LIVING HERE
The Lake Geneva dam.
They met at the city council chambers in Lake Geneva on Monday. They will meet again ‘someday over the rainbow’ simply because they could agree on nothing, not even when to have the next meeting. Lake Geneva, Town of Linn, Fontana and Williams Bay sent representatives (well, Williams Bay’s representative didn’t appear in person) and the talk was all about what the plan would be to rebuild the dam at the north end of Lake Geneva. The dam that maintains the lake at a constant level as well as furnishing the overflow water that becomes the White River.
The group has no plans. The group could come up with no budget. The group, minus Town of Linn’s representative, does want Town of Linn to pay much more for the dam because Town of Linn has two chunks along the lakeshore instead of one and also controls more of the waterfront than any other community. Town of Linn would like to see everyone pay by population. Lake Geneva itself is getting stuck for dredging the area just in front of the dam gates, however.
So, there’s no money, no plan, no agreement on anything including when to have another meeting. The one thing the group did agree on was with respect to when the project must begin…and, unaccountably and unbelievably, that date is only 30 days into the future.
Tacky stuff City of Lake Geneva should modify.
Bigfoot Beach is moving from being decrepit and dirty to downright dilapidated. The sand that’s there is thin sliver of poor looking stuff most people won’t even lay or sit down upon without a blanket or towel. This is in a state that is a major provider of sand for the rest of the nation. 100 million tons of sand are being exported from Wisconsin every year for the fracking industry, it would seem that ten or twenty trucks of it surely could be diverted to Big Foot Beach. There are no twinkling lights at night in Lake Geneva anymore lining the streets, like are seen in so many small but quality places around the state and nation. Why are some streets left without sidewalks in a city so wealthy?
Why do most of the side streets look like poorly assembled puzzles using the wrong parts? How can the city attract classy tourists if it allows itself to resemble a city living on the edge of some cataclysmic event? What happened to the birds? What is happening to the fish in the lake? Both of those sets of creatures add so much to the community and to the people who live in it and visit it. No seagulls at all and the fish are being pulled by the hundreds, dead, from both the east and west shores of the lake. The DND is doing exactly what the acronym is becoming synonymous with: “
The South Street Trail and Bike Path.
The TAP grant was back on the city’s agenda at the public works meeting on Monday night. Almost a year ago the public was made aware of the TAP grant and the potential of the construction of a pedestrian path along South Street. The path was to run along South Street connecting to South Lake Shore and Big Foot State Park. Many city officials were excited to make the area more pedestrian and bike friendly and believed the residents would be enthusiastic about the opportunity, as well. After learning of the path and what it entailed residents of South Street came out and spoke in opposition. The path was to be a ten-foot-wide concrete path through many front yards, replacing numerous old trees. The trees along the street are big, beautiful, and old and provide privacy, shade, and a country feel to the area.
With the majority of residents in opposition, city officials were leery of accepting the grant and many were under the impression the city would cut their losses and not pursue the grant. Well, that was not the case, as back in November the city sent several amendments to the original grant to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. State grants are very regulated and have strict guidelines on how grant money is dispersed and the requirements of applicants, so no amendments were expected to be accepted. Five months after the request to amend it, the state responded by indicating it would consider the changes. The state does, however, need clarifications on multiple items before a final decision can be made. There are still many details that need to be worked out and the public works vote on Monday night only approved the continued effort and discussion regarding the grant open. City officials are aware and agree that as many trees as possible need to remain along the roadway.
With the school nearby safety is a huge issue, as many students ride bikes and walk in this area. The path, along with some sharrows (a sharrow is an area on the roadway specified for bikers, painted, marked, and warning signage), is expected to make it safer for all. The city is already in over a hundred thousand dollars and does not seem to want to cut its losses and bail out. With the amendments and further conversations with the state the city is required to have public input and public hearings before all is said and done, but for now the TAP grant and the South Street trail are still on the front burner.
