County expects to sign new racetrack lease

At the Kewaunee County Board meeting Jan. 20 Supervisor Bruce Heidmann reported that the county is getting close to signing a new lease for the racetrack at the Kewaunee County Fairgrounds in Luxemburg.

The former track promoters said last summer that they would not be renewing their lease due to low attendance, which they blamed partially on conflicts with Packers games and other events in the area on weekends when the stock car races were held.

The interested parties are looking for a five-year contract.

“The racetrack is one of the premier facilities in the Midwest,” said Heidmann, who is chairman of the Promotions and Recreation Committee.  Heidmann noted  that he is retiring from the County Board this spring and would like to have the contract signed by then.

If the racetrack isn’t open this spring it would be a real loss to residents and visitors who come to enjoy the car races, Heidmann said, adding that the county has invested  significant funds in making improvements to the race track and he wants to see it used.

In other promotions and recreation business, Heidmann said that his committee, along with Supervisor Lee Luft, is designing new Kewaunee County welcome signs to post at the highway entrances to the county.

Luft said that there were currently only two signs that welcomed visitors to the county and that they appear to be placed there by “gentleman’s agreements,” since no leases for the properties appear to be on file in the county office.

Luft is working with the Promotions and Recreation Committee, as well as Dave Myers, promotions and recreation director, to use $10,000 budgeted for new welcome signs.  The new signs would also include temporary banners that could be placed on the signs to announce special county events.

The sign-making process may take longer than originally expected because the county plans to work with Northeast Wisconsin Technical College students to design the signs and then have them constructed by students at Kewaunee and Algoma high schools.

The committee will examine adding to the number of sign locations along major roads that enter the county, Luft said.

In other business:

0 The County Board agreed that it would have to review its shoreline zoning ordinances due to state legislation NR115, which gives property owners the ability to build closer to high water marks than previously allowed as well as change other shoreline regulations.

0 The board by a vote of 18-1 approved a collective bargaining agreement with Kewaunee County Professional Employees Local 2959A  that provides these employees with  0.73  percent wage increase for 2016.

0 The board by a vote of 15-4 approved an amendment to Salary Schedule II in lieu of previously budgeted pay supplements that raise the salaries of the Kewaunee County Sheriff’s Department’s chief deputy from $69,503 to $76,024 and lieutenants from $66,413 to $69,784.

 kyancey@kewauneestarnews.com

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This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press Gazette: County expects to sign new racetrack lease