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Tune in to the library’s Facebook page, Monday, June 22nd at 10 a.m. for a new craft video. Register to reserve your craft kit on the library’s website. A staff member will call and schedule a curbside pick-up time for craft kits.

Banner note: since the announcement states, “craft video released,” we assume that it will also be available after the stated time.

WCF News Release – The Whitewater Community Foundation was approached by an
anonymous donor wishing to raise more funds for the COVID-19 Community Recovery
Fund. This fund supports non-profits and government agencies that have been affected
by COVID-19. The Foundation has already given a round of grants to non-profits in
Whitewater, but we know that more is needed. The anonymous donor is willing to match all donations to the COVID-19 Community Recovery Fund up to $5,000 for donations made between now and July 6th.
Please help the Foundation benefit from this match offer by donating today at
https://whitewatercommunityfoundation.org/donate/. Donations can also be mailed to the
Foundation at: Whitewater Community Foundation
PO Box 428
Whitewater, WI 53190

By Lisa Dawsey Smith
Whitewater Banner Staff
whitewaterbanner@gmail.com

The City of Whitewater Common Council met virtually on June 16, with a number of citizens also participating.

City Manager Cameron Clapper announced that another free COVID-19 testing event will take place in Elkhorn on June 22 and 23. He also introduced Cathy Anderson, the new Economic Development Director for the Community Development Authority. Ms. Anderson comes to the position from Granite Falls, MN, where she served for over three years as Executive Director for the Granite Falls Economic Development Authority. Previous to that she served as Executive Assistant for the Walworth County Economic Development Alliance for over six years. The Discover Whitewater Series half marathon and 5K are still scheduled for September 20; however, there will be a cap of 150 runners on each race. The Fit Kid Shuffle, Half Marathon Relay, Pre-race Dinner, Whitewater Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast, and other events will not be held this year. The race route is being changed somewhat, partially due to road construction.

The sale of $5,195,000 General Obligation Corporate Purpose Bonds was authorized. Ehlers Inc. representative Greg Johnson reported that it had been a competitive sale, with six bidders. The low bid, which was accepted, was offered by Bankers Bank of Madison in cooperation with First Citizens State Bank. The true annual interest cost for the 20 year bonds will be 1.6699%, a very attractive rate that will result in $549,000 in savings in principal and interest compared with the pre-sale projections. The proceeds will pay for capital projects, particularly road and utilities reconstruction, and will also help to pay off two previous borrowings at lower interest rates.

The City Manager’s March 18, 2020 Declaration of Emergency related to the COVID-19 pandemic was ratified, with an ending date of December 31, 2020 unless canceled or extended before that date. This declaration is intended to help qualify the city for any state and federal emergency funding that may be available.

The Wastewater Treatment Compliance Maintenance Annual Report to the state was adopted. Congratulations was expressed to Superintendent Tim Reel and his staff for another excellent report, with all grades of A except for one B.

The first reading of an ordinance repealing the R-2A Residential Increased Occupancy Overlay District was approved. This ordinance, enacted in 2016, has allowed property owners in a specific district generally to the south of the university to apply for increased occupancy designed to accommodate student renters. It was indicated that due to the declines in university enrollment in recent years there is no longer a need for increases in student housing. There was no public comment on the matter. City Attorney Wallace McDonell provided an opinion regarding the legal nonconforming use that would continue under specified conditions for properties that already received the R-2A zoning.

An agreement for professional services related to the lakes dredging project with Ayres Associates was approved. Council member Jim Allen requested that in view of current economic conditions, the State Department of Natural Resources be contacted to determine whether they would be willing to extend their approval of our project for one year.

