Town Incorporation Update – March 16, 2016
Below is a summary list of important Town of Menasha Incorporation documents that have been released over the last couple of years:
| Documents | Release Date |
|---|---|
| Incorporation Frequently Asked Questions | March 16, 2016 |
| Incorporation Estimated Timetable Presentation | March 14, 2016 |
| Department of Administration Incorporation Review Board Determination | February 2, 2016 |
| Town of Menasha Incorporation Report Submission | September 17, 2015 |
| Incorporation Information Newsletter | March 10, 2015 |
| Town of Menasha Ad Hoc Incorporation Review Board Recommendation | November 10, 2014 |
Any questions or comments regarding the incorporation effort can be directed to the following:
Website comment
(920) 720-7135
This line is available 24 hours a day. Please leave a message.
Town Incorporation Update – February 29, 2016
Below is the legal Notice of Referendum that will be published for the upcoming election. This notice includes the actual referendum question and the explanatory statement that will be printed on the ballot.
Notice of Referendum
Town of Menasha, Winnebago County
APRIL 5, 2016
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that at an election to be held in the Town of Menasha, Winnebago County, on Tuesday, April 5, 2016, the following proposed question will be submitted to a vote of the people.
The question will appear on the ballot as follows:
“Should a portion of lands of the Town of Menasha consisting of the lands located west of the east shore of Little Lake Butte Des Morts and west of the east shore of the Fox River be incorporated into a village?”
____For a Village
____Against a Village
Explanation
A vote “For a Village” will result in the lands of the Town of Menasha located west of the east shore of Little Lake Butte Des Morts and west of the east shore of the Fox River becoming a village.
A vote “Against a Village” will result in the above-described lands remaining unincorporated.
Done in the Town of Menasha on April 4, 2016
Karen J. Backman, CMC
Town Clerk
Town Incorporation Update – February 12, 2016
On February 11, 2016, Winnebago County Judge Karen Seifert officially ordered the Town of Menasha incorporation referendum question to be placed on the April 5, 2016 Spring Election ballot.
The fate of the incorporation effort now lies with the voters in the incorporating area. Should a majority of the voters decide to vote in favor of incorporating into a village, the incorporation will be final. Should a majority of voters decide to vote against incorporating into a village, the Town of Menasha will remain unincorporated.
Town Incorporation Update – February 3, 2016
On February 2, 2016, the Department of Administration (DOA) Incorporation Review Board officially approved the Town of Menasha incorporation petition by publishing their final determination report indicating the following:
In summary, it is the DETERMINATION OF THE INCORPORATION REVIEW BOARD that when considering the petition under Section 66.0207, Wis. Stats.:
- STANDARD 1 (a), Homogeneity and Compactness – Met
- STANDARD 1 (b), Territory Beyond the Core – Met
- STANDARD 2 (a), Tax Revenue – Met
- STANDARD 2 (b), Level of Services – Met
- STANDARD 2 (c), Impact on the Remainder of the Town – Met
- STANDARD 2 (d), Impact on the Metropolitan Community – Met
The facts and analysis supporting these findings are discussed in the body of this determination. The Determination of the Incorporation Review Board to the Circuit Court, as prescribed by s. 66.0203 (9) (e) 3, Wis.Stats., is as follows: The Petition as submitted is granted.
A copy of the complete DOA report.
A court hearing with Winnebago County Judge Karen Seifert has been scheduled for Thursday, February 11, 2016 at 1:30 p.m. in the Winnebago County Courthouse to formally schedule the incorporation referendum question for the April 5, 2016 Spring election ballot.
Town Incorporation Update – January 26, 2016
At the Department of Administration (DOA) Incorporation Review Board public meeting held on Thursday, January 21, 2016 at 1:00 p.m. in Madison the DOA staff formally recommended that the Town of Menasha incorporation petition met the six (6) criteria required for incorporation and that the incorporation petition should be approved.
The Incorporation Review Board Chairman, Ed Eberle, stated that he appreciated the review and recommendation of the DOA staff, and the comments from the members of the Incorporation Review Board, and that he would be making the final determination within the next week. The Chairman has until February 2, 2016 to make the final determination.
If the Incorporation Review Board selects to approve the incorporation petition, then the incorporation referendum question will be on the April 5, 2016 ballot for all residents located in the incorporating area.
Town Incorporation Update – January 20, 2016
Today the Department of Administration (DOA) Incorporation Review Board posted notice of their next public meeting to discuss the Town of Menasha incorporation petition, which will be held tomorrow, Thursday, January 21, 2016 at 1:00 p.m. in Madison. A copy of the agenda for the meeting can be found here.
If the Incorporation Review Board elects to approve the incorporation petition, then the incorporation ballot will be on the April 5, 2016 ballot for all residents located in the incorporating area.
