Shawano Leader News

Final public meeting slated July 31By: 

Jason Arndt, [email protected]

Nearly two dozen residents attended Shawano School District’s second public information meeting on the 2014-15 budget Wednesday morning at the Shawano Civic Center.

The 2014-15 budget plan recommends a $13.5 million tax levy, the maximum the district would be allowed to tax and about $600,000 more than this year’s levy of $12.9 million.

The tax rate would increase from $10.31 per $1,000 of equalized value in 2013-14 to $10.81 in 2014-15, according to the district’s scenario, which is based on no increase in district property values, which will not be known until October.

District Business Manager Louise Fischer said, because of state legislation passed in 1993-94, districts lose out on state aid if they do not maximize their tax levy. The School Board has opted not to levy the maximum in recent years.

“If we spend less, we will receive less aid from the state,” Fischer said. “If you spend more money, you get more money in state aid.”

Shawano resident Bonnie Olson, who is also a County Board supervisor, said the board needs to maintain its frugal mindset and “not just take it because it is available.”

“It should be a pat on the back for the board for spending less,” she said. “If they can do it on the budget that they line up, then that is what we want to hear.”

Residents on Wednesday voiced concerns over technology upgrades and maintenance needs around the school district, including spending $84,000 on touchpads at Hillcrest Primary School.

District officials said the technology upgrade was needed for students to take a new computerized exam, scheduled to begin in the fall, and help students meet new education standards.

Residents also were concerned about long-term facility and grounds upgrades, including asphalt replacement at the intermediate, middle and high schools.

Board member Michael Sleeper said residents need to consider the long-term health of the school district.

“We must be good stewards of properties that our tax dollars have built,” he said. “Our long-term investment in our buildings is imperative.”

The board will hold the final of three public meetings on the proposed budget at 7 p.m. July 31. The meeting is tentatively scheduled to take place at Shawano Community Middle School, 1050 S. Union St. The first meeting was held Tuesday.

The board is expected to finalize the proposed budget Aug. 4. Residents will be able to vote on the tax levy at the district’s annual meeting Aug. 18. Final approval of the budget and levy will occur in October, when final enrollment numbers and statewide equalization valuation results are known.

If property values increase more than expected, it would mean a lower tax rate. If values decrease again, as they did last year, the tax rate could go higher.

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Arson

A Tigerton man is facing two felony counts of arson for allegedly setting fire to deer stands on his father’s property over the weekend.

Donald R. Johnson, 53, was arrested in the town of Germania on Saturday after Shawano County sheriff’s deputies responded to a disturbance call at the property.

According to the criminal complaint, one of the stands was still burning when authorities arrived and Johnson was found standing nearby. Johnson told authorities he had dropped his cigarette.

Johnson could face a maximum 3½ years in prison and a $10,000 fine on each of the counts if found guilty. He was freed on a $1,000 signature bond after a court appearance Tuesday and is due back in court for an adjourned initial appearance Aug. 18.

Child abuse

A Wittenberg woman has been charged with a felony count of physical abuse of a child-intentionally causing bodily harm for allegedly choking a 12-year-old during a disturbance Monday.

Kay L. Haataja, 45, could face a maximum 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine if convicted. She is also charged with a misdemeanor count of disorderly conduct.

Haataja posted a $500 cash bond and is due back in court for an adjourned initial appearance Monday.

Possession of narcotic drugs

A Neopit teen is facing a felony charge of possession of narcotic drugs after allegedly having unprescribed Oxycodone on him when he was arrested by Shawano police Tuesday.

Chance L. Latender, 19, could face a maximum 3½ years in prison and $10,000 fine if convicted. He is also charged with a misdemeanor count of illegally obtaining or possessing a prescription.

Police took Latender into custody at Main Street and County Road B after responding to reports of a suspicious person who appeared to be under the influence of something, according to the criminal complaint, and finding a pill bottle with 28 pills in it.

Latender was freed on a $500 signature bond and is scheduled for a preliminary hearing July 31.

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Shawano Police Department

July 15

Police logged 26 incidents, including the following:

Suspicious — Police received a report of a suspicious person at the intersection of Main Street and County Road B.

Disturbance — Police responded to a disturbance between a male and female in the 200 block of Center Street.

Suspicious — Police received a report of a suspicious vehicle at Strands Hair Salon, 110 E. Division St.

Property — Police received a report of a damaged road sign at the former Ponderosa, 1247 E. Green Bay St.

Suspicious — Police responded to a complaint of suspicious persons at American Marine, 826 E. Green Bay St.

Probation — Police took a 40-year-old male into custody on a probation and parole violation.

Theft — Police investigated theft of a cellular phone from a locker at the Shawano Recreation Center, 220 E. Division St.

Harassment — Police received a complaint of harassing phone calls in the 800 block of South Park Street.

Disturbance — Police responded to a disturbance at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 302 S. Main St.

Disturbance — Police investigated an assault complaint between two females in the 800 block of East Richmond Street.

Fireworks — A noise complaint involving fireworks was reported in the 200 block of South Andrews Street.

Shawano County Sheriff’s Department

July 15

Deputies logged 38 incidents, including the following:

Disturbance — Authorities received a complaint of a suspicious male in the 200 block of Main Street in Gresham.

Suspicious — Authorities responded to a complaint of a suspicious person throwing fire crackers at motorists near John’s One Stop, N5847 State Highway 47-55, in the town of Wescott.

Suspicious — Authorities investigated a complaint of a suspicious person knocking on a door on County Road G in Gresham.

Disturbance — Deputies responded to a disturbance at Shawano Medical Center, 309 N. Bartlett St., Shawano.

Suspicious — Authorities responded to a complaint of a suspicious vehicle on County Road MMM in the town of Richmond.

