Published by the Village of Union Grove - April 2019
Message from Mike Aimone, Village President

Thank you for reading the first edition of the Village of Union Grove Monthly E-News! Stay up-to-date with Village news and services by subscribing to this monthly e-mail newsletter or by downloading it from the Village website around the first of each month. By subscribing, you may also receive special alerts and announcements from the Village.

The Monthly E-News is designed to provide brief updates on timely topics and events. Village Voice newsletter will continue to be mailed out on a quarterly basis with more in-depth information. You can also visit the Village website at uniongrove.net or follow us on Facebook and Twitter (new!). Please let us know if you have any questions or suggestions for future content.
Spring Election is Tomorrow, April 2nd!
The annual Spring Election will be held tomorrow, April 2 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the Union Grove Municipal Center Community Room. Races on the ballot include Village President, Village Trustee (3), Municipal Judge, J1 School District School Board Member, Union High School District School Board Member, Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice, Court of Appeals Judge District 2, County Circuit Court Judge Branch 3, County Circuit Court Judge Branch 7 and Racine County Executive. To check your registration status or view a sample ballot before heading to the polls, visit http://myvote.wi.gov.
Garbage & Recycling Collection Reminders
Nate Austin of Johns Disposal attended the Village Board meeting on March 25 to discuss questions and concerns with garbage and recycling collections. Nate reported that the transition to automated collection has gone fairly smoothly with minor adjustments to work through. Please note the following reminders:

  • Carts should be set it out the night before or by 6 a.m.
  • Place carts within 3 ft. of the road and on opposite sides of the driveway (on recycling collection days). The lid openings should face the road.
  • Break down cardboard before placing in the green cart.
  • Do not put plastic bags in the green cart, except for shredded paper which should be in clear plastic bags.
  • If your collection is missed, or for any other concerns, contact the Johns Disposal office at 262-473-4700 between Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. You can also email office@johnsdisposal.com.
  • Contact Johns to schedule a bulk collection for bulk items, including tires and oil (which are no longer collected at the DPW facility).
  • For more information, download the informational brochure or visit Tim's Green Tips.

Clean Sweep 2019 - April 27th
This year's Clean Sweep event will take place on Saturday, April 27 from 8 a.m. to noon at the City of Burlington Wastewater Treatment Facility, 2100 S Pine Street, Burlington. Dispose of hazardous waste, appliances, medication, and electronics. For more information, click here .
Yard Waste & Brush Collections
Curbside yard waste pick-up from Johns Disposal started on Friday, March 30 and will continue on the last Friday of each month through November. Place clippings, leaves and garden debris in marked reusable containers or compostable bags, but not in plastic bags. Set yard waste out before 6 a.m. on collection days.

Brush collections by Union Grove DPW will start the third week of April and will continue the third week of each month. DPW brush collections are for branches with a maximum 6" in diameter with a preferred length of at least 6 ft. (although branches as short as 4 ft. will still be collected).
Park Clean-Up Day - Saturday, April 27
The annual Spring Park Clean-Up will be Saturday, April 27 from 10 a.m. to noon (with a rain makeup date of May 4). If you would like to help, meet at School Yard Park and clean up crews will disburse from there. Lunch will be served at School Yard Park for all volunteers after the clean up. We urge volunteers to bring their own gloves. Please RSVP by April 20 so we can get an accurate lunch count. Contact Village Administrator, Michael Hawes, at mhawes@uniongrove.net, or 262-878-1818 to RSVP.
Village Welcomes New Treasurer
The Village of Union Grove is pleased to introduce its new Village Treasurer, Katherine Andrus! Katherine brings 12 years of professional accounting experience, including with the Village of Hebron, Ill. and Hebron-Alden-Greenwood Fire District. She holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from National Louis University. Katherine starts on April 17. Please join us in welcoming her to the Village team!

