Highway Committee Reviews Highway Maintenance Policies

Welcome to the Notes from the Grove, providing Liberty Grove residents and visitors tid bits of information about goings on in town government.

• Ryan Andersen from Associated Appraisal Consultants was in the Assessors Office on Feb. 6 and met with a number of citizens. He will be at that office on the first Monday of the month. The Town Office is also available for general questions regarding assessments.

• Town officers (other than assessors) elected in April 2012 and thereafter will now have their terms of office commence on the third Tuesday in April due to recent state election law changes. This law change results in a week long “gap” between the end of the current terms of office for those town officers elected in either 2010 or 2011 and the start of the new terms of office for those officers elected in April 2012 or April 2013

Since legislative action of 2011 provides that a town board may enact an ordinance providing that the terms of any elective officers in the town who were elected or appointed to serve for terms expiring on the second Tuesday in April 2012 or 2013 may be extended to the third Tuesday in April in the same year in which the terms would otherwise have expired, the board has adopted Ordinance 3-12 Extending Town Officer Terms.

• During a meeting on Feb. 13, the Highway Committee began an extensive review of the Highway Maintenance Policy. Chairman Miller provided the committee with a document she compiled for their consideration. Areas of concern were how to inform residents when their road was scheduled for maintenance work by the Town Crew, vertical and horizontal clearing along town roads with attention given to trimming, brushing and cutting of vegetation and trees in the right of way, procedure for the removal of wood in the right of way and the right of property owners to the wood cut adjacent to their property.

A suggestion being considered is having property owners notify the town that they wish to keep the wood for personal use. Wood that is left in the right of way over 24 hours after cutting will be presumed abandoned and removed by the town. The question of mowing procedures was also discussed.

The committee will continue the review process at its next meeting on March 12. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation has outlined standards for road maintenance in its Facilities Development Manual which was also discussed as it relates to town roads. The Heritage Road sub-committee will continue with their work at their next meeting scheduled for Feb. 27.

• The Spring Election will be April 3. In person absentee voting will be available at the Town Office from March 19 – 29.

A reminder that the new voting laws require voters to present a photo ID, announce their name and address and sign the poll book when receiving a ballot. Please contact the Town Office with questions.

• Proceedings from the Town Meeting of April 3, 1906: raise $25 for the hill between Hollberg and Kissl; raise $600 for the general fund; raise $200 for the poor fund; raise $50 for the cemetery fund. Gave the Town Board the authority to borrow money if necessary. Motion was then made and seconded not to make any more motions or raise any more money at this meeting. Town Board members were Rogers, Soderberg and Schmidt.