Theft — Lawn ornaments were reported stolen on Birnamwood Road in Wittenberg.

Warrant — Authorities took a 27-year-old man into custody on an outstanding warrant in the 200 block of North Genesee Street in Wittenberg.

Property — Road barricades were reportedly damaged on the intersection of County Road J and Tauferner Road in the town of Fairbanks.

Animal — Deputies received a report of a horse entering the roadway on County Road D in the town of Pella.

Accident — A one-vehicle accident was reported in the 200 block of Maple Street in Birnamwood.

Disturbance — Authorities responded to a domestic disturbance on Oak Street in Bowler.

OWI — Authorities took a man into custody on suspicion of operating while intoxicated at the intersection of Howard and Vinal streets in Wittenberg.

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City's first hospital now a modern home for saleBy: 

Grace Kirchner, Leader Correspondent

Photo by Grace Kirchner Vicki Mikkelson stands at the entrance of the house that once served as the first hospital in Clintonville. After extensive remodeling, the historical home is for sale.

About a year ago, Kent and Vickie Mikkelson purchased a neat old house with a beautiful big front porch at 81 Waupaca St. in Clintonville.

They had been looking for a fixer-upper as an investment opportunity. It was only after the purchase that they learned the home had important historical significance. It had been the city’s first hospital.

“Often people would stop to tell us they were born here or they knew someone that was born here,” Vicki Mikkelson said at a recent open house that attracted several potential buyers.

It is believed that the house was built in 1900. Mrs. Floyd Stevens and Mrs. Mildred Brill opened a private 11-bed hospital there in 1932, according to early history books. Later, Brill purchased Stevens’ interest in the hospital and remained as the manager for about 10 years.

The house remained as the hospital until 1946, when the services of the hospital were moved to 20 N. Main St. By 1950, a new community hospital was built on North Main Street.

The Mikkelsons preserved the beautiful and stately architecture of the past, but the home has been completely renovated inside with the maintenance-free conveniences and latest technology of a newly built home.

“We want people to see and appreciate the quality in what we have done,” Kent Mikkelson said. “We feel we can find the right buyer. People want quality.”

The Mikkelsons are hoping to sell the home for about $250,000.

In addition to the large porch, the Mikkelsons liked the large city lot, the apple and plum trees, the grape vines and the beautiful back yard.

“I was impressed with the poured cement block basement. You would expect it to be stone,” Kent Mikkelson said. “You will not find a sump pump, as the house is built on a sand knoll so there is no water problem.”

As you enter the front entrance, you will notice the original hardwood floors have been restored. A set of pocket doors and a stair landing remain but everything else is new.

On the main floor the original wood floors are 1½-inch wide hard maple and birch refinished in satin stains. Several rooms have an intricate pattern turned on a 45-degree angle.

“You usually don’t find floors like this in a house; they are like you find in a gym floor,” Kent Mikkelson said.

The Mikkelsons have a son-in-law in Michigan who helped them with many ideas, and they worked with professional contractors to complete the work. Vicki selected all of the paint colors, which are based on the kitchen counter top.

“We renovated the home to what a buyer would want,” Vicki Mikkelson said.

The Mikkelsons recently learned that a new housing committee has been started in Clintonville to focus on new construction and helping to improve the existing housing. They hope others will follow their lead and improve some of the older homes in Clintonville.

“Life is a risk,” Kent Mikkelson said. “You can put money on Wall Street or in something like this.”

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2 more public meetings scheduledBy: 

[email protected]

Fewer than a dozen people turned out Tuesday for the first in a series of public information meetings on the Shawano School District’s proposed budget for next school year, but if their response was any indication, the district could face an uphill climb getting public approval.

Business Manager Louise Fischer laid out a budget scenario for the 2014-2015 school year that recommends a $13.5 million levy, the maximum the district would be allowed to tax. That would be an increase of $600,000 over this year’s levy of $12.9 million.

Depending on how equalized valuation data from the state shakes out when it’s released in October, that could translate into a tax rate of $10.81 per $1,000 of equalized value; a 50 cent increase over this year’s rate of $10.31 per $1,000.

Fischer said she based her calculation on what she hopes is a conservative estimate of no increase in property values.

If property values increase more than expected, it would mean a lower tax rate. If values decrease again, as they did last year, the tax rate could go higher.

Fischer said the Shawano School District has been losing out on additional state aid by not levying to the maximum allowed in previous years. She said that share of the state aid pot was instead going to other districts.

Fischer also said the district has a number of needs, particularly maintenance issues, that are not being met and could start to be addressed with a maximum tax levy.

Several community members, however, voiced objections to seeing taxes go up any more than they need to, saying that property owners in the district — and particularly retired people — can no longer afford the increases.

Shawano School Board member Derek Johnson agreed and said there were places where the district could still make budget cuts.

He also took issue with the list of unaddressed district needs that Fischer presented.

“Several of the needs on that list are wants,” he said.

Discussions veered at one point to lobbying state legislators to change the state aid formula that penalizes school districts that are frugal in their spending.

Some also said that city and county officials need to do more to attract new taxpaying businesses into the community to take more of the burden off of residential property owners.

The district will hold another public information meeting at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday at the the Civic Center, 225 S. Main St., before the proposed budget is officially presented to the School Board on Monday.

Another public information meeting will be held at 7 p.m. July 31, tentatively at Shawano Community Middle School, 1050 S. Union St.

Superintendent Gary Cumberland said the location could be changed depending on what else is happening at the school.

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Shawano Police Department

July 14

Police logged 30 incidents, including the following:

Property Damage — A garage was reported struck with BB gun pellets in the 500 block of Oak Drive.

