Wind Point Community Club Hosts Community Holiday Party and Wreath Lighting, Seeks Volunteers |
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The Wind Point Community Club hosted a wonderful Wreath Lighting at the Lighthouse on Sunday, November 26, 2023. We had many residents in attendance along with members of the Wind Point Police Department, our lighthouse keepers, and our DPW. Adults and children were able to make Christmas decorations, decorate cookies, enjoy refreshments, and, most importantly, welcome Santa!
Santa’s escort to the Wind Point Lighthouse by the Caledonia Fire Department was led by Chief Rick Von Drasek of The Wind Point Police Department. Just as the procession was getting ready to turn down Lighthouse Road the fire department received an emergency call! Thankfully we had our new front-end loader handy and Santa hopped in and Tom Beard of our DPW was able to finish the job and safely deliver Santa to the Lighthouse! Santa was welcomed by all the families and children anticipating his arrival! Once Santa greeted everyone, he made his way to the Lighthouse and turned on the switch that lights up the trees in front of and the wreath that adorns the side of the Wind Point Lighthouse. Santa then led the kids into the Village Hall for warm cider, hot dogs, cookies, and a private audience with the man himself! Santa then took his seat by the Christmas Tree and listened to the children’s desires for Christmas. The children left with a candy cane, a gift, and a smile! As an added treat, the Caledonia Fire Department came back after their call and enjoyed some time with Santa and the kids, too! It was a fun evening for everyone! If you haven’t done so already, please stop by the Lighthouse and see the decorations and lights. It’s beautiful!
President McCulloch would like to thank Sherry Heck for ensuring that we continue with this Wind Point tradition and coordinating this event for our community.
The Wind Point Community Club is looking for help from other community-minded Wind Point residents to assist with organizing and working events, such as the Holiday Party and Wreath Lighting. We would also like to bring back the Annual Village Picnic, Children's 4th of July Bike Parade, and add some other community events. It's a great way to meet neighbors and serve the community! Our community makeup is changing and some of our members who have volunteered in the past are no longer able to. We would love to have new members! Please contact Sherry Heck at 262-639-5370 or check1@wi.rr.com for more information.
More pictures from the event are available here.
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Property tax bills will soon be mailed to Wind Point residents. If you need another copy of your bill, please contact the Village Office at 262-639-3524 or retrieve it from the Racine County website.
Tax payments will show up in the Racine County system as soon as they are receipted. Please make sure to include your tax bill pay stub with your payment. If your escrow amount is greater than the full tax bill, the Village will issue you a refund check. The refund check is issued within approximately 15 business days.
Tax payment options differ from prior years. The first installment or full payment is due to Village of Wind Point by January 31, 2024. Below are the options to pay your property taxes:
PLEASE NOTE: All property tax payments MUST be mailed or paid in-person at the Village Green offices at 215 E. 4 Mile Rd. Wind Point, WI 53402. Those who previously paid their property tax bill at a Johnson Bank branch must now pay their property tax bill directly with the Village. No payments at a Johnson Bank branch will be accepted. Please call the village office at 262-639-3524 with any questions.
In-Person: Payments can be made at the Village Office, 215 E. Four Mile Road between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Please note the Village Office will be closed on December 26 and 29.
Drop Box at Village Office: A secure drop box is located on the circle drive outside the office next to the tennis courts. If you would like a copy of your receipt please include a self- addressed stamped envelope with your payment. Payments that are received in the drop box on December 30 and January 1 will be processed as paid by December 31.
Mail: Send your payment to the Village of Wind Point, 215 E. Four Mile Rd. Racine, WI 53402. If you would like a copy of your receipt, please include a self- addressed stamped envelope with your payment.
Online: You can pay online at the Village's website. Please note that a convenience fee, based on the amount that you are paying will apply.
Please remember that if you fail to pay either your first installment or the full amount of your tax bill by January 31, the full bill becomes due and interest and penalties accrue on the unpaid amount starting on February 1.
