Selected Presidents Letter
President's Letter
Aug 11, 2009
PDF Version: 2009-Aug-11-President's Letter.pdf

President's Letter
August, 2009
Nadine S.Walsten
Summer is moving fast and the “dog days of August” will be here before we know it!
The tomatoes, beans, zucchini and, most of all, the sweet corn have returned. We are
spared those dreadful store-bought tomatoes and sweet corn, at least, for a little while.
My granddaughters are excited about their new school shoes and backpacks. I thought
things were supposed to get slower as I got older but the opposite has turned out to be
true. I thought it was yesterday when I went shopping with Vanessa for a new
backpack…
One of my campaign goals has been to increase our energy conservation efforts in the
Village and I’m pleased the Board authorized the Public Works Committee to begin work
on creating an energy conservation plan. I have attended two conferences which have
presented what municipalities around the State are doing to reduce their energy costs
(current and future) because the projections are that energy (and employee health
insurance) will take an increasingly larger bite out of the annual budget if municipalities
do not invest in energy conservation measures. In Brooklyn, with such a small
commercial tax base, such expenditures could see less money available for services or
salaries. At Village Board Monday night, Brett Hulsey, of Better Environmental
Solutions, presented some of the things we can do which will have a short payback time
and a high return on investment. The first step is to have Focus on Energy conduct an
energy assessment with recommendations. There has been very little opportunity for a
Village of our size to qualify for federal stimulus, however, there is $11.4 million dollars
being released soon for smallWisconsin communities to use for energy conservation
projects. This is a competitive grant which does not require a match of local funds
(usually they are a 50-50 match) but we can strengthen our chances to get such a grant,
with a) an energy conservation plan in place; b) joint application with other entities (ie.
School district, other municipalities, etc.); and c) committing some local funds to the
project. Addressing energy costs is only one opportunity we have in our community to
address the environmental concerns of the day but more about that later.
On September 27, 2009, Sunday from 2-4 pm, the Village will host an Open House for
our new Wastewater Treatment Plant. Tours, informational brochures and construction
and Public Works staff will be available to answer your questions. You will be able to
see how modern wastewater treatment protects the environment and the public from the
leading causes of death until the 20th century—infection. It is a nice facility and even
better, it came in at budget of $3.8 million (plus engineering costs).
I am continuing to look for new members for the Board of Appeals (this Board hears
requests for variances, meets very, very infrequently) and a couple of new folks for the
Recycling Committee. If you are interested in joining any committees, etc., please see
the website for more information about the activities of these committees. If you want to
have the feeling you are making a difference in your life and willing to become a member
of a team, getting involved with Village committees and activities is a great place to start.
You will be surrounded by people who are as ill prepared as you, so no need to be shy.

Archive

• Dec 13, 2009 President's Letter
• Nov 10, 2009 President's Letter
• Oct 10, 2009 President's Letter
• Sep 08, 2009 President's Letter
• Aug 11, 2009 President's Letter
• Jul 12, 2009 President's Letter
• Jun 10, 2009 President's Letter
• May 12, 2009 President's Letter
• Apr 14, 2009 President's Letter
• Mar 11, 2009 President's Letter
• Feb 10, 2009 President's Letter
• Jan 19, 2009 President's Letter

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