May

201

6 w

ww

.vi.d

efor

est.w

i.us

De-News DeForest e-Newsletter

Growing the Good Life

Inside this Issue:

1 New, 2 Return to Village Board ............................................................................ 1

Board Approves Remodel/Expansion Project .......................................................... 2

Road Closed Ahead ................................................................................................. 2

Welcome Little Potato Company ............................................................................ 3

Community/Senior Center Website ......................................................................... 3

Hwy V Bridge Project ............................................................................................. 4

Compost Site & Brush Removal .............................................................................. 4

Street Resurfacing & Reconstruction ....................................................................... 4

What’s Happening at the Library? ........................................................................... 4

Upcoming Events ..................................................................................................... 5

Trail Projects ............................................................................................................ 6

2016 Elections .......................................................................................................... 6

Where’d the Dropbox Go? ....................................................................................... 7

Swimming Lessons .................................................................................................. 7

Park Projects ............................................................................................................. 7

Parking Recreational Vehicles .................................................................................. 8

Lead in Drinking Water ............................................................................................ 8

Citizens Police Academy .......................................................................................... 9

Police Department Annual Report ........................................................................... 9

Spring Cleaning ........................................................................................................ 9

Village of DeForest - 608.846.6751 - www.vi.deforest.wi.us

1 New, 2 Return to Village Board

1

Four candidates ran for three Village Board Trustee seats at the April 5th election. Trustees Chip Van Meter and Jeff Miller are returning for another 2 year term, while Colleen Little will serve her first term as Trustee replacing Dick Josephson. Josephson has served as Village Trustee since 2011. We thank him for his service and dedication to the community.

Welcome Colleen Little!

Colleen was elected to the Board in April 2016. This is her first position as an elected official.

She has been a resident of DeForest for 27 years. Colleen is retired from 30 years of public service in law enforcement and death investigation. She works full time as a Continuing Care Coordinator with the Cress Funeral Service.

Please join us in welcoming Trustee Little to the Village Board!

Trustee Jeff Miller is Re-elected

Trustee Miller has been a resident of DeForest for over 20 years and has served multiple terms as Trustee and President on the Village Board. Miller was first elected to Trustee in 2002 followed by Village President from 2003 until 2011. After a brief break, Jeff was re-elected to Trustee in 2014 and will now be serving another two year term after his election in April this year. Miller also serves on the School Board, Committee of the Whole, Police Commission, Redevelopment Authority, and Board of Review. In addition to serving the community, Miller works as a benefits specialist for Schwarz Insurance.

Trustee Chip Van Meter is Re-elected

After the April Election, Trustee Van Meter is now serving his third two year term as Village Trustee. Van Meter was first elected to the Village Board in 2012. Along with being an elected official for the community, Van Meter also is a school bus driver for DeForest. Van Meter is a long term resident of DeForest having lived here for over 20 years. Van Meter also serves on these committees: Committee of the Whole, Redevelopment Authority, and Board or Review.

De-News - DeForest e-Newsletter

Ken Clark, Trustee

Village Board

Chip Van Meter, Trustee

Paul Blount, Trustee

Jason Kramar, Trustee

Jeff Miller, Trustee

Colleen Little, Trustee

Judd Blau, President

Board Approves Remodel/Expansion Project At the April 19th Village Board meeting, the board approved a resolution to sign a contract with Vogel Brothers Construction to remodel/expand the Village Hall and Public Safety Buildings. The contract has been finalized and work will begin already this month. This has prompted the closure of DeForest Street from Stevenson to just east of the railroad tracks on Commerce beginning Friday, May 6. See below story for more details. Parking and building access changes will be posted to the Village website and also on Facebook.

The project includes remodeling the existing Village Hall and Public Safety Buildings, as well as adding an addition to each. The improvements to the Village Hall building include increasing the number of conference rooms from one to four, adding more offices, incorporating space for community use, and constructing a large conference room for board meetings, court proceedings, elections, and more. Once complete, the entrance to the building will move to the new addition on the east side of the building.

The Public Safety Building will also get a significant makeover. The design includes an enclosed garage for squads and equipment, a booking area with secured waiting area and interview rooms, a garage intake area that will allow officers to safely unload and load suspects, a locker room that will better

accommodate officers and their equipment, an interview space that is appropriate for victims of violent or sensitive crimes, and additional conference space and roll call area for trainings and debriefings.

Images of the building designs are available on the “Community Projects” page of the Village website.