Other Staff Updates
  • Water/Wastewater Utility Operator Joe Firkus has retired on March 29 after 13 years with the Village. Thank you Joe for your service to Union Grove, and enjoy your retirement!
  • The Village is seeking a seasonal groundskeeper to prepare baseball and softball fields from May to July. For more information, click here.
Union Grove Partners with Racine Family YMCA
On March 25, the Village Board approved an agreement for the Racine Family YMCA to serve as the Village's recreation director. The YMCA will coordinate all existing youth programs and will help add new youth and adult programs to Union Grove. All recreation programs will continue to take place within Union Grove and will be coordinated through Village Hall. The decision to collaborate with YMCA comes after the recent resignation of Troy Anderson who served as part-time recreation director for the past four years. Thank you Troy for all of your hard work and contributions to Union Grove's recreation programs!
Updates on Development Projects
Canopy Hills (across from Union Grove High School)
Representatives from Bear Development and Newport Development are scheduled to present a revised concept plan to a joint meeting of the Village Board, Plan Commission and Community Development Authority on April 22. The revised concept plan is expected to incorporate feedback from the concept plan that was presented on February 25.

For more information about current and proposed development projects in Union Grove, visit the Current Development Projects webpage .
Reminder to Display Address Numbers
It is critical that in an event of an emergency, crews are able to easily identify the address of a home or business. Please be sure your address number is clearly displayed on your building or near the entrance of your property, such as on the mailbox, a tree or separate post. Address numbers should be a contrasting color at least three inches in height.
Village Board Updates
The Village Board held regular meetings on March 11 and March 25. A special meeting was also held on March 4. Following is a recap of Village Board actions taken at these meetings:

March 4 - Special Meeting:
  • Approved a bid in the amount of $624,216 submitted by Willkomm Excavating & Grading for 10th Ave. and State St. infrastructure improvements.

March 11 - Regular Meeting:
  • Approved a contribution to the Farmers Market in the amount of $1,500, subject to receiving annual financial information.
  • Discussed bids for road and water main work on New St. (between 15th Ave. and 16th Ave.) and continued this item to the March 25 meeting.
  • Approved the creation of temporary special committees for the entertainment stage project.
  • Approved an employment offer for the Village Treasurer position.
  • Instructed staff to prepare an agreement with Racine Family YMCA to serve as the Village’s recreation director.

March 25 - Regular Meeting:
  • Heard a report from the DOT regarding I-94 construction progress.
  • Heard an annual report from Margaret Gesner, director of Central Racine County Health Department.
  • Met with Nate Austin of Johns Disposal to discuss garbage and recycling collection questions and concerns.
  • Approved engineering work orders for infrastructure improvements at 10th St. and State St.
  • Rejected bids for road and water main work on New St. (between 15th Ave. and 16th Ave.) and instructed staff to re-bid the project.
  • Approved Resolution 19-02, authorizing general obligation bonds in an amount not to exceed $1,110,000 for community development projects in Tax Incremental District No. 5.
  • Approved Resolution 19-03, providing for the sale of General Obligation Community Development Bonds, Series 2019A for Tax Incremental District No. 5 not to exceed $1,110,000.
  • Approved the appointment of Katherine Andrus as Village Treasurer.
Upcoming Meetings Schedule
Meetings will be held at Union Grove Municipal Center, 925 15th Ave., unless noted. Meeting dates and times are subject to change.

  • April 1 - Plan Commission (Cancelled)
  • April 8 - Village Board
  • April 10 - Library Board (at library) (5 p.m.)
  • April 10 - Fire Commission (at fire station) (6 p.m.)
  • April 11 - Recreation & Parks Committee (6 p.m.)
  • April 11 - Park Upgrades Committee (after Rec & Park)
  • April 15 - Water, Wastewater, Stormwater & Streets Committee (6 p.m.)
  • April 16 - Community Development Authority (6 p.m.)
  • April 22 - Joint meeting of Village Board, Plan Commission and Community Development Authority (6 p.m.)
  • April 22 - Village Board (after the Joint Meeting)

Visit the Village Meetings webpage for meeting agendas and minutes.