Download Report

May 2015
9915 39th Avenue • Pleasant Prairie, WI 53158
TIME DATED MATERIAL
Have a Safe Memorial Day Weekend...
Index
Memorial Day is Monday, May 25
Water/Sewer Rate Increase page 1
Educators Credit Union,
Time Warner Cable,
Weather Sirens and Radios
page 2
Barnes Creek Neighborhood page 3
Plan Update, Board of Appeals,
Safety Tips Available
Public Works Department, Pleasant Prairie Cup and
Two Junior Triathlons,
2015 Water Quality Report
page 4
Triathlon Road Closures
page 5
Dog Ownership Reminders, page 6
Coyote Encounters
Recently Elected Officials, Back Pack Donation,
Rummage/Garage Sales
page 7
printed on recycled paper
8
Village offices, including the Village Compost Site, will be closed on Monday,
May 25 in honor of Memorial Day. Village offices and the Compost Site will
reopen for regular business hours on Tuesday morning, May 26. There will
be no garbage collection on Memorial Day, May 25. Garbage collection will
resume on Tuesday, May 26, with scheduled pickups delayed by one day for
the remainder of the week.
Though no formal ceremony has been planned, the Village invites you to visit
the Veterans Memorial inside Prairie Springs Park over the Memorial Day
weekend. The memorial is located near the ball fields in the southeast corner
of the park. It features bricks and benches dedicated to those who have
served our country in the armed forces. The Village Board and staff wish you a
safe and relaxing Memorial Day weekend. o
Lake Andrea Beach Opens Saturday, June 6
Lake Andrea Beach will open on Saturday, June 6. Sand
volleyball courts were added at the beach in 2014. Daily and
seasonal park passes are sold at the entrance to the beach
and at RecPlex. To learn more, please visit http://www.
RecPlexOnline.com/aquatics/lake-andrea-beach. o
A great place to
live, work & play!
News and information about the Village is available at PleasantPrairieOnline.com, on Time Warner Cable Channel 25, and on AT&T U-Verse Channel 99.
Return to main page
May 2015
Village Residential Utility Bills to Increase by Just Over 1%
In Response to Kenosha Utility’s 3% Increase
Pleasant Prairie is a Customer of
the Kenosha Water Utility
Pleasant Prairie’s Water Utility
purchases water from the Kenosha
Water Utility, and Pleasant Prairie’s
Sewer Utility transports Village
waste water to the Kenosha Utility
for treatment and its eventual return
to Lake Michigan. Decades ago,
Pleasant Prairie became a customer
of Kenosha’s Water Utility after finding
that large municipal wells in Pleasant
Prairie were contaminated with the
naturally occurring, cancer-causing
element, Radium. The Village had
explored several alternatives, and
taking water through Kenosha’s Water
Utility had proven the most practical.
In exchange for an unlimited supply of
safe drinking water drawn from Lake
Michigan, the Village agreed to become
a lifetime customer of the Kenosha
Water Utility.
As part of complex agreements that
allowed this to occur, the Village also
had to agree that once the debt from
Pleasant Prairie’s own waste water
treatment plants had been retired,
Pleasant Prairie would decommission
its two treatment plants and divert
all waste water to the Kenosha Utility
for treatment and its eventual return
to Lake Michigan. This occurred in
December 2010.
Water and Sewer Rate Increase
During April, the Village received notice
that the Kenosha Water Utility had applied
to the Public Service Commission (PSC)
for the authority to increase water rates
by 3%. In the same notice, the Village
was informed that sewer rates would also
increase by 3% (an increase that does
not require approval by the PSC). Both
increases will take effect on June 1. The
PSC is a regulatory agency that oversees
or regulates public utilities throughout the
state of Wisconsin.
Impact for Pleasant Prairie’s
Water and Sewer Utility Customers
The water and sewer rate increase
for individual Pleasant Prairie utility
customers is expected to be just over 1%.
