By Michael S. Hoey
Correspondent
Nine members were appointed last week to the newly created Delavan Project Management Team.
Committee members will be:
• Paul Page, representing the Delavan-Delavan Lake Area Chamber of Commerce;
• Ryan Schroeder, representing the Delavan Common Council;
• Patti Marsicano, representing the Delavan Historical Society;
• Dave Block, representing the Friends of the Phoenix Bandshell;
• Shane Griffin, of Community Bank, representing a financial institution; and
• Karen Wuttke, of Remember When, Penny Gillihan, of Scene II, Esli Garcia, of Caleta Western Wear, and Lianne Fritz of Main Street Manor Bed and Breakfast, representing downtown business owners.
Mayor Mel Nieuwenhuis announced the appointments at the Sept. 10 Delavan Common Council meeting.
“The people appointed are people who are interested and passionate about revitalizing the downtown,” Nieuwenhuis said. “It is the next step in moving forward. There are specific areas we need to move forward on.”
The council approved a strategic plan for downtown in May and the creation of the management team Aug. 22.
Schroeder said he is pleased to be appointed because the downtown has always been very important to him. He said he appreciates the opportunity to represent the council on the team.
Schroeder said establishing a team is important because no one individual will be able to revitalize the downtown on his or her own. He also said some subcommittees will be established to give other individuals opportunities to get involved.
The strategic plan Schroeder said, is a good template of ideas for the team to implement. He said the first step will be to get together and get to know each other and then get familiar with the plan. Then the team can establish goals for the downtown based on the plan and any other ideas that come forward. Eventually the team will be charged with implementing the plan.
Schroeder said he is encouraged by the consensus on the council that revitalizing the downtown is an important goal. He said in the past one or two aldermen saw the need and that was not enough.
“We need to move forward,” he said. “I encourage anyone interested in the downtown to get involved.”
Police contract
The council approved a tentative agreement with the Delavan Professional Police Association for a collective bargaining agreement. The membership of the police association has already ratified the agreement.
Alderman Bruce DeWitt said the agreement is a three-year agreement due to expire at the end of 2014. He said negotiations have been going on for more than a year.
Some changes in the new agreement include incorporating 11-hour shifts that are currently listed in a separate memorandum, converting benefit time for 11-hour shifts from days to hours, clarifying new hires for pension contribution purposes and establishing a cap on the level of employee pension contribution to be paid by the city on behalf of full-time sworn officers not considered “new hires,” rewriting some health insurance provisions, and clarifying language related to disability insurance.
Wage adjustments include an elongated wage schedule for any officer or detective commencing full-time employment after Aug. 20 and eliminating longevity payments effective Dec. 31. No wage increase was provided for 2012, a 1.5 percent across-the-board increase was provided effective on Dec. 31 and a .75 percent across-the-board increase was provided effective March 1.
Tax Advisory Committee
The council confirmed the Nieuwenhuis’ appointment of Wendy Staller, owner and operator of Staller Estate Winery, to the Room Tax Advisory Committee. Staller replaces Dawn Meinschock, who resigned from the committee.
Announcements
Ken Wargo, chairman of the Civil War Monument Restoration Committee, reported to the council that the committee has raised $18,000 of the necessary $20,000 to restore the monument in Spring Grove Cemetery. Wargo encouraged anyone in the community to make a contribution no matter how small to be a part of the project. Wargo said the committee expects to reach the $20,000 goal by the end of September.
Nieuwenhuis reminded the public that the Boys and Girls Club of Walworth County will have its second annual golf outing fundraiser at Delbrook Golf Course on Sept. 28.
“It is another opportunity for the community to support an organization that started as a dream and is now a reality,” Nieuwenhuis said.
The club is expected to open at Phoenix Middle School in mid-October.
I think it’s great there is an interest in Downtown Delavan. We need to preserve our History. But my thoughts go back constantly to that Huge,beautiful, Empty, Greyhound Track. Why can’t the City of Delavan do anything with that? You have the Phoenix Park Band shell,(which is great) yet this building has sat empty for how long? I know it has private owners, but can’t it be made into a huge Movie-Cafe or even an Entertainment stage(Like Country Thunder in Lake Geneva has done?)It has a huge parking facility, plus there is plenty of room for an outdoor Large Screen for Movies. People could sit outside when the weather is good or indoors when the weather is colder. Plus it had the Food facilities for serving food. Does anyone have any clues what continues to go on with the status of that facility? It is really sad, that we can’t come to a solution on this empty building.