Abandoned Vehicle — Abandoned vehicles were reported in the 700 block of South Lincoln Street and the 900 block of East Maurer Street.

Assist — Police assisted with a medical call at Lafayette and Division streets.

Hit and Run — A property damage hit-and-run was reported in the parking lot at Walmart, 1244 E. Green Bay St.

Welfare — Police conducted a welfare check in the 200 block of West Wescott Street.

Shawano County Sheriff’s Department

July 14

Deputies logged 33 incidents, including the following:

Vandalism — Authorities responded to a vandalism complaint on County Road S in the town of Lessor.

Theft — Authorities responded to a property theft complaint on Lakeshore Drive in Lessor.

Fire — Authorities responded to a semi fire on County Road R in the town of Washington.

Disturbance — Authorities responded to a disturbance on Vinal Street in Wittenberg.

Accidents — Authorities logged two deer-related crashes.

Clintonville Police Department

July 13

Police logged nine incidents, including the following:

OAR — A driver was arrested for third offense operating after revocation on West Street.

Drug Offense — Two subjects were cited for possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia on West Morning Glory Drive.

Disorderly — Police responded to a disorderly conduct complaint on Green Tree Road.

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Chief seeks more collaboration with county, stateBy: 

Lee Pulaski, [email protected]

There have always been partnerships between the Shawano Police Department and other law enforcement agencies, but Police Chief Mark Kohl wants to take the collaboration up a notch.

Kohl told members of the Shawano Common Council and Shawano County Board of Supervisors at a meeting Monday night that he is seeking increased aid from the county Sheriff’s Department, Wisconsin State Patrol and the state Department of Criminal Investigations as the city attempts to curb the drug trade in Shawano.

Also, he wants to get the city police more involved with the regional Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team.

“We’re trying to collaborate, consolidate and make our efforts stronger,” Kohl said. “We’re also trying to watch the costs of those services we give.”

The city and county already have a strong partnership when it comes to patrols, but the city lacks experienced investigators. Kohl said his young police force is energetic but needs aid in solving some crimes.

Kohl said he hopes that in working with the county and state, more drug cases can have a satisfactory ending. He noted that the council has been pushing the Police Department to step up efforts in drug arrests and deterrents.

“Many of these cases don’t originate in Shawano,” Kohl said. “We’ve got the corridor of (state Highway) 29 going from Green Bay to the Twin Cities down back to Chicago, and we’re finding out that a lot of the drug activity is coming from Chicago to Green Bay and then across the state.”

There is interest in getting the city police involved with the SWAT team, with a memorandum of understanding being drafted, but it could take a couple of years to occur. Kohl noted that tactical gear costs $3,000 to $5,000 per officer, and with the potential of two city officers on the team, careful budgeting will be required.

It is fairly common for city police departments to work with other law enforcement agencies on SWAT teams, Kohl said, as the only full-time SWATs in Wisconsin are in the Milwaukee area.

Kohl also seeks to increase collaboration with the community at large. To that end, he plans to resurrect the citizen police academy to train residents on police procedures and increase the number of eyes on the street.

“We’re also expanding our Neighborhood Watch program,” Kohl said. “If we get that citizen involvement, our crime will go down.”

Kohl said the city has eliminated its Police Department website, www.shawanopd.org, due to lack of use. Instead, officers are utilizing Facebook, Twitter and other social media to reach out to residents.

“I’m happy to say that I’ve got 25 followers on Twitter,” Kohl said.

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No changes for 2014-15 school yearBy: 

Jason Arndt, [email protected]

The Shawano School Board plans to form a committee to review school start times for middle and high school students.

No changes would be made prior to the 2014-15 school year.

A Community Health Action Team spearheaded by ThedaCare earlier this year sent a letter to the board asking it to consider pushing back the schools’ start times to later than the current 7:45 a.m.

CHAT members talked with Shawano Community High School members last fall during a “community plunge,” a daylong program that focuses on community health issues and connects CHAT members with community representatives on the front lines of those issues.

“We reached out to the community, including visits to the high school where we talked to some students,” said CHAT member Paula Morgen, manager of community care at ThedaCare. “We came up with several ideas, including the possibility of starting school later.”

Students said many of them are unsupervised until their parents get home from work, Morgen said.

Middle and high school students start their day at 7:45 a.m. and go home at 2:30 p.m. Hillcrest Primary and Olga Brener Intermediate School start at 8:20 a.m., with dismissal at 3 p.m. for Hillcrest and 3:10 p.m for Olga Brener.

The board last touched on school start and end times in a community forum in April 2013.

“When I first got on the board, we held a community forum to discuss school start times and bus schedules,” said Tyler Schmidt, board president. “I don’t know if it was ever discussed since. I would like to follow up and am willing to set up a committee to study it.”

Most concerns expressed at the community forum were about how long students need to wait for buses and how long they’re on the bus. Some students have to be at the bus stop as early as 6 a.m.

The board said supervision of younger children was a key issue when deciding to start middle and high school earlier.

Schmidt said he plans to discuss possible schedule changes with Johnson School Bus Service Inc. and building representatives at each school. A committee could be formed by the end of August.

Superintendent Gary Cumberland said Tuesday that community members already have expressed interest in becoming part of the committee, and he has passed the names on to Schmidt.

“I think we need to take a fresh look at it and see what all of the issues are with it … and see whether our start times are appropriate,” Schmidt said.

HOW TO HELP
People interested in being part of a committee reviewing school start times in the Shawano School District may call Tyler Schmidt, School Board president, at 715-853-1919.