The average water charge for Pleasant
Prairie residential customers at the
current rate is $39.98. At the new rate,
the average water charge will be $40.40,
a difference of $0.42. The average sewer
charge for Pleasant Prairie residential
customers at the current rate is $47.31.
At the new rate, the average sewer
charge will be $47.84, a difference
of $0.53. All of the funds generated by
the rate increase will be received by the
Kenosha Utility.
Change Since Last Increase
In 2012, the Kenosha Water Utility sought
to increase Pleasant Prairie’s water rate
by first 16% and then 34%. The PSC, in
2013, allowed the Kenosha Water Utility
to raise Pleasant Prairie’s rate by 10%,
and residents saw their utility bills rise by
approximately 3% in response. Since that
increase, a change affecting water use
in the Village has occurred that could
potentially have a favorable impact on
both the Pleasant Prairie and Kenosha
Water and Sewer Utilities. The change
was the addition of a large capacity
water user in the Village (Niagara) who
is expected to use up to one million
gallons of water per day.
The Village will be contacting the PSC
to ask them to consider (calculate)
whether the Kenosha Water Utility will
receive a significant financial benefit
from the increased water volume
provided by Niagara, and if so, what
implications this may have on future
rate increases. Because of the smaller
percentage increase in the Kenosha
Water Utility’s 2015 (most recent)
request, the Village is unable to request
a formal intervention on behalf of rate
payers before the PSC.
Utility Bill Reminder
Village staff continues to test new
utility billing software that will
incorporate more up to date technology
intended to make the billing process
more efficient. The new software will
lead to changes in the way Village
residents receive their utility bills.
This fall, residents will begin receiving
their utility bills in a marked envelope
as opposed to printed on a post
card. Online utility bill
payments will be affected
as well. As details are
confirmed, staff will be
sharing updates. o
A great place to
live, work & play!
1
News and information about the Village is available at PleasantPrairieOnline.com, on Time Warner Cable Channel 25, and on AT&T U-Verse Channel 99.
Return to main page
Return to main page
Conceptual Plans Approved for Construction of an
Educators Credit Union at Highway 50 and 91st Avenue
On April 27, the Plan Commission considered and approved
Conceptual Plans for Educators Credit Union that will allow
them to proceed with the planning process for construction
of a 7,280 square foot full service branch. Educators Credit
Union is planning to construct the new branch on the north
side of Highway 50, just east of 91st Avenue.
Educators Credit Union is planning to conduct transactions
at this location both in person and through interactive teller
technology. Anticipated hours of operation will be: Monday
through Friday from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. in the lobby
and 8:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. in the drive through; and
Saturday from 9:00 a.m. until noon in the lobby and 8:00
a.m. until 3:00 p.m. in the drive through. A total of six fulltime employees are expected to work from the location.
Educators Credit Union anticipates presenting more detailed
Site and Operational Plans, including a Conditional Use
Permit and additional documents, for staff review and
Plan Commission consideration in the near future, with the
intention of breaking ground on the Pleasant Prairie branch
during July or August. o
Time Warner Cable
Making Changes in May
In April, Time Warner Cable notified the Village that the
company will be making changes to their cable system on
or after May 26 that may disrupt some customers ability
to view unencrypted or “in-the-clear” channels (such
as Public, Educational, and Government (PEG) access
channels) on a digital television or other device that
includes a QAM tuner. If this occurs, customers would need
to perform a “channel scan” through their settings menu in
order to resume watching these channels.
Customers with digital cable set-top boxes or digital
adaptors should not see any change. These customers will
find community PEG channels as follows:
• Channel 25 will be found on digital channel 97.25
• Channel 14 will be found on digital channel 97.14
• Channel 20 will be found on digital channel 97.20
To read the more about channels that will be affected by
the change, see the notice attached to the related news
article posted at PleasantPrairieOnline.com. o
2
Send feedback and mailing address changes to [email protected].
Kenosha County Outdoor
Warning Sirens and NOAA
All Hazards Weather Radios
Outdoor warning sirens are activated by Kenosha County
Emergency Management for different conditions: a tornado
has been sighted by a trained sighter; the National Weather
Service sees rotation and believes a tornado is highly likely;
a severe thunderstorm occurs with wind speeds at or
above 74 MPH; or for a regularly scheduled test. The sirens
do not sound all clears. If a siren sounds for a second time,
it indicates another warning.
When the warning sirens are activated, they are intended
to warn those who are out of doors to seek shelter. The
sirens may not be easily heard from inside homes or other
buildings. When severe weather is possible, it’s important
to listen for weather related announcements. One of the
best tools a household can have during severe weather is
a NOAA All Hazards Weather Radio. To learn more about
emergency weather radios and how to stay safe during
severe weather, please visit http://readywisconsin.
wi.gov/tornado/default.asp. o
VNL 052015
Return to main page
Return to main page
UPDATE...
Barnes Creek Neighborhood Plan
Thank You to All Who Participated
Members of the Village Board, Plan
Commission and staff would like to
thank all of those who participated
in and provided input regarding the
Barnes Creek Neighborhood Plan.
Input regarding three proposed
neighborhood plan alternatives was
received through: contact with staff,
Plan Commissioners and the Village
Board; through an online public forum;
at an open house style meeting; and
during a public hearing.
On Monday, April 13, the Village Plan
Commission considered input from
land owners, staff and members of
the community regarding the three
proposed plans. Information regarding
the neighborhood and the Village
planning process was shared, in
addition to a variety of input regarding
the three plan alternatives. Staff
made a recommendation to the Plan
Commission that they forward a
recommendation to the Village Board
to deny all three of the neighborhood
plan alternatives.
The Plan Commission agreed with
the staff recommendation and voted
to forward a recommendation to the
Village Board that each of the three
plan alternatives be denied and that
staff and the landowners should revisit
VNL 052015
the three alternatives and determine
ways to reduce the density of the
residential development that would be
allowed within the neighborhood.
Members of the Village Board were
also present during the April 13
Plan Commission meeting to hear
input from those in attendance.
The Village Board will consider the
recommendation at the May 18 Village
Board Meeting (this issue of the Village
Newsletter was sent to the printer on
Monday, May 11). Once the Village
Board reaches a decision regarding
the Barnes Creek Neighborhood Plan,
updates will be posted to Open Village
Hall at PleasantPrairieOnline.com.
As work progresses on the
neighborhood plan alternatives, staff,
at a point in the future, will again
present neighborhood plan alternatives
before the Plan Commission. Plan
Commission Agendas are posted
at http://pleasantprairieonline.
com/boardsandcommissions/
planningcommission/Meetings/
meetings2015.asp the Friday prior
to each meeting. Plan Commission
meetings are typically held on the
second and fourth Monday of each
month at 6:00 p.m. in the Village Hall
Auditorium at 9915 39th Avenue. o
Two Members
Sought for the
Zoning Board
of Appeals
The Village is currently
accepting applications for two
positions on the Zoning Board
of Appeals. This Board meets
on an as needed basis, on the
fourth Tuesday of the month
at 6:00 p.m. in the Village Hall
Auditorium. Experience in real
estate, construction, finance
or law would be helpful for
those residents that sit on this
quasi-judicial board. If you
have an interest in serving on
the Zoning Board of Appeals,
please call 925.6721 to
obtain an application. You
can learn more about the
Zoning Board of Appeals at
PleasantPrairieOnline.com/
boardsandcommissions/
zoningandappeals
/index.asp. o
Safety Tips
In Honor of Building
Safety Month...
