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Thursday, September 21, 2017 • Vol. 136, No. 9 • Stoughton, WI • ConnectStoughton.com • $1 adno=540210-01
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Highway Trailer building
Alders want info on demo, restoration BILL LIVICK Unified Newspaper Group
Highlights • Alders ask for info on costs, options for Highway Trailer demolition or redevelopment • Developer Movin’ Out offers to buy, restore the building • Staff, consultants present financial info
C i t y o ffi c i a l s a g r e e d last week to seek specific proposals before deciding whether the Highway Trailers complex should be demolished or restored. In a joint meeting with the Redevelopment Authority Sept. 13, alders decided the city should seek cost proposals for restoration is still interested the demolition and find in saving it. out whether a developer specializing in historic Turn to Trailer/Page 13
Deal for 138 access closer City, developer, town meeting with DOT this month and next BILL LIVICK Unified Newspaper Group
The Kettle Park West developer and city officials are getting closer to an agreement with the Wi s c o n s i n D e p a r t m e n t of Transportation for an access point to Hwy. 138 from the development’s second phase. Forward Development Group manager Dennis Steinkraus, Mayor Donna Olson, Common Coun cil president Tim Swadley and representatives from
the Town of Rutland met with DOT officials Friday, Sept. 8, to discuss scenarios that may result in DOT approval for an access to KPW at Oak Opening Drive, a planned street that would be built as part of the development’s second phase. T h e D OT h a s s o fa r rejected the developer’s request to construct the a c c e s s t o t h e h i g h wa y because it says traffic studies haven’t warranted it, and the Common Council has not allowed the developer to proceed with KPW’s mostly residential second phase until it has approval to extend Oak Opening Drive.
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Inside Stoughton alder travels to Texas to help Red Cross with Harvey relief effort Page 2
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Photo by Amber Levenhagen
Carole Becker-Schmidt shares an album full of Town of Dunn history during the picnic.
Dunn celebrates 20 years of land conservation The Natural Heritage Land Trust and the Town of Dunn celebrated 20 years of partnership for land conservation with a picnic at Sinaiko Farm on Saturday. The farm was the first piece of land protected through the partnership. The picnic celebrated the Town’s purchase of development rights program and the preservation of open space, farming and farmland. Several speakers were featured during the picnic, including Dunn landowners Don Schmidt and Bob Uphoff, and author and historian Jerry Apps.
Extend or scrap teacher pay plan? Board must decide whether to wait for committee SCOTT DE LARUELLE Unified Newspaper Group
When it comes to attracting and keeping educators, is it better to have a flawed compensation plan in place than none at all? T h a t ’s t h e q u e s t i o n Stoughton Area school board members have struggled with for the past few weeks, after a committee tasked with improving the district’s teacher compensation program has stalled. The board will likely vote at its Oct. 2 or Oct. 18 meeting to either scrap the “Career Ladder” program it approved two years ago or leave it until district officials can come up with a better one. However, time is running
out to make a decision this year, board president Scott Dirks told the board Monday, because the district’s Employee Relations Committee – which would handle pay raises if the comp plan is removed – begins meeting with teachers Oct. 24. “It would be very difficult to have any kind of constructive discussion if the employee relations committee doesn’t have any direction from the full board as whether we are going to keep the present plan in place,” he said.
‘Fair’ to wait? Of the board members who spoke Monday, most seemed to have mixed feeling on how to proceed – whether to “tweak” or replace the program or drop it entirely. Though it’s unpopular, one reason some members might favor letting it
continue until a new plan is created to be fair to teachers who would benefit from it at the end of this year. That group would have a chance to “level out” of the current compensation plan. “Having it in place one more year … it seems fair,” board member Steve Jackson said. Joe Freye said he wo n d e r e d w h e t h e r t h e “absence of a plan” might be worse than having one in need of fixing. “What does it make us look like to be a district with no plan?” he asked. “ I w o u l d t h i n k t h a t ’s unusual and not attractive. Are there tweaks we can make to this plan that are practical, or are we better off leaving it in place, warts and all?” Allison Sorg said she’s “struggling” with what to do next. “I agree this plan is so
flawed that I just don’t think we can dress it up and make things better,” she said. “At the same time I’m very concerned with having nothing. I think it’s tough to absolutely have nothing.” Tim Bubon said he’s “leaning toward supporting staying with it, even though it is flawed.” “I’m confident the compensation committee will come up with a proposal for us, but right now it feels like we’re between a rock and a hard place,” he said.
Risks either way Board president Scott Dirks said expecting the compensation committee to come up with a new plan by the board’s May deadline is “really optimistic,” noting that “at least a couple” members are leaving the group.
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RDA to reach out to Gorman, also seek teardown estimates