Despite Salem receiving the formal proposal from the Southeast Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission for a survey of residents on lake-related issues, the Town vote fell shy of giving it their stamp of approval until grant opportunities can be explored.
The Board voted Monday night to proceed with application to the Chapter NR 190 lake management planning grant, valued at $10,000 which would bring the cost of the study to the town to a more manageable amount.
The letter and proposal from SEWRPC Executive Director, Ken Yunker outlined the $13,500 for a community survey and review of the Town’s recreational boating ordinance as set forth in Chapter 20 of the Municipal Code of Ordinances. If approved for the grant, the cost to the town would be $3500 and a much easier pill to swallow considering that many of the studies outlined in the proposal duplicate studies that are already being done, such as water quality testing on individual lakes.
Town Board members are interested in surveying town residents about lake issues as a way to begin to settle the ongoing updating of the town’s ordinance regulating lake use, results from the survey would provide suggestions and recommendations for the information gathered.
The former review of Chapter 20 is more than ten years old, and the changing demands for water-based recreation, and growing community, and lake usage and recreational boating activities have changed in that time, resulting in a need to update the ordinance.