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Highway Committee Considers Lowering Speed Limits

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

• Some interesting facts have been found regarding zoning in Wisconsin while gathering information for the discussion of the town establishing its own zoning. Wisconsin has 242 towns with their own zoning while 767 are under county zoning; 246 towns have no zoning; 552 cities and villages have zoning while 36 do not. Data was not found for seven others. Liberty Grove Plan Commission members will be contacting various towns gathering information on their experience with having their own zoning.

At the state level, Representatives Andre Jacque and Kathy Bernier are circulating a draft bill in the legislature to provide a procedure for towns to withdraw from county zoning. There is a procedure currently in place but the proposed legislation would make the process less complicated.

• WPS informed Administrator Bud Kalms that they will move power poles on Garrett Bay Road at no expense to the town. Five poles will not be moved, as two are far enough away, but will have their guy wires moved, and an additional three poles are far enough away from the asphalt. No timetable has been established but it is expected to happen this fall.

• The county will place gravel on the shoulders of the newly paved roads in the near future; they will be assisted by the town crew hauling gravel from the town gravel pit.

• The highway committee will investigate lowering speed limits on town roads. Currently, if not posted the speed limit is 55 mph. The town website has information on traffic counts on various roads gathered by our traffic counter. It is on the left side of the homepage under the tab Traffic Counter.

• Administrator Kalms began the process of preparing next year’s budget. The finance committee will discuss the possibility of seeking approval from the town electors to exceed the levy limit. The rolling five-year plans for roads and property has revealed the need for increased expenditures to catch up on needed repairs and increased pressure on the current levy limit. The Wisconsin Towns Association September magazine notes that towns in 2013 paid nearly as much of the county levy as cities – $832.4 million vs. $854.4 million for cities. Towns have about 1.7 million residents as opposed to about 3.2 million in cities. This indicates the relatively high concentration of taxable wealth in towns, which impacts the apportionment of county (and school district) levies. Towns have less than 30 percent of the state’s population while nearly 38 percent of all taxable value in the state.

• A reminder that the fall electronics recycling and shredding day will be held Sept. 28 at 9 am.

• From the town archives comes this information from the July 23, 1941, board meeting: a typewriter for the clerk was purchased for $35 and will be retained by the town; the board set the price for crushed stone at $.90/yard to residents in quantities larger than 10 yards. Less than ten yards is $1/yard and $1.10/yard for sales outside the town, with price increase for exceptional hauls.