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4 weeks into season, reviews are positiveBy: 

Jason Arndt, [email protected]

Leader Photo by Jason Arndt Wendy and Kyle Jorgensen, owners of of Yaks ‘N’ Things, talk with a customer at the Shawano Farmers Market on Saturday. More than 20 vendors set up at the market, which moved this year from the City Hall parking lot to the east edge of Franklin Park. The Jorgensens said the move has helped their sales.
Leader Photo by Jason Arndt Connie Keller, of Neenah, purchases salmon from Silver Moon Springs owner Bobbie Schneider, of White Lake, at the Shawano Farmers Market on Saturday.

Four weeks into the season, changes made this year to the Shawano Farmers Market have been well-received by vendors and customers.

The market moved from the City Hall parking lot, where it was held for six years, to the east edge of Franklin Park, at the corner of Division and Washington streets. Washington Street is blocked off to traffic at both ends for the market.

Amy Jagla, who co-owns Platypus Flat Ranch with her husband, Tony, said Saturday that business has been better at the new location.

“This year we have better traffic,” she said. “I have seen a lot more people come up, and our sales have been better.”

The Pella family farm, which is selling at the market for a third year, raises free-range poultry.

Jagla said the market’s move did require some strategic changes.

“We are working to improve on where our spot is and seeing how the traffic flows,” she said. “We now have to figure how to set up our tables and our booths.”

Jagla said vendors and customers seem to appreciate the park setting.

“It was kind of tucked away behind the City Hall last year, and this just feels like a nicer location,” she said.

“It doesn’t have that parking lot feel anymore,” agreed Wendy Jorgensen, co-owner of Yaks ‘N’ Things with her husband, Kyle. “I like the new venue.”

The Clintonville-based firm, which sells meat products made from grass-fed livestock, has been a market fixture for four years.

Jagla and Jorgensen agreed the park setting encourages customers to stay.

“They like the picnic tables, and they get to sit out on the grass and enjoy it more,” Jagla said.

Shawano resident Amber Tipton has been coming to the market every year since it started in 2008.

She said the market does not feel as congested as previous years. She suggested moving it onto the park lawn rather than having it on the street could make it even better.

“It will give it more of a country vibe,” Tipton said.

Leaders of Shawano Farmers Market Inc., the new nonprofit group that took over management of the market this year from the Business Improvement District, are thinking along the same lines as Tipton.

Market manager Nathan Falk said the organization is working with the city, as it develops the park, to add more permanent facilities, such as concrete slabs for vendors, there for the market.

The market, which also features a music tent, information tent and a spot for nonprofit vendors, is open from 8 a.m. to noon Saturdays through Oct. 11.

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By: 

Leader Staff

A semi was destroyed by fire on County Road R in the town of Washington on Monday afternoon.

A driver for Jim Piontek Trucking of Green Bay reported he heard a strange noise and pulled over shortly before 2 p.m. The semi cab immediately went up in flames, he told authorities.

The entire cab was engulfed when Cecil-Washington firefighters arrived. Both saddle tanks on the truck exploded and traffic had to be diverted because of smoke covering the road.

Authorities reported about 40 gallons of gas spewed out onto the road during the fire.

The Shawano County Highway Department responded to the scene to assess the extent of road damage.

The fire was under investigation.

The driver was not injured in the blaze.

The Shawano County Sheriff’s Department said the truck was hauling bottled water.

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Shawano Police Department

July 13

Police logged 11 incidents, including the following:

Suspicious — Police responded to a suspicious person complaint in the 600 block of South Evergreen Street.

Disturbance — A disturbance call in the 800 block of South Weed Street turned out to be a woman screaming because a bat had gotten into the home.

Theft — Pills were reported stolen in the 700 block of South Union Street.

Disorderly — Police responding to an intoxicated person complaint at River Heights and Main Street arrested an 18-year-old Shawano male on charges of disorderly conduct and resisting.

July 12

Police logged 26 incidents, including the following:

Theft — Police responded to a property theft complaint at Walmart, 1244 E. Green Bay St.

Reckless Driving — Police responded to a reckless driving complaint in the 700 block of East Maurer Street.

Disorderly — Police responded to a disorderly conduct complaint in the 100 block of South Lafayette Street.

Vandalism — Police responded to a vandalism complaint in the 700 block of South Union Street.

Juvenile — Police responded to a juvenile problem at Elizabeth and Prospect streets.

Disorderly — Police responded to an intoxicated person complaint at Andrews and Green Bay streets.

Reckless Driving — Police responded to a reckless driving complaint at Richmond and Waukechon streets.

July 11

Police logged 27 incidents, including the following:

Arrest — A 52-year-old man was taken into custody for a violation at the Probation and Parole offices, 1340 E. Green Bay St.

Juvenile — Police responded to a skateboard complaint at Hillside and Prospect streets.

Suspicious — Police responded to a suspicious person complaint at Lincoln and Maurer streets.

Juvenile — Police responded to a juvenile problem in the 1000 block of South Lutz Street.

Theft — A wallet was reported stolen at the Skate Park, 107 E. Elizabeth St.

Vandalism — A bike was reported vandalized at the Rec Center, 220 E. Division St.

Vandalism — An apartment was reported egged in the 300 block of South Sawyer Street.

Disturbance — Police responded to a disturbance at Richmond and Waukechon streets.

Shawano County Sheriff’s Department

July 13

Deputies logged 40 incidents, including the following:

OWI — A 21-year-old Tigerton man was arrested for operating while intoxicated on Hunting Road in the town of Grant.

OWI — A 39-year-old Suring man was arrested for operating while intoxicated on North Shore Drive in Wescott.

Disturbance — Authorities responded to a domestic disturbance on state Highway 156 in Navarino.

Trespass — Police issued citations for trespassing to three people from Green Bay and two from De Pere at the Novitiate, W9653 Butternut Road, in Richmond.

