Village Board hears about housing study and issues in Dunn County
PROTECTED CONTENT
If you’re a current subscriber, log in below. If you would like to subscribe, please click the subscribe tab above.
Username and Password Help
Please enter your email and we will send you a password reset link.
BOYCEVILLE — The Village Board listened to a report on housing issues in Dunn County from two people from the West Central Wisconsin Planning Commission.
The two were Diane Morehouse and Susan Badtke who spoke about the need to address the homeless problem in the county and the need for a housing study. Morehouse addressed the homeless problem, and noted that it is increasing in Dunn County with the median home price increasing faster than wages are.
The median price in December of 2019 was $176,500, up almost ten thousand dollars from the previous year.
In a handout, it was indicated that some twelve percent of Dunn County households were living in poverty, plus an additional 21 percent of households earn more than the Federal Poverty Level, but less than the basic cost of living for the county.
Badtke informed members of the Village Board about the housing study currently being planned by Dunn County. She said that the county has received a $10,000 grant for the study. She talked about the aging population of the community and the county.
“You need to have a housing plan if you are going to attract new people to your community,” she told the board. She stressed the importance of a housing study and the study could “provide a better understanding of the community’s current housing situation and trends as well as housing demand and needs. The Village could utilize the study to market and attract developers as well as advocate for regional funding, programs and policy changes.”
Badtke informed the board that the cost to do the study for the village could be from $1,500 to $2,000. Village President Lukas Montgomery stated that he was interested in the study. He put the matter into a committee for more discussion.
In other business the board approved sending a thank you card to the Baseball Association for the work they have done a Pafko Park.
The board also approved a 25 miles per hour speed limit on Dump Road.
In his report, Police Chief Greg Lamkin informed the board that they had 208 calls for service last month and said that they had issued four citations and made seven arrests.
Included in those arrests were on a traffic stop two subjects were arrested for warrants and a small amount of methamphetamine was seized. A subject was arrested on a stalking charge. On another traffic stop, charges on the driver were referred for possession of drug paraphernalia.
The chief said that he responded to a report of a woman yelling for help. He arrived and arrested a subject for domestic disorderly conduct. He also noted that with the fire department, they closed highway 170 for several hours because of a downed power line.
In his report, Don Rose, the Village Public Work director noted that the water tower is in need of painting. “Not this year,” he said, “but soon”.