The projected cost for the entire facility remodel and expansion is $7.5 million. The cost will be met through a 20 year Village borrowing. The following items contribute to a minimal tax impact to residents:

Paying off of the library construction debt

Projected increased growth in the Village

Successful closure of Tax Increment District (TID) 1

Most years, the average tax payer will not experience an increase in their tax bills as a result of this project; however, there a couple of years the projected increase is predicted to be less than 3%.

The official groundbreaking will be occurring soon! Watch the Village website and social media for an announcement on the day and time.

2

DeForest Street & Access to Village Hall Starting Wednesday, May 4, DeForest Street will be closed and the project contractor will be installing fencing that will surround Village Hall. On Friday, May 6, the road closure will extend to from Stevenson Street to Commerce Street. Those using Commerce/Durkee Street for their morning and afternoon commute will be detoured to E. Holum Street.

Both Village Hall and the Police Department will remain open during construction, but visitors should expect changes to parking and building access as the project progresses.

Village of DeForest - 608.846.6751 - www.vi.deforest.wi.us

At the start of construction, the Village Hall parking lot will not be accessible. Customers will be temporarily directed to the Police Department parking lot. Access to Village Hall will involve entering the Police Department, following the posted signs through a temporary corridor in the court room, exiting the Police Department, and crossing the alley to the Village Hall entrance. Visitors with mobility concerns can request assistance at the Police Department lobby.

Welcome Little Potato Company On April 7, 2016, the Little Potato Company publically announced their plans to construct a $20 million facility in the north business park in DeForest. The new facility will be the U.S. head office and will process, wash, and package potatoes.

The Little Potato Company is known for producing small creamer potatoes in several colorful varieties. According to Sandy Gleddie, Vice President of Operations for the company, their products are on the shelf in every single state in the union, including Alaska and Hawaii.

Several reasons led to the company’s arrival in DeForest, but Gleddie said, “We decided to stay in Wisconsin because we really, truly felt at home as soon as we came.” Other benefits for the company include proximity to current and prospective potato growers, access to a major transportation corridor, and availability of a skilled manufacturing and ag workforce.

The company expects to initially employ 50 full-time people

for an early 2017 opening, with an additional 129 positions likely to open in the near future.

This addition to the community was made possible by the collaborative efforts between the Village of DeForest, Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, and Madison Region Economic Partnership.

The Little Potato Company’s high moral regard and strong corporate values will be a great addition to the existing successful businesses who call DeForest home.

Little Potato Company Public Announcement

3 De-News - DeForest e-Newsletter

The DeForest Area Community & Senior Center is very excited to announce the launch of our newly designed website. Visit the Center’s site at www.thecommunitycornerstone.org and you will immediately notice our new and improved website. The homepage features photos of the Center and new easy to use menus to find the information you need about programs, services and employment opportunities and much more. Click on our newsletter for information about exercise classes, massages and future trips.

The goals with the new website were to make it more comprehensive, easier to navigate and more user-friendly. New features will be implemented in the coming months.

April 7, 2016 Join the Community/Senior Center for breakfast or lunch at the DeForest Family Restaurant on Wednesdays. There are several menu choices offered between 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. at the restaurant, rather than the Center that day. (This program does not affect Home Delivered Meals) Transportation can be arranged by calling Jen Mills at 846-9469. All seniors are welcome and reservations are not required on Wednesdays. Please continue to join us for lunch at the Center Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.

New Look for Center’s Website

Is the Hwy V Bridge Project Happening this Year? Yes. The Village is working with Dane County and the Department of Transportation to replace the 100 year old bridge over the Yahara River located just west of the Stevenson Street and Highway V intersection. In advance of the bridge replacement, there will be work on the water and sewer mains in the area near the bridge. This includes replacement of sanitary sewer main in Hwy V/North Street, and installation of water main across North Stevenson Street to the north of Hwy V.

This work has prompted a 3 week closure of Hwy V from the

railroad tracks east to the bridge. It is expected that paving will begin the week of May 8th with the road reopening in the middle of that week as well.

Replacement of the bridge is tentatively scheduled to begin in June or July, with a 3 month road closure expected after the July 4th holiday.

If you would like to receive updates on this project, an email list has been created and a sign- up is available on the Community Projects page of the Village website.

4

Street Resurfacing & Reconstruction

Village of DeForest - 608.846.6751 - www.vi.deforest.wi.us

Street reconstruction work has already begun on Madison Street and Columbia Avenue. The project includes removal and replacement of pavement and curb and gutter, excavation to replace water, sanitary sewer, and storm sewer mains, new storm sewer and drain, addition of gravel base, and new curb and re-paving. Paving is expected in early May, with the project wrapping up around the end of May.

Several streets are planned to undergo street resurfacing: Acker Parkway (River Road to near Mohican Pass), Stoneridge Terrace, and Madison Street (Linde to Yahara). The work will involve crushing the existing pavement, grading the crushed

material into a new base for the street, with limited removal of soft areas, and re-paving. Select curb replacement will be done. Work is expected to begin in early June, and be finished by early July.

To receive email updates on these projects, visit the Community Projects page of the Village website and submit your email information.

Place Brush Parallel to Curb

What’s Happening at the Library? May 17: Quilt Block Demos, 6:30 PM

May 23: Zentangle Doodling Fun, 6 PM

May 24: Learn about Old Order Amish, 10 AM, Community & Senior Center

May 24: Know your Healthy Fats, 6:30 PM

June 14: Encore Sewing Basics, 6:30 PM

Ongoing programming and interest groups:

Diamond Dragons Book Club, Whimsical Bookworms Book Club, Badger Book Club, Dewey Stitchers (knit/crochet/fiber), DAPL Photography Group, Writers Read Writing Group, Coloring for Adults, Thank You Note Thursday

Curb-side brush pick-up

is once per month.

Click Image for Pick‐Up Schedule

5

FREE! Bird Walk

May 7

Meet at Sunfish Pond, off of Windsor Road

FREE! Bike Rodeo

May 14, 9-11 AM

5-11 yrs learn and practice safe biking skills! @ Fireman’s Park

Garage Sales

May 13-14

Community Wide!

Dragon Arts Fair

June 4 9 AM - 4 PM

Market St

July 4th Event

July 3–4

Fireman’s Park

Parade, live music, beer garden, kids activities, & more!

Concerts in the Park

June 21-July 26 Tuesdays

Presented by the DeForest Area Public Library.

Movies in the Park

July 15

Conservancy Commons

FREE Activities! Movie at Dusk.

Art Cart

June 25, 10AM-Noon

FREE outdoor art program @ Fireman’s Park

Movies in the Park

August 12

Yahara Park

FREE Activities! Movie at Dusk.

Farmers’ Market

Tuesdays May 24-Oct. 25

NEW LOCATION!

@ Fireman’s Park

Discount Tickets To

Area Attractions

Photo by: Ed Saur

Movies in the Park

June 17

Fireman’s Park

FREE Activities! Movie at Dusk.

Sales Begin May 9, 2016 @ Village Office

May

Ju

ne

July

A

ugu

st

Upcoming Events

Pop-Up Event

August 6

Fireman’s Park

Food carts, live music, view park plans

Save the date!

September

10th

Family Fun Night

September 13th

De-News - DeForest e-Newsletter

Trail Projects River Road Trail will expand in 2016. The second segment of the trail will be a 10 foot paved trail from Acker Parkway north to Highway V. The Village has been awarded a grant by the Dane County PARC and Ride Trail Program to fund this trail segment. The county portion of the grant is $106,620 of an estimated $304,653 project. Planning and design of this segment is underway and construction is planned to begin late summer/early fall and finish by the end of October. A map is available on the Village website.

The current limestone DeForest-Windsor Trail connecting the Antique Acres neighborhood in DeForest to Cradle Hill Park in Windsor will be paved this year. Village of Windsor trustees unanimously agreed to split the cost of paving the trail at their February 18th board meeting. DeForest will take responsibility for snow removal, including the portion of the trail in the Village of Windsor.

Based off of feedback from residents on a recent survey regarding Western Green Trail, the Village Board of Trustees

has directed staff to submit a grant to pave portions of Western Green Trail. If the grant is successful, the first phase of this project would commence construction in 2017. The initial trail paving will focus on those pieces of trail within Western Green Park. Replacement of bridges and linkages to Main Street and South Street would be considered in a future phase.

6

2016 Elections

Village of DeForest - 608.846.6751 - www.vi.deforest.wi.us

2016 Election Dates Mail-In Registration Closes Registration in Clerk's Office Continues Until

Absentee Voting in Clerk's Office

Partisan Primary August 9 Wednesday, July 20 Friday, August 5

Monday, July 25 Through

Friday, August 5

General Election November 8 Wednesday, October 19 Friday, November 4

Monday, October 24 Through

Friday, November 4

Should Western Green Trail be Paved?

Save Time! Voting Location Change! Photo ID! Help Wanted!

Register to vote at the Village Office prior to an Election day.

Those normally assigned to the Public Safety Building will vote at Christ Lutheran Church for 2016 only.

Photo ID is required to vote. Visit this website for acceptable forms: http://bringit.wisconsin.gov/

Working an Election is a very rewarding experience. Please contact the Village if you’re interested in working.

Seasonal Mower

Parks Maintenance

Day Camp Counselor

Tennis Instructor

Programming Specialist

Election Worker

Applications online: wwwv.vi.deforest.wi.us

Park Projects Two projects will occur in Western Green Park this year. Adopted in April 2015, the Village's Parks and Open Space Plan supports adding a basketball court to the park. Apart from the hoops in Fireman’s Park, which doubles as a parking lot, this will be the only other basketball court the Village has within our parks system. The second project will resurface and expand the parking lot. The existing lot will be resurfaced, and 15 more spaces will be added to the west. A map is available on the Village website.

For at least the past 10 years, the Village has had two large park projects on their list:

Recasting Fireman’s Park to be more of a community gathering place with emphasis on shelters, band shell, basketball courts, and a plaza to host farmer’s market and an ice rink.

Construction of an athletic complex to house softball diamonds, youth football fields, and tennis courts. Working with Park Towne, developers of Conservancy Place, the projects are now more promising

than ever. Staff and user groups are working together on a four diamond softball complex, two football fields and a pair of tennis courts to be housed in the Conservancy Place Development, just east of River Road and south of Innovation Drive. The Village is hopeful to break ground by fall of 2016.

Swimming Lessons Same great program, new way to register. To participate in swim lessons at the DeForest High School Pool, please register through the DeForest Parks & Recreation Department.

Program questions related to curriculum, attendance, and staffing can be directed to Sue Winckler at swinckler@deforestschools.org. Program details available here: Swimming

Online registration available here: Online Payments

Where’d the Dropbox Go?

Due to upcoming construction on the Municipal Campus, our dropbox had to be relocated. It’s now located immediately to the right of the Village Hall entrance doors. It is still available for after-hours payments such as water bills and recreation program registration. Unfortunately, you will no longer be able to drive a vehicle right up to it.

7 De-News - DeForest e-Newsletter

Parking Recreational Vehicles Please remember that the Village of DeForest does have ordinances regarding the storage of recreational vehicles on your property. Ordinance 15.04(18)(b) has all the details, but here are the basics:

1. Parking is permitted in the side yard or rear yard, provided it is not closer than five (5) feet to any lot line; and on a hard-surface or gravel area.

2. Parking is permitted in the front yard setback when inside parking is not possible, only in accordance with the following, additional restrictions:

8

Lead in Drinking Water

Village of DeForest - 608.846.6751 - www.vi.deforest.wi.us

There has been a lot of news recently about lead in drinking water. The DeForest Water Utility wants to take this opportunity to let everyone know that our water is frequently tested for lead. Our results are consistently within the standards set by the DNR, and there are no plans to change our drinking water source.

There are no lead water mains in DeForest. All mains are made of either iron or plastic. There are, however, some lead water services in the older sections of town. These are the pipes that bring water from the main to each individual property. Lead was one of the standard pipe material until the mid-1950’s, along with steel. Since then, services have been made of copper or plastic, and the Utility has removed many lead services during water main replacement projects.

For those living in older homes, there are ways to check whether your water service is made of lead. Find your water

meter, and look on the upstream side of it (toward the wall or floor where the pipe comes into the house). Tap it lightly with a coin or key. If it sounds like metal, it’s not lead. Lead doesn’t “clink” like copper or steel. If still in doubt, scratch the surface with the coin to remove dirt or tarnish. Lead pipe is soft, and will turn silver with a little rubbing. Copper is gold-colored, and steel is too hard to scratch easily.

Even if the water service to your house is not lead, there could still be small amounts of lead in the solder that was used to join the interior plumbing.

The best practice for all residents is to run the water for a few minutes in the morning before drinking or using it for cooking. This clears out any water that has been in the service pipe and plumbing overnight, removing contaminants which may have been present.

a. The overall length of the recreational vehicle shall not exceed twenty-two (22) feet and the overall height shall not exceed seven (7) feet.

b. The recreational vehicle shall not be located closer than five (5) feet from any lot line.

c. All parts of the recreational vehicle shall be located on a hard-surface or gravel area.

3. Parking of a recreational vehicle is allowed on the public street for a period not to exceed forty-eight (48) consecutive hours and not more than four (4) occasions in any calendar month.