Juvenile — Authorities investigated a juvenile alcohol complaint on Maple Avenue in Richmond.

Drug Offense — Authorities investigated a drug complaint on Dandy Lane in Belle Plaine.

Accidents — Authorities logged two deer-related crashes.

July 12

Deputies logged 51 incidents, including the following:

Burglary — Authorities investigated a burglary on County Road A in Richmond.

Theft — A chainsaw was reported stolen on Oak Ridge Lane in Red Springs.

Warrant — A 38-year-old man was taken into custody on a warrant on Hillside Drive in Belle Plaine.

Hit and Run — Authorities investigated a property damage hit-and-run on U.S. Highway 45 in Tigerton.

Disturbance — A charge of disorderly conduct was referred against a 23-year-old Pulaski man after a disturbance on County Road E in the town of Washington.

Disturbance — A 53-year-old Tigerton man was arrested on charges of arson, disorderly conduct and criminal damage to property after a disturbance on Johnson Road in the town of Grant.

Assault — Authorities investigated an assault on state Highway 22 in the town of Washington.

Disturbance — Authorities responded to a fight in progress at the North Star Casino, W12180 County Road A, in Gresham.

Accidents — Authorities logged an injury accident on Curt Black Road in Wescott and four deer-related crashes.

July 11

Deputies logged 48 incidents, including the following:

OWI — A 28-year-old Shawano man was arrested for operating while intoxicated after an accident on Lake Drive in Wescott.

Suspicious — Authorities responded to a suspicious person complaint on County Road N in Birnamwood.

Hit and Run — Authorities investigated a property damage hit-and-run on Bluebird Road in Birnamwood.

Harassment — Authorities responded to a harassment complaint on Hiawatha Court in Wescott.

OAR — A 25-year-old woman was cited for operating after revocation on U.S. Highway 45 in the town of Grant.

Trespass — Authorities responded to a trespassing complaint at the Novitiate, W9653 Butternut Road, in Richmond.

Accidents — Authorities logged five deer-related crashes.

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City working on first update in 31 yearsBy: 

[email protected]

A rewrite of Shawano’s zoning code would put a premium on landscaping for any new development proposed in the city.

“Landscaping requirements are the most different part of the new code,” said consultant Mike Slavney, of Vandewalle and Associates, at a meeting this week of the Zoning Code Rewrite Steering Committee.

The code was last updated in October 1983.

One of the first points of major discussion for the committee when work on the rewrite began about eight months ago was the lack of landscaping on many properties in the city.

“This is the approach to catch that,” Slavney said.

The new code would set a score for landscaping on site plan maps that proposed developments would have to meet. They would get points toward that score for various types of landscaping included in the site plan.

The requirement would only apply to new development and to those portions of existing properties that are significantly remodeled or expanded.

City Administrator Brian Knapp floated the possibility of a trigger to force new landscaping on the entire existing property when an owner remodels or expands more than 50 percent of that property.

However, after some discussion, the committee rejected the idea because it could inhibit remodeling or expansion plans.

Slavney said one of the goals of the new zoning code was to encourage redevelopment.

“Part of that strategy was not requiring a (landscaping) retro-fit,” he said.

The landscaping might be the biggest change from the existing zoning code, but there are other significant differences as proposed.

One would be the elimination of the “legal non-conforming” status.

Slavney said by accepting those properties as simply being legal, it would remove the cloud hanging over the title to the property.

“It will help stimulate significant investment,” he said.

The new code will also seek to fix a few flaws in the city’s current zoning.

Slavney said there are cases where existing property uses don’t match their zoning.

“There’s a lot of things that are zoned wrong,” he said.

In particular, Slavney noted two large areas near the downtown are zoned two-family residential but consist mostly of single-family homes.

Slavney said the new code should protect the existing uses.

Knapp said the city ended up over the years with quite a few diverse residential lots.

“I’m not sure how they got carved up in the weird way they were carved up, but many of them are really odd,” he said. “There were combinations and divisions and things. I don’t know if anybody was paying attention.”

The committee’s meeting on Tuesday was its last working session on the code.

The city budgeted $50,000 for the project.

“In my opinion, it’s ready to go to public hearing,” Slavney said. “It’s ready for adoption.”

However, the zoning code map that will show the physical boundaries of the zoning districts is still being tweaked.

Slavney said the committee needs to make several decisions, including exactly where the downtown district begins and ends.

Technically, the downtown district would be zoned for buildings that are adjacent to the sidewalk, with no setback.

Slavney said the committee should decide how far south on Main Street and how far east on Green Bay Street those rules should apply.

Though they wouldn’t affect existing structures, it will be important to any new development locating there, he said.

“You have to decide where you want the downtown to end,” Slavney said.

On Green Bay Street, Slavney recommends transitioning at some point from a downtown district to an urban mixed use district that would be open to almost any type of new development, as long as it included landscaping.

The new designation would also fit the wide variety of property uses already located along East Green Bay Street, he added.

“The zoning code should enable development,” Slavney said. “Get the rules out of the way.”

THE NEXT STEPS

• Vandewalle and Associates will revise the draft zoning code and map based on input from the Zoning Code Rewrite Committee. It will then be reviewed by the city attorney.

• A joint review session on the zoning code and map with the steering committee, Plan Commission, Common Council and city staff, tentatively scheduled for Sept. 30.

• A public open house on the proposed zoning code and map, tentatively on Oct. 7.

• Public hearings on the final draft of the code and map on dates to be determined in November and December.

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Special events, rates availableBy: 

Leader Staff

If all those Facebook photos of cute cats in various acts of feline funny business makes you fond of holding a furry friend of your own, there might not be a better time than this month to make that happen.

