CHAIRMAN’S UPDATE #8

As of this writing, there is an election scheduled for April 7. This will be a presidential primary as well as final elections for the Wisconsin Supreme Court, Walworth County Supervisor, and local school boards. The Town Hall has been receiving a number of inquiries regarding precautions being taken to prevent the potential spread of the Covid-19 virus. Our current plan is to give each voter a pen when they present their ID to vote. This pen will be used to sign the poll book and mark the ballot and can then be taken with the voter.

We will regularly sanitize the voting booths, door handles, restrooms and all flat surfaces in the voting area.

There is the possibility that Governor Evers will postpone the election for a period of time, however, that would be problematic since the State and County terms of office expire in April and newly-elected officers need to be sworn into office in a timely manner in order to provide a seamless transition. A further possibility might be if the Governor decreed all voting to be by means of absentee ballots. If either of these scenarios come to pass, we’ll advise you as soon as possible.

I personally find it heartening to see so many residents taking an interest in Town government by attending the Planning Commission meetings and Town Board meetings. At the present time, I don’t intend to suspend either of the next two meetings because town business still has to go on. In the interim, I would strongly urge you to not attend either meeting unless you have a vested interest in the subjects being considered, at least until this current health issue abates.

As the whole Covid-19 virus continues to spread throughout the state, we should all refrain from unnecessary assemblies, if at all possible. If any important business or decisions are made, we will advise you by means of these updates and by posting minutes on the Town website in order to keep you informed.

For now, stay healthy, wash your hands often, avoid crowds and try to enjoy Spring.

As many of have probably learned by now, at the January meeting of the Spring Prairie Planning Commission, by a 3 to 2 vote, the Planning Commission approved the rezone, conditional use permit and the certified survey map for the proposed gravel pit on Highway 120. Acknowledging that the Planning Commission vote was advisory only, and not incumbent on the Town Board to accept, the Board, at its February 10 monthly meeting, unanimously voted to deny the project in its entirety. The issue now passes on to Walworth County which is  scheduled to take it up at its February 20 County Zoning Agency  meeting. Residents who wish to express their thoughts regarding this issue should address their correspondence to Land Use and Resource Management (LURM), P.O. Box 1001, Room 222, Elkhorn, WI 53121, or email [email protected].

At the same meeting, the Town Board voted to approve the Non-Metallic Mining Ordinance which, while unable to totally ban future mining proposals, puts more power in the hands of the Board to determine if such proposals are in the best interests of the Town in terms of health, safety, noise, pollution, traffic, impact on property values and on the overall quality of life of Spring Prairie residents.

In about a month, the U.S. Census Bureau will begin sending out notices to individual homes with instructions on how to fill out the upcoming 2020 census forms. While some may feel it is a governmental intrusion and waste of time, the census is extremely important to the town, the county and the state because the data collected provides the basis for the distribution of federal funds that have an impact on housing, education, employment, healthcare and public policy. Results also determine how many seats a state will have in the House of Representatives as well as how state and local districts are drawn.

In short, your responses help determine our representation in government and our ability to plan for the future. Wisconsin’s estimated loss in federal funding is over $1,300 per year for each person not counted! The form is short and simple and can be filled out in a very brief amount of time. It is vitally important you take the time to fill it out because it will serve to affect our future for the decade to come.

At the January 13 meeting of the Town Board, two new ordinances were introduced. The first was one that more clearly defined the role of the Planning Commission in light of its present duties and responsibilities and allowed for a Board member to sit on the Commission as a voting member. Town Supervisor Don Trimberger was appointed to a one-year term as a member and will serve as the Commission chairman. The ordinance passed without a second reading. Don has indicated he will abstain from voting in most circumstances unless his vote is required as a tiebreaker.

The second ordinance was a Non-Metallic Mining Ordinance that laid out the rules and requirements of any future mining applications in Spring Prairie. While many in town would like to see an ordinance totally banning any future mines, it simply is not allowable under State law. This new ordinance puts more power in the hands of the Town Board to determine if a proposed mining operation is in the ‘best interests” of the Town. The ‘best interests ‘’ would include health, safety and welfare concerns as well as impact on the environment and wildlife, quality of life in the Town, noise and air pollution, traffic and impact on Town roads, loss of value in neighboring residences and any other possible factor that may have a negative impact on the Town and its residents. Following a first reading, a few minor changes were made in the ordinance and it will have a second reading and possible vote at the February 10 Board meeting.

