Greenleaf incorpation hearing set for July 14

The Brillion News

GREENLEAF - The Town of Wrightstown will host a hearing next Tuesday, July 14, as a part of the process of seeking the incorporationof Greenleaf as a village.

If successful, it would give the urban hamlet its own identity and government, separating it from the rest of the township.

The public hearing will be held from 4 to 6 p.m., with people invoted to give their opinions about the incorporation plan either by attending the hearing in person at the town hall, or by attending it on-ine through a Zoom meeting format, or writing an opinion and sending it to the state Department of Administration (DOA), which handles municipal incorporations.

The DOA Incorporation Review Board that is handling the Greenleaf incorporation petition will participate in the meeting remotely, by on-line hookup, from Madison.

The equipment for the digital hookup for the meeting was tested on Wednesday, July 8, and it worked like a charm. WAVES Entertainmentof Wrightstown provided the technological equipment for the virtual meeting option.

"We are in pretty darned good shape to give the presentation," said town attorney James Kalny.

The Village of Wrightstown registered as an opponent of the incorporation and will have 30 minutes to argue against Greenleaf becoming a village.

Wrightstown Town Clerk Danna Martzahl said it is important for a lot of Greenleaf area people to speak at the hearing - either in person at the town hall or virtually on-line through Zoom.

"I think it is important that we get people here, evenif they just want to say they want to preserve [Greenleaf's][ history," she said. "They don't need to have a big dissertation."

Kalny said the final 15 minutes of the hearing are reserved for the town and the Greenleaf Incorporation Committee to argue for incorporation as a village.

[Photo shows the town board and incorporation committee meeting on Wednesday, July 8. Attorney Kalny, at right with mask, is speaking. BN photo]

"This is a 'legislative' hearing, fnot a judicial hearing," Kalny said. It is for receiving information, not for argumentation.

Kalny said the purpose of the hearing is to have the DOA authorize a referendum, where the residents of Greenleaf can vote on incorporation.

"We are here to incorporate the hamlet of Greenleaf," town supervisor Ron Diny said.

Incorporated village and cities have power that a town government does not. One is protection from annexation by another incorporated municipality.

The town board will be hosting the hearing along with the town’s legal counsel and representitives from the Department of Administration.

This will be the first time that the DOA has held an incorporation hearing remotely by the internet.

This meeting will take place at the Town Hall, 1527 Day Street, Greenleaf, from 4 to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, July 14. 

A link will be provided for off site viewing via the internet and will be posted on the town's website, townofwrightstown.org, on July 14.  People who want to participate remotely, on line, can click on the link to join it.

Anyone with questions to address, forward them to tcmartzahl@centurytel.net before 2 p.m. on July 14, 2020.