In honor of Building Safety
Month (May) several safety
tip sheets are available both
at the Building Inspection
Counter at Village Hall
(9915 39th Avenue) and at
PleasantPrairieOnline.com/
services/buildinginspection/
index.asp. The following tip
sheets are available: disaster
safety, electrical cords, fire
safety, gas appliances, green
building tips, pool and back yard
safety, safe exit tips, smoke and
CO detectors, and a children’s
activity booklet. o
Send feedback and mailing address changes to [email protected]. 3
Return to main page
Return to main page
Pleasant Prairie’s
Public Works Department
Pleasant Prairie Cup
and Two Pleasant
Prairie Junior Triathlons
The Pleasant Prairie Public Works Department employs
about 32 full-time, 14 part-time, and 18 seasonal
part-time employees over the course of a year. The
department provides nine separate services in the Village:
streets/highway, water, sewer, clean water (storm water
management), solid waste, parks, technical support/fleet
management, construction management, and clerical/
customer service. Members of the department are
responsible for maintaining $133,409,871 (book value)
worth of infrastructure in the following areas:
On Sunday, June 7, top youth and junior elite athletes
from around the country will participate in the Pleasant
Prairie Cup. The Pleasant Prairie Cup is one of five
national races for youth and junior elite athletes, and
top finishers will be able to qualify for the Youth and
Junior National Championships being held in Ohio
during August. The Kenosha Area Convention and
Visitors Bureau was awarded a Ready, Set, Go! Grant
from the Wisconsin Department of Tourism to host
the event.
Water Utility $ 40,542,738.09
Sewer Utility
$ 48,939,217.01
Storm Sewer
$ 20,981,440.87
Roads
$ 22,764,701.68
Solid Waste (Compost Site) $
181,773.41
$133,409,871.06
Some of the specific tasks that public works crews
perform in a given year include:
•evaluate and rate Village roads annually,
•perform road maintenance and repair,
•make and maintain Village owned street signs,
•salt and plow Village owned roadways (winter weather),
•perform daily/weekly garbage/recycling collection,
•perform seasonal leaf collection,
•operate the compost site and special collections,
•maintain, repair and construct water, sewer and
storm water infrastructure,
•plant, mow, and maintain Village parks,
•respond to resident questions regarding services,
•maintain the Village fleet and tools used to provide
services (vehicles, large equipment, etc),
•perform comprehensive reporting functions for each
service provided by the department,
•manage construction projects for roads, water, sewer,
storm water and special projects,
•coordinate projects with local Eagle Scouts, and
•respond to large scale emergencies (such as severe
weather events) with the skills and equipment to begin
restoring the Village to normal.
Pleasant Prairie’s Public Works staff cross trains in various
areas in order to create efficiencies and to better respond
to the changing demands associated with the services
that they provide. o
Pleasant Prairie will also host two Junior
Triathlons (June 20 and August 8) on the
Saturdays prior to the Pleasant Prairie
Triathlon and the Iron Girl Triathlon. These
races are a great way to introduce kids to the benefits
of multi-sport participation. To learn more about
these youth/junior triathlon events, please visit http://
recplexonline.com/triathlons-special-events. o
An Overview of the
Functions They Perform
4
Send feedback and mailing address changes to [email protected].
2015 Water Quality
Report Now Available
The 2015 Water Quality Report is now available at:
PleasantPrairieOnline.com/w.asp; Village Hall (9915
39th Avenue); and the
Prange Municipal Center
(8600 Green Bay Road).
To learn more about drinking
water safety you can also
visit the Wisconsin DNR
website at dnr.wi.gov/
topic/drinkingwater/.
If you questions regarding
Pleasant Prairie’s Water Utility or water quality, you can
reach us by telephone at 925.6700 Monday through
Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. o
VNL 052015
Return to main page
Return to main page
Pleasant Prairie Triathlon
Road Closures Planned
Sunday, June 21 between 6:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m.
Each year, sporting events
in Pleasant Prairie draw
thousands of visitors to the
community. These events
have had a growing, positive
economic impact for local
businesses. During 2014,
travelers spent $181.3 million
in Kenosha County...31.9%
on retail, 29.3% on food and
beverage, 15.6% on recreation
and entertainment, 14.5%
on lodging, and 8.7% on
transportation.
The Village will host the Pleasant Prairie Junior and Adult Triathlons on June 20 and 21, with
proceeds helping to support the Therapeutic Recreation program for individuals with special
needs. The swim and run courses will be held entirely within Prairie Springs Park, however, on
Sunday, June 21, athletes will bike through the Village on the route shown above.
