Discussion of a Community Kitchen and Farmers Market

Welcome to Notes from the Grove, providing information about Liberty Grove town government to residents and visitors.

• The public hearing held on the planned road resurfacing of Garrett Bay Road was attended by 64 people. Highway committee chairman Mike Walker explained to the audience the process that has gone into the recommendation that will be forwarded to the town board. The board was in attendance but not in session.

Sixteen people expressed their concerns and the most emphasized point was the speed limit on the road. The board will authorize the study to lower the speed limit to 35 mph on some sections of the road.

The second concern expressed was the removal of trees and how that would affect the canopy. The recommendation is a 20’ paved surface with a 6’ clear zone on both sides of the road. A shoulder of two or three feet is recommended. Also, dead trees leaning toward the road in the clean zone should be removed. It was emphasized that not all trees will need to be removed in the clear zone. Administrator Kalms had a map showing the locations of the trees and those tentatively planned to be removed. Abutting property owners will be met with to go over the tree removal. Four residents who live along the road and one property owner were among those who spoke.

• The IT committee is requesting that NWTC offer a beginning computer class in Liberty Grove with no sign up restrictions for not holding the class. Liberty Grove, through the property tax, pays a substantial amount and receives little in return within the town.

• Economic development heard a presentation from Mary Pat Carlson regarding the creation of a community kitchen. She has been instrumental in the establishment of several kitchens in Wisconsin. Committee member David Studebaker has been in communication with her and asked that she make a presentation. The committee also discussed the possibility of a farmers market being held at the town hall.

• The July issue of the Wisconsin Towns Association magazine summed up that requests for donations from a town are generally not legally permissible. Municipal governments do not have the ability to make donations like private citizens. The monies they collect through taxation can only be used for public rather than private purposes. When money is provided to another governmental entity for services for their own citizens or inclusion of those citizens into another entity’s programs, it is not considered a donation.

The town electors do have the authority to authorize the board to appropriate money for civic functions, agricultural societies, to establish industrial complexes, benefit of ecological areas, a town band, town museum, attract industry and for a county-town auditorium. The town board, even though authorized to do so, may or may not elect to appropriate monies for those purposes.