LITTLE GEMS
The countdown is over.
The 27th Annual Winterfest 2022 home of the US National Snow Sculpting Championship has started. The race is on and the fifteen sculpting teams from all over the country have started creating their masterpieces out of the huge blocks of densely packed snow and are on display for viewing from start to finish on Wrigley Drive along Geneva Lakeshore. Today Wednesday, February 2nd through Sunday, February 6th Lake Geneva will be packed with excitement and all kinds of winter fun. The event includes the 3rd Annual Ice Walk. Lake Geneva’s downtown will have thirty-seven artfully crafted ice sculptures. People will be coming from near and far to enjoy the fun which means traffic and parking will be challenging. The free shuttle service will be provided this weekend running every twenty minutes from 8 a.m. through 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Park your vehicle at the Home Depot parking lot or the park -n-ride on Sheridan Springs Road and get dropped at the US Bank on Center Street Downtown Lake Geneva. So much to do and see all week so bundle up and get ready for some big winter fun!
Paid Parking is back as of Tuesday, February 1st, and it could be here to stay.
Parking is $2.00 an hour in every metered stall along the streets of Lake Geneva and this parking is enforced from 9 a.m. through 7 p.m. every day and evening. Be aware that metered stalls are not marked, as they once were with the numbered stall markers. These markers have been replaced with instruction signage randomly placed, and with kiosks located up and down the streets of the downtown area. The kiosks instructions walk parkers through the four-step process; first press the green button, second, press enter, third, hit pay, fourth, punch confirm, and please remember no change is given at the meter if depositing cash.
Residency in Lake Geneva rears its head once more.
The Finance, License, and Regulations Committee meets on Tuesday night and the residency item on the agenda reads as follows;
“Discussion/Recommendation regarding Ordinance 22-01 an ordinance repealing Section 2-183, Residency Requirement, Division 6, Administrator, Article III, Officers and Employees, Chapter 2, Administration, of the City of Lake Geneva Municipal Code; as it relates to the residency requirement for the City of Lake Geneva City Administrator – Clerk Kropf.”
The part of the residency requirement the council is being encouraged to get rid of deals with the contract the administrator has with the city in concert with applicable ordinances. Here’s the wording that applies to the administrator and residency currently, as it is written in his contract: “The administrator shall become a citizen within six months following the date of appointment.”
That sentence is followed by more verbiage that indicates such citizenship can be waived by the council or by a change in applicable ordinances. Why is the city even bothering to get rid of the citizenship requirement since it fully retains the ability to waive the residency requirement? The last two city administrators have lived outside of the city limits, and the city council has allowed that with waivers. The residency requirement is there to assure the citizenry of Lake Geneva that its ‘prime minister’ of all city operations is fully in touch with what’s going on in and around the city. Why get rid of that rule since any city council holding and entering office can waive it anyway?
Place of the Week
Clock Tower Pizza needs community support. This wonderful family-owned and operated business wants to keep feeding its fans but can’t do it alone! Stop in order a pizza or a delicious smash burger and hand-cut fries!