Bike route roads will be closed to through traffic only between 6:00 a.m. and noon.
Car traffic for businesses along the bike route will be able to travel on the closed
roadways, provided extreme caution is exercised and the shortest route to and from your
destination is used. For safety sake, all are asked to please leash all outside pets adjacent
to the bike route.
Road
Closures
Sunday
June 21
Truck Traffic
Truck traffic should not use Highway 165 west of Highway 31 and will not be allowed to cross
it during the closure. Truck traffic from businesses located south of Highway 165 should travel
south to Russel Road to access I-94. Truck traffic from businesses located north of Highway
165 should travel north on 80th Avenue, east on 95th Street, north on Highway 31, then west on
Highway 50 to access I-94. Roads will be marked with appropriate detours, and intersections will
be monitored for safe bicycle and vehicle flow.
In addition to bike route roads, the following roads will also be closed to through traffic:
• Highway H (88th Avenue) between 95th Street and Highway 165 (104th Street);
• Highway 31 (Green Bay Road), both north and southbound lanes between
Highway 165 and the State Line (except for truck traffic); and
• Highway 165 between 118th Avenue and Highway 31.
If you have questions regarding these road closures, please call the Pleasant Prairie Police
Department at 694.7353. To learn more about the Pleasant Prairie Triathlon, visit
www.PleasantPrairieTriathlon.com. o
VNL 052015
These events also offer
opportunities for community
involvement, personal
challenge and growth, and
many, like the Pleasant
Prairie Triathlon, reach out
to the broader community
through charitable giving
components.
Again this year, the Pleasant
Prairie Triathlon will
host the Chicago-based
Dare2tri Paratriathlon
Club, an organization
that provides top-level
competitive opportunities
for the nation’s emerging
paratriathletes. Additional
USA Paratriathlon events
will be hosted in Nantucket
(MA), Santa Cruz (CA),
and Austin (TX).
Prairie Springs Park and
Lake Andrea will be the
host site for the Iron Girl
Triathlon on August 9.
Watch for road closure
information in an upcoming
issue of the Village Newsletter.
To learn more about Iron
Girl, visit www.irongirl.com.
Send feedback and mailing address changes to [email protected]. 5
Return to main page
Return to main page
Dog Ownership
Reminders
During 2013, the Pleasant Prairie Police Department
handled 463 animal control complaints. During 2014, the
department handled 374. A majority of these are related
to dogs. In an effort to reduce the number of animal
related complaints, the department is asking pet owners
for assistance. Pet owners can show their neighbors
common courtesy, abide by the law, and can help keep
their pets and neighborhoods safe by considering the
following guidelines:
4Keep your dog properly leashed and under your
control when away from your property;
4Tend to your dog’s barking or other noises in a
timely manner, so it does not become an
annoyance to those living nearby;
4Ensure that your dog has been properly
vaccinated for rabies;
4License your dog with the Village;
4Keep your property reasonably clean of dog
waste, and properly clean up after your dog when
out for a walk or at home;
4Keep your dog on a leash while on any street,
path, beach, public ground and park in the Village.
As a responsible dog owner, following are the first steps
you should take if your dog bites another pet or a person.
4Gather your dog’s licensing documents and proof
of vaccination. These are the first items that the
police will need to verify.
4Contact the Pleasant Prairie Police Department
at 694.7353 and indicate that a dog bite has occurred.
The golden rule for responsible dog ownership dictates
that your decision to own a dog must not impact in
any way upon the lives of those who
live around you and who choose not
to have a dog. The Pleasant Prairie
Police Department thanks you
for your consideration and
responsibility as a
dog owner. o
6
Send feedback and mailing address changes to [email protected].
