(Juneau) After nearly an hour of discussion, the Dodge County Board Tuesday night postponed a vote to establish the Beaver Dam Lake District.
The taxing entity would raise revenue from waterfront property owners to address issues ranging from shoreline erosion to water quality. Revenue would be generated based on either assessed value or an equal division of the number of properties. Those who live inside the lake district would approve or disapprove budgets set by commissioners. The district could, among other things, greatly improve the lake’s chances of receiving grant funding. In order to go before the county board a petition to form the district required 51-percent approval rate, or 714 signatures were needed from shoreline property owners. Seven-hundred-and-thirty were collected.
Supervisor Jeff Schmitt made a motion to amend the boundary of the district proposed by the Beaver Dam Lake Improvement Association, removing 560 parcels out of 1,104. Schmitt says his measure takes out property owners who do not want to be part of the lake district. He says under his amendment, a lake district would still happen and include around 544 parcels. Schmitt says it is his belief that those who did not have the opportunity to check “no” or vote for an alternative want to be excluded from the formation of the lake district.
Supervisor Becky Glewen, who is mayor of the city fronting a bulk of lakefront property, says the board needs time to mull over Schmitt’s amendment. She said there should be an opportunity to speak with those will be affected. Glewen made a motion – which was approved – to postpone the matter until their meeting in March.
