DARLINGTON - The pulse of Lafayette County is beating - not at the fastest pace, but that might be part of what makes it a prosperous county.
That's the message speakers shared Tuesday night at a Lafayette County Association for Home & Community Education (HCE) program.
The program, "Taking the Pulse of Lafayette County," helped educate people on some key happenings in the county.
Topics included projects such as a hotel and senior housing co-op/dental clinic in Darlington, a wind farm in Seymour township, a new jail facility and the possibility of rail service and a casino coming to the county.
UW Extension employee Cara Carper said Lafayette County is a prosperous county, despite some of its grim statistics.
"We need to look at how we measure why we live here," she said, citing a study from the University of Illinois that identified Lafayette as one of 289 prosperous counties in the United States.
The study didn't use population growth or income as indicators in determining a "prosperous" county. Instead, the most important factors were good housing, defined as affordable and in good repair; a low unemployment rate; and education, defined as a good high school graduation rate. Other things identified as common in prosperous rural counties were farms, educated adults and places where people can meet.
DARLINGTON DEVELOPMENTS
Mayor Dave Breunig said the long-awaited Super 8 hotel will open its doors Darlington's business park on May 15. Breunig said it will have 40 rooms and a reception hall and bring five to 10 jobs with it, along with taxes from the $2 million building.
Breunig also talked about the new senior housing co-op and medical/dental clinic that will be on Main Street. The $5 million building will include a medical and dental clinic for low-income families on the ground level. Two upper floors will include 17 units for seniors 55 and older.
Winds of change
Lafayette County can also expect a wind farm as early as next year, according to Planning and Zoning Commissioner Steve Hubner. He said the county signed a contract with Zilca Wind to put up 60 turbines in Seymour township.
The company plans to build in the spring of 2009. Once constructed, the wind farm will produce twice the amount of power that the coal power plant in Cassville does, enough power for 27,000 homes. The county would see $200,000 to $300,000 in yearly tax revenue. Other wind companies have since approached the county; one even installed a wind-monitoring tower near Belmont.
JAIL EXPANSION?
With growth comes building needs, as addressed by Sheriff Scott Pedley.
Pedley talked about the feasibility study in progress to determine the appropriate size of a new jail.
The current jail, built in 1980, was designed to hold 18 inmates, but the county is allowed to double-bunk, increasing its capacity to 27. In the last year, the jail has held as many as 45 inmates, overcrowding the facility.
In the 1990s, Lafayette County made about $150,000 per year renting beds to other counties. Over the last few years, the county has been renting beds from other counties. Juneau County is the closest county that can take inmates.
"If we are going to do it, we need to do it right for the future, so 50 years from now, it can be expanded," Pedley said of a new jail. He explained any additions to the current jail would revoke a "grandfathered" status the county holds and require even more construction.
DELAYS IN GROWTH
Two areas the county likely won't see growth in the near future are the proposed Shullsburg casino and the renewal of rail service to the area.
Lafayette County Chairman Jack Sauer wasn't hopeful that either would come to Lafayette County anytime soon.
The proposed casino, to be located in Shullsburg by the Lac de Flambeau tribe, began talks eight years ago. Sauer explained that the council leader at the time was instrumental in moving the project along, but subsequent leaders haven't given it the same push.
The tribe submitted an application for the off-reservation gaming facility through the Bureau of Indian Affairs in 2007, but told Sauer in January 2008 that it was rejected as incomplete. Sauer hasn't talked to any tribe representatives since, but believes they are considering resubmitting the application.
"As I learn more about it, I learn it's a bigger long-shot than I thought," Sauer said. "I'm not holding on to any hope it's going to come anytime soon."
Sauer feels the same about proposed rail service. Although County Board members were in favor of the $57 million project to resume rail service from Monroe to Gratiot, then Gratiot to Shullsburg, the project has stalled.
"The biggest thing that put the brakes on this is that the government doesn't have the money," Sauer said of both state and county government. Both governments would be expected to share in the cost of the project.
