Bulletin

WHAT HAPPENED

• Sturgeon Bay City Administrator Steve McNeil has announced his retirement effective Aug. 1, 2015. McNeil has been employed by the City of Sturgeon Bay since Sept. 2008. Economic development has been a focus during McNeil’s tenure. He was instrumental in the expansion of the Sturgeon Bay Industrial Park, including the new Wire Tech facility, the expansion of Hatco, TTX and Pro-Products, as well as at Bay Shipbuilding. McNeil also played a key role in securing a commitment from a developer for the West Waterfront Redevelopment area, and led the effort to received designation as one of only 16 United States Coast Guard cities. “Steve is probably the most dynamic administrative/manager in his profession,” said Mayor Thad Birmingham. “His knowledge and expertise in so many areas allowed him to lead a team of staff members to achieve the great things over the last seven years. His retirement will be a huge loss for the City of Sturgeon Bay.”

The city will now begin the recruitment process to fill the vacancy.

• An anonymous donor has stepped up and offered a challenge for the Open Door Bird Sanctuary (ODBS):  donations coming in within 30 days will be matched up to $1,500. Jillaine Burton of ODBS said if the challenge is met, the $3,000 would cover 75 percent of a construction cost shortage for the new bird care center. You can donate online at Razoo.com, Square Cash using [email protected], and by mailing a check to the sanctuary (4114 County Road I, Sturgeon Bay, Wis., 54235). ODBS is also looking for volunteers for light land work and general programing with the sanctuary birds. While it does not involve bird handling, it will involve public interaction. To volunteer, call 414.897.6569 or email [email protected].

• The Joint Finance Committee voted to reinstate funding to the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) for picking up road kill. Governor Scott Walker’s proposed budget called for $700,000 to be deleted from the DNR budget for the service. Walker hoped to allocate the responsibility to the local county and municipal governments. More than 20,000 deer are killed on Wisconsin roads each year. The committee cited the importance of clean roads to the tourism industry in its vote.

• Wisconsin dropped from No. 2 to No. 9 in a national ranking of bicycle-friendly states by The League of American Bicyclists. The group said the ranking slip was due to weak political support for bicycling in Wisconsin. The group cited Gov. Scott Walker’s repeal of the Complete Streets law — which requires that bikes and pedestrians be included in transportation planning efforts. “If these changes come to pass, bicycling in Wisconsin will be set back significantly and it may be years to recover the state support for bicycling that has led to Wisconsin’s history of being one of the most bicycle friendly states in America,” the league said in its report. Washington was ranked as the No. 1 bicycle-friendly state for the 8th consecutive year. Minnesota was No. 2, followed by Delaware, Massachusetts and Utah.

COMING UP

• The 2015 Summer Reading Program “Every Hero Has a Story” will be coming to a library near you. Sign up begins June 1, in person or online at DoorCountyLibrary.org. Summer programming throughout Door County will continue until Aug. 15. Plan to make your local library a vital part of your summer.