November 1st, 2024

From the Desk of the Administrator Monthly News Update!

Election Day November 5th!

Voting for the November 5 General Election will take place at the Village Public Works Garage, 215 E. Four Mile Road. The garage is located at the very end of Village Green Park Drive. The entrance door is located on the south side of the building. Parking will be available for voters in the lot to the south of the garage (marked with yellow lines). The polls are open from 7:00 am to 8:00 pm.

Absentee Ballots

If you have not yet turned in your absentee ballot, you can do so in person at the Village Office or by using the secure drop box located next to the tennis courts on the circle driveway outside the office. You may also return your absentee ballot directly to the polls on November 5. Please remember that both the voter and the voter's witness must sign the return envelope in the highlighted yellow portions. The witness' address also must be provided below their signature.

Voter Registration

If you have moved or are a first-time voter, you will need to register in order to vote in the November Election. To be eligible to vote in Wind Point, you must have resided in the Village for 28 consecutive days. If you are unsure of your registration status, go to the My Vote Wisconsin website. Any resident who still needs to register to vote will need to do so at the polls on November 5. To save time when registering, you can complete the Wisconsin Voter Registration Application and bring it with you. You will also need to provide an acceptable proof of residency document with your application.

If you have any questions or concerns about voting, please contact the Village Office at 262-639-3524 or info@windpoint.org.

Special Election

A special election will be occurring in the next 2 months to fill the position of Racine County Executive. The Primary will be held Thursday, November 21^st at the Village Public Works Garage from 7:00 am to 8:00 pm (if necessary). Early voting in person for the primary will be from November 11 through November 15 during normal business hours (if necessary). The Special Election will be held on December 19^th at the Village Public Works Garage from 7:00 am to 8:00 pm.

If you have any questions or concerns about voting, please contact the Village Office at 262-639-3524 or info@windpoint.org.

Proposed 2025 Budget

The 2025 Village Budget will be considered for adoption at the Village Board meeting and public hearing on Thursday, November 14 at 5:00 pm. The budget is the result of a four-month-long process that involved several public meetings with the Village Board and standing committees.

The resulting budget reflects the Village's ongoing mission to provide high-quality municipal service in a cost-effective and efficient manner. Compared to 2024, the 2025 budget has an overall revenue and expenditure increase of 0.7%. This is primarily due to smaller, more capital projects in 2025.

Following are the highlights from the proposed 2025 budget:

Budget Highlights- General Fund

· $1,909 increase (0.2%) in the General Property Tax levy as allowed by the State of Wisconsin.

· $2,843 increase (4.9%) to General Transportation Aids from the State Department of Transportation. The amount is based on a rolling six-year average of local funds expended for road projects and transportation-related items by the Village.

· $20,000 additional funds for the Police Department’s grant from the State for the Click It or Ticket seat belt enforcement program.

· 15,000 (20%) decrease in fines/forfeitures due to the decline in citations being issued.

· $3,000 increase (12.9%) in Lighthouse Revenues as additional tower climbs and rentals are expected in 2025.

· $13,500 decrease (20.1%) in miscellaneous revenue as the Village’s investment returns are still less than before the start of the COVID pandemic.

· $2,690 increase (13.3%) in auditor services as the Village will enter a new contract with Lauterbach and Amen Group, CPAs for auditing services in 2025.

· $55,00 increase to assessor services. The Village will be doing a full reassessment.

· 19,500 increase for new IT service with Glassen IT.

· $8,000 increase (66.7%) to get engineering services for the design of (LRIP) East Four Mile Road (EST) split with utilities.

· $3,266 increase (40.8%) for DPW snow wages regular hours as the team will be adding anti-icing to the process of snow wages.

· $3,175 increase (42.3%) to branching wages. Piles are increasing in volume and quantity.

· $5,500 decrease in Professional Planning Services for a safety study to examine the intersection of Four Mile Road and Lighthouse Drive as this is not needed anymore.

· $500 decrease (4.2%) to Worker’s Compensation Insurance.

Budget Highlights- Capital Improvement Plan

· $9,031 in General Government Facilities for new Welcome Signs for the Village of Wind Point.

· $107,329 in Equipment Replacement Program for the Police Department to get New Tasers and Body Cameras. Public Works to get a new UTV, GIS Utility Mapping, and Water Meter Reader.

· $190,000 for the design of 4 Mile Road.

· $47,037 for painting the Lighthouse Tower.

