“If curiosity killed the cat, the cat died nobly.” Arnold Edinborough
The city staff often receives questions from the public. The next several weekly articles will contain our staff’s answers to questions raised by residents.
Q: Do I really need to get a cat license if my cat never goes outside?
Lisa Bruette, administrative assistant and deputy treasurer: Yes, a license is required. Proof of rabies shot must be shown. The rabies tag is not acceptable; the actual paper from the vet showing when the shot was given including the expiration date is required. The fee for a cat license is $4 if they are spayed or neutered and $10 if not.
Q: I thought the $100 on my tax bill was to pay for the garbage and recycling bin yet it appears on my tax bill every year. Why?
Eddie Sheppard, assistant city administrator and public works coordinator: In 2011, the city began automated waste collection for residential properties (single-family up to four-unit apartments). One recycling bin and one waste collection bin was provided with no charge. Those who requested additional bins were charged $65 for 96-gallon cans and $55 for 64-gallon cans. There was also an annual waste collection and disposal fee of $100 established, which is used to pay for the landfill and recycling tipping fees for the residential garbage and recyclables delivered to the Shawano County Landfill and Transfer Station. This annual fee (currently $100) on your tax bill was never intended to be a one-time charge as the cost of disposing of waste/recyclables is a continuous process. Each waste and recycling customer in the city of Shawano pays about $8 per month for garbage and recycling. This is well below market average for waste disposal. Only those receiving waste/recycling pickup receive the annual fee. As landfill tipping fees are expected to increase and recycling markets continue to struggle, the cost of operation is anticipated to increase. The city is dedicated to providing this quality service to its residents and will work to ensure any future increases are entirely necessary to the operation.
Q: What happens if I miss an installment payment on my real estate tax bill?
Karla Duchac, city clerk/treasurer: The city of Shawano offers two real estate tax payment options to its property owners. A full payment can be made by Jan. 31, or payment can be made in three installments. If installment payments are unpaid by the designated due dates (Jan. 31, April 30, July 31) the tax bill will be considered delinquent and will be assessed an interest penalty per Wisconsin State Statutes. This interest is calculated on any remaining balances at the rate of 1 percent per month starting from Feb. 1 regardless if you made the January deadline. When making a payment on a delinquent tax bill, the interest amount is taken first with the remaining payment amount being applied to the tax bill balance. After July 31, all delinquent real estate tax bills are turned over to the Shawano County Treasurer’s office to continue the collection process.
Q: Why is the Spirit of Shawano Park being completed in the fall?
Matt Hendricks, parks and recreation director: If weather cooperates, the fall season can be a great time to get parks projects completed. First, the use of these public areas tends to decrease when the summertime tourist season concludes and school is back in session. It also offers a chance to save money on projects as many contractors are looking for that one last job to finish out their year. We initially bid the Spirit of Shawano project to be completed before Labor Day; the low bid was $184,096. That cost was higher than anticipated, and the Common Council chose to rebid the project for a mid-November completion date. By changing the timeline to a slower time for contractors, the accepted bid was reduced to $123,457; a significant savings to taxpayers.
The answer to last week’s question: Can you name the pizza place that was located at 102 E. Green Bay Street in 1989 and who managed it is Kid’s Korner Fresh Pizza managed by Elaine Giessel.
This week’s question is: What was the official 1970 census for the city of Shawano?
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