Local

TOWN OF MIDDLETON–The town board will present a proposed 2023 budget to residents next month that significantly reduces borrowing and slashes to road construction and maintenance expenses in response to declining government aid. 

The proposed budget is funded by $4.795 million in total revenue, a sharp drop from the current budget’s revenue total of $6.432 million. Loan proceeds from borrowing is included in revenue totals, which in 2022, was budgeted at $1.176 million but next year’s proposed budget borrows $810,455 for construction projects.

Revenue from property taxes is projected to climb from $3.188 million this year to a projected $3.277 million next year. State transportation aid would increase slightly to $319, 000 but other local government grants, which totaled $498,00 this year, will disappear entirely next year.

MIDDLETON–The City of Middleton Plan Commission approved the finalized building plan submitted by Cooper’s Hawk Winery and Restaurant. Cooper’s Hawk is planned to replace Tanner’s Bar and Grill and Maurices clothing store in Greenway Station at 1611 Deming Way.

Cooper’s Hawk representative Lauren Williams said Cooper’s Hawk offers a modern casual dining experience and a wine club with more than 500,000 members. The Middleton location would include a Napa style tasting room and artisanal market. There would also be a bar, main dining room, private dining space that could be rented out for events and a long patio.

The Middleton location would be the second Cooper’s Hawk to open Wisconsin behind Brookfield. The exterior design would be specific to Middleton to match the aesthetic of Greenway Station. Williams said the architecture would be in the style of modern rustic.

MIDDLETON–The Middleton Common Council set the date of the public hearing for the annual budget for Nov. 10 at 6 p.m. in City Hall. A budget summary will be published in this newspaper and made available at city hall for residents to review prior to the hearing. 

During the finance committee meeting prior to the council meeting Finance Director Bill Burns presented key changes in the budget and the different scenarios that could play out depending on whether voters approve the Nov. 8 ballot referendum seeking to surpass the tax levy limit by $770,000 to increase staff wages overall and fund additional positions in public safety and other departments.  

MADISON–Gov. Tony Evers announced that the US Department of the Treasury (Treasury) has approved the governor’s plans to allocate $40 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds through the Capital Projects Fund to expedite Wisconsin’s efforts to expand access to high-speed internet across the state. 

“Whether it’s finding work, running a business, going to school, or just staying connected to friends and family, high-speed internet is no longer a luxury, it’s a necessity,” said Evers. “I’ve been proud to use our investments since 2019 to provide more than 387,000 homes and businesses with high-quality, high-speed internet, and we’re not slowing down anytime soon. The digital divide is holding our families, communities, economy, and our state back, so I’m glad to direct this funding that will help ensure we can continue building on the progress we’ve made over the last three years.”

TOWN OF MIDDLETON -The Town of Middleton Board of Directors will express its displeasure with the City of Middleton’s response not to immediately halt the sale of unleaded aviation fuel at Middleton Municipal Airport-Morey Field in a letter to be sent this week.

City Administrator Bryan Gadow replied on Sept. 27 to town’s request to stop selling leaded gas saying, among other things, that the results of the airborne emissions tests conducted this summer by the town’s consultants showed that “the lead levels are well below the USEPA’s National Ambient Air Quality Standard of 0.15 μg/m3. (milligrams per cubic meter)

“The City of Middleton is working diligently to determine how to receive distribution of GL100UL unleaded fuel at the airport as soon as it is commercially available,” Gadow wrote.

MIDDLETON–The City of Middleton Plan Commission approved a conditional use permit clearing the way for Keva Sports to expand its operations creating two additional sports fields, a restroom facility and extend its parking lot. The expansion would develop the lot to the east of Keva which currently contains a dilapidated barn and functional pole barn.

Keva Sports needs approval of a conditional use permit to operate a sports facility in the area which is zoned as industrial business park. Granting the conditional use permit enables Keva Sports to maintain a recreational use that is already permitted at its existing facilities on 8312 & 8254 Forsythia St. 

Eric Fritz, owner of Keva Sports, said that the focus is on expansion of Keva’s outdoor athletic fields.

“It's just a continual outdoor field expansion that we're looking to have approved,” Fritz said.

MIDDLETON–While the value of police resource officers in schools have been questioned elsewhere, their presence was praised last week by members of the Middleton Cross Plains Area School District Board of Directors.

The school board invited members of the Middleton and Cross Plains police departments, the Dane County Sheriff’s Office along with district security personnel to discuss how their partnerships work.

Maintaining a safe school environment is the primary job for security personnel but Middleton Police Chief Troy Hellenbrand said that the relationship building that occurs during school years benefits students long after they’ve graduated.

CROSS PLAINS - Police Chief Tony Ruesga is reluctantly asking to hire part time officers to partly replenish department ranks and reduce overtime costs.

“I don’t like part timers, but we’re at that spot unless board willing to invest significant money that we don’t have,” he told the Village Board Monday night.

Hiring a new full-time officer costs an estimated $80,000 annually which Ruesga said he’d like but realizes it’s not financially prudent to do so at this time.

The village’s current population warrants having an additional officer and the department will be losing one due to a retirement in January, with more retirements expected in the next few years, Ruesga said.

Hiring an officer part-time shortens the time involved in hiring a full-time officer by months and allows for more flexible scheduling, he said.

It could also save money compared to overtime costs as the position would pay $30 an hour without benefits.

TOWN OF MIDDLEON–With preparations to widen Pleasant View Road just weeks away, the Town of Middleton has filed suit to prevent the City of Middleton from proceeding with the project through town’s right-of-way.

In addition to the city, the suit filed earlier this month in Dane County Circuit Court, names as defendants Mayor Gurdip Brar, City Administrator Bryan Gadow and Public Works Director Shawn Stauske, in their official capacities.

According to the complaint filed on behalf of the town by attorneys Michael Lawton and Richard Bolton:

The city has agreed with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation and the city of Madison to widen Pleasant View Road to four lanes Mineral Point Road and USH 14. However, the town is not party to the agreement and hasn’t given consent to allow its right-of-way to be used.

MIDDLETON–Nearly seven years after the concept plan was presented to the Middleton Plan Commission, a new greenspace will come to fruition. The city will celebrate the Grand Opening of Stone Horse Green, the only greenspace space downtown, with the Middleton Jazz Festival and a dedication of the park.

Arts + Literature Laboratory and Middleton Community Development Authority (CDA) will host the two-day event, which is planned for Oct. 7-8.

On Friday, the jazz crawl, Strollin’ Middleton, returns with stops downtown, including: the Mustard Museum, Villa Dolce, Louisianne's, Middleton Senior Center and the Stone Horse Green.

Saturday morning at 10 a.m. there will be a ribbon cutting and dedication for the space. On addition there will be art activities and more live jazz at Stone horse Green. The event will be capped off with headliners the Alexander/McLean Quartet featuring Chicago's Dee Alexander.

The schedule of events is as follows: