Paddock Lake water rates to increase $1.83 per quarter

By Gail Peckler Dziki ~ Correspondent

The Paddock Lake Village Board voted unanimously to raise water rates from $30 a quarter to $31.83.

Trustee Jake Hansen was absent/excused. The rate increase is effective April 1 of 2012, to be billed in June of 2012.

Trustee Terry Burns commented that the last time water rates were increased was in 2005. Trustee Chris Bucko commented that if the board didn’t make small incremental increases, the village could end up in a situation where rates would have to be increased by as much as 25 percent at one time.

In a later telephone interview, clerk/treasurer Emily Uhlenhake confirmed that the village water users did see a three percent rate in crease also in April of 2011.

 

Date set for public hearing

The public hearing for he Tax Incremental Fund (TIF) district was formally set at the regular May board meeting. The date is Monday, June 4 at 6 p.m. at the village hall. A joint board of review with representatives from Gateway, Central High School, Salem Grade School and Kenosha County meet first. The public hearing, held by the village board will be held the same day at 7 p.m. Immediately following the joint review and public hearing, the Paddock Lake Plan Commission will meet again. All meetings are open to the public.

The village is considering an area of about 45 acres for the TIF. It is bounded by 248th Avenue west to 262nd Avenue. The northern boundary is one-tenth of a mile from Highway 50 and the southern two-tenths of a mile from Highway 50.            In a TIF district, the property tax amount is set and remains the same for the schools, county and village. As property values increase, that amount is used to pay for improvements to the area. This TIF district would be created to pay for the completion of the west side water system.

 

 

Picnics in the park

Paddock Lake Picnics in the Park will continue under the leadership of village trustee Pat Warner. The first picnic, “Kick-off to Summer” will be held at McAlonan Park. The park is located on 248th Avenue.

Warner plans to serve hot dogs and fruit and have a variety of kids’ games and raffles with prizes for kids. The July bike parade is in   the planning process. Warner is looking for more volunteers but plans to keep things simple since this is her first year running these events.

Other ideas for village events were discussed at the park committee meeting. Those include a possible movie night, concerts in the park and a 5-K walk/run.

 

Donation policy approved

Support for picnics in the park and other events like it come from donations from area residents and businesses.

Until this year, cash donations were taken by trustees and put in an envelope held in the vault. No records of either the donation amounts or receipts were kept by the clerk/treasurer and the finance committee never received a report.

Kathryn Andrea, village auditor, sent a letter to the village on May 5 of this year, cautioning the village “when the name of the village is used to seek donations for community events of assets, it is very important to insure to the donor that internal controls are in place. They will want to know that their   donation is directed for their intention and can be considered a donation by the Internal Revenue Service.”

The policy keeps donations “at arm’s length” from any approvals requested from the village board and also sets up accounts the handle the income and outflow of such donations. The policy also covers donations of real property.

 

No village historian

Trustee Bard Brenner included an agenda item to name Trustee Terry Burns as village historian. Both village president Marlene Goodson and village attorney Jeff Davison cautioned against attempting to appoint someone to a position that doesn’t exist.

“The position is not in our ordinances,” Goodson said. “We would need to create one and adding to ordinances always costs money.”

“I just know that Terry enjoys managing (the historical display in the village hall entryway) and wanted to make it official, Trustee Barb Brenner explained her thinking in putting the item on the agenda. “The year he wasn’t on the board, no one did anything with it.”

Goodson was also concerned about naming one person to a position and then having it vacant if Burns came off the board again.

“In the past,” Goodson said, “when board members handled the photos are   artifacts, some of them walked away. We have an employee in charge and if anything walks, so does that employee.”

Village Administrator Tim Popanda has been tasked with cataloging and maintaining the village collection. “Now if anyone wants a photo or artifact,” Goodson said, “they sign it out and then have to sign it in on return.”

Brenner rescinded the motion she made to create the position. It was decided that Popanda would continue managing the collection and that the building and grounds committee would maintain and change the display case in the village hall entryway. This way there would be continuity with maintaining the display and it would not depend on one individual.


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