By Tracy Ouellette
Editor
The question as to whether the proposed archery range behind East Troy Village Hall will endanger the license of Bright Beginnings Day Care is still a bit up in the air, but a little clearer.
The daycare center’s owner Cheryl Berg and director Nina Stefaniak told the Village Board members at the Feb. 1 meeting, that they were told their daycare license with the state could be endangered because of the proposed archery range.
Bureau of Early Child Care Regulations Executive Director Mark Andrews said Feb. 9 he had spoken to the licensing specialist Stefaniak and Berg quoted at the Feb. 1 meeting and “the statements that are being attributed to the licensing agent are not accurate. She’s saying she did not tell them their license could be in danger.”
Department of Children and Families Assistant Deputy Secretary Sara Buschman cited the department’s administrative rule that the indoor and outdoor premises shall be free of hazards including any recall products” for daycare centers. Buschman said the department couldn’t judge the risk of a proposed facility in relation to the daycare center before it was constructed.
“If an archery facility went in where it’s proposed our licensers would assess the risk then, we can’t really do it proactively,” Buschman said. “It’s not our place at this point in time to determine that risk. That’s left for local officials at this time for them to decide, knowing there is a rule about not having hazards inside or outside.”
Buschman said the department wouldn’t put a licensing agent in a situation where they had to make a determination before the actual situation was in place.
“We can’t definitive assure anyone, that’s not our role at this point,” she said. “Our policy is it must be free of hazards and yes it sounds like they (village officials) are taking all steps to ensure there won’t be a hazard, but we can’t make that determination before hand.”
Village Board President Randy Timms said he spoke to Andrews on Feb. 4 and said he had been reassured by that conversation that the archery range wouldn’t pose a problem for the daycare center and its license.
Timms recounted his conversation with Andrews in an email to the newspaper, which read, in part: “He and I had a wonderful conversation about the facts. I explained the (approximate) difference in elevation from the potential archery site and the play area for the Day Care.
“I also explained the lateral distance between the two. Add to that, a solid roof over the shooting line(s) and solid walls (I think they will extend around 10 feet from the firing line) and it appears there is little to no danger of an errant arrow finding its way to the play area.”
Timms said he sent Andrews an electronic copy of the archery range layout and Andrews agreed to review it and let him know if there were any concerns.
Andrews said that “based on the information I have received, I don’t see a concern.”
However, Andrews and Buschman both cautioned that they couldn’t give anyone a 100 percent guarantee that there wasn’t going to be a problem.
“I think we’re trying, to the best of our ability to convey, is that this isn’t looking problematic at this time, but again recognizing that it’s not something we can close off for future issues,” Buschman said Tuesday.
Timms said he understood the state’s position and wasn’t seeking a guarantee, just guidance.
“After speaking with Mr. Andrews, I believe we mutually understand that if the village builds the range as depicted in the drawing I sent him, they would have no problem with it in relation to the daycare center,” Timms said. “If, on the other hand, the village were to build something different, they have to reassess its risk to the daycare center.”