If you plan to pay in installments, any payments made after January 31 are made to the Racine County Treasurer at the Racine County Courthouse, 730 Wisconsin Avenue.
Lottery and Gaming Credit: If your home in Wind Point was your primary residence as of January 1, 2023, make sure you are receiving the Lottery and Gaming credit on your tax bill. You can check by reviewing your tax bill or by checking the Lottery Credit Finder. The credit amount for the 2022 tax bill is $217.91, which is set by the State based on revenue from the Wisconsin lottery, pari-mutuel on-track betting and bingo during the year. The credit can only be claimed for one property and cannot be claimed by renters or on business property, rental units, vacant land, garages or other property that is not the primary residence of the owner. You can still add or remove the credit from the 2022 tax bill before January 31 by contacting the Village Office at 262-639-3524.
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At its meeting on October 16 the Village Board set the tax levy and adopted the 2024 Village budget.The budget was prepared by staff with direction from the Personnel, Finance and Insurance Committee. The budget reflects the Village’s ongoing mission to provide high-quality municipal services at the most cost-effective and efficient manner.
Highlights from the 2024 budget:
- The budget is $2,006,114. The property tax levy is $1,123,525, an increase of $3,483 from 2023.
- The Village's mill rate is $4.64 per $1,000 of assessed value. The levy rose by less than half a cent from last year.
- The total mill rate is $19.75 per $1,000 of assessed value. Racine County's portion is $4.40. Gateway's portion is .88 cents and Racine Unified's portion is $12.25.The Village receives a state school credit of $2.41.
- The Village will receive $58,203 in state transportation aid in 2024, an increase of $9,958 from 2023.
- The Village received an additional $57,612 from the state in supplemental shared revenue.
- The Village budgeted $284,000 for repairing the culvert on Lighthouse Drive south of Shoop Park.
- Roughly $60,000 is budgeted for IT upgrades required by Racine County. The county is the Village's IT provider, and the upgrades are the result of an audit.
- The Village is also purchasing Badger Books election software in 2024 and allowing more in funds for holding elections and paying poll workers.
- A wage increase of four percent is being allocated for staff. Police officer wages are going up by $1.50/hour.
- Pay for elected Trustees is going from $2,400 to $3,000 annually. The increase will take effect as each trustee is either elected or re-elected over the next two years
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Nomination Forms Available For Village Offices |
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Village residents who are interested in running for Village Trustee can obtain nomination paperwork at the Village Office and here.
Prospective candidates can begin collecting signatures on December 1, 2023. At least 20 signatures from Wind Point electors are required. All nomination forms must be submitted to the Village Office no later than 5:00 p.m. Tuesday, January 2, 2024.
The incumbents for Village Trustee are Herb Beighley, Brian Biernat, and Rob Loppnow.
The spring election will be held on Tuesday, April 2, 2024, and the primary election will be held Tuesday, February 20, 2024, if necessary.
If you have any questions, please contact Administrator/Clerk-Treasurer Chris Bennett at 262-639-3524 or by e-mail at c.bennett@windpoint.org
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Visit and Tour Wingspread
Sunday, December 17
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The Johnson Foundation at Wingspread invites Village of Wind Point neighbors to visit and tour Wingspread from 1-3 p.m. on Sunday, December 17. This special opportunity is exclusively for Wind Point residents and village staff.
The home of The Johnson Foundation, Wingspread, is the 1939 Frank Lloyd Wright home built for the HF Johnson, Jr family. Please join us to see Wingspread decorated for the holidays, and to learn more about Wingspread and the work of The Johnson Foundation.
Registration is required; please register at this link with the number of guests who will be attending. We hope to see you at 33 E. Four Mile Rd. on December 17.
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Visit From Representative Steil's Office |
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Staff from United States Representative Bryan Steil’s office will hold a listening session from 1-2 p.m. December 14 at the Wind Point Lighthouse, 4725 Lighthouse Drive.
Members of Steil’s staff will be available to take any opinions, questions or provide casework assistance to residents. Congressman Steil will not be present.
