health care clinic is providing testing. Alternatively, find a local community testing site; some locations may require an appointment to receive a test. At-home specimen collection kits are available at no cost to Wisconsinites, regardless of symptoms or exposure.
Last Call for Spring Recreation Programs!
Registration ends tomorrow, April 2, for "Let's Kick It" soccer clinics and "Hoop it Up" basketball clinics. Both clinics run weekly in April and will take place at Union Grove Elementary School.

Registration for Coach Pitch and T-Ball leagues ends on Friday, April 9. T-Ball is open to ages 4-5 and the fee is $50.00 per child. Coach Pitch is open to ages 6-7 and the fee is $70.00 per child. Both leagues are co-ed. Team and coach placements are in mid-April. Games start in May.

Register online or in-person at the Union Grove Village Offices. For questions about any recreation program, contact Ryan Thompson at (262) 902-7917.
The annual Spring Park Clean-Up will be Saturday, May 1 from 10 a.m. to noon (with a rain makeup date of May 8). If you would like to help, meet at School Yard Park and clean up crews will disburse from there. Lunch will be served at School Yard Park for all volunteers after the clean up. We ask volunteers to bring their own gloves. Please RSVP by April 28 so we can get an accurate lunch count. Contact Amy Sasse, Recreation & Parks Committee Chairperson, at asasse@uniongrove.net to RSVP.
E-Waste Collection on May 1
The first electronics recycling event of the year will take place on Saturday, May 1 from 9 a.m. to noon at the Union Grove Wastewater Treatment Plant (3710 67th Dr.). Please review the following list of items that are accepted and what items require a disposal fee:

  • Items accepted at no charge: Computers, Monitors, Circuit Boards, Laptops, Servers, Printers, Keyboards, Mice, Cables and all related accessories. Electrical equipment, Stereos, VCR’s, DVD Players, Power Tools, Telephones, Cell phones, Small Appliances, Exercise Equipment and all related accessories.

  • Items accepted with a disposal fee: TVs ($20), Microwaves ($5), Old Tube Type Monitors ($10) and Exercise Equipment ($5).

  • Items that will not be accepted: Household batteries, anything with freon, large appliances and light bulbs.

For questions, contact Midwest Computer Recycling at (847) 582-1730.
Updates on Utility Billing Practices
Last year, the Wisconsin Public Service Commission (PSC) ordered water utilities to temporarily suspend practices of disconnecting water service to customers with delinquent accounts. The Village's Water, Wastewater, Storm Water and Streets Committee subsequently reviewed its billing practices and has decided to permanently discontinue the practice of issuing disconnection notices for past due accounts.

Utility customers should be aware there will continue to be an interest charge of 1% per month added to any past due accounts. An unpaid amount (plus interest) will be shown on the bill as a previous balance - if your bill seems high, it may be because there is a previous balance.

On October 15 of each year, customers with delinquent accounts are issued a notice of past due amount and intent to transfer to the property tax bill. Per state statute, if the past due amount is not paid by November 15, it will be added to the property tax bill with a 10% penalty. If you have any questions about utility bills, please contact Roberta Campbell, at (262) 878-1818 or roberta@uniongrove.net.
Updates on Development Projects
  • Canopy Hill - After several years of planning and public meetings, the Village Board on March 1 approved a development agreement and final plat for the Canopy Hill development to move forward. Details about the project are available on the Current Development Projects webpage, along with a Frequently Asked Questions page discussing many of the questions (and answers) that have come up about the project.

  • Dunham Grove - The preliminary plat for Phase 2 of the Dunham Grove subdivision will be considered at the Plan Commission meeting on April 8. The Phase 2 area is planned to consist of 39 single-family lots. For more information and to view the preliminary plat, visit the Current Development Projects webpage.

