Month: June 2025

Posted and Mailed 06/25/2025

PUBLIC NOTICE TO ALL CUSTOMERS OF THE OCONTO UTILITY COMMISSION

The Oconto Utility Commission (Utility) has filed an application with the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (Commission) to adjust water rates. The Utility’s last water conventional rate case was completed in 2012. The total decrease in water revenues requested is $36,156 which will result in an estimated overall rate decrease of 3.27 percent over the water utility’s present revenues.

If the request is granted, the water bill for an average Residential customer with a ¾-inch or ¾­inch meter who uses 1,200 cubic feet per quarter will increase from $107.64 to $112.89, or 4.88 percent including the public fire protection charge.

A public hearing on the application has been scheduled for Tuesday, July 1, 2025 at 11 :00 a.m. in the Council Chambers at Oconto City Hall, 1210 Main Street or on Zoom.

To comment at the hearing, a member of the public may either:

(1)          Attend any physical location as noticed for this session; or

(2)          Join Zoom at: https://us02web.zoom.us/my/pschearings

If no adequate internet connection exists, join Zoom by telephone. Dial: +1 312 626 6799

Enter Meeting ID: 809 513 2930

Parties and Commission staff shall either:

(1)          Attend any physical location as noticed for this session; or

(2)          Join Zoom at: https://us02web.zoom.us/my/pschearings

The Commission intends to livestream and record this hearing on YouTube. To access the livestream, go to the Commission’s website at http://psc.wi.gov, click the dropdown menu labeled “News & Events”, select the item labeled “Commission Calendar”, navigate to the hearing for docket number 4350-WR-104, and select the “Stream Video” link that appears under “Observe”.

A person may testify in this proceeding without becoming a party and without attorney representation. A person may submit this testimony in only one of the following ways:

• Web Comment. File a comment on the internet. Go to the Commission’s web site at http://psc.wi.gov, and click the dropdown menu labeled “Commission Actions”. Select the item labeled “File a Public Comment”. On the next page select the “File a comment” link that appears for docket number 4350-WR-104. Web comments shall be received no later than Thursday, July 3, 2025.

• Live Comment. Make a live comment at the hearing. The ALJ may receive live comments from any member of the public in attendance after the close of any party and Commission staff testimony. The ALJ will receive such comments by stating the name of each member of the public connected to the hearing one at a time and asking if they would like to comment.

•Mail Comment. Send a comment by U.S. Mail. All comments submitted by U.S. Mail shall be received no later than Thursday, July 3, 2025 and shall be addressed to: Attn: Docket 4350-WR-104 Comments, Public Service Commission, P.O. Box 7854, Madison, WI 53707-7854.

To access the documents, schedule, and other information about this docket, go to the Commission’s web site at http://psc.wi.gov, select the dropdown menu labeled “eServices”. Select the item labeled “Docket Search (CMS)”. On the next page enter 4350-WR-104 in the spaces labeled “Case #” and select “Search”.

If you have any questions, please contact the Oconto Utility Commission at 920-834-7719.

Saturday, June 28, 2025

from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm

Please join us for an Open House at the Copper Culture Museum at Copper Culture State Park in Oconto, WI. We want to share the newly refreshed building and exhibits with the community on Saturday, June 28, from 10am to 4pm.  The Park and the Museum are always free to the public.  There will be a refreshments tent and an Ancient Native American Artifacts Identification table in the front garden.  Area artifact collectors are invited to bring items from their collection for review.  The 125^th Anniversary of the Wisconsin State Parks system will also be celebrated. 

Archaeological findings about the Old Copper Complex (as it is now known to archaeologists) over the last 20 years have been incorporated into the new exhibits which focus on the lifeways of ancient people of the northeast Wisconsin thousands of years ago.  The burials at the Oconto Site are direct prehistoric ancestors of the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin.  According to American Archaeology, Spring 2025, Vol.29 No.1, new evidence supports the probability that the Copper Culture people were the earliest known metallurgists in the western hemisphere, but also one of the earliest, if not the earliest, in the world.  The Oconto (archaeological) Site is one of only a handful of similar sites in the Upper Great Lakes region and is the only one with a museum dedicated to telling the story of these prehistoric people.   

The Copper Culture Museum is open Daily 10am to 4pm, from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day, and by appointment to small groups during the spring and fall.  The Museum is housed in the charming, intricately bricked farmhouse, built by Charles Werrebroeck over 100 years ago in the traditional, Old World Belgian style.  The beautiful Oconto milled maple floors have been preserved, and the double-sided fireplace has been thoughtfully enhanced using hand painted panels by local artist Bruce Retzlaff. The Museum is operated under the auspices of the Oconto County Historical Society.