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October 2014
De-News
Growing the Good Life
www.vi.deforest.wi.us
DeForest e-Newsletter
Inside this Issue:
Message from the Clerk..……………………………….. 1
Snow & Mailboxes …………………………………….. 1
Christmas Tree Pick-Up ………………………………...1
Snow & Ice Removal …………………………………...1
Property Tax Bills ...……………………………………. 2
Trick-or-Treat Hours …………………………………... 2
Compost Site Fall Hours ………………………………. 2
Parks Survey …………………………………………… 3
Safe Street Crossings …………………………………... 3
Clean Lakes Alliance …………………………………... 3
Economic Development Insight ……………………….. 4
Road Construction Q&A ………………………………. 5
Dog Licenses …………………………………………... 5
Alternate Side Parking …………………………………. 5
Village Board
Judd Blau
President
Chip Van Meter
Trustee
Dick Josephson
Trustee
Paul Blount
Trustee
Jason Kramar
Trustee
Village of DeForest - 608.846.6751 - www.vi.deforest.wi.us
Jeff Miller
Trustee
Ken Clark
Trustee
Message from the Clerk
Election Dates &
Polling Locations
Next Election:
November 4, 2014
General Election
The Village has TWO voting locations:
DeForest Area Public Library and the
Public Safety Building. Polls are open
from 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM.
Where you vote depends on where you
live. Use this website to determine your
polling location: https://myvote.wi.gov/
New Voting Machines
A voting machine, or ballot tabulator, is
what is used to count your vote on
Election Day. New machines are
necessary because the old machines
were becoming outdated and difficult to
repair. The new machines work very
similar to the previous ones. Voters
feed their ballot into the machine and a
screen will confirm that the ballot has
been counted, or if there were problems
on the ballot.
Also important to note: ballots are
completed by filling in ovals next to the
candidate, rather than connecting
arrows. Write-In
Votes
The rules have
changed
regarding writein votes.
Write-in votes
will only be
LuAnn Leggett
counted if: the
Deputy Administrator/
person has
Village Clerk
registered as a
write-in candidate, there is an open seat,
or a candidate passes away before they
are elected.
If you have questions about voting in
DeForest, please call us: 846-6751.
Snow & Mailboxes
The force of snow coming off of
a plow can damage mailboxes.
Most boxes are sturdy enough to
stand up to this, but sometimes
older or less sturdy boxes take a
beating. The Village replaces
mailboxes that are actually hit by
equipment, but this is rare. As
residents, it’s our responsibility
to maintain our mailboxes so that
they can stand up to the rigors of
winter. So while the weather is
still decent, and the soil isn’t
frozen, it’s a good idea to check
your mailbox, and see if it’s up to the challenge.
De-News - DeForest e-Newsletter
1 Property Tax Season is Near
When will tax bills be mailed? When and how can I pay
my tax bill? Where do my tax dollars go? Read on to
find answers to these important questions.
Mailing Tax Bills
Property tax bills are mailed around the middle of
December each year. The timing is dependent on when
the Village budget is adopted, when all tax information is
submitted by the State of Wisconsin, and when the bills
are actually printed and available. The date tax bills are
mailed will be posted to the Village website.
Payment Options
When you receive your tax bill, you have several options
for making a payment. The Village accepts credit card
payments at the Village
office. A 2.75% convenience
fee will apply for credit card
transactions. We accept Visa,
MasterCard, and Discover.
If you prefer to pay with a
check, stop by the Village
office during office hours,
drop your payment in the drop box located outside the
Village office, or mail your payment. Payments in the
drop box or postmarked by December 31st will be
credited to 2014.
Office Hours
Monday - Thursday:
7:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Friday: 7:30 AM - 2:00 PM
Holiday Office
Closings:
December 24 - 25,
2014, and
January 1, 2015
Where do my tax
dollars go?
Your tax bill includes
taxes required by
other taxing districts,
as well as the Village. The main taxing jurisdictions are
DeForest School District, Madison Technical College,
Dane County, Village of DeForest, and State of
Wisconsin. The Village of DeForest's portion of your
tax dollars provides you with Police, Fire & EMS, Street
Maintenance, Snow and Ice Removal, Parks, Recreation
Programs, Refuse Collection, Library, Economic
Development, Community and Senior Center, Planning
& Zoning, Election, Budget, Finance, Natural Resources,
and many other administrative functions.
