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Windsor
Connections
Winter 2004
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Windsor Residents
Approve Sheriff’s Department Expansion
The Dane County Sheriff’s Department has maintained its Northeast Precinct in the Windsor Town Hall since 1993. The Department’s ten-year lease, negotiated for 2,500 square feet at an annual cost of $17,400 for each year of the agreement, expired at the end of 2003.
In early 2003, Windsor and Dane County officials began negotiations for a new lease with the idea of expanding the Sheriff’s Department’s space to accommodate public safety service needs in northeast Dane County. After several months of cooperative negotiations, the Town of Windsor and Dane County have reached agreement on a building expansion plan that would keep the Dane County Sheriff’s Department’s Northeast Precinct in the Windsor Town Hall through 2024.
The expansion would add 5,000 sq. ft. of public safety space and is estimated to cost up to $600,000.
The proposed expansion would be paid by Dane County through a 20-year lease beginning January 1, 2005 with an annual cost to Dane County negotiated at $50,800 per year. Until the proposed building expansion is complete in late 2004, Dane County and the Town of Windsor negotiated a one-year lease for 2004 for the amount of $25,000.
Windsor Town Chair Alan Harvey commented, “The expansion of the Windsor Town Hall is a ‘win-win’ for the Windsor taxpayers and Dane County. The Northeast Precinct will expand from 2,500 sq. ft. to 7,500 sq. ft. with the cost associated with the expansion to be paid by Dane County through lease payments to the Town of Windsor. “
Dane County Supervisor Dennis O’Loughlin stated, “Windsor, DeForest and other adjacent municipalities will see an increase in service the Northeast Precinct service area. In return, the Dane County Sheriff’s Department will have a home for the next 20 years with immediate access to key emergency corridors.”
The Windsor Town Board called a special town meeting for January 15, 2004 allowing Windsor residents to formally approve the expansion project. Windsor residents in attendance unanimously approved the project.
A mid-2004 groundbreaking is anticipated with occupancy scheduled for November 2004.
Windsor Receives Dam Removal Grant
The Town of Windsor received a $50,000 grant for the removal and restoration of the Token Creek Dam. The award is for the engineering and construction costs necessary to complete the removal and restoration of the Token Creek Dam on Token Creek and restores the creek through the former impoundment. The dam will be breached 200 feet southeast of the spillway and 400 feet of new outlet channel will be constructed through the breach. The old spillway may be modified or removed and portions of the existing embankment will be removed and/or regraded to minimize impacts on flood flows.
The total project cost is estimated at $194,600. Funding for the remaining $144,600 of the project will come through Trout Stamp monies and through other State of Wisconsin and Dane County funds. Windsor’s maximum exposure this phase of the project through 2005 is $30,000. This project is the next step in the Token Creek conservancy restoration program.
Lions: Gift Supports Windsor Soccer Fields
The DeForest Area Lions Club has donated
$1,717 to the Town of Windsor for improvements at the new Windsor
Sports Commons soccer facility.
In accepting the donation, Windsor chairperson
Alan Harvey said, “Year after year, the Lions Club is always there
for our community, making important contributions to our quality of
life. The Town of Windsor and Norski Soccer Club are very
appreciative of the Lions Club’s gift.”
Joining Harvey to accept the donation were
Windsor Park Commission chairman Rich Johnson and Norski Soccer Club
president Paul Kirekegaard.
Limited soccer play commenced this fall at
Windsor Sports Commons, with full use expected to start next year
when the fields are fully established. Phase One of the project had
the Town of Windsor purchase the 26-acre site and construct the
playing fields. Phase Two has now started with Norski Soccer Club
leading a community fundraising effort, in cooperation with the Town
of Windsor, for permanent improvements at the park.
Special Town Meeting
The Windsor Town Board called a special town meeting on January 15, 2004 to seek public approval authorizing the construction of a 5,000 sq. ft. expansion of the Windsor Town Hall to house the Northeast Precinct of the Dane County Sheriff’s Department and to authorize the Windsor Town Board to issue up to $625,000 in general obligation bonds for the project.