  • Targeted Commercial and Industrial Sites - The Village continues to promote sites available for commercial and industrial development or redevelopment, and there has been a recent uptick in inquiries. To learn more about available sites, visit the Targeted Development Sites webpage. Two special Committees have been created to guide planning and development issues - “Downtown Development Committee” and “Hwy. 11 Corridor Development Committee.” More information on these Committees and how to join will be in the May E-News.
Yard Waste & Brush Collections
Curbside yard waste collection is provided by Johns Disposal on the second and last Fridays of the month, March through November. The collection date may be delayed due to a holiday (see the collections calendar). Set yard waste items at the curb for pickup by 6 a.m.
Place clippings, leaves, and garden debris in compostable bags or 32-gallon or smaller bins weighing less than 50 lbs. Brush must be less than 6 inches in diameter and 4 feet in lengths, bundled together and weighing no more than 50 lbs. Stack bundles no more than 4 feet high and 10 feet long; limit of one pile this size per pickup.

Brush (branch) collections by Union Grove Public Works take place the last full week of each month, from April through October. Brush collections are for branches with a maximum 6 inches in diameter with a preferred length of at least 6 feet.
Building Permit Reminder
The Village enforces building and zoning codes to protect the safety of residents and to ensure that work meets national, state and local standards. We strongly encourage homeowners to contact Village staff during the early planning stages of a project to determine code and permit requirements. Although contractors are usually hired to complete the work, it is ultimately the homeowner's responsibility to ensure that permits were properly obtained prior to starting the work. A double permit fee is assessed for work started without a necessary permit. Please contact Building Inspector Jim DeLuca at (262) 210-1741 or jdeluca@uniongrove.net for any questions or to discuss permit requirements.
Village Board Updates
The Village Board held regular meetings on March 1 and March 15. Following is a recap of Village Board actions that took place:

March 1 Regular Meeting:
  • Approved Resolution 2021-03, approving the project plan and boundaries for the creation of tax incremental district #7.
  • Approved a development agreement with Bear Development for Canopy Hill, subject to recommendations from bond counsel.
  • Approved the replacement of two mixers and two variable speed drives to be purchased from Crane Engineering in an amount not to exceed $36,000, paid from the sewer replacement fund.
  • Approved rebuilding of three RAS pumps by L.W. Allen in an estimated amount of $47,000, paid from the sewer replacement fund.
  • Approved the creation of two special committees to serve under the Community Development Authority – “Downtown Development Committee” and “Hwy. 11 Corridor Development Committee.”
  • Approved a final plat submitted by Bear Development for Phase 1, Phase 2A and a portion of Phase 2C of Canopy Hill.
  • Tabled Resolution 2021-04 authorizing the issuance of tax increment project revenue bonds to the next meeting on March 15.

March 15 Regular Meeting:
  • Approved Resolution 2021-04, authorizing the issuance of Tax Increment Project Revenue Bonds.
  • Approved letters of support for the renewal of the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship program in the 2021-2023 State Budget.
  • Accepted the resignation of Nancy Kasprowicz from the Library Board and appointed Kris Bernstein to the Library Board for the term ending in April 2021.
  • Appointed Trustee Sasse to the Entertainment Stage Fundraising & Events Special Committee.
  • Approved an operator’s license application submitted by Christy Gasper.
Upcoming Meetings Schedule
Unless otherwise noted, all meetings are currently being held in-person at the Union Grove Municipal Center in the first floor community room with a call-in option available. Teleconference call-in numbers and access codes will be posted on meeting agendas. Meeting dates and times are subject to change.

  • April 8 - Plan Commission (5 p.m.)
  • April 8 - Village Board (6 p.m.)
  • April 14 - Library Board (5 p.m.)
  • April 14 - Fire Commission (6 p.m. at the fire station)
  • April 15 - Finance Committee (6 p.m.)
  • April 19 - Village Board (6 p.m.)
  • April 22 - Entertainment Stage Events Special Committee (6 p.m.)

Visit the Village Meetings webpage for meeting agendas, which are posted at least 24 hours before the meeting time. Please note that beginning in May, Village Board meetings are expected to return to their normal schedule (2nd and 4th Mondays) and will take place in the second floor Board room. Water, Wastewater, Storm Water and Streets Committee meetings are also expected to return to their normal schedule of meeting on the third Mondays.