Rummage sale Friday 6/9/23 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday 6/10/23 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Something for everyone! Lots of toys: wagons, sandboxes, Little Tikes cars, battery pink jeep, sleds, kids picnic tables. Girls clothes 18 months-4t. Tools, wicker chairs, kitchen appliances, China, furniture, and more. W6915 Bluff Rd, Whitewater
Whitewater FFA-Culver’s Scoop of Thanks Night
On May 4th, Whitewater Culver’s held its Scoop of Thanks Night for the Whitewater FFA. FFA members helped serve food, cleaned and wiped tables, and talked with our amazing community. With all the amazing people and support Culver’s was able to donate over $1,700 to the Whitewater FFA. This could not have been possible without the contributions from the community and the generosity of Culver’s staff. The Whitewater FFA would like to give Culver’s a sincere thank you for supporting not only our chapter but hundreds around the state.
Whitewater FFA Reporter,
Katie Gillette
By Tom Ganser
Although Memorial Day marks the start of summer for many, it’s a false start for the greater Whitewater community.
This year’s summer really begins with exploring the big blue world in the Whitewater Unified School District Summer School Playhouse production of Disney’s “Finding Nemo JR,” a lively 60-minute musical adaptation of the beloved 2003 Pixar movie.
“Finding Nemo, JR” tells the story of Marlin, an anxious and over-protective clownfish, who lives in the Great Barrier Reef with his kid Nemo. Nemo longs to explore the world beyond their home. But when Nemo is captured and taken to Sydney, Marlin faces his fears and sets off on an epic adventure across the ocean.
With the help of lovable characters such as optimistic Dory, laid-back sea turtle Crush, and the supportive Tank Gang, Marlin and Nemo both overcome challenges on their journey to find each other and themselves.
Finding Nemo JR. brings a vibrant underwater world to life on stage in a story full of family, friendship, and adventure.
The cast and technical crew for this production includes more than 60 students ranging from incoming 6th graders to WHS Class of 2023 graduates.
“Finding Nemo, JR” is perfect for kids of all ages, including adults who just might need a little help from the youngsters to follow the plot.
Cast and crew at their first rehearsal/work session. Photos courtesy of Tom Ganser.
Photos courtesy of Tom Ganser
The Whitewater Lions Club proudly presented five $500 scholarships plus the Lion Tim Ryan scholarship to six graduating Whitewater High School seniors. Four scholarships were awarded to students who will be attending a four year accredited college or university. One scholarship is awarded to a student who will be attending a technical/vocational school. The Lion Tim Ryan scholarship was awarded to a student who will be following a career in law enforcement. Lion Tim Ryan was a very dedicated member of the Whitewater Lions Club and a former member of the Waikiki, Hawaii Motor Cycle Patrol Division.
Receiving $500 scholarship for a 4-year program: Cali Kopecky, Arleen Perez-Aguilar, Jenna Pope and Evelyn Troxel
Receiving the $500 scholarship to a technical/vocational school: Courtney Meyer
Receiving the Tim Ryan Memorial scholarship: Josh Kirley
NOTICE
Notice is hereby given that the Town of Whitewater, Walworth County, has received three applications for a combined RESERVE Retail “Class B” Intoxicating Liquor License and a Retail Class “B” Fermented Malt Beverage License for the period from July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024. The three applications are from:
Willow Brook Golf Course, LLC, for the clubhouse, coolers, closet, kitchen, pro shop, bar, dining area, patio, and golf course at its address of N9035 Hwy 89, Whitewater, WI 53190;
The Fuzzy Pig, Inc., for any building within the B-4 zoning at its address at N8660 Clover Valley Road, Whitewater, WI 53190;
The Boat House, for the premises located at N7660 State Park Rd, Whitewater, WI 53190. Consumption may occur inside the building or on the front deck. Sale of prepackaged beer and liquor will be sold over the counter for consumption off premises.
The Town Board will consider these applications at the Town Board Meeting on Wednesday, June 14, 2023 beginning at 7:00 p.m. at W8590 Willis Ray Road, Whitewater, WI 53190.
