Allouez board members approve sending letter to governor

By Heather Graves

Correspondent

ALLOUEZ – Board members are doing whatever they can to stop costs incurred at Green Bay Correctional Institution (GBCI), a state-owned maximum security prison located in the village, from falling on the shoulders of Allouez taxpayers.

Last month, the village reluctantly renewed a contract with the Brown County Sheriff’s Office for police services for the village.

The new contract includes significant increases over the next three years.

The board’s reluctance with the contract focuses around GBCI being the reason for the increase.

Forty percent of all calls by the Brown County Sheriff’s Office to Allouez are related to GBCI.

Last month, Wisconsin State Sen. Robert Cowles included an amendment into the governor’s budget to award the Village of Allouez with up to $60,000 per year to help with the increased costs due to GBCI.

At its board meeting June 4, board members approved sending a letter to Gov. Tony Evers to encourage his support of the funds.

The Joint Finance Committee accepted the motion to include the amendment and it is now attached to the governor’s budget.

If it stays in the final, approved budget, it would be a direct payment to the village.

Over the last three years, 37 percent of all police calls to the village were attributed to GBCI.

“The Village of Allouez truly believes that these expenses should not be placed on the shoulders of the residents of Allouez, but rather shared by all of the residents of Wisconsin,” trustees said in the letter.

Allouez is the only municipality which contracts for police services that has a state-owned correctional institution, and is paying for those costs.

State Highway 172 speed study

Board members got a brief update on a speed study the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (DOT) is conducting on Highway 172 this month.

The study started Monday, June 3, and the village anticipates results within a month.

The speed study will look at Highway 172 in Allouez and Ashwaubenon.

The DOT will collect speed data at four locations along 172.

For comparison, data will also be collected on 172 west of Interstate 41 and east of County GV/Monroe Road.