Town Incorporation Update – December 18, 2015
On December 15, 2015 the Department of Administration (DOA) Incorporation Review Board held a public meeting in Madison in which the DOA staff presented their initial findings regarding whether or not the Town of Menasha incorporation petition met the standards for incorporation as set forth in State Statute 66.0207. Ultimately, the DOA staff found that the petition has met five of the six criteria, and that the sixth requirement was still under review. The Incorporation Review Board decided not to make a final determination at this time and opted to defer their decision to a later date.
The initial findings of the DOA staff are as follows:
| Criteria | DOA staff recommendation |
|---|---|
| Compactness & Homogeneity | Petition meets standard |
| Territory Beyond the Core | Petition meets standard |
| Tax Revenue | Petition meets standard |
| Level of Services | Petition meets standard |
| Impact on the Town Remainder | Petition meets standard |
| Impact on Metropolitan Community | Still under review |
In regards to the sixth requirement, Impact on Metropolitan Community, the DOA staff stated that it would have been their preference that the fate of the east side islands had been determined in an intergovernmental agreement prior to the incorporation petition moving forward. The Incorporation Review Board discussed the topic but ultimately decided to take the information and recommendations made by the DOA staff under consideration and defer their decision to a later date.
The Incorporation Review Board will continue to take written public comments until January 2, 2016, and must make their decision by February 2, 2016.
As the Incorporation Review Board did not make a decision at their December 15 meeting, an incorporation referendum will not appear on the February 16, 2016 ballot. If the Incorporation Review Board selects to approve the incorporation petition in January or February, then the incorporation ballot will be on the April 5, 2016 ballot for all residents located in the incorporating area.
Town of Menasha Incorporation Update – December 3, 2015
The agenda for the upcoming December 15 Wisconsin Department of Administration Incorporation Review Board meeting has been posted. The meeting will be held at:
Wisconsin Department of Administration
Conference Room 112 Wisconsin Room, First Floor
101 East Wilson Street
Madison, WI 53703
1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Town of Menasha Incorporation Update – November 13, 2015
On September 28, 2015, the Town of Menasha and the City of Neenah finalized a Boundary Memorandum of Understanding in which the Town and the City agreed upon a common boundary between the two communities. As part of the Memorandum of Understanding the City of Neenah agreed to withdraw their objection to the Town’s incorporation effort.
On September 29, 2015, the Wisconsin Department of Administration (DOA) held a Public Hearing in the Arden Tews Assembly Room to receive public comment on the incorporation petition. The DOA accepted additional written public comment until October 9, 2015, and the record is now closed.
The DOA has announced that the Incorporation Review Board will now be hosting another Public Hearing to be held in Madison on December 15, 2015 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. (the building and room assignments are still to be determined). It is possible that the Incorporation Review Board will make a recommendation as to whether the incorporation petition meets the statutory criteria or not at this hearing. It is also possible that the Incorporation Review Board will decide not to make its decision at this hearing and instead hold another hearing in January or February of 2016.
Should the Incorporation Review Board determine that the incorporation petition meets the statutory criteria on December 15 then the petition will be sent back to Winnebago County Circuit Court Judge Karen Seifert for a scheduled court hearing on December 18, 2015 at 11:30 a.m. At this hearing the Judge will likely set the date for the incorporation referendum (possibly for the February 16 Spring Primary election date).
Town of Menasha Incorporation Update – September 21, 2015
On August 5, 2015, the Wisconsin Department of Administration (DOA) officially receipted the $25,000 incorporation application fee along with the Winnebago County Court Order signed by Judge Karen Seifert to refer the incorporation petition to the DOA Incorporation Review Board for further review. The DOA now has 180 days from August 5 to make a recommendation to either approve or deny the application (this places the decision deadline at the beginning of February).
The DOA Incorporation Review Board has called a Public Hearing for Tuesday, September 29, 2015 from 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. in the Arden Tews Assembly Room located at the Town Municipal Complex (2000 Municipal Drive). A presentation providing an overview of the incorporation application will be presented at 1:00 p.m. This Public Hearing will be the opportunity for interested individuals to provide public comment directly to the Incorporation Review Board.
A copy of the Public Hearing agenda can be found on the calendar.
A web friendly version of the incorporation report submission drafted by the Town of Menasha Staff, in coordination with Bill Forrest of Forrest Consultants, LLC.
Town of Menasha Incorporation Update – June 30, 2015
On June 26, 2015, Winnebago County Judge Karen Seifert found that the incorporation petition met the initial requirements set forth in Wisconsin Statutes and ordered that the petition be sent to the Department of Administration for the next stage in the incorporation process.
Town staff will now move forward with assembling necessary information and documents that will be submitted to the Department of Administration for review.
