Every effort has been made to mail this newsletter to all property owners and residents.  The board asks that property owners who have rental property make sure their tenants have received the newsletter or have them call the clerk for a copy.  If you have sold your property recently, please forward the newsletter to the new property owners or have them contact the clerk for a copy. 

 Town Website

  Check out the town website at www.kildaretownship.com.  The website has building permit information and forms, as well as the most recent town board minutes and coming events/meetings.  Many thanks to Kildare resident, Beth Onofrio of HotWebUSA, for designing and maintaining the website.

Regular Town Board Meetings
2^nd Wednesday of each month
7:00 p.m. – Kildare Town Hall

Chairman Dennis Franek                   (608) 666-2327

Supervisor Leo Schneider                  (608) 666-4444

Supervisor Dan Lapp                          (608) 666-3305

Treasurer Patty Schluter                    (608) 847-7244

Clerk Linda Winterstein                      (608) 666-2637
(Hours: Mon-Fri 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.)
Please note that the town clerk works out of her home on a part-time basis. 
It is always a good idea to call before stopping by to make sure the clerk is at home.

Regular Plan Commission Meetings
2^nd Wednesday of each month
Immediately following Town Board Meetings

Chairman Leo Muller                   (608) 666-2711

Patti Thompson                          (608) 666-2612

Tom Guyse                                 (608) 666-2512

Dennis Franek                            (608) 666-2327

Linda Winterstein                        (608) 666-2637

Annual Town Meeting
April 11, 2007 - 7:00 P.M.

The annual town meeting date has been changed to the second Wednesday in April, and will be held immediately prior to the regular town Board meeting.  The Town Board hopes that having the annual meeting on the same evening as the Town Board meeting will result in more individuals attending the annual meeting.

Building and Other Permits

Applications can be obtained from the clerk or are downloadable from the town website.  Fees are listed on the applications.

Building:  ALL STRUCTURES REQUIRE A BUILDING PERMIT with the exception of yard sheds less than 80 square ft..  Failure to obtain a permit prior to construction will result in a higher fee instead of the standard fee ($200 minimum/$1000 maximum).  Please take into consideration the time required for sanitary permit and building permit approvals when planning construction.  Contact the town building inspector (Walter Hoehn, 608-666-2111) before beginning construction.

Driveways:   Driveway permits are required if installing a driveway without erecting a structure.  All driveways require a culvert (minimum: 12 inch diameter; 30 foot long), unless the town Board granted exception, and driveways must be a minimum of 20 feet wide at the culvert.  It is particularly important that the 20 foot width and overhead clearance be maintained in case that 911 call may be for you or your property.

Fire signs:  All structures require a fire sign, including occasional use campers/trailers.  Fire signs must be installed within the town right of way and cannot be moved; they cannot be nailed to trees, houses or placed in other locations on private property.  Please do not tamper with or move the sign; it will be reinstalled at the resident's expense.  Property owners are responsible for making sure brush, tall weeds, dirt or snow do not obscure the fire number so that emergency responders can locate the property quickly.

The fireside replacement program begun in 2005 will be continuing in 2007.  The new signs are double-sided (except for dead-end roads and cul-de-sacs).  A total of 204 double-sided signs have been installed on: County Road HH, McMahon Road, 54th Street, 55th Street, 56th Street, 58th Street, 60th Avenue, 24th Avenue and 26th Avenue.

Points of Contact

Snow Removal

Due to budget problems at the county level, changes in snow removal may occur this winter.  You may experience snowier roadways or a slower response time.  County roads will not get the shoulder to shoulder coverage as in the past, but wheel tracks will be kept open.  The town contracts with the county highway department for snow removal.  The best possible service will be provided on town roads, but please drive with caution and.......slow down.   If you have placed reflector posts at the end of your driveway, please make sure they are not within the town right-of-way (33 feet from the road centerline) so that snowplows do not damage them.

Mailboxes along roadways must be a breakaway post--a 4x4 or 4 x 6 with holes in it for easier breakage.  No concrete structures in the town right-of-way are allowed.  Juneau County Highway Department has a statute available for review if you have any questions.

Elections

Town caucus is scheduled for Saturday, January 20, 2007 at 1:00 p.m. and election for town officers will be on April 3, 2007.  Polling place is the Kildare Town Hall; Poll hours are 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m..  Town officials will be sworn in at the annual town meeting on April 11, 2007.

Voter Registration:  Beginning in 2006, state law requires that all voters must be registered.  Contact the clerk to obtain a registration form.

Absentee ballots:  Contact the clerk to obtain a request for an absentee ballot form. Please allow sufficient time for mailing the request to the clerk and having the absentee ballot mailed and returned prior to poll closing.  If time does not allow mailing, individuals can complete an absentee ballot request, as well as cast the absentee vote, in the clerk’s office. 

28th Avenue Bridge Reconstruction

The bridge reconstruction was completed in September 2006.  The reconstruction opened up the roadway and provides a better crossing.

