By Eric Steurer
Staff Writer
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East Troy businessman Ken Andrews stands in front of snow piled high on the village square. Andrews recently circulated a petition asking the village to stop dumping snow on the square. Village officials say they’re looking for a cost-effective alternative. |
EAST TROY — The East Troy Village Square is the center of attention from Memorial Day through the first weekend of December. After that, at least one local resident believes it fades from memory until the spring thaw.
“It’s our big crown jewel,” local businessman Ken Andrews said. “For five or six months, though, we just lock it away.”
Andrews, a real estate consultant for Realty Executives, which is located on the square, circulated a petition in November asking the city to reconsider its policy of dumping snow taken from the downtown area onto the picturesque square. He says the dirty snow not only is unattractive, but also blocks sidewalks and reduces parking in the area.
Andrews presented the petition to the East Troy Village Board Dec. 1. The board tabled the issue until its Dec. 15 meeting, when it postponed the issue until Jan. 19.
Village Board President Bill Loesch said the board is evaluating what can be done about the snow, and still is waiting for estimates on how much any changes would cost.
The petition asked the village to remove the snow from the pathways and sidewalks on the square. Village regulations require residents to remove snow from their driveways and sidewalks abutting their property. Because the square is a public walkway, Andrews said the city should also have to follow the ordinance.
Andrews is at a loss to explain why the village can spend more than $3 million on a new village hall (see related story), but say they can’t afford to remove the snow from the square.
“There’s no logic here,” he said.
Other who own businesses on the square agree that the snow should go.
“It’s unattractive,” said Jane Thompson, owner of JT Interiors Inc., who added that customers have asked what was being built on the square because of the discolored piles of snow.
Village Trustee Bill Joas, who formerly owned two businesses on the square, agrees that something should be done.
“The snow doesn’t belong there,” he said.
It’s not all cut and dry, though. Trustee Randy Timms said removing the snow is both a physical and monetary dilemma.
“The petition has merit, but where do you go with the snow?” Timms said.
Andrews and other residents have been looking into different possibilities for removing the snow. The village board is open to solutions, he said, but it seems like they want someone to find a solution that won’t cost any money.
Andrews said he recently was made aware of a Wisconsin state statute that allows citizens to force local government to pass an ordinance or put it to a popular vote in the next election. In order to do so, a citizen must submit a petition signed by 15 percent or more of electors from the municipality’s last general election.
Such a step is a last resort, Andrews said.
“I don’t want to be the bad guy and push this thing,” he said. “That’s like forcing them to do something. I don’t want to piss everyone off.”
Andrews, a Troy Township resident, said some have told him he should run for a seat on the East Troy board. While he currently is unable to do so, he said a resident offered to rent him a room in East Troy to make it his legal residence.
“I could do it on the platform of clearing the square alone,” he said of his chances.