Resources:
Access Dane
Public Access to GIS
Dane County Treasurer’s Office
Village Website
Village Office:
306 DeForest Street, 846-6751
Compost Site Fall Hours
Saturdays: 8 AM - 4 PM
Tuesdays: 8 AM - 10 AM,
5 PM - 7 PM
Thursdays: 5 PM - 7 PM
Location: N. Stevenson St.
(south of Firestone building).
Bags and bins used to transport leaves to the compost
site should be disposed of properly at your home, and
not left at the Yard Waste Site.
The Yard Waste Site will be closing for the season at
7:00 PM on November 25, 2014 and reopening April
2015.
2
Village of DeForest - 608.846.6751 - www.vi.deforest.wi.us
DeForest Parks Need You!
We would like to take this opportunity to share an electronic survey which
invites your feedback. The information collected from this survey will be
used as one factor that will guide park planning recommendations over the
next 5 years.
Please share this survey with your friends, neighbors and any social circles
you choose. Please direct any questions to Kelli Bialkowski at 608-846-6751
or bialkowskik@vi.deforest.wi.us.
Click here Parks Survey to take the survey now or find it on our website
(www.vi.deforest.wi.us) later.
Kelli Bialkowski,
Director of Parks,
Recreation, and
Natural Resources
5th Annual Yahara Riverfest
September 13, 2014
Practice Safe Street Crossings
This summer, Police Chief Robert Henze witnessed the closest pedestrian vs. vehicle near-hit accident in
36 years in law enforcement. Watch the re-enactment by clicking the image below. Help us promote safe
crossings by sharing the video with friends and family.
Remember:
Robert Henze,
Police Chief
•
Always activate the pedestrian flashing lights as a signal to drivers that a pedestrian is present.
•
Do not assume vehicles will stop for you - wait for vehicles to stop before you begin crossing.
•
Use good judgment and be sure there is plenty of time to cross
safely.
•
Motorists are not legally required to stop for someone standing on
the curb waiting to cross.
•
Motorists are required to stop for pedestrians in the crosswalk.
Fallen leaves can plug storm drains, flooding our roads and harming our creeks. Wet, decaying
leaves release a phosphorus-rich “tea” that can flush into our storm sewers and cause excess
algae growth in our creeks and lakes. The Village of DeForest is working with Clean Lake
Alliance to survey how residents dispose of their leaves.
Visit http://cleanlakesalliance.com/homeowner-survey to participate in a short survey. Your
feedback will help guide future efforts aimed at protecting our local waters.
De-News - DeForest e-Newsletter
3 Economic Development Insight
Sam Blahnik,
Community
Development Director
Let me introduce myself (Sam Blahnik)
to you as the Village’s newest resource to
encourage economic growth and
development in the DeForest area. After
two months of working with the Village,
I have identified a number of exciting
opportunities and have begun to work in
partnership with businesses, developers,
the Village Board and staff to implement
economic plans.
While growth is a major component of
those plans, the Village strives to balance
strategic tax base growth with quality of life for our
residents. The Village also acknowledges it is equally
important to support and promote existing businesses that
have illustrated success here.
Such efforts have been paying off in DeForest with the
quality additions of companies such as Firestone
Building Products, American Girl Distribution and
current developments of Bell Laboratories and Complete
Mobile Dentistry to name a few.
Call to Action: Keeping in mind the importance of
supporting our existing businesses, I am requesting your
input to provide suggestions on areas where we can focus
resources going forward. For example, perhaps you feel
there is need for specific retail business, dining
establishments, athletic fields, etc.
Your voice and opinion are very important to the Village
as we continue to approach business prospects, brokers,
and selectors. Please take an active role and email me
(blahniks@vi.deforest.wi.us), stop in Village Hall, or call
846-6751 with your thoughts and specific suggestions.
We have all been drawn to DeForest for its
unique natural attributes. DeForest has done a
wonderful job of creating positive
differentiators for our area - we have a park &
trail system unlike any other, a great school
system and our public safety services are
second-to-none.
