Village of Mazo increases NWDSS contribution

The Village of Mazomanie upped its contribution to Northwest Dane Senior Services (NWDSS) after wrestling extra funds from the budget at their Finance Committee meeting on Wednesday, November 1st. The three-member committee goes through the budget line by line and after doing so at their meeting found enough savings to significantly increase Mazomanie’s contribution. The 2024 ask by NWDSS for the village was $12,593, a total calculated from a set amount per capita. After Wednesday’s Finance Committee meeting, a total of $8,000 will go towards NWDSS in 2024. At the regular village board meeting on November 24, the board came to a workable temporary solution to the lack of signage on Highway 14 directing traffic downtown. Business owner and Chamber President Jennifer Martinez said “Those businesses [off Highway 14] aren’t going to make it if we don’t get traffic down there. While the village continues to work on it’s oft-delayed permanent signage solution on Highway 14, the Chamber of Commers came up with a larger temporary sign at the corner of Broadhead and Highway 14. At the meeting the Chamber asked for a variance for this sign, so they would not need to remove it every few days. The board unanimously approved the variance. In District One news, there were 14 applicants for Director/Chief; the Personnel Committee narrowed it down to two interviewees. The village will be able to add $10,000 to their levy next year, allowing them to spend a bit more. This is due to an underutilization of their levy in 2020 due to COVID financial underspending. The board elected to add the Chamber of Commerce to the village website. Village President Gary Harrop said there was a “long-standing board policy” dating back to a former board member that dictated the village not link to any non-village entitles on its website. Linking to the Chamber was an “exception” to this policy, and Harrop asked that language reflecting that be in the motion. Board members Latrisha Eilers mentioned the possibility of changing the policy. Ultimately, the board voted unanimously to make the exception. The board approved the final positions of signage and kiosks on the Bluff for the park project. Gail Dengel, neighboring landowner to the bluff and long-time steward, objected to the placement of one of the new trails, but Harrop noted all the trails were approved by the DNR’s biologist, and since the DNR funded the Bluff project with a grant, the village would do as they say. Denny Connor, from the Prairie Enthusiasts, spoke informally and “unofficially” to the board about the envisioned future agreement between the group and the village concerns environmental stewardship of the bluff. Harrop noted the previous plan concerning the care of the bluff, now 20 years old, was “well-constructed” and he hoped the new plan would follow it. “I think everyone on this board has a new appreciation for the Bluff,” said Harrop, explaining that the months-long Mazomanie Bluff project was a learning experience for everyone. Harrop said he spoke to a DNR biologist recently and was told the Mazomanie Bluff was in the “top 10 natural prairies in the State of Wisconsin,” and notably, number there. Harrop said the village is looking to main and expand the park.