That's the message speakers shared Tuesday night at a Lafayette County Association for Home & Community Education (HCE) program.
The program, "Taking the Pulse of Lafayette County," helped educate people on some key happenings in the county.
Topics included projects such as a hotel and senior housing co-op/dental clinic in Darlington, a wind farm in Seymour township, a new jail facility and the possibility of rail service and a casino coming to the county.
UW Extension employee Cara Carper said Lafayette County is a prosperous county, despite some of its grim statistics.
"We need to look at how we measure why we live here," she said, citing a study from the University of Illinois that identified Lafayette as one of 289 prosperous counties in the United States.
The study didn't use population growth or income as indicators in determining a "prosperous" county. Instead, the most important factors were good housing, defined as affordable and in good repair; a low unemployment rate; and education, defined as a good high school graduation rate. Other things identified as common in prosperous rural counties were farms, educated adults and places where people can meet.
DARLINGTON DEVELOPMENTS
Mayor Dave Breunig said the long-awaited Super 8 hotel will open its doors Darlington's business park on May 15. Breunig said it will have 40 rooms and a reception hall and bring five to 10 jobs with it, along with taxes from the $2 million building.
Breunig also talked about the new senior housing co-op and medical/dental clinic that will be on Main Street. The $5 million building will include a medical and dental clinic for low-income families on the ground level. Two upper floors will include 17 units for seniors 55 and older.
Winds of change
Lafayette County can also expect a wind farm as early as next year, according to Planning and Zoning Commissioner Steve Hubner. He said the county signed a contract with Zilca Wind to put up 60 turbines in Seymour township.
The company plans to build in the spring of 2009. Once constructed, the wind farm will produce twice the amount of power that the coal power plant in Cassville does, enough power for 27,000 homes. The county would see $200,000 to $300,000 in yearly tax revenue. Other wind companies have since approached the county; one even installed a wind-monitoring tower near Belmont.
JAIL EXPANSION?
With growth comes building needs, as addressed by Sheriff Scott Pedley.
Pedley talked about the feasibility study in progress to determine the appropriate size of a new jail.
The current jail, built in 1980, was designed to hold 18 inmates, but the county is allowed to double-bunk, increasing its capacity to 27. In the last year, the jail has held as many as 45 inmates, overcrowding the facility.
In the 1990s, Lafayette County made about $150,000 per year renting beds to other counties. Over the last few years, the county has been renting beds from other counties. Juneau County is the closest county that can take inmates.
"If we are going to do it, we need to do it right for the future, so 50 years from now, it can be expanded," Pedley said of a new jail. He explained any additions to the current jail would revoke a "grandfathered" status the county holds and require even more construction.
DELAYS IN GROWTH
Two areas the county likely won't see growth in the near future are the proposed Shullsburg casino and the renewal of rail service to the area.
Lafayette County Chairman Jack Sauer wasn't hopeful that either would come to Lafayette County anytime soon.
The proposed casino, to be located in Shullsburg by the Lac de Flambeau tribe, began talks eight years ago. Sauer explained that the council leader at the time was instrumental in moving the project along, but subsequent leaders haven't given it the same push.
The tribe submitted an application for the off-reservation gaming facility through the Bureau of Indian Affairs in 2007, but told Sauer in January 2008 that it was rejected as incomplete. Sauer hasn't talked to any tribe representatives since, but believes they are considering resubmitting the application.
"As I learn more about it, I learn it's a bigger long-shot than I thought," Sauer said. "I'm not holding on to any hope it's going to come anytime soon."
Sauer feels the same about proposed rail service. Although County Board members were in favor of the $57 million project to resume rail service from Monroe to Gratiot, then Gratiot to Shullsburg, the project has stalled.
"The biggest thing that put the brakes on this is that the government doesn't have the money," Sauer said of both state and county government. Both governments would be expected to share in the cost of the project.