Water Rate Increase Planned

The Village has completed a water rate study from Ehlers and will be submitting a full rate case application to the Wisconsin Public Service Commission (PSC) next year.

The public hearing for the budget will be held at the beginning of the meeting on November 14 and the budget will be considered for adoption that evening. To view the proposed budget click here.

Safety Tips from Chief Sharrett

The Wind Point Police Department provides the following tips on home safety while you are out of town for the holidays:

1. Valuable items, such as televisions, stereos, and computers should be inscribed with an identifying number unique to its owner (do not use your entire social security number).

2. Create an up-to-date home inventory including make, model, serial numbers, other detailed descriptions, and photographs of items of value (including jewelry). This inventory should be kept somewhere safe, out of the house.

3. At least two light timers should be set to turn the lights and television on and off in a logical sequence when away for an extended time period to give the appearance that someone is home.

4. The motion detector or other alarm system (if you have one) should be activated when you leave home.

5. Mail and newspaper deliveries should be stopped or arrangements for a neighbor or friend to pick them up should be made when you are away from home for a period of time.

6. Ask a trusted neighbor to tend the yard, shovel the snow, and watch your home when you are away or have a trusted friend or relative house sit in your absence.

7. Make sure all doors and windows are locked when you leave, even if you have an alarm system.

8. Contact the Police Department (262-639-3022) to request extra patrols of your residence while you are out of town.

Drug Take Back Program

The Wind Point Police Department is pleased to announce its successful participation in this October's Prescription Drug Take Back Program. This initiative is vital for the safe disposal of unused or expired medications, helping to reduce the risk of accidental ingestion, misuse, and environmental contamination.

During this event, our medical collection box at Wind Point collected an impressive total of 7 boxes weighing 41 pounds of medications.

Final Yard Waste and Branch Collection

The final branch collection date of the year is Tuesday, November 12. Branches do not need to be cut into shorter pieces, but they should be no greater than 4 inches in diameter. Please pile branches in reasonably uniform piles with the cut end facing the road. The final collection by John's Disposal for yard waste will be on Monday, November 25.

Village Board Updates

Notes from the October 8^th Village Board Meeting:

The board approved to start the design process of 4 Mile Road with engineering service RA Smith.
CCR working on a residential packet.
The Village Board Vacancy interviews will be on November 14th.
The Wind Point Lighthouse Wreath Lighting is on December 1st.
Adopted Village of Wind Point Meeting Policy.
Ordinance 20-42 was approved to eliminate the pushing of materials and snow in Village Streets.
The board held a budget workshop for the 2025 budget.

Upcoming Meetings:

Communications and Community Relations November 5 at 2:00 pm
Personnel, Finance, and Insurance November 5 at 10:00 am
Parks, Recreation, Lighthouse, and Facilities November 6, 1:00 pm.
Public Works, Utilities, Environment November 7th at 1:00 pm.
Village Board November 14 at 5:00 pm.

November Work Anniversaries

Happy work anniversary to Officer Doug Cecchini on 4 years with the Village of Wind Point.

Village of Wind Point Garbage and Recycle Collection Schedule

Fall Back!

Reminder to fall back on November 3rd for daylight savings time ends! Set your clocks back one hour.

Wind Point Lighthouse Wreath Lighting Ceremony!

Wind Point's 2024 Wreath Lighting and Holiday Party will take place on Sunday, December 1st at the Wind Point Lighthouse.

The festivities begin at 5:00 p.m. The event is open to all ages. The Village will light the wreath that adorns the lighthouse, and the children can enjoy a visit from Santa Claus.

Complimentary food and refreshments will be available. Members of the Wind Point Police Department and Caledonia Fire Department will also be on hand.

The event is sponsored and put on by the Wind Point Community Club, in conjunction with the Wind Point Lighthouse.

Do Not Feed The Deer

Feeding deer and other wildlife may seem like a kind gesture, but it can have serious negative consequences for both the animals and the ecosystem. Human food can disrupt their natural foraging behaviors, leading to dependency on artificial sources of food. This can also result in overpopulation in certain areas, increased disease transmission, and conflicts with humans as animals become more accustomed to urban environments. Moreover, supplemental feeding can alter natural food webs, affecting other species and the overall health of the habitat. To protect wildlife and maintain ecological balance, it's essential to admire these creatures from a distance and refrain from feeding them.

Office Closed for Thanksgiving

The Village Administrative Offices will be closed on Thursday, November 28 and 29, 2024 in observance of Thanksgiving.

The offices will reopen on Monday, December 2, 2024. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!