Mequon Weekly Bulletin - August 13, 2021
U P C O M I N G M E E T I N G S
Library Board of Trustees: August 18 - 6:00 P.M. (Agenda)
Recap of August 10 Common Council Meeting
The Mequon Common Council held its regular monthly meeting on the evening of Tuesday, August 10 at City Hall. At the meeting, the Council heard a presentation from representatives of the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) on the upcoming I-43 expansion project, which will span 16 miles between Silver Spring Drive in Glendale and Highway 60 in Grafton from late 2021 - 2024 (see additional details on the following page). During the business portion of the meeting, the Common Council acted to:
- Reduce the required lot size for raising chickens from 1.5 acres to ¾ of an acre.
- Approve several funding and maintenance agreements with WisDOT for the I-43 project.
- Increase the mayoral salary to $21,600 annually, effective upon the election of a new individual to the office.
- Award a contract for the design of a restroom/concession facility at Lemke Park.
- Purchase an additional loader vehicle to supplement snow and brush removal efforts.
- Accept a donation of two electric police bikes from the Mequon Community Foundation.
A summary of all action taken by the Common Council on August 10 is available in a condensed version of the meeting minutes available here. Interested parties may also view a broadcast of the August 10 meeting on the City website. The Common Council’s next regular meeting is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, September 14.
Rain Causes Sewer Overflows
Due to wet weather on Saturday night and into Sunday morning, August 8, the City experienced sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs) at five lift stations north of Mequon Road. Bypass pumping of the sanitary sewer system was required to reduce basement backups and limit potential private property damage. These are reportable events to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District due to non-compliance with the City’s general permit to discharge under the Wisconsin Pollution Discharge Elimination System, WPDES Permit No. WI-0047341-04-0.
For more information, please visit the Utility Engineering Projects page that includes a detailed summary of the most recent SSO, in addition to projects in motion that will address capacity to allow for future growth and help reduce SSOs in the future.
WisDOT Presentation Available from August 10 Meeting
As noted, WisDOT staff attended the August 10 Common Council meeting to give an update on the I-43 project. Interested parties may find project information on WisDOT’s website. The project is scheduled to start construction this fall. Once the project commences, WisDOT will provide updates through its Project 511 website. Those interested in viewing the slides from the WisDOT presentation may find them on the City’s website or individuals can view the presentation from the meeting at this link.
City Adopts New, More Flexible Standards For Chickens
As also indicated, the Common Council adopted a change to the regulations allowing chickens on single-family lots on August 10. Four chickens are now allowed in single-family residential zoning districts on lots of 0.75 acres in size. Previous regulations required a lot size of 1.5 acres for four chickens. Roosters are still prohibited, and an annual chicken permit approved by the Department of Community Development is still required. The initial permit fee is $50, and the annual renewal fee is $20. The permit can be found on the City’s website, under Community Development, Permits & Forms, or obtained in-person at City Hall.
2020 Census Population Figures Released
This week, the U.S. Census Bureau released updated population statistics for all states and localities throughout the United States. Nationally, the country has added nearly 23 million new citizens since the 2010 Census, for a total U.S. population of 331,449,281. Here in Wisconsin, the state’s population has grown from 5,686,986 in 2010 to 5,893,718 in 2020, an increase of 3.6%. In Ozaukee County, the population has increased from 86,395 to 91,503, representing a jump of nearly 6%. More locally in Mequon, the City has now topped the 25,000 mark in population, with a registered figure of 25,142 for 2020. This represents an increase of approximately 8.7% from the 2010 Census, when Mequon’s published count was 23,132.
Public Information Meeting Reminder for Sewer Lateral Work
Public Information Meetings for Sewer Lateral Rehabilitation Work in the Riverdale Park Lift Station “F” and Riverland Drive Lift Station “H” Areas will be held starting next Tuesday, August 17 from 6:00 P.M. - 7:30 P.M. at City Hall, 11333 N. Cedarburg Road. A second meeting will be held on Tuesday, August 24 from 6:00 P.M. - 7:30 P.M. at Reuter Pavilion in Rotary Park, 4100 Highland Road. The meetings will be informal open house style meetings that allow attendees to stop in anytime to meet with City staff and the project consultants.
Join the Mequon Police Department’s Dispatching Team
Are you looking for a career that offers excitement, multitasking, split-second decisions, and the ability to help, serve and protect fellow citizens? Then being a 911 Dispatcher is the career opportunity for you! Your role with the Mequon Police Department will be to serve as an integral team member in providing high-quality services to the City’s constituencies and ensuring effective emergency dispatching services to Mequon residents. You will handle both emergency and non-emergency public safety communications, as well as help ensure the health, safety and welfare of the City’s public safety personnel. Sign up to help make a difference, save a life and help people in need; no previous dispatch experience is required! The City provides 16 weeks of on-the-job training and pays for all required certifications. Individuals must be able to work days, nights, weekends and holidays as needed. Interested candidates should forward a cover letter, resume and completed Mequon Public Safety Employment Application to jobbank@ci.mequon.wi.us or City of Mequon, Human Resources, 11333 N. Cedarburg Road, Mequon, WI 53092. All application materials must be submitted by 8:00 a.m. on Friday, September 10.
Plant Experts Call for Help to Curb Invasive Species
Across the eight-county region covered by the Southeastern Wisconsin Invasive Species Consortium (Sheboygan, Washington, Ozaukee, Waukesha, Milwaukee, Walworth, Racine and Kenosha), invasive plants are busy this summer unfurling deceptively pretty flowers and sneaky underground stems that spread their offspring. Because there's still a growing invasive plant problem, experts are calling on residents to learn about these harmful species and take matters ... er, weeds ... into their own hands — and pull them out. Species to look out for vary based on regions of the state, but the principle is simple: learn what species to pay attention to, detect them early and treat them in a way that prevents spread. For further information, please click here.
Mequon Named Best City to Retire in Wisconsin
24/7 Wall Street put together a list of the best counties to retire in each U.S. state, based on health care and economic factors such as the number of physicians and dentists and median home values and cost-of-living. Mequon provides the best of both worlds, a residential suburb that lies alongside Lake Michigan and is just 30 minutes away from the big city of Milwaukee. Outdoor opportunities are abundant. The 500+ acre Mequon Nature Preserve has some lovely walking trails amid restored forests, prairies and wetlands, while Virmond Park offers gorgeous bluff views of Lake Michigan. Read the full article here.
Yard Care Tips for Helping the Environment
Keeping your lawn emerald-green requires a significant amount of attention, but can have serious impacts on lakes, streams and groundwater. Water from a sprinkler flowing down one driveway might not seem like a big problem. But, careless watering on hundreds of lawns can wash pollutants into lakes and streams, deplete water supplies, and actually damage the lawn it’s supposed to help. A healthy lawn requires about one inch of water per week. As a general rule, apply the water all at once rather than in several light waterings. Also, water early in the morning. If watering is done in the evening, grass stays wet all night, thus increasing risk of disease. Consider the weather forecast as well. If there is a good chance of rain soon, don’t water at all. If the rain doesn’t come, you can always make up the difference. If you have a private well, don’t jeopardize neighborhood supplies by unnecessary watering. For more information on lawn care, click here.
