In-office Voting and Fire District Decisions

Welcome to “Notes from the Grove” providing information about Liberty Grove Town government to residents and visitors.

• In-office voting will start on Oct. 22 and run through Friday, Nov. 2. For this two-week period the office will be open until 5 pm per State Statute 6.86(1)(b). You must be a Liberty Grove registered voter to vote in this office. Anyone who has not been at their Liberty Grove residence for at least 28 days prior to the election will not be able to register to vote. Those people do have the option of voting for President only but do need to have proof of residence to do so. For the list of acceptable items to show proof of residency go to http://www.gab.wi.gov or contact our office at 920.854.2934.

• The county will be holding a clean sweep at the South Sister Bay/Liberty Grove fire station in Sister Bay on Nov. 2 from 3:30 to 5:30 pm. This is your chance to dispose of oil-based paint, stains, chemicals and items unsafe for the landfill. Call 920.746.2500 for more information on items to bring in.

• Liberty Grove will be holding a paper shredding and electronic recycling day for residents of Liberty Grove and Sister Bay only on Oct. 20 from 9 am – 1 pm. There is no limit to the amount of paper you can bring in. Some electronics may have a small fee. (The general rule is anything with Freon, a compressor or a screen will have a fee attached.) Call 920.854.2934 or 920.854.4118 for more information.

• The Fire District Exploratory Committee reached several decisions at its September 25 meeting. Those communities wishing to continue exploring the possibility of a Northern Door Fire District will be asked to budget $5,000 each for 2013 to cover anticipated expenses of clerical, legal and consulting fees as the exploratory process continues.

It was also decided that municipalities joining the Fire District would commit to five years. If a member wished to withdraw after that time it would need to give a two-year notice.

The fire stations in each community will remain property of that community. Many of the stations have meeting rooms that are used for non-fire department use and that would continue. Trucks and related equipment would be turned over to the Fire District on a lease basis if they met the established standards for that equipment. In the case of vehicles they would be returned to the municipality when taken out of service for the municipality to dispose of as seen fit. Any new vehicles and equipment would then be purchased by the Fire District.

The next meeting is scheduled for October 30 at the Sister Bay Fire Station. Meetings are open to the public. Upcoming meetings will focus on the creation of a Fire Board and a Joint Fire Commission, allocations of costs to member municipalities and how to transition to a Fire District. The committee is utilizing information from other Fire Districts in Wisconsin as well as several local agreements.