Town of Whitewater, Wisconsin Resource Guide
Town of Whitewater
W8590 Willis Ray Road Whitewater, WI 53190
262.473.4639
Office Hours:
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday from 8:30 AM to 1:30 PM
And by Appointment
Email: clerk.treas@townofwhitewaterwi.gov
Chairperson
Lowell Hagen
N8944 Parker Road
262.903.1346 (cell)
First Side Supervisor Responsible for roads Bob Strand
W8244 Elkhorn Road
PO Box 647
262.391.3421 (cell)
Email: strand_builders@yahoo.com
Second Side Supervisor
Rep. for WW/Rice Lakes and Safety Patrol.
Jon Tanis
262-473-9694
email: tanisconstruction@yahoo.com
Clerk/Treasurer
Jorja Boiley
262.473.4639 (town hall)
Public Works Superintendent
Carl Ahrens 920-723-0458
Assessor Gardiner Appraisal PO Box 131
Mineral Point, WI 53565
www.assessordata.org
888.756.9726
Building Inspector
For inspections/appointments call
MZIS at 920.675.9062 or mzis.biz
Email: municipalzoningandinspection@gmail.com
Emergency Numbers
Call 911 for any emergency!
Public Service Numbers
Walworth County Sheriff 262.741.4400
(for ordinance Enforcement & non-emergencies)
Boat Safety Patrol 262.741.4400
Lakeland Animal Shelter 262.723.3899
Jefferson Co. Humane Society 920.674.5218
Town Board Meetings
The Town of Whitewater is governed by a three-member
board that meets the second Wednesday of each month
at 7 p.m. at the Town Hall. (April is the third Wednesday
of the month). Agendas and notices are posted at the
Town Hall and on the town website at:
www.townofwhitewater.org. You are encouraged to attend
meetings or to contact any town official with concerns or questions.
Town Assessor
If you wish to speak to the town assessor, please
call Gardiner Appraisal at 608.235.1815. Watch for
Open Book during the month of May and Board of
Review during the month of June. Website:
Taxes
Tax bills are usually mailed by early December.
The full or firstinstallment is due by January 31st.
Checks are payable to the Town of Whitewater and
can be mailed to the Town Hall or put in the Drop
Box on the shop door at the Town Hall.Second
installments are due July 31 and payable to the
Walworth County Treasurer and sent to PO Box
1001, Elkhorn, WI 53121.
If you move, please contact the Walworth
County Property Lister Office before November 15
@ 262.741.4255.
Just a reminderAll tax payments made from February 1 through July 31 should be mailed to the Walworth County Treasurer, P.O. Box 1001,
Elkhorn, WI 53121, or dropped off in Elkhorn at the Walworth County Treasurer’s Office. Make checks out to Walworth County Treasurer. Final tax payments are due July 31 to the Walworth County Treasurer. Walworth County does NOT send out second installment reminder notices.
Fire & Ambulance Calls
The Town contracts with the City of
Whitewater for these services. There is a
minimum fire call charge of $1,000 whenever
the trucks leave the garage even for a false
alarm or an unreported controlled burn. The
City will bill ambulance call charges depending
on equipment used and distance to hospital.
Payments for these services are due upon
receipt. If you have health insurance, please
contact them for payment of ambulance bills.
To Report a Controlled Fire Burn
Report all controlled fires to the Whitewater
Fire Dept. @ 262.473.0555 and the Walworth
County Sheriff Dept. @ 262.741.4400. If
someone reports a fire that has not been called
in and fire trucks are dispatched, you will be
charged for the fire call. Someone must be at
the burn site until the fire is out.
Refuse/Recyclable Collection
New in 2019: Garbage and recycling will be
picked up every week. Place totes about three
feet from the edge of the road on pickup day.
Bulk pickup may be scheduled any time during
the month by calling John's Disposal at
262.473.4700. The bulk pick up, which now
includes televisions and electronics, is the only
time things can be put out without being in a
John’s Disposal container. Shredded paper
must be put into a plastic bag. Dispose of med-
ical needles in a special container from your
medical provider. If you move into a new house,
please call the town hall to begin service. Trash
and recycling fees are listed as a special charge
on your tax bill.
Branch chipping service
This service is available the first Monday of
each month from May through October by
appointment only. Call 262.473.4639 and leave
your name, address and phone number on the
answering machine by the Thursday before.
All ends of branches must be placed in an orderly
fashion in a stack 5 ft. wide x 3 ft. high facing
the road by your fire number, or your branches
will not be chipped. Do NOT put any roots in
with your branches. Do NOT place branches
across the road in the ditch. Yard leaves/waste
should be bagged and delivered to John’s
Disposal facility at
W3875 Hwy U, Whitewater, WI 53190
262.473.4700.
