Local

MIDDLETON–Two years of free meals for all students will be coming to an end next month and the Middleton Cross Plains Area School District is preparing to begin charging again.

Normally, schools could only serve free or reduced-cost meals to income-eligible students. However, in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the US Department of Agriculture waived income guidelines and allowed all students to eat for free.

That waiver expires June 30 and unless it’s extended for a third year, income guidelines will be reinstated, Erin Wheeler, director of Business Services, told the school board Monday night.

The district’s costs to fed students for free was reimbursed by the state of Wisconsin. 

The district has not raised meal prices since 2014-15 and has built a budget surplus since that time while also adding staff, a second kitchen and café at the high school.

MIDDLETON–The Middleton Common Council reviewed some of the latest data related to affordable housing in the county and recommendations to expand and preserve affordable housing. The council also reviewed the revised five-year vehicle replacement plan which will move aggressively to adopt an all electric fleet. The plan also will preserve internal combustion vehicles longer to save money and hold out until more electric vehicle options are available.

Dane County Senior Planner Oliva Parry presented the Dane County Regional Housing Strategy in Middleton to the council. The regional housing advisory committee will develop a study, inventory and assessment of programs, resources and tools currently used and develop a vision for housing and key priorities for Middleton’s plan, Parry said.

Parry described affordable housing as housing that costs no more than 30 percent of a person’s monthly income on rent. 

MIDDLETON–The City of Middleton Plan Commission reviewed a preliminary plat document for a proposed 44-acre residential development at 4887 Parmenter St. and approved the University Avenue corridor plan which will guide future development.

A rezoning request for the proposed “Belle Farm” development was approved by the common council late 2021. The proposal calls for four phases of development and a fifth phase based on market conditions when the earlier phases are completed. The proposal includes 730 multifamily units and 150 single family homes with a variety of housing types including apartments, condos and townhomes and single-family homes ranging from carriage homes, cottage homes, and nest cottages to shotgun homes and estate houses with up to 3,000 square feet. 

The development would extend Belle Fontaine Boulevard from High Road to Parmenter Street creating the “main street” through the development with storefront commercial spaces. 

TOWN OF MIDDLETON–There wasn’t much enthusiasm for allowing leashed dogs on more recreational trails but Town of Middleton board members agreed Monday to see if homeowner associations are interested in enforcing dog regulations on trails on their property.

Board supervisors considered a proposal from the Park Commission to open some trail segments to leashed dogs. Currently, dogs can be walked on leash in Ed Tallard Park, on trails in Cherrywood Conservancy and on recreational trails in Stonebrook Estates.

Dogs on trails are a divisive issue in the town, where more than 1,200 of the 2,650 household have a dog, according to information Tony Praza, Park Commission member shared.

Residents opposed to allowing dogs on recreational trails mentioned the uncollected dog waste, hostile canine encounters on the narrow paths, and the burden of enforcing dog regulations.

MIDDLETON–For the first time since 2009, the annual Miss Wisconsin-USA and Miss Wisconsin Teen-USA state pageant competitions will be held in the Good Neighbor City of Middleton. The double pageants will be staged together at the Madison Marriott West Hotel and Conference Center, 1313 John Q. Hammons Dr., in Middleton, May 7-8.

The 2022 preliminary competition show will be held at 7 p.m. on May 7 with all statewide contestants participating on stage during the jointly held state competitions which will determine the selection of the semi-finalists in both state events who will be named at the finale and coronation show at 3 p.m. on May 8.

Returning to crown their successors will be the reigning Miss Wisconsin-USA 2021, Samantha Catherine Keaton, 21, of Milwaukee, who is formerly from Austin, Texas; and the current Miss Wisconsin Teen-USA 2021, Shreya Gundelly, 19, of Mequon, who became the first East-Indian American to win the state teen title.

TOWN OF MIDDLETON–A review of an audit of the town’s 2021 financial statements, last year’s important events and swearing in a new board supervisor highlighted this year’s Town Electors’ meeting.

By state statute, towns must hold an annual meeting for electors, residents who are eligible voters, where they can decide to buy or sell property and other powers not delegated to the town board.

Electors also approve the annual tax levy which is usually presented in November.

The annual meeting has been held in April and are well attended when there’s a hot issue in play. In pre-pandemic years, electors crowded into town hall to defeat opting out of county zoning and selling 10 acres of parkland for development.

Meeting for the third consecutive year by Zoom, the April 19 virtual meeting attracted approximately 20 individuals.

MIDDLETON–Serving as Middleton’s City Administrator since 1998, Mike Davis reflects on his achievements, gives his qualified advice to city leaders and residents and shares his plans for retirement. Davis’ final day is May 5, his successor Bryan Gadow, who is leaving his position as Monona’s City Administrator, begins May 2.

Davis has served his entire career in local government. Even before that Davis was involved in student government in high school and college. Now he is ready to spend time with his family, travel, dive deeper into his hobbies and explore new volunteer opportunities. 

MIDDLETON–The City of Middleton Plan Commission approved a rezoning request to build a 50-unit apartment building at 6904-6908 Century Ave. next to the Pick ‘n Save grocery store. The general building plan was approved with the rezoning but planning staff advised the commission to hold off approval of the specific building plan until issues are resolved relating to a traffic impact analysis and stormwater management plan.

The rezoning request from Madison Development Corporation would rezone two R-1 parcels containing two single-family residences to a planned development district (PDD). Lorrie Heinemann, Madison Development Corporation President & CEO, reviewed the project and changes to the plan since it was last before the plan commission. 

MADISON–A former Middleton and Mount Horeb man was sentenced on April 13 to five years in prison for sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl when he was her neighbor in Middleton.

Brian R. Henige, 54, had been a neighbor of the girl’s family for 24 years and had worked with the girl’s father. The two families were so close that they had keys to each other’s house, the girl’s father was a groomsman at Henige’s wedding and the girl was a godparent to Henige’s youngest child.

Through his close association with the family, Henige learned of the girl’s self-esteem issues, which he exploited to groom her for a sexual relationship, said Circuit Judge Ellen Berz.

MIDDLETON–The Middleton Common Council reviewed possible scenarios for the planned staffing referendum to appear on the November ballot. The council deferred any decision until two new council members are sworn in next month. The council also passed a first reading of a chicken keeping ordinance which has been a cause of outcry in the local chicken keeping community. 

City Administrator Mike Davis laid out three possible scenarios for the planned November referendum to exceed property tax levy limits up to $500,000 annually.

Scenario one would direct a little more than half the funds to the police department and use the rest to increase hours for a communications specialist and management analyst. Create a half-time HR support position and a full-time streets crew position.

The second scenario Davis described would direct all the additional revenue to the police department.