The cost of the expansion is to be paid through a 20-year lease with the Dane County Sheriff’s Department. The Dane County Sheriff’s Department currently leases 2,500 sq. ft. at the Windsor Town Hall. Once complete, the Northeast Precinct will lease up to 7,500 sq. ft. of the Windsor Town Hall and will be the workplace for up to 32 full-time deputies and civilian personnel.
Alternate Side Parking in Effect
From November 15 to April 1 of each year alternate side parking of vehicles is in effect. Windsor ordinances require that vehicles may be parked on the even house numbered sides of the streets on even numbered days of the month and on the odd house numbered sides of the streets on odd numbered days of the month between the hours of 12:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
From November 15 to April 1 of each year no person shall park a trailer or other movable equipment on any street or road right-of-way in the Town of Windsor.
Town Approves 2004 Budget
In December 2003 the Windsor Town Board approved a 2004 budget with an equivalent local assessed value tax increase of 1.9% when compared to the 2003 budget. The Town Board held the increase to less than the expenditures approved by the citizens at the annual budget meeting.
Windsor’s equalized mill rate is $4.25 per thousand of property valuation, a decrease of $0.13, or –3.06%. The equalized mill rate is used by the State of Wisconsin in comparing local government tax rates. The equalized rate assumes all properties are assessed at 100% of their market value.
Windsor’s 2004 budget successfully overcomes a scheduled reduction in state shared revenue payments caused by the State’s fiscal problems. Windsor’s shared revenue monies from the state will decrease from $153,397 in 2003 to $113,343 in 2004, a $40,054 decrease in revenue.
Windsor’s $205,592 obligation to the Area Fire/EMS District is included in the budget, meaning that the budget truly reflects real costs. If Windsor did not include its Fire/EMS District funding in its budget and instead assessed these costs as a separate special charge as is done in DeForest, Windsor’s equalized mill rate would be reduced by 15.53% to $3.59.
The budget increases dollars to public works projects. The budget includes increases for road maintenance and reconstruction, even though state transportation aids to Windsor are projected to decrease by $7,000 in 2004.
The budget maintains intact funding support for the Senior/Community Center, contract law enforcement and building inspection services, community July 4th celebration, Historical Society and Token Creek conservancy programs.
The budget fully funds the parks special projects requested by the Parks Commission and recognizes completion of several special projects undertaken by Windsor in 2003, with final funding in 2004 for the Town’s Smart Growth planning, BUILD initiative and property revaluation projects. The budget also recognizes the litigation expenses for the pending court case over the 2,000-acre annexation, a case scheduled to be heard before the circuit court in April 2004.
In a major policy change by the Town Board, the 2004 budget transfers the cost of street lights to the general budget, even though this change added $20,807 to the general property tax levy, previously street light charges were allocated only to selected properties in residential and commercial areas. The Town Board believes that this new policy is fairer because the entire community benefits from the enhanced safety street lights provide.
Town of Windsor &
Norski Soccer Receive Firestone Donation
In September 2003, the Windsor Town Board
recognized Firestone Business Products for their $6,000 donation
toward the Windsor Sports Commons - Linde Fields. The Norski Soccer
Club, in cooperation of the Town of Windsor, will continue
fundraising efforts for improvements to the facility.
At right: Norski Soccer representatives Don
Madelung and Paul Kirkegaard (far left) join Town Chair Alan Harvey
(far right) in recognizing Firestone Business Products
representative Eric Mach for Firestone’s $6,000 financial
contribution to the Windsor Sports Commons—Linde Fields.
Windsor/Rademacher
Recognize the Family Farm
In September 2003, the Windsor Town Board
recognized the Robert and Francis Rademacher family and their family’s
history of 150 years on the family farm. The Rademacher farm is only
one of roughly 30 Wisconsin farms to reach sesquicentennial status.
