Published by the Village of Union Grove - July 2021
The annual Union Grove 4th of July Parade organized by the Greater Union Grove Area Chamber of Commerce will be taking place on Monday, July 5. For more information, visit the parade's Facebook page.

Please note the Village Offices will be closed on Monday, July 5. Garbage and recycling collections will still take place on Tuesday, July 6. Happy a safe and happy holiday!
Join your neighbors for the “grand opening” event at The Pavilion at School Yard Park! The event kicks off with an opening ceremony at 5:30 p.m., followed by live music performed by Jackie Brown Trio. Bring your chair or blanket as limited seating will be available. Food and snacks sold by Pina Mexican Eats food truck and Pine Acres Popcorn. Beer, seltzers and wine for sale by Kiwanis Club (to raise proceeds for future events). Don’t miss this family-friendly inaugural event!

Thank you to all of the stage sponsors: Racine County, Kiwanis Club, Lions Club, Custom Truck One Source, VFW Post 7924, Community State Bank and The Granary Townhomes.
Industrial Park Infrastructure Improvements
The 2021 Industrial Park Infrastructure Improvements project is well underway. Demolition work was done on Industrial Park Dr. and York St., and is expected to begin on 10th Ave. in early July. Storm sewer work is in progress on Industrial Park Dr. Utility work throughout the project area will take place in July, August and part of September. Paving is currently scheduled for September and October, with an expected completion date of November 20. For more information, click here to visit the project webpage.
2021 Property Re-Assessments
The 2021 Assessment Notices were mailed to property owners in early June; if you did not receive a notice, please contact Assessor Jim Henke at jhenke4737@gmail.com or (262) 498-7473. The assessment notice provides the 2021 assessed value as well as information about meeting with the assessor and appealing your assessment, if necessary. The 2021 assessment data can be found online at assessordata.org. To review historical assessment information, visit the Racine County Land Records Suite.

Property owners with questions or concerns about their assessment are highly encouraged to schedule an appointment to meet with the assessor during Open Book, which is taking place this week and ends tomorrow, July 2. Contact the assessor right away if you have questions or concerns, at (262) 498-7473.
Fire Department Needs Assessment
On June 2, Rob Henken of the Wisconsin Policy Forum presented "Burning Questions," a needs assessment study for the Union Grove/Yorkville Fire Department (UGYFD). The study covers topics like call volume, staffing, response times, fire stations and spending. The study compares UGYFD with six other similar ("peer") departments in the state. To view the study, click here.

Following are some of the conclusions of the study:
  • Compared to the peer departments, UGYFD is an outlier in terms of its absence of full-time staff and the low number of firefighter/EMS responders who are on duty at stations at any given time.
  • Only one of the peer communities spends less than UGYFD on services.
  • UGYFD’s fleet of apparatus is either larger or equivalent to those of the peer departments.
  • Any desire to improve response times and otherwise enhance service levels as call volumes grow will require a move toward greater use of full-time staffing.
  • Decisions on staffing may impact the need for station improvements or replacement. In particular, a move to 24/7 staffing at the station would require appropriate and gender-specific sleeping quarters and facilities. Additionally, improvements at the station, such as a gym area or rec room, can create a welcoming environment for volunteers and enhance paid-on-call engagement and recruitment.

Fire Commission members asked questions of Mr. Henken and discussed next steps for future planning. Commission members agreed to continue studying the impacts of more paid-on-premises staffing as well as facility needs. The Commission asked Chief Allen to start the process of contacting architects to research facility needs and costs. Commission members agreed that any major decisions relating to staff and/or facilities will need to involve a significant public input process.
A ribbon-cutting for Pine Acres General Store (1002 Main St.) was held on June 24 in celebration of the store's grand opening. Village President and Chamber Board member Steve Wicklund gave comments welcoming Pine Acres to the community while other representatives from the Village, Chamber of Commerce, Racine County Economic Development Corporation and other local businesses were on hand.
Public Market Open Tuesdays Through September
Union Grove Public Market opened for the season on Tuesday, June 22 and continues every Tuesday through September (weather permitting). The market's hours are 3-7 p.m. The market is located at 4400 67th Dr. (northeast parking lot near Piggly Wiggly). There will be ample parking and space for customers. Several vendors will be returning and some new vendors will coming as well. Some of these are cheese spreads, beef sticks, CBD oils, pottery, baked goods and new crafts. The market committee is always looking for new vendors. For information, contact Cindy Ryan at (262) 617-9922. Follow the Union Grove Public Market on Facebook at facebook.com/UGpublicmarket.
Village Sending Reminder Letters About Utilities in the Rear and Side Yards
In some parts of the Village, water and sewer main pipe was originally installed in the back or side of properties as opposed to within the roadways in front. In these cases, the pipes may be located in an existing public alley, recorded easement or prescriptive easement. In the event of a main break or other maintenance need, it is important that crews have access to water and sewer mains to avoid service disruption to surrounding properties.

To help get ahead of any future issues, the Village is issuing informational/reminder letters to property owners who have utilities in their rear or side yard. The letters highly recommend that property owners consider removing any structures that may have been installed above the utilities over the years, such as fences, garages, sheds or other structures.