This being the fifth virtual meeting for the Council, President Lynn Binnie requested a discussion regarding rationale for and effective use of virtual City meetings. A wide variety of opinions was expressed, with Jim Allen being the strongest proponent of resuming in person meetings for the next meeting on July 21. Other members expressed concerns regarding the potential for an increase in COVID-19 infections after the 4th of July holiday, and questioned whether it was too early to return to normal practice. All seemed to agree that when in-person meetings resume, everyone present in the room will be required to wear a mask, and that the capacity of the chambers would have to be limited. City Attorney McDonell indicated that the Council typically allows public comment on many matters that do not require this under state law. Mr. Binnie indicated that virtual meetings are actually more convenient for many members of the public, for e.g., seniors who do not drive at night or do not wish to risk exposure to the virus, parents with young children, people who may be interested in only one agenda item that is late in the meeting. Though not everyone is able to view/participate in the meetings online, virtually everyone has a telephone. A motion was made by Mr. Allen to begin “hybrid” meetings (a combination of in-person and virtual) effective July 21. The motion did not pass, with three votes in favor, three votes opposed, and Brienne Brown abstaining. The question was then asked as to how many members would currently expect to attend a meeting in person. Only Jim Allen answered in the affirmative, with other members referring to health concerns of their own and their families. Two other members indicated that they live with family members who are health care professionals who are at risk for being exposed, and they felt that it would be inappropriate for them to run the risk of exposing others in a meeting.

City Manager Clapper and Parks & Recreation Director Eric Boettcher reported on reopening plans for the Aquatic and Fitness Center. Their current plan was to open the fitness center and the lap pool effective July 6. There are a number of CDC requirements that must be followed, including frequent sanitation of surfaces. The locker rooms will not be open. Concerns regarding opening the leisure pool included safety of lifeguards who are frequently called upon to assist young children exiting from the slide, and a question as to how revenues would compare with expenses. It was reported that the summer is typically not a strong utilization period for the leisure area unless temperatures are unusually cool or hot. A motion to recommend to the Parks & Recreation Commission to open the fitness center and the lap pool effective July 1 was passed unanimously.

In view of recent national events and local protests, Lynn Binnie introduced a Resolution in Support of Racial Justice. The Banner will publish a separate article on this subject by June 20.

President Binnie jested that after more than three and a half hours it must be time to end the meeting, as his second cordless telephone was running out of charge. The meeting adjourned slightly after 10 p.m.

By the Whitewater 4th of July Committee

It is with sadness that we must announce to the Whitewater community that our carnival owner will be unable to come this year due to financial reasons. As the Christman family has been part of our festival family for more than 15 years, we will sincerely miss their presence on this holiday. 2020 has been a year unlike anything that most of us have seen, and we appreciate their need to preserve their financial stability in making this hard decision. We look forward to their return in 2021. 

Fireworks will still continue at 10 p.m. on Saturday, July 4th and will be visible in the Cravath Lakefront Park as well as the grassy hill commonly known as “killer hill.” We would ask that all community members choosing to enjoy the fireworks still follow social distancing guidelines in remaining six feet away from individuals not a part of their household and strongly advise that all attendees of the show wear a face cover.

Derek D’Auria, Executive Director of the Walworth County Economic Development Alliance, recently published information regarding another round of COVID-19 economic disaster relief: “If you didn’t apply the first time around, you may want to do so now. There is up to $10,000 advance that can be forgivable, $1000 per employee.” It covers small businesses, agricultural businesses, and non-profit organizations and the interest rate is 2.75%.

To further meet the needs of U.S. small businesses and non-profits, the U.S. Small Business Administration reopened the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) and EIDL Advance program portal to all eligible applicants experiencing economic impacts due to COVID-19 today.

“The SBA is strongly committed to working around the clock, providing dedicated emergency assistance to the small businesses and non-profits that are facing economic disruption due to the COVID-19 impact.  With the reopening of the EIDL assistance and EIDL Advance application portal to all new applicants, additional small businesses and non-profits will be able to receive these long-term, low interest loans and emergency grants – reducing the economic impacts for their businesses, employees and communities they support,” said SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza.  “Since EIDL assistance due to the pandemic first became available to small businesses located in every state and territory, SBA has worked to provide the greatest amount of emergency economic relief possible.  To meet the unprecedented need, the SBA has made numerous improvements to the application and loan closing process, including deploying new technology and automated tools.”