The Shawano County Humane Society is sheltering all the cats that it can hold, according to assistant director Shelly Hansen, and hopes to move as many cats as it can into good homes by the end of the month.

“We’re running out of space,” she said. “We’re not taking any cats in.”

The humane society is nearly halfway through its first-ever Cat Adoption Month Adopt-a-Thon, with reduced adoption rates and special weekend events.

Hansen said the month is going well, with 13 cats sent to new homes as of Friday afternoon.

That still leaves 120 cats at the shelter awaiting adoption.

Hansen said the cats are a mixed population of strays and surrendered animals.

“Mostly unwanted litters,” she said.

It usually costs $125 to adopt a cat, but during the month of July cats 5 years and older can be claimed for $25. Those 6 month to 5 years can be adopted for $50.

Adopted cats will be spayed or neutered and receive vaccines before going home.

Hansen said those unable to adopt a cat are also welcome to volunteer at the shelter.

Also needed are food and litter, she said.

The society, at 1290 Jaycee Court in Shawano, will hold special events over the next two weekends.

There will be a scavenger hunt and face painting on from 12-2 p.m. July 19 and a carnival game day from 12-3 p.m. July 26. A basket raffle will also be held for those who have adopted a cat during this month.

Cat Adoption Month is being sponsored by Thrivent Financial.

Jennifer Wolf, a humane society board member, approached Thrivent about sponsorship.

“My goal in asking Thrivent Financial to sponsor the cat adopt-a-thon was to help the cats in our local shelter find their ‘furr-ever’ homes,” she said. “Also to help educate the general public on the importance of spaying and neutering and how soon a kitten can get pregnant and have her own kittens.”

A female kitten can get pregnant as early as 3 months of age.

“Spaying and neutering your pets is so important,” Wolf said. “I have three cats at home and wish I could help more cats. This was my way to do that.”

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By: 

Kevin Murphy, Leader Correspondent

A Suring man was recently sentenced in federal court to nearly 22 years in prison for sexually abusing a then 8-year-old girl last summer.

Norman W. Corn Jr., 47, was sentenced to 21 years and 10 months in prison by U.S. District Court Judge William Griesbach to be followed by lifetime supervised release. Corn has been in custody since being indicted late last year. He pleaded guilty in April to two counts of sexual abusing a person incapable of appraising the nature of the conduct.

The case was “one of the more serious cases we’ve had in the Eastern District of Wisconsin,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Whittemore said.

The abuse took place from the time Corn moved in the girl’s residence on the Menominee Reservation in January 2013 and ended when she was removed from her home in August, according to Whittemore.

Whittemore said the age of the victim, the repeated acts of abuse and Corn being the girl’s primary care provider at times were reasons Griesbach sentenced Corn at the top of the 210- to 262-month advisory guideline range.

According to the plea agreement filed in court:

The girl had turned 9 years old when she reported the crime in August to Menominee Tribal Police. The girl said the abuse occurred in June when she was in the bathtub and again days later on the bedroom floor.

Corn told police that the abuse occurred when he had been drinking vodka and smoking marijuana.

The government alleged the abusive incidents occurred repeatedly, but the victim’s age made it difficult for her to separate them, Whittemore said.

“It is important for the court to also consider that the victim described numerous examples of what can only be described as grooming the child for this type of sexual behavior,” Whittemore wrote in a memo to the court. “The victim described how Corn would offer her alcoholic beverages and that he also began giving her treats after the shower incident when she was going to call for help.

“The victim indicated that Corn would watch sexually explicit movies with her as well.”

At the July 1 sentencing, Corn’s attorney Richard Brown recommended a five-year sentence, according to Whittemore.

Attempts to contact Brown were unsuccessful.

Corn was initially indicted with offenses punishable by life in prison. To avoid the girl having to testify, negotiations resulted in Corn pleading to crimes that carried penalties that matched the sentence he received, Whittemore said.

The girl continues to face consequences a year after the sexual contact, Whittemore wrote.

She has lost her friends, contact with much of her extended family, has had to switch schools, her grades have dropped, she distrusts men and might have to enter foster care as a result of Corn’s conduct, Whittemore wrote.

Whittemore sought a substantial sentence for Corn to provide general deterrence to the Menominee community, where sex assault cases, he said, have increased dramatically during the past year.

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Council OKs ordinance 6-4By: 

Grace Kirchner, Leader Correspondent

Clintonville residents will be able to raise chickens in the city once an ordinance passed this week takes effect.

The Common Council voted 6-4 Tuesday to approve the ordinance.

Alderpersons Jerry Jorgenson, Jeannie Schley, Mary Beth Kuester, Gloria Dunlavy, James Krause and Greg Rose voted in favor of it; John Wilson, Bill Zeinert, Phil Rath and Mark Doornink voted no.

“Madison has had chickens for about a year and a half, and there have been no complaints,” Jorgenson said.

“I received no positive feedback from people,” Doornink said.

Residents will need to pay a $20 license fee and must have a license before having chickens on the premises. Licenses are effective as of Jan. 1 and must be renewed annually.

The ordinance allows up to six hens on lots with single-family dwellings. Roosters are not allowed. Slaughtering of chickens is not allowed except on properties zoned and approved for such use.

Hens must be provided with a coop, which can be no closer than 25 feet to any residential structures on adjacent lots, and an outdoor, fenced structure in which to run. Coops must be located in the rear yard of the property.

The rules for the general care note that food must be provided daily and clean water must be provided at all times and changed daily. All chicken feed must be kept in airtight containers and out of reach of wild animals.

Raising or keeping of hens for fighting is not allowed.