DeForest has incorporated these unique quality
of life elements into its plans for growth and
development; along with the exceptional
access to five major highway corridors, rail
and air transportation, proximity to
extraordinary educational resources to prepare
our workforce and distinctive rural setting.
In your travels you have likely taken note of
the recent explosive commercial growth in Sun
Prairie. It is important to note the development
in that general Costco area has been about 14
years in the works. The DeForest area has
been identified as the most likely next-growth
area in Dane County. The Village has been
planning for such growth for a considerable
period of time and has developed strategies,
infrastructure and services to assure that
growth can be achieved while the high quality
of life we have is maintained.
Tools have been put in place to foster strategic
economic growth. Currently, the Village is
managing seven Tax Incremental Districts
(TIDs) – see image provided. TIDs provide
the ability to leverage municipal infrastructure
such as roads, water systems, etc. at earlier
stages of development based on speculation of
future tax base in the TID will recoup and
exceed the initial municipal investment.
4
Village of DeForest - 608.846.6751 - www.vi.deforest.wi.us
Road Construction Q&A
Highway 51
Holum Street: Re-routing Storm Sewer
Q: There is currently no access to Highway 51 from
Vinburn Road. Is this permanent?
Q: What part of Holum Street is affected?
A: The north side, just east of Main Street.
A: Yes. The only access points for Highway 51
will be at County Highway V (currently
closed to construct 3 roundabouts and full
interchange) and Windsor Road.
Once the Highway 51 project is completed,
you will be able to access 51 from Vinburn
Road by going south or north on North
Towne Road (the old 51) to the Windsor
Road or County V interchanges.
Q: Will Holum be closed?
A: No. Lanes will be shifted, but the road will remain
open to traffic.
Q: What is the timeline for this project?
Deane Baker,
Director of
Public Works
Q: Will I always have access to Highway 51
from Holum Street?
A: Exact dates are not available yet, but will likely
begin in mid to late October and last about five
days.
Linde Street Reconstruction
Q: What is being done here?
A: No. This is a temporary access point due to the
County Highway V closure. Once the interchange at
County Highway V is open in late November, the
Holum Street access will be removed.
A: Complete street and utility reconstruction. Pavement
and water and sewer lines beneath the street are being
replaced.
Q: When will Highway 51 construction be done?
A: Project will last through the end of October.
A: Tentatively at the end of November 2014 all newly
constructed roadways and ramps will be open to
traffic.
Q: Will there be road closures?
Q: When will the project be done?
A: Traffic will be interrupted on N. Stevenson at Linde
toward the end of October to re-pave the intersection.
A detour route will be marked.
Public Safety Family Fun Night
September 15, 2014
Alternate Side Parking
Begins: November 15th
Ends: April 1st
Parking ordinance is in effect from
midnight through 6 AM.
Think what date would be between the
hours of midnight and 6 AM….
· If the date is even, park on the even house numbered
side of the street.
· If the date is odd, park on the odd house numbered
side of the street.
De-News - DeForest e-Newsletter
5 Village Contact Information
Village Office:
306 DeForest Street
608.846.6751
www.vi.deforest.wi.us
fb.com/VillageofDeForest
Twitter: @VillageDeForest
Parks, Recreation & Natural Resources:
205 DeForest Street
608.846.6751
www.vi.deforest.wi.us
fb.com/deforestparkandrec
Twitter: @VillageDeForest
Public Works:
205 DeForest Street
608.846.6751
www.vi.deforest.wi.us
Public Library:
203 Library Street
608.846.5482
www.deforest.lib.wi.us
www.deforestlibrary.org
Community & Senior Center:
505 N. Main Street
608.846.9469
www.thecommunitycornerstone.org
Chamber of Commerce:
201 DeForest Street
608.846.2922
www.deforestarea.com
Fire & EMS:
305 E. Holum Street
608.846.4364
www.deforestfire.com
Police Department:
305 E. Holum Street
608.846.6756
www.vi.deforest.wi.us/police
Facebook
Twitter: @DeForestPD
DeForest Area School District:
520 E. Holum Street
608.842.6500
www.deforest.k12.wi.us
Thanks for reading!
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