Dog Licenses
All dogs over 5 months kept in the Town must
be licensed annually with the proof of a current
rabies shot. All the information needed is on
the proof of rabies from the vet. Proof of
spay or neuter must be verified with initial
application only. The cost of a spayed or
neutered dog license for 2019 is $14, all others
are $33. You may purchase a license when you
pay your taxes. Late fees, per dog, apply after
March 31.
New dog applications are on the Town’s website.
Elections
All elections are held at the Town Hall from
7a.m.- 8 p.m. Voter ID is now in effect. Voter
registration is required. The easiest way to
register to vote is online at: https://myvote.wi.gov/
or can be done during office hours or on the day
of the election at the polls (W8590 Willis Ray Road).
Contact the Clerk at 262.473.4639 with questions.
Bicycling, Walking, and Jogging
Exercise is encouraged in the Town. Persons
riding bikes must follow all traffic laws.
Walkers and joggers are reminded that they
must walk on the left side of the road facing
coming traffic. For safety, please be alert
of all traffic.
Recreational Vehicles
Mini bikes, go-carts, four-wheelers, ATV’s and
snowmobiles are not allowed on town roads.
Lake Access
There are several lake accesses where boats
can be launched. Rice Lake has a State launch
on the right side of State Park Road and
Whitewater Lake has a launch on the left side
of State Park Road at JNT Parkside Marina.
The other launches on Kettle Moraine Drive and
East Lake Shore Drive have no available
parking. Any cars parked on the road must have
all four wheels off the blacktop.
Clover Valley Flowing Well
Stop and have a cool drink of spring water and
relax. The Channing Flowing Well wayside is
located on Clover Valley Road and is used by
people daily. There are no restrooms or waste
containers available. The water is tested every
year by Walworth County and results are on
the town website: https://townofwhitewaterwi.gov
under General Info and then Resources.
Road Maintenance
Town of Whitewater provides snowplowing,
sanding, mowing, and maintenance for all town
roads. The schedule for snow plowing is
determined by road usage. The town has 52
miles of road to plow, so please be patient.
Please respect the road right-of-way by not
using it for dumping of refuse, leaves, or
branches. When plowing your driveway, do not
push the snow across the road onto
Town right-of-way. Please report any dangerous road conditions by calling the Town Hall at 262.473.4639 or Carl Ahrens 920-723-0458
Parking and/or Storage on Roads or Road
Right-of-Way
There is no parking allowed on any town roads
or lake accesses. If you are having a family
gathering and you need additional parking other
than your driveway, contact the Sheriff’s
Department for permission to park. All wheels
must be off the road. There is no storage
permitted in the Town right-of-way.
Note: Any work done in the town right-of-way
must be approved by the township prior to starting work.
Fireworks
The Town only issues fireworks permits to
licensed pyrotechnics with insurance. Please call
the Town Hall to obtain a permit.
Building Permits
State Law requires a building permit to ensure
all State Codes are followed. Contact the
Building Inspector, MZIS, for an appointment
at 920.675.9062.
Weed Notice
State law prohibits growth of noxious weeds on
any lands. Property owners are expected to
destroy all noxious weeds before the plants
bloom. Failure to do so could result in a 5-day
written notice to destroy and if not complied
with, such weeds are destroyed and the
expense is charged to the said land owner on
the next tax bill.
Whitewater/Rice Lake Management District
This is a governmental district which provides
maintenance for preservation of Whitewater and
Rice Lakes. If you are in this district, there is a
charge on your tax bill. Their meetings are held
the second Thursday of each month at the Town hall at 7 pm.
Town of Whitewater
Information & Reference Guide
Walworth County, Wisconsin
The Town of Whitewater is a thriving rural community located in southern Wisconsin in the heart of Kettle Moraine Country. The first people to live on Whitewater Lake were the Algonquin Indians, their tribe name was Wau-be-gan-naw-po-cat which means whitish or muddy water. Governor Doty later gave the lake the Menomonee name Waubish Nepayuaw meaning White- water. There was skirmish in Whitewater between Chief Black Hawk and General Atkinson over lands promised to the Indians in the Treaty of 1804. As early as 1830 Norwegian settlers came to the area. The records of 1843 show them as the first white settlers. In the year 1844, thirty seven Norwegian immigrants settled near the Heart Prairie on the wooded high grounds of Whitewater Lake. In the 1840’s the first dam was built near Rice Lake. In 1855 the first church was built, called Heart Prairie Lutheran Church. This church still stands on Chapel Drive and services are held there on summer weekends.
The Town of Whitewater has grown into a beautiful community nestled in the Kettle Moraine Area. There is much to say about this beautiful recreational area around Rice and Whitewater Lakes. As it started out being an agricultural area, there is still pride in the farming community. The Town offers outdoor activities, manufacturing, shopping. and restaurants. Our neighbor, the City of Whitewater, has additional shopping, restaurants, banking and a variety of cultural and theatrical productions offered by the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, as well as educational opportunities. There are emergency facilities and health care services offered as well.
