County

MIDDLETON–The City of Middleton Plan Commission approved an update to the city’s master plan for public art and design put forward by the Middleton Arts Committee. The update to the plan outlines realistic and short term action goals for the city to promote, create and maintain public art.

In 2009, the city approved the original Master Plan for Public Art & Design which provided a 20 year vision for public art and design and identified several sites for public art, as well as a suggested timeline and a budget mechanism for implementing projects.

While progress has been made implementing the plan a lack of funding has been a barrier for several projects.

The update which will be added as an addendum to the master plan lays out five overarching goals.

Goal one includes supporting local artists and economic development goals through public art, as well as leaving visitors with a positive impression.

MIDDLETON–The public may be less involved in some public meetings as Middleton City Administrator Mike Davis has advised committee chairs not to put public comments on committee agendas.

In an exchange of emails Monday, Davis stated that this had been a long-standing position of not taking public comments at certain public meetings.

“The reason is that it is all too easy for a committee to start on a discussion that has not been publicly posted and could be a violation of the open meetings law. All such discussion items should be on the publicly posted agenda,” he wrote.

Davis also wrote that he and the city attorney have advised committee members for several years that public comments should not be on committee agendas.

Asked if not taking public comments at the committee level sacrifices timely public input, Davis disagreed.

MIDDLETON–The City of Middleton Plan Commission will interview three consultants that responded to the city’s request for proposals (RFP) to overhaul and update the city’s zoning code and ensure it is consistent with the recently adopted comprehensive plan.

In March the Middleton Common Council approved the request for proposals with a budget of $100,000 for a consultant to assist in rewriting the ordinance with a deadline set for April 2. The existing zoning ordinance has not been substantially updated since 1984.

A zoning ordinance working group was established to review the proposals composed of Planning and Zoning Administrator Mark Opitz, plan commission member Randy Bruce, sustainability committee member Spencer Schmacher and Justin Ballweg from the zoning board of appeals.

TOWN OF MIDDLETON–Citing increased chaotic flying conditions and lead emissions, the Town of Middleton Board Supervisors Monday requested that City of Middleton Common Council deny three special events planned this summer at the Middleton Municipal Airport-Morey Field.

In February, the city’s License & Ordinance Committee conditionally approved airport-based Capital Flight’s special event request for the July 23 “Rock the Ramp” day but wanted more information on alcohol service, fireworks and an aerobatic display before granting final approval. 

Capital Flight’s President Matt Hofeldt said Tuesday that he hasn’t submitted that information but plans to when it’s available from other sources.

In the past, the event was held in advance of the Experimental Aircraft Association’s AirVenture and welcomed pilots in route to the week-long Oshkosh airshow.

WASHINGTON DC–Preliminary 2020 US Census data has revealed that Wisconsin saw a slight increase in population over the past decade, allowing the state to retain its eight US Congressional seats. 

The information is part of the agency’s apportionment report, which is responsible for determining electoral votes as well as seats in the US House of Representatives delegation and shows that Wisconsin grew by 206,732 residents between 2010 and 2020. The increase brings the state’s total population to 5,893,718, or the 20^th highest in the country, but ranked only 34^th in growth at 3.6 percent.

The biggest growth areas in the state were seen in cities, including Madison, Green Bay and Milwaukee.

Gains in populations leading to additional seats were seen in Texas, which will add two seats, Florida, Colorado, Montana, North Carolina and Oregon, all of which picked up one added seat. 

TOWN OF MIDDLETON–In prior annual electors’ meetings, Town of Middleton residents discussed; runway expansion at the city of Middleton’s airport; buying land for a storm water pond and developing a subdivision near the town hall.

Last week, garlic mustard was the main topic residents discussed or, precisely the refusal of garbage collectors to haul away the noxious weed residents had pulled from their properties.

John Haverberg, a Plan Commission member and a resident for 47 years, said he and other neighbors pull garlic mustard from their properties, including filling 40 garbage bags last year.

In the past, bagged garlic mustard was hauled away by the town’s contract garbage collector, Advanced Disposal. Earlier this year, it was acquired by Waste Management, Inc. which no longer accepts the plant.

MADISON–Gov. Tony Evers signed into law Assembly Bill (AB) 27, now Wisconsin Act 24, last week. The new law will provide a stable funding source for the Citizens Utility Board (CUB), Wisconsin’s only advocate for residential and small business utility customers. CUB is an independent, non-profit group that represents customers in rate case and utility construction proceedings before the Public Service Commission (PSC). Previously, CUB relied on funding from a PSC grant, which was subject to approval in Wisconsin’s biennial budget.

“Giving CUB the means to have a more equal footing in proceedings before the PSC results in greater representation for Wisconsin consumers, and ultimately leads to lower utility bills,” said Evers. “This law will ensure that CUB’s funding will be more stable and sustainable and will allow CUB to remain focused on its mission of advocating for Wisconsin families and small businesses who don’t have an army of attorneys at their disposal.”

MADISON–Gov. Tony Evers has appointed Kalvin D. Barrett as Dane County Sheriff on April 2. The appointment fills a vacancy created by Sheriff David J. Mahoney’s resignation, effective May 8, 2021. Barrett will complete the remainder of the term which ends January 2, 2023., said the governor.

 “With 12 years of service as a law enforcement officer, Kalvin Barrett is a dedicated public servant,” said Gov. Evers. “I am confident he will be an effective, empathetic leader in Dane County and will work to ensure the safety of and collaboration with every community he serves.”

Barrett served as Dane County Deputy Sheriff from 2009 to 2011, and as an officer with the Sun Prairie Police Department from 2011 to 2016. He is currently a law enforcement officer at Wisconsin State Fair Park and teaches law enforcement and criminal justice at Madison College where he is the faculty director of the criminal justice studies program.

WISCONSIN–The Spring 2021 Election saw a number of contested races, from State Superintendent of Public Instruction to local municipalities. The results given below have not been certified for up to 30 days. 

In the race for State Superintendent, Jill Underly easily defeated Deborah Kerr on both the state and local level. Statewide, Underly received 56.9 percent of the vote compared to Kerr’s 43.1 percent. In Dane County Underly won by a landslide with 80.1 percent of the votes cast and Kerr receiving 19.8 percent. 

Incumbent Dane County Executive Joe Parisi also scored big on votes taking in 78.9 percent to opponent Mary Ann Nicholson’s 20.9 percent. Parisi has run unopposed in two previous elections.

Voters in the Village of Cross Plains were asked to vote for three trustees, and village board president.

MIDDLETON–The disruptive effects that Covid-19 brought to nearly everyone’s lives in 2020, was certainly reflected in the recently released State of the City address subtitled, “A Year Like None Other.”

Beginning in mid-March, the state’s ‘Safer at Home” directive closed in-person K-12 schools and nonessential businesses. While the state Supreme Court struck down an extension of that directive in late May, Dane County largely re-instituted it.

City Hall, the Senior Center and the Public Library also were closed to the public and many employees worked from home.

Adjustments were made to continue offering city services but in a way that avoided spreading the virus among the public and city employees.

The library responded by offering curbside check out and return of books and materials that totaled 88,500 last year.