Jorja Boiley, Clerk/Treasurer
Town of Whitewater
By Lynn Binnie
Whitewater Banner volunteer staff
whitewaterbanner@gmail.com
The Whitewater Aquatic & Fitness Center (WAFC), sometimes described as the “jewel” of the city, experienced a number of years of operating deficits, but reportedly was nearing the breakeven point in terms of operational income and expenses prior to the pandemic. That period presented many challenges, but progress is again being reported, with significant membership gains. The City of Whitewater (city) and the Whitewater Unified School District (WUSD) have both indicated that they are committed to reaching a new agreement wherein the WAFC will continue to operate. A subcommittee made up of WUSD Board members and Common Council members was appointed to facilitate negotiations. However, near the conclusion of the last subcommittee meeting on May 11, Save the Pool Committee organizer Jeffery Knight expressed the opinion that the two sides were farther apart than when they began negotiations in March.
The center has been operating for nearly two years without the benefit of a contract between the two entities. The proposals that were discussed at the May 11 meeting may be viewed in this agenda. In addition, at that meeting WUSD representatives, for the first time, indicated a willingness to pay the city for half of the $413,429 accumulated operating deficit. Areas of disagreement included the term for a new agreement, with the city asking for 15 years versus the district’s request for one to three years. WUSD proposed assuming responsibility for maintenance of the facility, contributing $250,000 annually to a capital improvement fund, and $7500 annually for use of the lap pool for summer school and swim season. The city preferred to share the contributions to the capital fund with WUSD and maintained that the $7500 payment for operations fell far short of what is necessary.
Subsequent city action after the May 11 meeting is described below, including a city staff-developed option wherein the city would only operate the fitness portion of the facility.
Common Council action on May 16
The Common Council discussed the negotiations in a closed session at its May 16 meeting, and afterwards in open session, took the following action, per a press release:
The City of Whitewater Common Council passed a motion at its meeting on May 16 directing the city manager and staff to present a four-year agreement that equally splits the operation and capital costs between the city and school district. The following option is being presented.
This option is based on the budgets provided and assumes an expense growth rate of 3% per year, membership rate (monthly membership fee) growth of 3% per year, and total membership growth rates of 5% in 2024 and 2025, and 3% for 2026.
Option Split contribution 4-year plan
Proposal to follow previous agreement format of 50/50 split
City Manager John Weidl provided the following comments on the proposal to the Banner.
“As far as action resulting from the common council, they directed staff via motion to put together a 4-year proposal splitting the capital and operational costs for the WAFC. In addition, the City is guaranteeing that the dollar amounts proposed in the budget are locked and that the school district will not be responsible for any deviations that require additional revenue.
We believe this addresses the WUSD’s desire for a smaller number of contract years in case things do not improve and addresses the primary concern of operational overruns creating unbudgeted liabilities for WUSD. Concurrently, this proposal addresses the city’s concern that we cannot continue improving membership numbers to stabilize the contribution levels from WUSD and the City if the funding plan is going to cut services and staffing. That will have the exact opposite effect on membership rates.”
Weidl also mentioned, per below, what might be described as a fallback position that was being developed by city staff. It has not yet been discussed with the Common Council, but may be included in the closed session on June 6.
“Staff is also working internally on a proposal that would only lease the space (at market rate or $15 a square foot) for the fitness center, spin and aerobic classes, and corresponding non-pool related amenities. In this situation we would go from the WAFC to the WFC! – An aerobic and anaerobic experience that will retain the 24-hour fitness component, spin and other fitness classes as well as a revamped focus on wellness and nutrition.
In this situation, WUSD will be free to run their swimming class and athletics free from city operations and they can staff and fund that operation on their own. And in this situation, they would have a stream of revenue from the City in terms of a market rate lease agreement on the space we’re renting for the WFC!! Staff will be ready to present those numbers by the end of the month [of May].
