Municipal News

DOOR COUNTY:  Lodging establishments saw an improvement countywide of 4.1 percent above 2012 figures, according to a report from the Door County Tourism Zone Commission (DCTZC). As a whole the zone collected $3,644,013 and directed $2,405,048 to the Door County Visitor Bureau for promotion and marketing of the entire county. Total revenues retained by the municipalities were $1,093,205 and DCTZC operating revenues were $145,760.

In 2013 1,203,063 rooms were available for overnight stays (1,209,559 in 2012). Door County visitors filled 486,977 rooms in 2013 (479,562 in 2012) resulting in 40.48 percent occupancy (39.65 percent in 2012) for Door County with an average price of $137 ($134 in 2012).

A point worth mentioning is of the total tax reported, there is less than $1,000 outstanding and of that $300 is in collections and the final $700 is in very early stages of collection.

There were 953 properties permitted for transient rental in 2013. The Commission permitted 97 new properties in 2013, of which 41 of the newly permitted properties were found through investigative work by the Commission and permitted through compliance channels. To learn more about how permit your property, go to doorcountytoursimzone.com or call 920.854.6200.

TOWN OF JACKSONPORT:  The long and winding journey of acquiring the Koulias property with 197-feet of sandy shoreline next to Lakeside Park in Jacksonport is finally coming to an end. Voters gave approval to the purchase of the property in August 2012, and town officials have been trying to pull together resources since then to make it happen. Town Chairman Alvin Birnschein said a total of $709,000 has come in for the project from two grants and an anonymous donation of $300,000. The grants include $356,000 from the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Grant and $55,000 from the Wisconsin Coastal Management Program.

“We still have to come up with $45,000 to $50,000,” Birnschein said, but the town was close enough to close the deal on Feb. 26.

The property will become part of Lakeside Park.