Burlington Spotlight
March 2004

With spring just around the corner many City residents will be cleaning both their homes and their yards. To assist in this year’s "spring cleaning" the City provides the following services to its residents:

While the city contracts with Onyx for our regular residential garbage and recycling disposal Onyx will pick-up large items such as old furniture and appliances at no charge. However, pick-up of all large items must be called in to Onyx and arrange for a pick up, 1-800-232-0860, prior to the item being placed at the curb.

The city does not provide pick-up service for landscape waste, but there is a compost site available to the city’s taxpayers. The compost site on Maryland Avenue remains open during the winter months and residents may dispose of holiday evergreen decorations, brush and/or branches by bringing these items to the compost site. There are also containers for used oil and antifreeze at this site for the public to use.

As yards in the area are being cleaned this spring please keep in mind that brush pick-up is on the second and fourth Wednesday of the month. Residents must call and have their address placed on the brush pick-up list in order for their brush to be picked-up. Residents are also encouraged to bring their own brush to be disposed of to the compost site located on Maryland Avenue; this site is open daily for residents’ convenience. Any residents that have leaves to be picked-up must take them to the Maryland Avenue compost site, as the City does not pick-up leaves in the spring or summer months. Any questions regarding brush / leaf pick up or the compost site can be directed to the Department of Public Works at 763-2060.

Burlington area genealogy and family history buffs, your search for information about your ancestors will now be easier. Burlington Public Library has subscribed to an online genealogy database, HeritageQuestOnline, from Proquest. This search engine combines searchable images of U.S. federal census records with digitized books containing family and local histories from around the country. You are able to browse or do basic or advanced searches and can print, email or download the results of your searches. You may access HeritageQuest Online in the library on any of the four internet computers at www.heritagequestonline.com. To access from home go to the Burlington Public Library website at www.burlingtonlibrary.com. Click on "Links" and select "Click here to enter HeritageQuest Online". You will be asked to enter your 14 digit Burlington Public Library card number. If you don't have a Burlington library card or have questions about using HeritageQuest Online, contact the reference staff at 342-1142 or pburling@burlngton.lib.wi.us.

The Police Department needs your help with the local neighborhood watch programs. We have several Neighborhood Watch Programs throughout the City that help build partnerships between the Police Department and citizens of the community.

The program consists of concerned citizens who want to become involved in their community. It is run by a leader from the neighborhood and several helpers called block captains. It can be as simple as an information-sharing network. The police department will distribute pertinent information to Neighborhood Watch Block Captains. This information is either a citywide concern or maybe something happening in your neighborhood. It is shared via e-mail, or in person, to the rest of the members in the Neighborhood Watch group.

The police department has put on training seminars to area Neighborhood Watch Programs. Topics of concern are discussed and presented including some past topics such as home safety and sexual offenders. Sharing this information lets the police department discover what concerns the public has and helps to educate them. Often the police department gains knowledge of concerns people have about activities in their neighborhood and most of these can be easily repaired and restore tranquility.

It is important for us to watch out for our neighbors. The Neighborhood Watch Program is simply you and your neighbors working together with your local police department to reduce criminal opportunity on your street. This program has also built remarkable partnerships between the police and neighborhoods.

If you are interested in starting a Neighborhood Watch Program or would like to help one already in place, please call Lieutenant Scot Eisenhauer at the Police Department at (262) 342-1103.

Following the cold winter, with little snow insulation, the frost reached deep into the ground. One of the unfortunate results of this combination is that water main breaks can occur more frequently. If you notice water running down the street, or in another unusual place please call us at the number listed below. The City of Burlington Water Utility will respond immediately to a reported water main break. Unfortunately, the Water Utility cannot excavate and repair the main at that time. For safety reasons, State law requires Digger’s Hotline to mark underground utilities (electric, cable television and telephone lines, sanitary and storm sewers, gas lines, etc.) before the Utility can make repairs, to avoid hitting these underground utilities. Until the main is repaired, a Water Utility employee will investigate the break and reduce the flow of water to minimize the water loss and subsequent icing that can occur on sidewalks and roadways. This may reduce the water pressure in homes until the main can be repaired the next day. If you have questions about water service or want to report a water main break, please call the Water Utility at (262) 342-1173 between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Monday thru Friday. After these weekday hours or on the weekend, please call (262) 763-7842 and the Fire Department will contact a Water Utility operator, or you may contact the Utility Manager at (262) 206-1936.

The City’s web site has been under some "construction" recently. Former Police Chief Ron Patla has volunteered his time and efforts to reconstruct and enhance the website that Bob Branen and Sue Johnston first built back in May 2001. Many changes have occurred to the site since that time including the website address being changed to www.burlington-wi.gov, and the website itself getting a lift.

Whether you are a City resident, municipal employee, someone interested in visiting, moving or doing business in Burlington, the new City website is the place to find out what’s going on "behind the scenes" at City Hall and various other departments. Included on the website are meeting agendas for upcoming City meetings (generally posted on the website at least 24 hours prior to the meetings), as well as archives of past meetings, agendas and minutes. Also available on the new site are City maps (City streets, zoning, voting and aerial view maps), information regarding upcoming events, links to Federal, State (Department of Natural Resources, Department of Transportation, legislators, etc.) and County websites, links to local businesses, organizations (like the Historical Societies photo library), the Chamber of Commerce and loads of other local information.

The newly renovated City website is a continuous work in progress with the goal of providing information about City government and the City in general. We anticipate that any visitors to the new site will now find it easier to navigate, and to access up to date and accurate municipal information. If you have any questions or suggestions please use the feedback form that is posted on the website.

The State of Wisconsin Department of Transportation (DOT) will be rebuilding and widening S. Pine Street (STH 83) in Racine and Kenosha counties this year. The project is slated for a March 9^th bid opening, with work to begin in late April or early May. The project is expected to continue through December. The work consists of widening pavement and shoulders, straightening out the road in places, replacing stormwater culverts, adding turn lanes, and installing some curb and gutter segments. The DOT plans to detour traffic from STH 83, onto STH 50 to CTH P into the City, and then to Market Street to re-connect to STH 83 at S. Pine Street.