Residents can apply for a license at the city clerk’s office. They will need to show the location, coop design and a building permit. Properties on which chickens are kept must be registered as a livestock premises with the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. If the property is not owner-occupied, the applicant must have written approval from the landlord or owner of the property.

Noise or nuisance complaints will lead to warnings, potential fines up to $500 and loss of license.

“We looked at some other cities on how to do this,” Rose said. “If it doesn’t work out, we can pull the ordinance. We can give the citizens the benefit of the doubt. This ordinance is stricter than most.”

The Shawano Common Council recently rejected a similar ordinance that would’ve allowed up to four backyard chickens.

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Shawano Police Department

July 10

Police logged 21 incidents, including the following:

Disturbance — A 33-year-old Shawano woman was arrested on a charge of physical abuse of a child after a disturbance in the 800 block of East Richmond Street. A 17-year-old Oneida female was also referred for disorderly conduct, according to police.

Shoplifting — Walmart, 1244 E. Green Bay St., reported an adult female shoplifter in custody.

Disorderly — Police responded to an intoxicated person complaint at Green Bay and Sawyer streets.

Disorderly — Police responded to an intoxicated person complaint at Walgreens, 401 E. Green Bay St.

Vandalism — A vehicle was reported keyed at McDonald’s, 1202 E. Green Bay St.

Disturbance — A 20-year-old Green Bay woman was taken into custody on a Probation and Parole violation after a disturbance in the 400 block of South Franklin Street. Police also removed an 8-month-old child from the residence for temporary placement elsewhere by Social Services.

Shawano County Sheriff’s Department

July 10

Deputies logged 43 incidents, including the following:

Theft — A concrete sheep dog lawn ornament was reported stolen on County Road Y in Belle Plaine.

Harassment — Authorities responded to a harassment complaint on Adams Beach Drive in Belle Plaine.

Juvenile — Authorities responded to a juvenile problem on County Road Q in the town of Morris.

Juvenile — Authorities responded to a juvenile problem on Wolf River Avenue in Shawano.

Juvenile — Authorities responded to a juvenile problem on Lake Drive in Wescott.

Suspicious — Authorities responded to a suspicious person complaint on Genesee Street in Wittenberg.

Suspicious — Authorities responded to a suspicious vehicle complaint on White Ridge Circle in Angelica.

Accidents — Authorities logged five accidents, including a female on a bike struck by a vehicle at Shawano Lake County Park, W5785 Lake Drive, in Wescott. She did not require medical attention, according to the sheriff’s report. Authorities also logged three deer-related crashes.

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Creation of association discussedBy: 

[email protected]

Leader Photo by Tim Ryan Landlord Scott Jung, left, poses a question to Shawano police officers Dan Conradt and Noah Bunt during a seminar at City Hall on Wednesday on what property owners can do to keep their rental properties crime-free.

More than two dozen Shawano landlords met with city police Wednesday for tips on dealing with troublesome tenants and keeping their rental properties crime-free.

Property owners who attended generally agreed it was a valuable and informative seminar, and one unexpected result could be the formation of a landlords association.

“The smartest thing we could do as landlords is we could maybe get together and we could have a Shawano landlords association,” Jim Warren said. “We have the nucleus right here of an association.

“We could keep in contact with each other, and the best thing that happens is we’re talking to each other. We could work out a lot of stuff on our own.”

Shawano police officers Dan Conradt and Noah Bunt spent roughly half the meeting sharing information about landlord legal rights, the warning signs of drug and gang activity, red flags that could indicate clandestine drug labs, the role of police in abatement or tenant eviction procedures, and what constitutes a nuisance under city ordinances.

Property owners posed a plethora of questions about what they could or couldn’t do to deal with problem tenants or suspected criminal activity. The answer to most of those questions was to contact police.

Conradt and Bunt stressed an open line of communication between landlords and police as key to addressing many of their tenant problems.

They also recommended an addendum to tenant leases that would require properties to be kept crime-free.

One landlord asked what would happen if the tenant refused to sign it. Bunt said that would be a red-flag not to rent to them.

The meeting eventually became an opportunity for crosstalk and sharing of information between landlords, as property owners talked about experiences they’ve had and how they’ve handled them.

Bunt said after the meeting he had no problem that the seminar was essentially co-oped by inter-landlord discussion.

“That’s what we want, for them to communicate with each other and to communicate with us,” he said, “so we can all have the same goal of taking care of problem properties and tenants in the city.”

Bunt said the turnout was even better than expected.

“There was a lot of information, and the landlords seemed to be sharing a lot of information with each other,” he said.

Shawano police are hoping the landlord meetings will become a recurring practice, and most landlords said they were looking forward to those future meetings.

“I hope they continue to have more,” Scott Jung said. “You can tell by the turnout there’s a lot of concerned property managers and owners that do want to help, and we need to know what we can do to make it better.”

Al Destache said he was a new landlord and welcomed the information police provided.

“A lot of this stuff I don’t know yet,” he said. “I’m learning.”

As for a landlords association, property owner Rhonda Richards said Shawano could use one.

“It would benefit greatly landlords,” she said. “We could get together and know more about what was going on with each other.”

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By: 

[email protected]

It wasn’t part of the planned discussion, but a seminar at City Hall on Wednesday on keeping rental properties crime-free digressed at one point into a landlord gripe session against Shawano Municipal Utilities.

Some landlords questioned why utility bills defaulted on by their tenants end up on property owners’ tax rolls.

“We have to pay for their power,” property owner Scott Jung said.

Jung recounted a story of tenants who took advantage of laws prohibiting the disconnection of services over the winter, only to have those tenants abscond in the spring.

He said those tenants moved to Green Bay, where they were able to establish new utility services with no problem, while he was left with a bill of hundreds of dollars. The bill eventually was added to Jung’s municipal tax bill.