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Message From Chief Von Drasek |
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Tips to Prevent Porch Piracy
This holiday season don’t become a victim of porch piracy. Here are some tips to prevent your packages from being stolen from your from front porch. These tips are also on the lists from Amazon, UPS and FedEx:
- Sign up for delivery alerts as to when your delivery is scheduled and when the package has been delivered.
- If not able to be home when a package is delivered, ask a trusted neighbor to hold it for you.
- If possible, require a signature for all deliveries if you are the sender. You can also ask the same when you are the recipient. The package won't be left unattended.
- Consider shipping packages to your place of work or use the ship-to-store option. Online marketplaces like Amazon also offer the option to ship to secure lockers.
- Be a good neighbor! If you see a package on your neighbor's doorstep, reach out and ask if they would like you to hold it until they are home.
- If you have a home surveillance system, monitor it more closely when packages are scheduled to arrive.
We are still actively enforcing speed on Lake Meadow Drive. Our officers have also noticed numerous open garage doors in the late evening and we are actively patrolling the subdivisions.
Lock your doors, change your passwords, keep your keys on you, and most importantly, IF YOU SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING. We would rather get a call and investigate something to find out it was nothing. We don't want a resident to second guess themselves and not call us just to learn later that it was something. We are here for you.
If you are going to be gone for any length of time please lock up, notify your neighbors, and let the police department know so we can do a Vacation Check for you.
If you winter away from Wind Point we encourage you to avoid disclosing your location or that you are out of town on your social media accounts. It might alert people to you being away from your primary residence.
How to Contact Us
· Emergency: Dial 9-1-1
· Use these non-emergency numbers to report safety concerns
· Immediate response: Racine County Dispatch: 262-886-2300. Examples: Non-life-threatening incidents.
· Non immediate response: Wind Point Police Office: 262-639-3022. Examples: Found property, ordinance violations, needing to speak to a specific officer, or vacation checks. If an officer is not in the office, please leave a message.
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Your State Representative Robert Wittke |
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Did you know our State Representative Robert Wittke lives right here in Wind Point?
Wind Point residents are welcome to contact Representative Wittke with comments, questions, or concerns about issues at the state level. This includes working on legislation or helping people navigate processes within state agencies.
He is happy to present legislative citations to constituents or local organizations who have achieved remarkable success, such as becoming an Eagle Scout, a business reaching its 100th anniversary, or upon the retirement from an exceptional career.
Additionally, he can provide great state resources like Blue Books. He also enjoys touring schools, businesses, or meeting with groups in the district – please reach out if you would like him to visit or speak with your organization!
If you would like to contact Representative Wittke you can reach his office at 608-237-9527 or rep.wittke@legis.wisconsin.gov. His office also regularly sends out e-updates with important information. You are welcome to reach out to be added to the mailing list.
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CPCK Holiday Train This Sunday - Dec. 3 |
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Join us for festive fun as everyone’s favorite holiday train rolls into Wisconsin! At each location, the CPKC Holiday Train provides a box car stage, a lineup of great musical talents, and a fantastic display of lights to delight young and old alike.
The goal of the holiday train is to collect food and funds for local food banks and raise awareness of the fight against hunger. Visitors are encouraged to bring donations, all of which stay in the local community.
The train is scheduled to arrive at 8:05pm at the tracks on County Road G (at The Depot Tavern). The show is from 8-8:45 p.m. at the railway crossing at 11402 County Road G.
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Holiday Decorating Safety Tips |
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2024 Dog Licenses Now Available |
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Dog owners can now obtain their 2024 dog licenses. A dog license application, along with the fee and copy of the dog's current rabies certification, should be submitted to the Village Office, in person, via mail, or in the drop box located in the circle driveway near the office. If submitting by mail or drop box, please remember to include a self-addressed stamped envelope for the dog tag and receipt to be returned to you.
Dog license applications are provided on the tax bill inserts and are also available online. State law requires that dog owners obtain an annual license for any dog more than 5 months of age or within 30 days of acquiring ownership.
