JUNE 2, 2024

Say Hello to Our New Village Administrator/Clerk-Treasurer Travis Wells

Travis Wells, who grew up in Sussex, WI, brings a strong passion for public service to the Village of Wind Point. He has held various leadership roles and spearheaded successful initiatives that have positively impacted the lives of residents in Sussex.

Travis holds a degree in political science from Carthage College and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in public administration at UW-Oshkosh. This education has equipped him with exceptional leadership skills and a deep understanding of community administration.

Throughout his career, Travis has consistently demonstrated an ability to foster collaboration and build strong relationships with stakeholders, including residents, local businesses, and government officials. He has a proven track record of implementing innovative solutions to address challenges and drive sustainable growth.

In addition to his professional accomplishments, Travis is known for his empathetic and approachable nature. He genuinely cares about the well-being and concerns of his community and strives to create an environment where everyone feels heard and valued. Travis’s passion for public service and his community makes him an excellent fit for the Village of Wind Point!

Welcome Travis!



Village Offering Pickleball Clinics

The Village is excited to offer four pickleball clinics starting in June at the Village Green Pickleball Courts. A registration form is available at Windpoint.org under Quick Links. Space is limited to 16 players per session and 20 players for the Drills and Skills session. Drop off your registration form and payment at the Village Office.

A Reminder from our DPW regarding Branch Collection

Wind Point Public Works collects branches from residents for disposal on the second Tuesday of each month, from April through November. Branch piles do not require a yard waste sticker to be collected.

In order to provide this service efficiently, the following rules apply:

1. Branch collection is for tree maintenance (trimming branches) NOT tree removal. Property owners who have landscapers or other individuals cut down trees on their property are responsible for branch disposal.
2. Branches should not exceed 4 inches in diameter. Branches should be kept at their original length and not cut into smaller pieces.
3. Branches should be placed by the road in small, reasonably uniform piles. Piles should not exceed 4 feet in height and 4 feet in width. Pile branches with the cut end toward the road, all in the same direction.
4. Branch piles should be set out near the edge of the road away from mailboxes or other obstructions. Piles should be set out no earlier than the Saturday before collection day (72 hours). Piles set out too early or late can be tagged with a notice indicating the resident has 48 hours to remove the items. Tags will be noted with the date and time that they were placed. If branches are not removed within 48 hours as stated on the tag, a special collection will be arranged with Johns Disposal and the resident will be charged.
5. Stumps, vines, root balls, roots, rocks, brush, rubbish, construction material or metal will not be collected.
6. If collection cannot be completed on a given day, the remainder of the route will be completed the next work day(s). To maintain scheduled operations, we cannot “backtrack” to collect branches set out late.
7. Yard waste: small branches, small sticks, twigs, large flower stems, leaves that fit in brown waste yard bags (can be purchased at local hardware store) should be placed out on recycling week. Johns will pick up (schedule can be found on Village website April-November). Yard wast bags do not require a yard waste sticker. Johns has a compost yard they bring them to.

Up to 15 minutes will be spent per property on collecting and chipping.

Any piles that exceed this time will be tagged and the owner will have the option to remove the piles or have them collected and charged a return fee plus any other expenses and equipment costs incurred. 

The next branch pickup is scheduled for Tuesday, June 11, 2024.

Racine Family YMCA - Lighthouse Run

The 46th annual Racine Lighthouse Run is one of Wisconsin’s premier runs/walks, offering competitive and non-competitive events and will be held Saturday,June 15, 2024. Follow this link for more information on the YMCA Lighthouse Run

.

Lighthouse Drive from the Lighthouse south to Three Mile and Main will be closed during the race. Please use Lake Meadow Drive or Lighthouse Drive North from the Lighthouse to Four Mile Road to enter and exit the Village.

Meet Your Wind Point Police Officers -

Luke Johnson

Officer Luke Johnson has served as a patrol officer with the Wind Point Police Department since January of 2020. Prior to being sworn in with WPPD, Ofc. Johnson had over 5 years of experience with the Racine County Sheriff’s Office starting as a deputy in August of 2014 and promoted to investigator in August of 2018.

While with Wind Point Police Department, Ofc. Johnson has helped with identifying and obtaining new equipment to better fill the agency’s needs and has taken on the role as an evidence technician and as the agency’s evidence custodian, which he has experience of both duties from his time at the Sheriff’s Office.

Thank you Officer Johnson!

Beach Safety Tips

And while we are talking Safety Tips, here are some tips to keep you safe when swimming in Lake Michigan off of Racine's beaches provided by Lifeguard Supervisor Phil Kiley.

Permanent Drug Drop Boxes - MedReturn

Permanent drug drop boxes are a convenient way to safely dispose of unused and expired medications.

Stored in a medicine cabinet, these medications can be misused by your family, friends, and other visitors to your home. Thrown in the trash, these medications can fall into the hands of people who have no medical use for them. Flushed down a toilet or poured down a drain, these medications can contaminate our water supply.



That's why we encourage you to dispose of these medications year-round at a permanent drug drop box. Bringing unused and expired medications to a permanent drug drop box protects you, your family, and your community.

How to use a permanent drug drop box

The Village has a MedReturn Box located in the Village Administration office at 215 E. 4 Mile Road. Before visiting this, or any permanent drug drop box:

• Review the medication packaging to see if it offers specific disposal instructions. If no instructions are listed, feel free to dispose of the medication at a permanent drug drop box.
• Remove all personal information from the medication packaging. If this is not possible, use a dark marker to cover up your personal information.

After you insert your medications in a permanent drug drop box, check to see that your items made it into the box by opening the slot again to ensure it is empty and not blocked.

What to bring

Prescription and over-the-counter medications may be disposed of at the MedReturn Box, including:

• Capsules
• Creams
• Inhalers
• Non-aerosol sprays
• Ointments
• Patches
• Pills
• Vials
• 
  

Liquids must be in their original container.

Pet medications are accepted.

Vape pens are accepted with the batteries removed. Other e-cigarette devices are accepted with the batteries removed. These batteries are highly flammable. That's why it is important that the batteries are removed before the pen or device is placed in a collection bin.

The following items are not accepted:

• Aerosol cans
• Anything containing blood or a bodily fluid
• Household hazardous waste (paint, pesticides, oil, gas)
• Illegal drugs
• Iodine containing medications
• Mercury thermometers
• Personal care products (shampoo, soaps, lotions, sunscreens, etc.)
• Sharps/syringes
• Vape pens/e-cigarette devices with a built-in battery that cannot be removed

BIKE AND DOLL BUGGY FOURTH OF JULY PARADE

Hey kids, decorate your bikes, doll buggys, or your pets and come out to the Wind Point Bike and Doll Buggy Parade on Thursday June 27 at the Village Green! Mark you calendars! More information to come!

2024 Assessments and Board of Review

As the 2024 property assessment season draws to a close, Wind Point property owners should familiarize themselves with several upcoming dates if they wish to learn more about the process or protest the assessed value of their property.

First some background: assessed values for all real property in Wind Point are assigned by Associated Appraisal Consultants ("Associated") of Appleton, WI, an independent municipal assessment firm. Other than contracting with Associated, the Village Board and village staff have no direct role in assigning property values.

Associated assigns values based on a host of information, including real estate market conditions; actual, arms-length sales of comparable properties; and known property improvements, as observed through property inspections or building permits.

The 2024 assessments have been finalized and Associated mailed assessment notices directly to property owners. Property owners received an assessment notice ONLY if their property’s assessed value changed from 2023. A property owner who doesn’t receive an assessment notice may assume that the assessed value of their property has not changed. The 2024 assessment values will be used to determine the real estate property taxes that will be due in January 2025.

Whether or not the value of a property has changed, the property owner has the right to learn what information was used to reach an assessed value. The property owner also has the right to object to the assessed value of their property.

In Wind Point, any property owner may speak with the representative of Associated Appraisal Consultants who serves the village. His name and contact information is as follows:

Associated Appraisal

Rep: Tyler Tannock

Cell: 309-303-2413

Office: 920-749-1995 ext. 8817

ttannock@apraz.com

Additionally, there is a statutorily-required window of time—called “Open Book”—when Mr. Tannock will be available to speak by phone to any Wind Point property owner. The 2024 Open Book occured on Friday, May 24, 2024 from 10:00pm to 1:00pm via phone.

Whether or not a property owner chose to contact Associated during Open Book, they may request a hearing before the Wind Point Board of Review to object to the assessed value of their property. The Board of Review consists of the Village President, the Village Trustees, and the Village Clerk, and it is statutorily‑required to meet for a minimum of two hours soon after the full assessment roll is released in early June. This year, the Board of Review will meet on June 13, 2024, 4:00pm to 6:00pm at the Village Hall (Lighthouse) prior to the Village Board Meeting.

The Board of Review will be available at that time to receive evidence and take sworn testimony related to a property’s assessed value. However, it should be noted that the Board of Review can adjust an assessed value only if there is clear, objective evidence and/or sworn testimony proving that an error was made in the original assessment. Unless such error is proven to exist, the original assessed value assigned by Associated Appraisal Consultants would stand.



Property owners who wish to be heard by the Board of Review on June 13th, should contact Deputy Clerk-Treasurer Monica Hernandez at 262.639.3524 or info@windpoint.org to request a hearing time.

Household Hazardous Waste Disposal Saturday, June 15

Mark your calendars for every 3rd Saturday from June to October to dispose of Household Hazardous Waste. See the flyer for details.

Village Board Updates

Notes from the May 9, 2024 Meeting of the Village Board:

• Public Works Project Funding Presentation from Carol Wirth, President, Wisconsin Public

  Finance Professionals LLC

• Appointed Travis Wells as new Village Administrator/Clerk-Treasurer
• Confirmed Committee appointments. No changes with the exception of Carmen Gaspero appointed to Public Works Committee, Communicaton Committee, and Plan Commission
• Passed a Resolution R02 to authorize the Village of Wind Point to apply for disaster damage aid from the WI DOT
• Created a committee to oversee the process of a Capital Improvement Plan for the Village of Wind Point
• The Village Plan Commission is still reviewing ordinances. Nothing has been changed or voted on. The next Plan Commission Meeting will be scheduled after our new Administrator starts on May 28, 2024.
• The next Village Board meeting is Thursday, June 13, 2024

Boat, RV, Camper, and Trailer Storage

With spring turning to summer, the use of boats, recreation vehicles, and trailers picks up. As a reminder, Village ordinances restrict outdoor storage for boats, RVs, and trailers. They may be stored outside between April 1 and October 31, but are required to be stored in the rear yard between the side building lines of the house and are at least 15 feet from the rear property line.

If you need to have a boat, trailer, or recreational vehicle in your driveway you may do so for a period of up to five days, four times per year. You must contact the Wind Point Police Department either by email to police@windpoint.org or phone at 262-639-3022 prior the storing your vehicle or boat on the driveway.

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

What’s Happening in June?

PRAIRIE SCHOOL

Rising Stars: Summer Showcase

Tuesday, June 4 | 1:00 pm

Summer on the Prairie

Open to all students in Racine and surrounding areas, Summer on the Prairie’s day camps and workshops offer an unmatched opportunity to learn, explore, perform, discover, create, and grow — all on our beautiful campus along the shores of Lake Michigan. Prairie's faculty spend months planning unique programs in collaboration with our community partners so that we can offer the best summer experience for our campers. Whether they focus on academic development, artistic exploration, or athletic skills, your child will have a fun, enriching time when spending their summer on the prairie!

https://www.prairieschool.com/summer/

WINGSPREAD

Tours available by reservation only

For more information on Wingspread, call 262-681-3353 or email Tour@johnsonfdn.org

https://reservations.scjohnson.com/info.aspx?EventID=21

RACINE THEATER GUILD

Cabaret

May 17 – June 2

2519 Northwestern Ave

Time:7:30 PM

Price:$15 - $20

https://racinetheatre.org/event/cabaret/

9th ANNUAL RACINE COUNTY BREAKFAST ON THE FARM

Schaal Dairy Farm

June 22nd, 2024, 7:00 am – 11:00 am

https://www.racinecobreakfast.com/2024-breakfast.html

RACINE ZOO 

https://racinezoo.org/events-calendar

Monday, June 17

Shotgun start at 2PM

Meadowbrook Country Club

A ROUND FOR RHINOS GOLF OUTING

Wednesday, June 26

Doors open: 5:30pm, Show begins: 7pm

MUSIC AT THE ZOO: DANCING QUEEN - AN ABBA SALUTE

ST. RITA'S PARISH FESTIVAL

June 14, 15, 16

St. Rita's Parish

4339 Douglas Avenue

https://www.st-ritas.org/festival

DOWNTOWN RACINE FIRST FRIDAYS

https://racinedowntown.com/event/first-fridays-2/

Friday, June 7 4 pm - 9 pm

The event will feature a vibrant array of activities including a 70s and 80s DJ at Monument Square, a cornhole tournament, multiple dance performances, and free hot dogs from 5:30 PM to 8:30 PM (while supplies last, sponsored by Downtown Racine Corp and Sugar Shack Sweet Shop). Music Performers Showcase will also entertain guests at Crosswalk Park from 5 PM to 7 PM, across the street from Salute Italian Restaurant.

Thursday June 27 6:00 pm

BIKE AND DOLL BUGGY 4TH OF JULY PARADE

VILLAGE GREEN PARK

WIND POINT COMMUNITY CLUB MEETING

Location: Village Green Pavilion

TUESDAY, JUNE 4, 2024

Time: 6:00 pm      Email: wpcommunityclub@windpoint.org

For more activities in Racine County go to VisitRacineCounty