Managing Coyote
Encounters in
Residential Areas
The Wisconsin DNR has recently received reports of
coyote activity near Highway 165 and Old Green Bay
Road. Following is a synopsis of information provided
by the Wisconsin DNR, the UW Extension and the Cook
County, Illinois, Coyote Project regarding how to handle
sightings and encounters. Coyotes are not typically
aggressive towards humans in areas where they are
not hunted or trapped (residential areas). However, they
may not flee immediately when seeing a human. While
coyotes seldom prey on domestic animals, there have
been reports of coyotes taking small pets.
If you see a coyote, you should keep your distance from
the animal. If you feel a coyote is too close, please try
the following:
•turn on outside lights
•make loud noises, or
•toss a small object in the direction of the coyote
(not at the coyote)
Taking one or more of these actions should cause the
animal to flee.
To avoid conflicts with the animal and to protect pets:
•do not feed a coyote
•do not run from a coyote
•make loud noises/wave your arms
•do not leave small children outside unattended
•do not leave small pets outside unattended,
especially at night when coyotes are most active
•keep pet food indoors
•keep your pet’s vaccinations up to date
•remove bird feeders that may attract rodents and
small mammals on which coyotes regularly prey
•secure residential garbage
•report aggressive or fearless coyotes to the Police
Department at 694.7353
Fencing and motion-sensored outdoor lighting may
also help to deter coyotes. When coyotes become
more aggressive and less intimidated by humans or if
a coyote takes a small household pet, you may want
to consider contacting a wildlife removal professional
for assistance. To learn more about coyotes, a DNR
factsheet is attached to the related news article at
PleasantPrairieOnline.com. o
VNL 052015
Return to main page
Return to main page
Recently Elected Village Officials
Village President
John P. Steinbrink
Trustee #1
Kristopher Keckler
Trustee #3
Dave Klimisch
On Tuesday, April 7, 2015, John P. Steinbrink was re-elected
as President of the Pleasant Prairie Village Board. On the
same date, Kristopher Keckler and Dave Klimisch were elected
as Trustees #1 and #3 respectively to the Village Board.
President Steinbrink and Trustees Keckler and Klimisch began
their two-year terms on April 21, 2015. Contact information
for all Pleasant Prairie Village Board Members is available on
the back cover of your 2015 Village Calendar and Resource
Thank you...
Donation of Back Packs
The Pleasant Prairie Police Department wishes to sincerely
thank the group Faith, Hope, & Love for their recent
donation of children’s back packs. They recently supplied
the department with back packs filled with essential and
comfort items for children and teenagers in crisis situations
that displace them from their homes. Officers will distribute
the bags when they encounter children in these difficult
situations. Faith, Hope, & Love is a non-profit organization
based in Racine. The group funds the bags through their
own fundraising efforts and partners with agencies in
Racine and Kenosha Counties. More information about the
organization is available online at
faithhopeandlovebags.weebly.com. o
VNL 052015
Municipal Judge
Richard Alan Ginkowski
Directory, at Village Hall (9915 39th Avenue), or online at
PleasantPrairieOnline.com.
Also on April 7, 2015, Richard Alan Ginkowski was re-elected
as Municipal Judge for the Village of Pleasant Prairie. His
two-year term began on May 1, 2015. Contact information for
Pleasant Prairie Municipal Court is available on page 3 of your
2015 Village Calendar and Resource Directory or at Village
Hall (9915 39th Avenue). o
Rummage and Garage
Sale Reminders
Rummage sale season
has arrived. The
Village has specific
guidelines that must
be followed when
you consider having
a rummage type
sale. Rummage or
garage sales may be held on no more than six calendar
days within one year. This does not mean six rummage
sale events, but, rather, six days within a calendar year.
Rummage/garage sales cannot be held between the hours
of 9:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. on any day. Only one unlighted
temporary sign (of not more than 18 square feet per
side and less than five feet in height) is permitted on the
property having the sale. The sign may only be displayed
for three days.
If you have any questions related to rummage/garage sale
ordinances, you can reach the Village Clerk by email at
[email protected] or by calling 694.1400. o
Send feedback and mailing address changes to [email protected]. 7
Return to main page