What’s becoming increasingly clear to the staff and elected officials is that without a contribution toward running the lap pool that is commensurate with their [WUSD’s] usage, the City needs to refocus on the services it can effectively provide with taxpayer dollars and let WUSD focus on how to plan and budget for their aquatics and swim related programming and athletics as the ultimate owner of the facility.”
Editor’s note: Weidl indicated that “WUSD’s cash contribution for this current year is $178,000…$128,000 of that is for earmarked operations, $50k for capital. So, their most recent offer includes exactly 5.4% of the operational funding level from the previous year.” He also stated that the operating cost for the lap pool is $230,000 annually versus the $7500 annual operating contribution that WUSD is proposing.
The next meeting of the WAFC subcommittee is scheduled for June 14.
The City of Whitewater would like to caution residents regarding unwanted water treatment solicitations. If you receive an unwanted solicitation, please use caution and disregard.
Frequently, private water treatment companies that are not associated with the City of Whitewater will go door-to-door offering water quality tests. Even though the test may be free, the solicitors will often then try to sell you an expensive water treatment system or other unnecessary products.
The Public Works Department has recently started to receive calls and emails reporting an unwanted solicitation from C&P Clearwater. C&P Clearwater may try to seek entry to your property to perform water quality tests and mention that neighbors have complained about water quality. The C&P Clearwater representatives are in no way affiliated with the City of Whitewater Public Works and you do not need to allow entry or water testing.
The City of Whitewater provides drinking water quality reports on our website. These reports communicate the source of the City’s water supply and also summarize all of the detected constituents from the sampling results for each year as well as any violations of Safe Drinking Water Standards.
The Water Utility department is dedicated to providing you with a safe and dependable supply of drinking water. We want you to understand the efforts we make to continually improve the quality of your water. All city officials will have identification.
If you have any questions or concerns, please call the Water Superintendent, Jim Bergner at 262-473-0560.
Editor’s note: The above press release was received from the City of Whitewater. According to online reports, some residents of other cities including Milwaukee, Sheboygan and Beloit have received deceptive postcards such as the one below in advance of the visit of these solicitors.
By Lynn Binnie
Whitewater Banner volunteer staff
whitewaterbanner@gmail.com
According to Wisconsin Circuit Court Access, Anthony P. Hansen, a former employee of the Whitewater Unified School District who was charged with five felony counts of sex assault of student by school staff on August 15, 2022, has pled guilty to those crimes. As was reported in a previous Banner article, Hansen was arrested on July 22 by the Whitewater Police Department. His employment in the instructional technology department of the Whitewater Unified School District was terminated immediately by action of the school board on August 8.
Hansen, 35, of 137 N. Cherry Street, had been scheduled to face a jury trial beginning on June 5, 2023. Instead he appeared by video, in custody, before Judge Kristine E. Drettwan for a plea hearing on May 26. The mother of the victim, listening by phone, did not wish to make a statement. Hansen pled guilty to the five felony H counts of sex assault. Drettwan found that the defendant had made the plea freely, knowingly, voluntarily and intelligently, and consequently accepted the plea and judged Hansen guilty. As a result the jury trial was canceled. Two counts of child enticement – sexual contact felony D, more serious charges, were dismissed as agreed to by the prosecutor. Hansen declined to make a statement. The judge warned him that he is prohibited from possessing a firearm and is ineligible to vote until his civil rights are restored.
An order was made for Hansen’s appearance at the Department of Corrections for a Pre-Sentence Investigation Report. A sentencing hearing was scheduled for August 15, 2023. The penalty for a single Class H felony is a fine not to exceed $10,000 or imprisonment not to exceed 6 years, or both.
Editor’s note: A revision was made on 6/5/23 at 2:15 p.m. to correct the statutory penalties for a Class H felony.