Even some landlords connected with the city — such as Shawano Plan Commission member Jeanne Cronce — had issue with the practice.

“That doesn’t make sense to me at all,” she said.

SMU General Manager and City Administrator Brian Knapp said during an interview Thursday that the practice “is a longstanding, legal statutory means of collecting past due bills.”

Knapp said it’s something SMU and other utilities have done for a very long time.

“Somebody has to pay for it,” he said.

Knapp said the alternative would be to add those defaulted payments to the rates paid by SMU customers; something the state Public Service Commission (PSC) doesn’t allow.

Knapp said SMU has been “fairly aggressive” in disconnecting customers who don’t pay their bills, but he conceded many take advantage of the winter moratorium.

Knapp also said there is a bad debt database that identifies absconders who haven’t paid their utility bills, but municipal utilities are not allowed to be a part of it. He said that is because of a PSC ruling that said municipalities have other collection alternatives, such as placing bad debts on the tax rolls.

One positive development for landlords, however, is a recent change in law that allows utilities to share information about bad utility debts.

Knapp said that if a landlord checks with SMU on a prospective tenant, the utility can tell them, “they left us with a bad debt.”

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Plan targets E. Green Bay St. developmentBy: 

[email protected]

A proposal to create a new tax increment finance (TIF) district aimed at spurring development along East Green Bay Street in Shawano was approved by the Common Council on Wednesday.

However, the plan won’t be official until it is approved by a Joint Review Board made up of the city and other taxing entities — including Shawano County, the Shawano School District and Northeast Wisconsin Technical College.

The board is expected to meet sometime before the end of the month.

TIF districts are areas where municipalities invest in infrastructure, such as sewer and water, to attract development where it might not otherwise occur, or to make improvements, such as eliminating blight.

Whatever increase in tax revenue that results from development in those districts goes to paying back the debt the municipality incurred from making improvements to the district.

Other taxing entities have to approve of the plan because they would not share in any additional revenue from new development in the district until the improvements are paid off.

The district would stretch from mid-block between Sawyer and Andrews streets east to roughly midway between Airport Drive and Rusch Road.

It would encompass more than 100 properties, but would zigzag around those properties that are sufficiently developed, including a major detour around the Shawano County Fairgrounds.

The goal is to include properties that need improvement or assistance toward making improvements, City Administrator Brian Knapp said.

The plan envisions spending about $8.6 million, including $4 million in infrastructure improvements, such as road work and sewer and water utilities, and $1.5 million in incentives to property owners.

However, those numbers are flexible and, Knapp said, the city would prefer to spend more on incentives to property owners.

The city is in the process of developing a program and the criteria necessary to provide grants and low-interest loans to property owners. However, nothing would be spent unless there is an expectation of a return in revenue of about four or five times what was invested, Knapp said.

Knapp said funds could be available for property owners as soon as August if the Joint Review Board agrees.

Knapp said it would be similar to the TIF district set up for Main Street and would be aimed at assisting properties that are “under-utilized or in potential need of development or re-development.”

Shawano has one TIF district already paid off and four active TIF districts: Raasch Industrial Park; a residential area targeted for blight elimination from Main Street east to Lincoln street and Zingler Avenue south to Pearl Avenue; a downtown TIF district running from the Main Street bridge south to Sunset Avenue; and the Bay Lakes Industrial Park.

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Bonduel cow gives birth to tripletsBy: 

Tom Beschta, [email protected]

Leader Photo by Tom Beschta Jamie and Dominic Mastey were given quite a surprise when their cow, Princess, gave birth to triplets June 27 on their farm in Bonduel.

In the 20 years Jamie and Dominic Mastey have worked on their farm near Bonduel, twin cows have always added up to a total of, well, two.

But when their son Elijah began his chores early June 27, they were all shocked when he discovered their cow Princess, who was expected to have twins, lying in a pasture with three calves.

“Elijah went out to get the cows that morning at about 5 a.m., and he called us about five after and said, ‘Princess had triplets,’” Jamie Mastey said.

Princess gave birth to two heifers and a bull, a rare occurrence among cows.

Joel Franks, the farm’s veterinarian from Valley Veterinary Clinic in Seymour, said research conducted by Dr. Paul Fricke of the University of Wisconsin-Madison department of dairy science suggests the odds of a cow giving birth to healthy triplets is around one-third of 1 percent.

Franks said he has only seen one other cow pregnant with triplets, but one of the calves did not survive.

“It’s pretty uncommon that all three calves are born viable,” Franks said.

While the triplets are exciting, the Masteys have been puzzled by the large number of twin calves born on their farm this year.

Three sets of twins were born prior to the triplets, and another three sets are on their way. Princess, who created the largest buzz with her triplets, is a twin herself.

Franks said the percentage of twin and triplet calves born on farms has increased. He said the trend is a result of improved nutrition and living conditions for cows.

According to Franks, a cow in a comfortable environment will produce more milk, which in turn causes them to produce more eggs, creating better chances for multiple calves.

“It’s actually a compliment to (the Masteys) farm management and the health of their cattle,” Franks said.

Mastey said Princess was initially due July 12, but the triplets caused early birthing. Despite the early delivery, Princess and the calves managed to come through with no complications and are all healthy.

“Princess did it by herself; we did nothing,” Mastey said. ” We just found her in the pasture with three babies.”

Mastey said the only other time she has seen triplet calves born in the area was a couple of years ago on the Zernicke farm in Bonduel.

The Masteys are still coming up with names for the calves, but in the meantime they are just happy the calves are healthy and that they could experience something so rare.

The Masteys have around 75 cows and the same amount of young stock.

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