At the January 16 meeting of the Planning Commission, the issue of the currently proposed gravel pit was taken up. Following an approximately hour-long presentation by representatives of Asphalt Contractors, an open hearing was held wherein residents asked questions and voiced their opinions. Following nearly an hour of comments, both against and for the pit, the open hearing concluded and questioning by the Planning Commission began. After a relatively brief question and answer session with one member recusing himself and Trimberger abstaining, a vote was called and the Commission voted 3 to 2 in favor of approving the rezone for the pit, the conditional use permit and the certified survey map.

The issue of the gravel pit will now be taken up by the Town Board for a vote at its February 10 meeting. Bear in mind that the vote from the Planning Commission is an advisory recommendation and is not binding on the Board. The majority of the Board members have attended all the meetings regarding the proposed gravel pit and have both read all the materials provided and have heard all the arguments on both sides of the issue. Consequently, at the February meeting, there will be neither presentations by Asphalt Contractors nor comments by residents allowed. The issue will be solely discussed by the Town Board members. Following the discussion, a vote will be taken on the issue

There was a Planning and Zoning Commission meeting on December 19, but the issue of the proposed gravel pit was not be on the agenda. For several reasons, chiefly a request by Walworth County for more details on a number of key points in Asphalt Contractors proposal, the soonest they will be ready to propose to the Town would be at the February meeting. While most of us in Spring Prairie would like to see this issue brought before the P&Z and then the Town Board, we cannot force them to present to us. It is in everyone’s best interests that they satisfy the County before presenting to us. So, for now, let’s all just be patient and hope we can resolve this issue early in 2020.

Winter weather is certainly upon us and even though it is not officially winter, we’ve had several occasions already to plow our Town roads. As always, Curt Fredrich and his crew have been doing an admirable job in keeping our roads clear. He advises us that, for now at least, we have access to adequate amounts of salt to see us through the season. Even though Walworth County has converted to using brine in addition to salt to melt snow and ice, we will continue to use salt for now. To convert to brine would be a major investment in equipment we are not prepared to make at this time.

Speaking of clearing roads, Walworth County has been talking about reducing their road clearing efforts this winter in an effort to cut costs. While they have not finalized that plan as yet, if they do so, it would have an impact on some of the roads in our town. The County maintains highways 120 and 11 for the State as well as County Roads D and DD. If you notice winter issues with these four highways, contact the County’s Public Works Department at 262-741-3114, not Spring Prairie.

I hope everyone has a happy holiday seasons and a safe and prosperous new year and that 2020 is a better year for the many farmers in the area who have had to deal with several years of diminished yields.

CHAIRMAN’S UPDATE #4

The Town was informed by Asphalt Contractors, Inc. on January 2 that they have successfully answered the various queries from Walworth County regarding the proposed gravel pit and were ready to present to the Spring Prairie Planning Commission at their January 16 meeting. The meeting will commence at 6:30 PM to allow additional time. Following a presentation by Asphalt Contractors to the Planning Commission, an open hearing will be held wherein concerned residents may ask questions of the presenters and offer comments and concerns. Because we anticipate a large resident turnout, certain rules will be strictly enforced during the open hearing. Any resident wishing to speak will be allowed to do so one time only and for a maximum of two minutes, so I strongly suggest they organize their thoughts in advance and be as concise and factual as possible. Speakers will need to say their names and give their place of residence. Additionally, so all attendees can hear what is being said, each speaker will be required to speak into a handheld microphone.

Following the open hearing, the Planning Commission will ask questions of Asphalt Contractors and address any issues the members consider pertinent. During this phase, no residents will be allowed to speak. At the conclusion of the Planning Commission’s questioning, it will either vote on the issue or, if more information is required, table it for a future meeting.

While this has been a somewhat emotional and contentious issue with some residents, I sincerely ask all concerned parties to keep their emotions in check and be rational, courteous and respectful.

At the monthly Board meeting on January 13, the Town Board will be discussing the draft of a proposed Non-metallic Mining Ordinance that would serve to regulate future applications for gravel and sand pits in Spring Prairie. Legislation cannot be retroactive so this proposed ordinance will not apply to the current gravel pit application or any existing operating pits. This proposed ordinance must appear on two (2) meeting agendas before it can be acted upon.

The proposed ordinance for the Planning Commission redefines the role of the commission as it currently exists.