Urgent Update: GOOD NEWS ABOUT WASTE DUMP IN SAINT GERMAIN, WI!
Good morning and Happy New Year, everyone! This is an update regarding the Proposed Sewage Waste Dump in Saint Germain, WI.
WE HAVE GREAT NEWS TO REPORT! Peter Baltus notified the Saint Germain Town Board Chairman in a letter dated December 20th, 2023, that none of the 80-acre property that we’ve been concerned about in recent months will be developed into a septage waste field by the Baltus family. We are taking Peter Baltus to be a man of his word. We are trusting what he has stated, and that the property will not be developed into a waste field of any sort.
We thank the Baltus family for clarifying the intended use for the property. We wish them well in their venture to bring affordable housing to St. Germain. Please See attached photos of the letter written by Peter Baltus to the Town Board of Saint Germain.
While this is great progress... we will continue to monitor the situation carefully and ensure plans for a waste dump are not re-activated in the coming months or years.
Thank you to everyone who supported us throughout this awareness campaign. Moving forward, here is our game plan:
#1: REFUNDS OF DONATIONS. On April 4th 2024 all donations received via GoFundMe will be returned. There is no significance to this date other than that is when the GoFundMe Website will default to refunds if we have not taken any money out of our fund. Thankfully we did not have to Withdrawl any funds for this campaign!
#2: Further Communications and Alerts: Please take a moment and send an email to: taxpayersofvilascounty@gmail.com.
By sending us an email, we will have a way to contact you immediately in the event that we need to fight again to protect this property from becoming a sewage waste field. Note: You will never be subjected to any SPAM via this email communication...in fact, hopefully you will NEVER hear from us... no news is good news!
#3: New Community Facebook Group: We heard the outcry from the community to keep the website and social media pages active going forward. However, part of our negotiations with the Town Board of Saint Germain was that IF the Baltus Family provides us a written letter of their intent for the property, than we would Cease and Desist from our "Don't Let Saint Germain Go To Waste" Campaign.
For this reason we have created a new Facebook Group labeled:
St. Germain United: Advocates For a Sustainable Future
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1303763747691334
Please join this Facebook group so that we can collectively stay informed about this topic and other environmental concerns in our beloved Saint Germain... as well as the whole of Vilas County.
Celebrate Our Saint Germain Values! Our goal from the start was to ensure that this 80-acre piece of property, due to its proximity to 3 lakes and watersheds was not to be used for sewage dumping. With the owners of the property now putting their intent for the land in writing... it's time to move forward with faith, trust, and goodwill.
We are all so proud to be a part of community that cherishes our lakes, streams, wetlands and woods. What we all accomplished together was no small feat! Take a moment to celebrate and feel good that your values were heard and acknowledged! Together we were able to move quickly and make our community values heard to the Town Board of Saint Germain, Wisconsin's State Representatives, Governor Evers, the DNR, News Outlets, and the greater community of Vilas County.
We are hopeful that our values have been preserved in this particular matter of the Waste Dump. But together we will stand by, watch closely, and be at the ready to fight again if needed.
While it is heartbreaking to have seen nearly 80 acres CLEARCUT in the heart of the Northwoods, perhaps some stronger zoning laws and greater good will come from this. One thing is for certain, this has brought our community closer... friends calling on friends, neighbors reaching out to neighbors, older generations passing on wisdom and stories to the younger generations, and hundreds of new friendships formed... AND THAT IS EXACTLY THE KIND OF COMMUNITY WE ALL WANT TO BE A PART OF!
Thanks everyone for your time, consideration, and support!!
Any further questions can be addressed/posted on our new Facebook Page or directed in private via email: taxpayersofvilascounty@gmail.com
Visit Our New Facebook Group Here - St Germain United: Advocates for a Sustainable Future