Local

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. 

MIDDLETON–March 25 was an average Friday for Siobhan Wren, or so it seemed. The 20-year-old British, exchange student at UW-Madison had come to Middleton to thrift shop with friends. Paying for purchases and leaving the Goodwill on Century Avenue would be the last thing she would remember before waking up at University Hospital and Clinics. 

Middleton Police Officer Cesar Salinas was doing regular patrols on the same afternoon when a young woman ran out to the street to flag him down. The woman, named Laura, told Salinas that her friend had collapsed. She and Irene, both exchange students from the Netherlands had been shopping with Siobhan at the time. Salinas immediately called dispatch and told them there was a medical emergency, prompting both Officer Ryan Roettger and Officer Kim Wood to arrive at the scene and later Middleton EMS and Middleton Fire Department personnel. 

MIDDLETON–The once continuous whirl of sump pumps at some homes in the Hidden Oaks subdivision has been largely silenced credited by drier weather and efforts by the city of Middleton.

Sump pumps ran continuously after the August 2018 flood in many damp basements in the 120 homes in this far west subdivision. Hidden Oaks residents could see Glacial Lake Middleton swell just to the south, as the flood knocked out the pump that once lifted water over a berm before it flowed into a culvert under USH 14.

That prompted Ald. Luke Fuszard, a Hidden Oaks resident, to petition in 2019 to reactivate the long dormant Drainage District 19, formed 100-plus years prior, to improve agriculture production in lands bordering Black Earth Creek.

Hidden Oaks homeowners hoped the district would lower the level of Glacial Lake Middleton and reduce the time their sump pumps operated.

MIDDLETON–Property owners in the City of Middleton will soon receive letters from the City Assessor concerning the citywide revaluation process for 2022. All properties will be assessed.

The letters will include a survey of rental income and expenses for leased commercial property. The income and expense information will be kept confidential and be used solely by the assessor for establishing property values using the income approach. Residential properties are generally assessed using a comparable sales approach.

“All property owners will be receiving notices of changes in assessment this year. As a whole, the city’s assessments were at about 85 percent of market in 2021. The goal for the revaluation is to bring the average assessment level to 100 percent of market,” said city finance director Bill Burns. 

The last property revaluation was for the 2018 assessment and tax year.

Residential Property Valuation

DANE COUNTY–Voters in the Spring Election offered up little surprise Tuesday when they went to the polls.

An upset came in Middleton when longtime city councilwoman Susan West was beat out by newcomer Lisa Janairo in the District 6 race. Janairo brought in 65.1 percent of the vote, with West taking 34.6 percent.

In a statement, Janairo said, “It’s an incredible honor to have the voters of District 6 select me to be their new representative on Middleton’s Common Council. I owe my election to a number of highly engaged volunteers and supporters who believed in me and who agreed that it was time for a change. I commend Alder Susan West for running a competitive race. She deserves our appreciation for devoting so many years to public service for the benefit of our city.