The license fee is $15 for altered dogs and $35 for unaltered dogs. A $10 late fee is applied to any applications received after March 31, 2024. Failure to obtain a license may result in a municipal citation and fine of $187 for an unlicensed dog.
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Village Offices Closed in Observance of Holidays |
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The Wind Point Village Offices will be closed on Monday, December 25 and Tuesday, December 26, and Friday, December 29, 2023 in observance of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve.
The office will reopen on Wednesday, December 27, 2023. The following week the Village offices will be closed on Monday, January 1, 2024 and will reopen on Tuesday January 2, 2024.
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Birthdays and Work Anniversaries |
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Happy Birthday to Michelle Roberts who has a birthday on December 28! Michelle worked with the DPW this summer beautifying Wind Point public spaces. Enjoy your day, Michelle!
Happy anniversary to Tom Beard, who has been with the Wind Point DPW for two years on December 20! Thank you for all your hard work and dedication to the Village, Tom!
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The Wisconsin DNR trap is still active. According to Josh Holden with the USDA, two additional turkeys were recently trapped and relocated, bringing the total to four since the trap has been active. We hope to trap and relocate a total of ten turkeys before the scheduled removal of the trap at the end of December. |
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Landlord Registration Reminder |
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If you currently rent your property (or a portion of it) or are considering renting it, please keep in mind that Village ordinance requires all landlords to maintain registration with the Village. Landlord registration must be renewed every two years and within 10 days of a change to the property owner's contact information.
Under the ordinance, a premises is considered rented if any funds are paid by a resident to another party for the right to reside at the property. To download the landlord registration form, click here . There is a $10.00 filing fee for the initial submission and there is no fee to renew the registration.
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Did you know that you can get weekly email updates from the Racine County's Executive's Office? The weekly newsletter provides information on all the things happening in Racine County. You can sign up for the newsletter by clicking here.
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Village Christmas Tree Decorations |
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Over the years residents have made Christmas tree decorations and donated them to the Village to be placed on the Village Christmas Tree located in the Village Hall.
While we were decorating the tree this year, we noticed that it has been a while since we have received any homemade decorations. We would like to encourage our residents, adults, and children alike, to craft a holiday decoration to be placed on the Village Christmas Tree.
Ornaments do not have to be homemade, although we do encourage it. We ask that you put your name and the year on the ornament. Please drop any ornaments at the Village Office and we will put it on the Christmas Tree.
We also have donated ornaments that may have been made by a special person who may no longer be with us. If a member of that family would like the ornament as a remembrance, please let us know and we will return it. If you have any questions, please contact Sherry Heck at 262-639-5370 or the Wind Point Village office at 262-639-3524
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Now that the Village has set its 2024 budget and tax levy the Personnel, Finance & Insurance Committee will be turning its attention to the promised financlal analysis of the two responses to the Request for Proposals for the lots on Deepwood Drive. The PFIC plans to meet in December and potentially render a decision. More information is available at the Village's web site - please click here. Please watch the Village's web site - windpoint.org - for information on the meeting date.
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DOWNTOWN RACINE FA LA LA FIRST FRIDAYS
December 1 from 4pm-9pm with carolers, holiday music & shopping, and, of course, the big man himself, Santa will be walking around!
Parking can be found at the Lake Avenue Ramp (300 Lake Avenue) and the McMynn Ramp (120 7th Street) for only $2 all day.
PRAIRIE SCHOOL
Jubilate: Share in the Sounds of the Season
Thursday, December 7th at 4:30 PM & 7:00 PM
PRAIRIE SCHOOL
The Craving
Monday, December 11th 6:30 PM
The Upper School Players present this horrific comedy in two acts
Jellystone Park - 8425 HWY 38 - Caledonia
November 18, 2023 - January 1, 2024
Sunday-Thursday: 5-9pm
Friday & Saturday: 5-11pm
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Village of Wind Point, Wisconsin
215 E. Four Mile Rd.
Racine, WI 53402
262.639.3524
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