Pictured to the right is Robert and Francis
Rademacher being recognized by Windsor Town Chair Alan Harvey.
2004 - 2005 Street
Reconstruction Plans
The Public Works Department has
recommended the following streets for reconstruction in 2004-05:
- Reconstruct portion
of Mueller Road in 2004 and 2005
- Complete engineering
studies in 2004 for the 2005 reconstruction of Crestway Drive,
Court Street, and remaining portions of Dawn Drive.
- Seal coat Portage
Road from Gray Road to County Highway V and Vinburn Road from
Portage Road to County Highway C in 2004.
- Slurry seal Curry
Lane, Valiant Drive, Telstar Drive and Southwind Drive in 2004
- Complete engineering studies in 2005
for the 2006 reconstruction of Windsor and Depot Streets
- Seal coat Happy Valley, Wernick and
Manthe Roads in 2005
- Slurry seal Melwood Lane,
Travelers Trail and Charlie Grimm Road in 2005.
This is a tentative schedule that
could be modified due to winter road damage, changes in state
transportation road aids, and funding availability.
Notice of Spring Election
Notice is hereby given that an
election will be held in the Town of Windsor on Tuesday, April 6,
2004. Two supervisor seats are on the ballot. Nomination papers for
the two supervisor seats were due on or before January 6, 2004.
Recycling Center Hours
Beginning on Saturday, December 6, 2003, the
Windsor recycling center will be open on the first Saturday of the
month from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Winter hours will be in effect
through March.
Lawn clippings, waste oil, brush, metal and/or
iron, and batteries are accepted. Tires are accepted for a charge of
$2.00 per tire and must be removed from the rims.
Please feel free to contact the staff at
Windsor Town Hall (846-3854) if you have additional questions.
Windsor to Complete
Revaluation in 2004
The Town of Windsor has hired Jacobson &
Bennett Appraisals, Inc. to conduct a complete revaluation of all
property in the Town of Windsor for the 2004 assessment year. The
State of Wisconsin requires all Wisconsin local governments to
periodically perform revaluations so that current market values of
property are properly reflected. This project will include reviewing
the exterior of all buildings including their measurements. An
interior inspection of all homes and commercial properties will also
be conducted. The revaluation process began in August 2003, with
field work continuing until the summer of 2004. The assessors will
be reviewing all land valuations in the Township and may need to
physically inspect vacant lands to review topography and use.
The assessor will first be stopping at the
properties during daylight hours to complete an exterior inspection.
The assessor will arrive at your door and will be carrying
identification issued by the Town of Windsor. If the assessor is
allowed to view the interior of the home, they will do so at that
time. If no one is home, the assessor will leave a card in the door
to let you know the assessor visited your property.
If the assessor is unable to view the interior
of your property, the assessor will follow up by mailing a postcard
with a date and time when the assessor will stop back for an
interior inspection. These appointments are generally from 4:30 p.m.
to 7:30 p.m. weekdays or during the day on Saturday. If a property
owner is unavailable for this appointment, a phone number will be on
the card allowing the property owner to reschedule the appointment.
If rescheduled appointments are not kept, the
assessor is required by State statute to make a request by certified
mail to view the property. If this request is refused, an estimated
value will be placed upon the property.
Upon completion of field work, the assessor
will analyze sales data to establish a value for a subject property
that will reflect full market value. Agricultural work land and
agricultural pasture will be assessed by use valuation as prescribed
by law. If a property owner has lands entered in FSA CRP
agricultural program, a copy of the pertinent information regarding
inclusion in the program is necessary to assure an accurate
assessment under use value.
The revaluation will be completed in the
summer of 2004. Notification of changes in assessed values will be
mailed out at that time. Included with this notice will be dates and
times for Open Book and Board of Review.
