(Published Wednesday, April 11, 2007 11:19:31 AM CST)
A d v e r t i s e m e n t
By Ann Marie Ames Gazette staff
DELAVAN TOWNSHIP-The chips have not stopped falling after last week's election.
Delavan Town Board Chairman John Pelletier has declined to serve another term. Supervisor Bill Endisch announced he will resign from the board.
Voters removed incumbents Larry Malsch and Dolores Nowak in last week's election, replacing them with Kay Franzen and Jim Wolfgram and leaving Supervisor Wayne Polzin as the only familiar face on the board.
In town hall, Dixie Bernsteen replaced Bill Endisch's wife, clerk Colleen Endisch, who chose not to run.
Bill Endisch's resignation will be effective Monday, April 30. He and his wife are moving, he said.
John Pelletier
Bill Endisch
Pelletier's last act as chairman was to run Tuesday night's annual meeting. At the meeting, residents voted for a fall referendum to replace Pelletier. The vote was advisory, he said.
The board and Bernsteen will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Delavan Town Hall, 5621 Town Hall Road, to decide whether to appoint a chairman or hold a fall election. Polzin is not in favor of a referendum, saying voters spoke last week.
"They can't force us to have a referendum," Polzin said. "If the town board wishes to go to another election, the board members have a right to do that. If they select to appoint a chairman, they have that right, too."
If Polzin is appointed chairman, which he expects, he could resign his supervisor position and appoint a replacement Thursday night.
The board will replace Bill Endisch in May.
Polzin is starting his 15th year as a board member. He is optimistic about working with four new supervisors.
"I have every bit of confidence that they will be terrific supervisors and team players, that they will vote for what's best for the town," Polzin said about Franzen and Wolfgram.
Pelletier had served as chairman since April 2005. He said he was disappointed no "anti-development" champion opposed his campaign.
His letter of resignation stated he concluded the election results showed voters disagreed with his vision for the town.
"They preferred little or no development and strict adherence to current county zoning ordinances and a 12-year-old, outdated rural land use plan," Pelletier wrote. "They would accept loss of town land to annexation if necessary. They want more of what is, not what could be."
It was no secret that the biggest issue in the election was the conceptual plan for Sho-Deen's 4,770-unit residential development, which has been strongly opposed by many in the community.
In January, the town plan commission recommended the town not proceed with the development. In March, Sho-Deen Construction asked Pelletier to postpone putting the decision on an agenda until after the election.