In an emergency, crews may need to move or even destroy encroachments to gain access to the mains, without any Village obligation to restore the encroachment. Additionally, property owners could be billed for any efforts needed to remove or destroy an encroachment. Again, the purpose of this information is to help make property owners aware of the situation so they can make a decision to move or remove encroachments, if there are any.
About 50 adults and children attended "Tales of Trails and Tails" presented by Wehr Nature Center at The Pavilion at School Yard Park on June 30. The event was hosted by Graham Public Library. To learn more about upcoming library events, visit the library's website.
Dispose of Household Hazardous Waste at Clean Sweep on August 14
Volunteers are needed to help at the annual Clean Sweep collection on Saturday, August 14 from 8 a.m. to noon. Clean Sweep is held in Burlington and serves residents of Burlington, Union Grove, Dover, Rochester and Waterford, by collecting household hazardous waste, electronics and appliances for proper disposal. Volunteers will help unload items from residents' vehicles and load them into the proper containers for disposal. If you are willing to help continue this important service, please contact the Village Offices at (262) 878-1818 or info@uniongrove.net. Village residents with household hazardous waste items, electronics or appliances to dispose, mark you calendar for August 14 at 2100 S. Pine St. in Burlington! For more information, click here.
Reminder to Clean Up After Your Dog
Dog owners are required by Village ordinances to pick up and properly dispose of dog waste. No matter the time of year or the size of the dog, cleaning up after your dog is considerate and expected. It is not just a courtesy for those walking behind you; it helps keep our community clean and it is the environmentally sound thing to do. The citation for neglecting to clean up dog waste (outside of your own property) is $124.00 for the first offense and $149.00 for subsequent offenses within one year. Thank you for your cooperation!
Updates on Development Projects
  • Canopy Hill - A final condo plat for the first phase of condominiums at Canopy Hill was approved by Plan Commission on June 7 and by Village Board on June 14. The first phase of condominiums consists of four ranch duplex buildings (8 units) and nine duplex buildings (18 units). The developer is currently aiming to break ground on the Canopy Hill subdivision this August.

  • Dunham Grove - A final plat for phase two of the Dunham Grove subdivision was approved by Plan Commission on June 7 and by Village Board on June 14. The second phase of the subdivision consists of 39 single-family lots. The first phase, which is currently in progress, consists of 23 single-family lots and 10 multi-family buildings. The developer is aiming to begin grading and infrastructure on the second phase this year.

For more information, visit the Current Development Projects webpage.
Village Board Updates
The Village Board held regular meetings on June 14 and June 28. Following is a recap of actions that took place:

June 14 Regular Meeting:
  • Approved Pay Request #1 (Final) submitted by Asphalt Contractors, Inc. in the amount of $42,384.70 for Vassallo Lane Resurfacing.
  • Approved a request for final plat submitted by Premier Union Grove, LLC for Phase 2 of Dunham Grove, subject to conditions in the Village Planner’s memo.
  • Approved a request for a final condominium plat submitted by Newport Group, LTD (Owner) and Bear Development, LLC (Applicant) for Canopy Hill development, subject to conditions in the Village Planner’s memo.
  • Approved Resolution 2021-08, regarding the Wastewater Utility Compliance Maintenance Annual Report (CMAR).
  • Approved Resolution 2021-09, authorizing the construction of bicycle and pedestrian facilities as part of the Industrial Park Infrastructure Improvements project on Industrial Park Dr., York St. and 10th Ave.
  • Approved an agreement with Municipal Services, LLC to provide building inspections related services to the Villages of Union Grove and Yorkville.
  • Approved Resolution 2021-10, revising the Village fee schedule to update building permit-related fees, effective July 1.
  • Approved the appointment of Sharla Dexter to the Plan Commission to fill the vacant term ending in April 2022.

June 28 Regular Meeting:
  • Approved alcohol license renewal applications.
  • Approved the purchase and installation of three check valves and three plug valves for the storm water overflow basin from Crane Engineering in the amount of $31,092, paid from the waterwater utility replacement fund.
  • Approved piping replacement at Well #5 softening plant and piping repairs at Well #5 pump house from Grunau in the total amount of $15,505, funded by water utility reserves.
  • Approved water pipe painting at Well #5 pump house in the total amount not-to-exceed $24,148, funded by water utility fund.
  • Approved Ordinance 2021-06, repealing Section 22-106 regarding issuance of licenses for soda water beverages.
  • Approved Ordinance 2021-07, amending Section 6-57(4) relating to retail "Class A" liquor licenses.
  • Approved park reservation and use policies.
  • Approved Resolution 2021-11, revising the Village fee schedule to reflect updated park reservations fees and deposit amounts.
  • Approved Resolution 2021-12 authorizing placement of a stop sign at the southwest corner of the intersection of 9th Avenue and High Street.
  • Discussed a request for proposals process for hiring a new village prosecutor.
Upcoming Meetings Schedule
Unless otherwise noted, all meetings are currently being held in-person at the Union Grove Municipal Center in the second floor Village Board Room. Teleconference call-in numbers and access codes will be posted on meeting agendas when a call-in option is available. Meeting dates and times are subject to change.

  • July 6 - Entertainment Stage Events Committee (6 p.m.)
  • July 12 - Village Board (6 p.m.)
  • July 12 - Recreation & Parks Committee (after Village Board)
  • July 13 - Administration Committee (6 p.m.)
  • July 14 - Library Board (5 p.m. at the library)
  • July 14 - Fire Commission (6 p.m. at the fire station)
  • July 19 - Water, Wastewater, Storm Water & Streets (6 p.m.)
  • July 20 - Community Development Authority (6 p.m.)
  • July 26 - Village Board (6 p.m.)
  • July 27 - Police Commission (5:30 p.m.)

Visit the Village Meetings webpage for meeting agendas, which are posted at least 24 hours before the meeting time.