Windsor Sports Commons -
Linde Fields Dedicated
On Sunday, September 14th, the Town
of Windsor formally dedicated Windsor Sports Commons – Linde
Fields. The dedication formally added 26 acres to the already
impressive 221-acre Windsor park system of neighborhood athletic
facilities and the Token Creek Conservancy. The new athletic fields
are a boon for the youth programs in the area, including those
through Norski Soccer Club, DeForest Parks and Recreation, and
DeForest Area School District.
Windsor chairperson Alan Harvey stated, “This
facility represents a major investment in our community’s youth by
Windsor, underscoring our commitment to enhancing our quality of
life. What better investment in the future than our youth?”
Chairperson Harvey, on behalf of the Windsor Town Board, recognized
the generosity of Charles “Bud” and Yvonne Linde and Greg and
Lou Anne Schweppe and the commitment of Norski Soccer Club and their
leadership under David Phillips, Paul Kirkegaard and Don Madelung.
Don Madelung, Norski Soccer Campaign Chair,
recognized American Family Insurance, Bridgestone/Firestone Trust
Fund, Elite Electric, TDS Metrocom, Water Wells, Inc., and Windsor
Lawn, LLC for their donations to the Norski Soccer fundraising
campaign. Madelung further recognized A to Z RentAll of Windsor,
Michaels Photography, and Pepsi-Cola of Madison for sponsoring the
event.
LAKE WINDSOR PROPERTY
OWNERS
ASSOCIATION NEWS
ENTRANCES
We are so proud of our Lake Windsor entrances.
We thank all of the volunteers whose dedicated efforts set the tone
for such a lovely neighborhood. Monique Warnke organized the entrance
project. Entrance #1 display was arranged by Nancy Schoenmann and
Roger Stoffel; ground maintenance was done by Dennis Tjugum. The
triangle at Linden Drive and Chestnut Circle was maintained by Jim
Johnston and Jeff Sholts. Entrance #2 credit goes to Carol Nelson and
Jean and Paul Giesler. Entrance #3 has been beautifully maintained by
Susie and Ralph Gannett and Becky and Dale Hughes. The Lake Windsor
Golf Club beautified their wood sculpture west of entrance #4 along
with their flower arrangement at the base of their sign at CV and Golf
Drive. Jeff and Karen Vian put their talent to work on entrance #5.
SIGNMASTERS of Sun Prairie are responsible for
the beautifully refurbished signs at entrances #2 and #3.
The pictures within this newsletter show the
fruition of the efforts of the LWPOA volunteers.
GOOSE MANAGEMENT
Thank you lake property owners, the Lake
District, and Lake Windsor Golf Club for pulling together to decrease
the resident goose population in an environmentally sensitive way.
BEETLE INFORMATION - No, not John, Paul,
George and Ringo
Looks like our neighborhood was invaded by
Japanese beetles this past summer. About 3/8" long with a
metallic green head and copper/bronze wing coverings, with 5 white
dots along each side and a 6th pair at the tip of the abdomen, these
ravenous leaf eaters (eaten leaves appear skeletonized) emerge as
adults in June, and live for 30-45 days while they eat, mate, and lay
eggs (in the afternoon the female will dig 2-4" into a lawn and
lay 1-4 eggs at a time, 40-60 eggs during their life cycle). Eggs
hatch into white grubs, living for 10 months in this stage, eating the
roots of lawn turf. (Natural enemies of the grubs are starlings,
grackles, red-winged blackbirds, robins, song sparrows, crows (cause
little lawn damage), and moles, shrews and skunks (cause lawn
damage)).
The presence of beetles on a plant will attract
more (adults will fly up to 5 miles following a scent of food or other
beetles). The use of traps will create a larger problem as more
beetles are attracted to the area. The best physical control is
shaking the plant over a pail(s) of soapy water early in the morning
while the beetles are still sluggish (if you do this later in the day
they react quickly and fly away before hitting the water). Smaller
infestations can be controlled by picking them off by hand (they don't
bite) and dropping them in soapy water...this will also keep the
numbers attracted by the existing population to a minimum.