Town of Menasha Incorporation Update – May 13, 2015
On April 27, 2015, the Town of Menasha Board of Supervisors approved a resolution to provide financial support for the current incorporation petition that was initiated by Dick Jones and Arden Tews on December 16, 2014. The financial support includes, but is not limited to, necessary legal, engineering, consultant, and publishing fees, including the $25,000 application fee to be paid to the Wisconsin Department of Administration.
On May 1, 2015, Town resident Dick Jones formally filed the incorporation petition with the Winnebago County Circuit Court. The next step in the process will be for the Winnebago County Court to set a hearing date to review the petition. The Town of Menasha will then need to officially notify surrounding jurisdictions of the filed petition and the date of the Court hearing.
Town of Menasha Incorporation Update – March 10, 2015
On March 9, 2015, the Town of Menasha Board of Supervisors approved final authorization for Town staff to disseminate a 16-page newsletter titled “Town of Menasha Incorporation Information” to all residents of the Town of Menasha. A copy of the newsletter should be in the mail to all residents this week.
Here is a copy of the Incorporation Information newsletter.
Town of Menasha Incorporation Update – December 23, 2014
On December 16, 2014, two Town of Menasha residents, Dick Jones and Arden Tews, published their notice of intent in the Appleton Post-Crescent and the Oshkosh Northwestern to circulate a petition for the incorporation of the west side of the Town into a Village. This publication formally begins the incorporation process for the west side of the Town of Menasha.
The next step of the incorporation process involves the circulation of a petition seeking incorporation. The petition circulators have approximately six months in which to gather fifty (50) signatures from freeholders (residents who own their property, not renters) living within the incorporating area. The petition is then submitted to the Winnebago County Circuit Court.
The circulators of the petition have stated that the name of the proposed incorporated area will be the Village of Fox Crossing.
More information regarding the incorporation process and the findings of the Town of Menasha Incorporation Review Ad Hoc Committee will be distributed in the Spring of 2015. Please continue to check the Town website for future updates.
Town of Menasha Incorporation Update – November 25, 2014
The Town of Menasha Board of Supervisors established the Incorporation Review Ad Hoc Committee in January 2014 to review the positive and negative attributes of pursuing the incorporation of the Town and to bring forth a recommendation to the Town Board and Town residents as to whether or not the Town should move forward with incorporation. The committee consisted of seven Town residents, four from the west side and three from the east side.
Over the past year the Incorporation Review Ad Hoc Committee held ten open meetings, met with numerous state and local government officials, consulted with legal counsel, and has now completed its study. Ultimately, the Committee voted unanimously (7-0) to recommend the incorporation of the west side of Town first, and then annex/attach the east side of Town at a future date.
More information regarding the results and findings of the Committee will be distributed in the Spring of 2015. If you have any questions please contact Community Development Director George Dearborn at (920) 720-7105, or Town Administrator Jeffrey Sturgell at (920) 720-7101.
Incorporation Review Ad Hoc Committee
The mission of the Incorporation Review Ad Hoc Committee is “to research, review, discuss, receive public input, and develop a list of positive attributes and negative attributes to seeking incorporation as a village or city.”
Final Recommendations to the Town Board on November 10, 2014
Incorporation Review Committee Recommendations
Meeting Dates
(Subject to change; call 720-7103 to confirm)
All meetings 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. in the Assembly Room, unless noted
Monday, June 9 (Community Center, Badger Room)
Monday, June 23
Wednesday, July 9
Wednesday, July 30
Monday, August 18
Wednesday, September 3 (Community Center, Badger Room)
Monday, September 29
Wednesday, October 22 (Final Meeting)
Impact of Incorporation Report
The Impact of Incorporation Report as prepared by William L. Forrest, AICP Forrest & Associates, LLC.
Documents & Information
The following list includes documents containing information about the Town, the committee and the incorporation process:
Resolution Establishing the Incorporation Review Ad Hoc Committee
Ad Hoc Committee Members’ Contact Information
State Incorporation Review Board Contact Information
Town Population and Property Values by Neighborhood
Winnebago County Communities’ Populations
State of Wisconsin Communities’ Populations
Incorporation Process Flow Chart
Incorporation Standards to be Applied – Wis. State Statutes §66.0207
Information Needed for Incorporation Reviews
Incorporation Presentation – 4/29/2014
Initial “Pros and Cons of Incorporation” List
Maps
Town Population and Property Values by Neighborhood Map
City of Appleton and City of Menasha Growth Areas Map
Town Map
Town Zoning Map
Town Future Land Use Map
Border Agreements
City of Menasha
City of Appleton
You may view agendas and minutes from the Ad Hoc Committee meetings for further information. They can be found under the Incorporation Committee folder.
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