Town Board Adopts Town Land Division Ordinance

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

• The board heard a presentation from the Gills Rock Coalition of Concerned Citizens regarding the Chinook salmon stocking program done by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The group is very concerned that the lack of stocking in the Gills Rock has seriously affected the charter fishing industry. The board was provided with a packet of information outlining the impact of tourism in Door County and the State of Wisconsin. It further provided data on the tourism dollars spent in Liberty Grove and Gills Rock. While Chinook salmon fingerlings have been released in Ellison Bay none have been released in Gills Rock going back to 2004. Coho salmon were last released in 2011 in Gills Rock.

The board agreed to be as supportive as possible and to address the issue with state representatives as well as with the DNR.

• The board adopted the Town Land Division Ordinance with expected minor revisions to be added in the near future. Copies of the ordinance are available at the town office.

• The board has also approved the Sister Bay & Liberty Grove Fire Department Grant Fund. The purpose of the grant fund is to allow the fire department and fire board greater access to matching funds regardless of the current budget cycle. In effect, it removes unplanned budget shock for the village and the town.

• A co-operative agreement between the town and Door County Soil and Water was approved as part of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Funding.

• Schenck Accounting presented a proposal to consolidate accounting records into one complete software system for the financial processing of general ledger, payroll, revenues and expenditures. The board accepted the proposal.

• The signage for the new speed limits on Garrett Bay Road and Isle View Road will be put up as soon as they arrive.

• The highway committee decided to not place guardrails on the Isle View causeway. The shouldering on the causeway will be hand-raked to avoid spillage.

The committee will address a tree planting program at their Oct. 7th meeting. Mike Bahrke is collecting data from the committee for presentation at that meeting.

• From the town archives comes the following from special board meetings, regarding the purchasing of a new truck:

May 15, 1941: Purpose is to consider purchase of a new truck or wait until fall. Purpose of purchasing now is to save the sales tax, which will be in effect by fall. Decision was to inquire about prices and to purchase before a price increase.

May 21, 1941: Mr. Swenson was present and gave prices on different types of trucks. The board agreed to purchase a 95 horsepower cab over engine Ford with helper springs, 7.50 x 20 inch tires, air cleaner, bus-type clutch, two-speed axle, and frame reinforcement for $1,274.11, less $275 for the old Ford.

At the same meeting, the board allowed a bill to Richard Hammersmith for building the stone pillars at the Rowleys Bay Cemetery. The clerk was asked to get in touch with the owner of the lot south of the Little Sister Cemetery and get the lowest price of the same, this land to be added to the cemetery.