They eat in groups, usually from the top of a
plant down, preferring plants in direct sun. They are known to eat
over 400 kinds of plants (including 300 trees). Favorites include
roses, hollyhocks, green beans, grapes, 4 o'clocks (which will also
kill the beetles as they are poison to them), Japanese and Norway
maples, gray birch, most fruit trees, mountain ash, and American
linden.
They WILL BE BACK again next summer (hopefully
this dry summer will keep the next population down by drying out the
eggs and grubs). Submitted by Roger Stoffel.
MEETINGS
The LWPOA meetings are held at the Windsor Town
Hall at 6:30 p.m. In 2004, there will be no meeting in February, and
March 9. The LWPOA annual meeting will be on Tuesday, April 27th. at
6:30 p.m. The annual meeting includes voting for new board members.
The May meeting is on May 11, 2004.
WE NEED YOUR HELP
Please keep the Lake Windsor Property Owners
Board of Directors informed of new neighbors, births, and deaths. We
send congratulations to parents of babies and sympathy cards in the
event of a death in the neighborhood. We need to keep our telephone
directory current. We want to introduce the neighborhood association
to new property owners. The names of the Board of Directors are in the
directory for whom to call to call with this information. . We need
your help to keep our directory as accurate as possible in a community
of over 200 homes. With accurate information in the directory, we can
readily contact property owners. A strong LWPOA will help to maintain
our home and neighbor values.
CONGRATULATIONS!
Top Salesperson - Zachary Hofer-Gilbertson, age
8, sold $1,100.00 worth of pop corn for the Windsor Cub Scout Pace 155
this fall. Great work!
SOCIAL ACTIVITIES
Adopt-a-Road
Adopt-a-Road - On Saturday, October 25th, we had
a beautiful day to collect trash along CV and Windsor Road to Highland
Drive. Greg Fletcher organized the volunteers for the event. We thank
our enthusiastic group. They included Greg's children, Sara and Scott,
Matt Peterson, Kathy Armbrecht and her children, Rachel, Erik and
Owen, Grant Hetherington and Jim and Joan Johnston. At our LWPOA Board
Meeting on November 18th, the Board voted to discontinue our
affiliation with Dane County's Adopt-a-Road program. There has not
been sufficient interest or support for us to continue the clean-up
twice a year.
Fish Fry
A Neighborly Bunch enjoyed Fish
Dinners on Friday, August 1st at Lake Windsor Golf Club. The
conversation was lively and the fish was good. The newest Lake Windsor
homeowners were introduced before dinner. Mention was made of new
development around Lake Windsor and how it would impact our area.
Comments were made about the lovely repainted entrance signs. People,
who have volunteered their time and energy to maintain the islands,
were thanked. Then it was time for dinner and tall tales---who shot a
hole in one, who caught the largest fish and who traveled the
farthest. A fun time was had by all. The social committee will plan
other LWPOA Friday Night Fish Fries!
(contributed by Jean Geisler)
Holiday Party
We had a great time at the December 5th
Holiday Party. Our thanks go to the Social Committee. Mr. and Mrs.
John Sargent designed the cover of the invitation. Entertainment was
provided by Mr. Jaime Guiscafre', a local classical guitarist,
provided excellent entertainment throughout the evening. The ladies
and gents in their holiday attire and the beautiful Lake Windsor Golf
Club provided a great start to the holiday season.
NEW LAKE WINDSOR PROPERTY
OWNERS
Monica and Bill Smith, 6588 South Oak
Lane
Keith and Deena Bryan, 4494 Pinecrest
Lane
Chris and Julie Martinelli, 6694
Highland Drive
Jason Hoverson and Lyndsay Reese,
6662 Highland Drive
Linda and Tony Hamelink, 6697
Highland Drive
Kelly and Mike Patton, 6673 Highland
Drive
Randy Alsmo and Michelle Schroeder,
6512 Linden Circle
Ed and Helen Stepanenkov, 6541
Chestnut Circle
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