By Lynn Binnie
Whitewater Banner volunteer staff
whitewaterbanner@gmail.com
The city of Whitewater and surrounding townships were served by the independent not-for-profit Whitewater Fire Department, Inc. (WFD) from 1871 until July 30, 2022, at which time the city assumed responsibility for fire and Emergency Medical Services (EMS). One of the primary reasons for the change was that WFD was experiencing major staffing challenges, resulting in response times that were often suboptimal. Voters in November, 2022 approved an increase of $1.1 million in property taxes to support the move from a primarily paid-on-call model to primarily paid-on-premises staffing. According to statistics recently released by the city Fire/EMS department, those decisions are paying off in the form of significantly reduced response times.
Dramatic reduction in response times
In the months of March through May of this year, between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m., firefighter and EMS personnel were “out the door” in an average time of 1 minute and 35 seconds. The department reports, “Further, for 90% of our call volume during that period (240 of 267 calls), your Fire/EMS team was out the door in under three minutes.” By comparison, in 2021-2022, the “first turnout” was over five minutes, 40% of the time.
Improved response times a result of addition of full-time firefighter/EMTs
The department now employs 12 full-time firefighter/EMTs of different levels and certifications. Of those 12, seven were retained from WFD and hired as full-time employees. The other five were hired from the outside. Effective beginning in early April, three shifts are fully staffed with full-time employees. These three shifts include four firefighter/EMTs that staff an ambulance as well as either another ambulance or a piece of fire apparatus depending on the call.
EMS is seeking to upgrade to the paramedic level
EMS Chief Jason Dean indicates obtaining licensure upgrade to the paramedic level for the department is his main priority. The EMS personnel currently function as either EMTs (Emergency Medical Technicians) or AEMT’s (Advanced Emergency Medical Technicians.) Five of the responders are actually licensed as paramedics, but they can only function at that level if they are employed by a service that is licensed at that level, which Whitewater’s is not. Paramedics receive extensive training and are able to provide Advanced Life Support to patients. Per Dean, “The process [of obtaining department paramedic licensure] is inherently time consuming as research and data has to be collected. That data collection is nearly complete which will be followed by the drafting of a packet that outlines how we as a department will operate and provide Paramedic level Advanced Life Support service to our community. That packet will be submitted to city leadership and the Common Council. Once the draft upgrade packet is approved, it will be submitted to the State of Wisconsin Department of Health Services where it will be evaluated and hopefully approved. Once approved, Whitewater Fire & EMS Department will procure all needed for paramedic level service and a date will be set for transition to that level of service.”
First full-time fire chief in department history and other staff changes
Kelly Freeman is the first full-time fire chief in the department’s history, having assumed the role effective April 1. WFD’s part-time chief was elected by the members. Freeman was appointed to a part-time chief position when the city assumed responsibility for the department on July 30, 2022. Kelly’s employment in the city Streets, Parks & Forestry Department began in 2008 and he was promoted to superintendent in 2018. He joined the Fire Department in 2006, rising from lieutenant to captain and assistant chief.
Jason B. Dean, AEMT, was promoted in March to the part-time position of EMS chief. Dean joined the department in 2017 and has served as EMS lieutenant, captain and, most recently, interim chief. He retired as a Master Sergeant from the U.S. Marine Corps after twenty years of service, including multiple tours of duty in Iraq. His final duty station included serving as a Special Assistant to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense in the Pentagon. Jason has been involved in EMS as an EMT since 2000 and has served on multiple departments nationwide throughout his military career. He volunteered at local fire departments at each duty station he was assigned to by the Marine Corps.
Ryan Dion was recently hired as part-time assistant fire chief. Dion joined the department in 2007 after completing active duty time in the U.S. Army with a deployment to Iraq. He graduated in 2009 from Blackhawk Technical College with an Associate degree in fire science. Ryan served as an EMT, fire inspector, lieutenant and captain with WFD before being promoted to assistant chief after the merger with the city. His main tasks as it relates to this position is assisting the chief with records management, overseeing the fire prevention program, and administering the fire training program. Dion works for the City of Waukesha Fire Department full-time, and has served there for over twelve years.
Joe Uselding is continuing in the role of 2nd assistant fire chief in a paid-on-call capacity.