Property Taxes

Property tax bills were mailed in early December.  This bill is for 2006 property taxes, which are payable in 2007.  First installment is due January 31, 2007, to the town treasurer.  If you pay the entire amount prior to December 31, 2006, it is mailed to the town treasurer. If you pay in two installments, the first installment is paid to town treasurer and the second installment is paid to the county treasurer on or before July 31.  The town treasurer will be collecting payments at the Bank of Lyndon on January 19 and 26, 2007, from 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., No cash payments will be accepted at the treasurer's residence. 

2007 Town Budget/Levy

The 2007 town budget and town levy were approved on November 15, 2006, after a public budget hearing on that same date.  The overall 2007 budget is $258,737, as compared to $328,228 approved in November 2005 and amended to $380,925 in September 2006.  Town levy for 2006 (payable in 2007) is $125,000, as compared to $120,000 in 2005/2006.  Town mill rate for 2006/2007 will be $2.63 as compared to $2.60 in 2005/2006.  If you wish to review a copy of the 2007 budget, it is posted at the Kildare Town Hall or you may contact the clerk for a copy. 

The following pie chart shows a percentage breakdown of the $1,256,814.77 tax levy to Kildare  for 2007, excluding the school property tax credit of $97,057.70 and individual lottery credit.     

2006 Tax Disbursements Mauston School District $626,051.16 Juneau County $360,125.69 WWTC $133,778.79 Town of Kildare $125,000.00 State of Wisconsin $11,859.00 Total $1,256,814.77

Town Clean-up

On May 6, the town held its annual cleanup day to pick up trash and other large items from roadside ditches.  Approximately 0.47 tons of trash and 1.91 tons of tires were delivered to the Juneau County landfill for a cost of $355.21.

The board would like to thank Mark Hadac, chuck and Chris Kornowski, Melissa Lapp, Leo Muller, Ken Rogge and Mike Stockinger for volunteering their time to help, with special thanks to the Kornowski's and Mike Stockinger, who came from their homes in southeastern Wisconsin to help out that day.  The board also appreciates the assistance from other residents in picking up trash from the ditches in front of and near their property throughout the year.  Residents can also pick up trash the week prior to the first Saturday in May (last week in April) and leave the filled bags at the town hall parking lot.  If you're interested in helping during this year's cleanup, please contact the town chairman, Dennis Franek.

 ATVs

Ordinance No. 17(B) allows ATVs to travel on all town roads with the exception of dead-end roads, cul-de-sacs, and Town Line Road.  Remember that county roads HH, J. and N are not open to ATVs.

Speed limits: State law requires 10 mph within 100 feet of residences/driveways/pedestrians/horses, etc., and 45 mph, if not posted otherwise.

Roadside Litter / Dumping

The board asks that property owners/residents make a special effort to have tires and large items disposed of properly rather than dumping them in town ditches. The town has a dumping and littering ordinance with appropriate fines, so if you are aware of someone who has violated the ordinance, write down the license plate number or a vehicle description and contact one of the board members or the Juneau County Sherriff's Department. Please help keep the town clean!

Trash & Recycling Collection

 Trash collection every Monday and recyclables collected the fourth Monday of the month.  If Monday is a major holiday, collection will occur the next day.  Please see the calendar for the 2007 schedule of collection.  If you trash or recyclables are not picked up, contact Clark Disposal at (608) 847-6734 - not the clerk.  To obtain a list of items that can be recycled, contact the town clerk.  Regular pickups are for weekly household trash and there is a limit of two cans per week. DO NOT leave mattresses, appliances, construction materials and other large items for regular pick-up; contact Clark Disposal to arrange for a special pick-up of these items.

 Plan Commission

In August 2006 the town Board established a five-member Plan Commission to begin preparing a state-mandated comprehensive plan, which must be completed by January 1, 2010.  The plan will be a 20 year plan, updated on a periodic basis, and will establish community goals, objectives and policies regarding future use, development and conservation of land in the town.

Plan commission members are: Leo Muller (chair); Patti Thompson; Thomas Guyse; Dennis Franek; Linda Winterstein.  Meetings are held the second Wednesday of the month, immediately following the regular town Board meeting, and are open to the public.  Comments are always welcome.

Thus far, the plan commission has prepared a community comprehensive planning survey, which was mailed to all Kildare residents in November with a request and response dated December 1.  Property owners who do not live in Kildare were sent a survey on a random basis to minimize costs.  Approximately 101 responses were received out of 374 surveys mailed, and the plan commission is in the process of tabulating the results.  The commission will use the responses to formulate a vision on where the town wishes to be in the next 20 years, and a plan of action on how to achieve that vision.  Visit the town website for additional information and minutes of plan commission meetings.

Please note - now that the town has a Plan Commission, state law requires that all proposed land divisions be reviewed by the Commission before the Town Board can take action.

2007  Trash and Recycling Schedule

Click Here for a Printable Calendar to hang on the refrigerator!