Car Seat Safety Check! Infant Toddler Booster Seats

Fittings Inspections Installations

Contact Officer Larson 846-6759

FREE!

Don’t Forget Your Building Permit!

With few exceptions, most construction projects require a building permit. This includes interior projects (kitchen remodels, bathroom remodels, electric or plumbing upgrades, and construction projects that alter structural supports), exterior projects (roofing, siding, windows) and new construction (decks, fences, pools, sheds, and home/garage additions). Please contact Village staff with building permit, application, and development review questions, 846-6751.

Advanced Disposal Services (ADS) currently handles the Village’s automated garbage and recycling collection contract. When discarding large items, like furniture or appliances, the resident is responsible to either contact ADS at 251-7878 to make arrangements for a pickup date and payment, or find another appropriate means of disposal. If items are not scheduled for removal from the curbside by the resident, the Village may choose to have the items removed at your expense or issue a citation for ordinance violation. The Village of DeForest recommends that items be placed for collection at curbside no earlier than the evening prior to pick up and no later than 7AM the day of pick up.

Citizens Police Academy The DeForest Police Department hosted their 2016 Citizen’s Police Academy Graduation ceremony on March 21st. Twelve DeForest citizens completed ten weeks of law enforcement training and instruction. The academy is designed to increase relationships and understanding between citizens and police officers through education. The goal is to provide an increased understanding of the tasks officers face each day. With a better understanding of these tasks, it becomes easier for police and citizens to find realistic solutions to community and neighborhood problems.

The academy is a ten-week course and took place on Monday evenings from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Each class was taught by qualified instructors who have years of training and experience in their area of expertise.

The Citizen’s Academy curriculum covered: department operations, criminal investigations, use of force, drug trends, traffic enforcement, fire department equipment and demo, and many other interesting areas. This was a hands-on program requiring the students to physically perform some of the tasks.

Some of the hands-on experiences included the ability for students to perform field sobriety tests on alcohol impaired volunteers to visually see how alcohol impairment affects driving skills. Attendees had the opportunity to go through use of force scenarios at Gander Mountain to test how they would

respond in these stressful situations. Students were also able to conduct traffic stops on role playing officers and use department training equipment in a response to an active shooter.

“I am happy that we were able to provide this program again for our citizens which provided them the opportunity to get to know the officers better, understand their job and why the officers act the way they do”, states Chief Henze. Citizens had an opportunity to “walk in our shoes” for ten weeks and experience first -hand what the officers see and do on a daily basis. “A lot of work went into developing and providing instruction for this program. But it was all worth it to see how much each student learned and walked away with a truer appreciation of who we are, what we do and how we do it”, states Henze.

This continues to be a very positive community outreach program and the police department hopes to offer this program on an annual basis as long as there is support for the program. The department will be accepting applications for the 2017 academy throughout 2016.

Spring Cleaning

Every year, the Police Department publishes a report summarizing the efforts, events, and achievements of the department in the prior year. The report not only provides statistical data on violations, calls for service, and crime comparables, but also gives an overview of activity related to mental illness, drug investigations, and community policing.

The final report will be available on the Village website in early May.

Police Dept. Annual Report

9

Sergeant Riedel Selected as Lieutenant

In Fall 2015, Police Chief Robert Henze announced his plans to retire effective March 31, 2017. Shortly after, an internal promotion process began to select the next Chief. Lieutenant Daniel Furseth received the promotion. Following that, the process to select a new Lieutenant began. On April 25, Sergeant Chris Riedel was announced as the next Lieutenant. His new role will officially start in April 2017. An internal selection process is underway to fill Riedel’s Sergeant position.

Congratulations to Riedel on his promotion!

De-News - DeForest e-Newsletter

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

Public Works: 205 DeForest Street 608.846.6751 www.vi.deforest.wi.us

Police Department: 305 E Holum Street 608.846.6756 www.vi.deforest.wi.us/police

Public Library: 203 Library Street 608.846.5482 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

DeForest Area School District: 520 E. Holum Street 608.842.6500 www.deforest.k12.wi.us

Thanks for reading! To receive De-News in your inbox:

1. Visit www.vi.deforest.wi.us

2. Under “News for You” choose “Newsletters”

3. Enter your email address and click “Search”

4. Select “DeForest Newsletter” and any other topics you are interested in.

5. Click “Save”

May 16, 2016

4:00-6:00 PM

Norske Nook 100 E. Holum St.