Contact information:
Derek D’Auria
Executive Director
Walworth County Economic Development Alliance
262-741-8134– Office 
derek@walworthbusiness.com | www.walworthbusiness.com

The UCC Congregational Church has agreed to once again serve as the conduit for donations, which may be tax deductible. Checks may be made out to the church with WUL Lunch Fixings in the memo line, and may be dropped off on Saturday or mailed.

GREEN BAY, Wis. (June 15, 2020) – The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay has made public the names of undergraduate students receiving semester honors for the spring 2020 semester. Students who earn a 4.0 grade point average, which represents all “A” grades, receive highest honors. High honors go to students earning 3.99 to 3.75 grade point averages. Honors are given to students earning 3.74 to 3.50 grade point averages. Students are listed by the county claimed as place of permanent residence. All were full-time students in the spring term, earning 12 or more credits of graded coursework. This list includes students attending all four UW-Green Bay campuses (Green Bay, Marinette, Manitowoc, Sheboygan).


Whitewater (County shown)
 Stephanie Farrey, Semester Highest Honors, Rock
 Alayna Mikulski, Semester Honors, Walworth
 David Nehlsen, Semester Highest Honors, Jefferson

By Lynn Binnie
Whitewater Banner staff
whitewaterbanner.com

On June 2, 2020, Whitewater became the first municipality in the state of Wisconsin to prohibit the sale of dogs, cats, and rabbits in pet stores. Similar laws are on the books in many states and municipalities around the nation. Council member Brienne Brown, who initially introduced an ordinance that would only prohibit the sales of cats and dogs, indicated that the prohibition was supported by Me & My Pets, Albert’s Dog Lounge, Community Cat, Touched by a Paw, and the Jefferson County Humane Society. Currently there are no pet stores selling those animals in the city, but Ms. Brown felt that it was appropriate to be proactive on this issue. Local citizens and representatives of several organizations spoke in favor of the ordinance, with no one speaking against.

It was indicated that most of the dogs and cats that are sold in pet stores come from “puppy mills” and “kitten mills,” where the animals are held in confined conditions with little socialization. Oftentimes purchasers buy on impulse, even on credit at a high interest rate, and end up with an animal that is unhealthy and requires large expenditures in vet care, and behavior issues are also frequent. In the course of discussion, it was proposed to add rabbits to the prohibition, as the State Director of the U.S. Humane Society, Megan Nicholson, indicated that especially at Easter time, parents buy rabbits for their children, not recognizing that a rabbit can live for ten years. Ultimately many of the rabbits are surrendered to shelters.

Per the online news site, OnFocus, Megan Nicholson, State Director for the U.S. Humane Society, stated, “We are extremely proud of Whitewater. Residents, local businesses and area rescues and shelters came together to proactively protect their community from puppy-selling pet stores and their predatory lending practices. Pet stores that sell puppies often source them for puppy mills. The good citizens of Whitewater have made it clear that they do not support the cruel puppy mill industry and we hope that more localities follow their lead.” For the article, click here.

MILWAUKEE Wis. (June 15, 2020) – The following students have been named to the Dean’s List for the spring 2020 semester at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

To make the Dean’s List, students must have earned at least 12 credits for the spring 2020 semester and have no disqualifying graces. The GPA threshold varies by college – for the College of Education and the Klingler College of Arts and Sciences, undergraduate students must have at least a 3.7 to be named to the Dean’s List.

The undergraduate GPA requirement is 3.5 for the following colleges: the Diederich College of Communication, the College of Business Administration, the College of Health Sciences, the Opus College of Engineering and the College of Nursing. All other programs have a 3.75 GPA minimum.

Marquette University is a Catholic, Jesuit university that draws its more than 11,500 students from all 50 states and more than 84 different countries. Marquette is ranked in the top 10 nationally for job placement.

In addition to its nationally recognized academic programs, Marquette is known for its service learning programs and internships as students are challenged to use what they learn to make a difference in the world. Find out more about Marquette at marquette.edu.

Emily Marquardt, pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences
Allison Sedmak, pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences