History of the village of Pleasant Prairie

The Pleasant Prairie area was the center of Indian activity in pre-pioneer Wisconsin. The remnants of Indian culture abound in Pleasant Prairie. Some of the earliest traces of Indian life in Wisconsin were found along STH 32 and STH 165 and in the Carol Beach area. These early Indian campsites, along what was once the shoreline of Lake Michigan, represent some of the highest quality archeological sites in the United States. Pleasant Prairie also saw pioneers arrive in Wisconsin through the Jambeau Trail (now known as Green Bay Road). In addition, several natural historic sites such as the Chiwaukee Prairie and the Kenosha Sand Dunes lie undisturbed in Pleasant Prairie and provide Wisconsin residents with an opportunity to see what Wisconsin looked like before the advent of our earliest settlers.

Pleasant Prairie originally was a township that was nearly 42 square miles in size. Over the years, the city of Kenosha began to annex lands south of 60th Street and west from Lake Michigan, and the town of Pleasant Prairie slowly reduced in size over the next 150 years as the city of Kenosha grew. There were nine separate settlement areas in the township that in some cases became the starting point for significant growth in the future, and some no longer exist at all.

The most colorful area was the old village area of Pleasant Prairie located at 104th Avenue and Bain Station Road. Prior to 1875 it was known as Tar Corners because a thief was once tarred and feathered there. It is also the area of the Pleasant Prairie Powder Plant which exploded after the turn of the century and rocked buildings and shattered windows miles away. Today it is the location of many residential homes and the Pleasant Prairie Ball Park where many children play recreational softball and soccer.

Another old settlement area is the Bain Station and Ranney areas. Its location was along Bain Station Road between the current Canadian Pacific and Union Pacific railroads. These settlement areas were not as residential as they were rail stops for the Chicago Northwestern, the Kenosha-Harvard line, and the CSMP&P Chicago-Milwaukee main line. The Ranney site ended as a stop prior to 1862 and Bain Station site was named for the Bain Wagon Works and was listed as a stop well after 1800s. It is now the end of the line for trains coming out of Kenosha. The current site is immediately north of the Pleasant Prairie Power Plant and south of the power plant landfill.

Another more recent settlement area is the Carol Beach area that is along Lake Michigan from the Kenosha city limits to the state line. A subdivision of Carol Beach is the Chiwaukee area which was plotted in the 1920s. The rest of Carol Beach was subdivided and began plotting in 1947. The area is one of the most significant wetland areas in the United States and was largely protected through a compromise land use agreement between the Town of Pleasant Prairie, Kenosha County, the State of Wisconsin, and the Army Corp of Engineers. Today many of the areas that can be developed have been, and the state of Wisconsin and the Nature conservancy continue to buy remaining properties for prairie land preservation.

Other areas of the old township such as Tobin, Truesdell, Erly, and State Line have been incorporated within the village of Pleasant Prairie.

Pleasant Prairie had its beginnings as a political entity in April 1842 when the first town meeting was held and the first election of township officials took place. The early township officials met in the WilliamsÆ Congregational Church located at 93rd Street and Green Bay Road, which now is a religious bookstore. Later the old church became the official Town Hall and served the quiet agricultural community until urban growth finally necessitated more modern quarters in 1961. In that year, the Town rented office space in a small commercial center located on 22nd Avenue and 91st Street. That office space currently is a hair styling salon. In 1967 the Town government moved into a newly constructed municipal building on Springbrook Road and 39th Avenue that provided office, an auditorium, Fire Department apparatus room, and sleeping quarters. Finally, in 1997, eight years after the incorporation of the town into a village, the Municipal Building was updated and increased in size to accommodate village operations.

As a town, Pleasant Prairie constantly struggled to maintain its identity and ability to provide for the orderly development of the community. In 1984, the town and the City of Kenosha agreed upon a plan for orderly development and fixed boundaries for the town in exchange for the acknowledged right of property owners in various locations along the town/City border to annex into the city of Kenosha. The most significant area of this agreement was giving the city of Kenosha the ability to annex lands north of STH 50 from Green Bay Road to I-94, where the current Southport Plaza shopping center, White Caps subdivision, River Crossing subdivision among others, and the Aurora Hospital are located. In exchange the Town received the ability to protect the rest of the Town from annexations and the ability to purchase sewer and water from the city of Kenosha. In 1989, the agreement was advanced and the town of Pleasant Prairie was incorporated as a Village by a referendum of more than 3,000 citizens in favor and 300 against. The new boundaries were fixed and the village, with Wispark Corporation, began the development of LakeView Corporate Park, a large, modern, and beautifully landscaped center of employment for more than 8,000 people. Based on property value, Pleasant Prairie ranks as the fifth largest manufacturing municipality in the state of Wisconsin, exceeded only by Milwaukee, Green Bay, Madison, and Menomonee Falls.

Pleasant Prairie Demographics

Population (year 2000): 16,136. Estimated population in July 2006: 18,942 (+17.4 percent change)

 Males: 8,013 (49.7 percent)

Females: 8,123 (50.3 percent)

Kenosha County
Median resident age: 37.0 years
Wisconsin median age: 36.0 years

Zip codes: 53158.

Estimated median household income in 2005: $71,000 (it was $62,856 in 2000)
Pleasant Prairie $71,000
Wisconsin: $47,105
Estimated median house/condo value in 2005: $218,800 (it was $159,800 in 2000)
Pleasant Prairie $218,800

 

Pleasant Prairie Municipal Services

Pleasant Prairie Building Inspection Department

The village of Pleasant Prairie Building Inspection Department is dedicated to the public safety in the construction environment throughout the village through development and promotion of uniform codes and standards, enhancement of professionalism in code administration, and in education and instruction for the facilitation of a safe and secure home or business.

The village and Department of Building Inspection have adopted all of the Department of Commerce, State of Wisconsin, Building, Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing Codes. Through the adoption of these codes the Village ensures that all construction in the Village is compliant with all codes and requirements of the State.

In addition to providing all building, mechanical, electrical and plumbing inspections in the village, the State certified inspectors perform the plan review for all construction projects. It is during this plan review that potential conflicts with established codes can be dealt with in order to make the construction project proceed on a timely basis.

The Building Inspection Department also works closely with Planning and Zoning, Engineering, Utilities, Streets and Fire and Rescue during the Final Inspection Phase of the project. All inspections in the Village are scheduled with the Clerical Secretary, who then informs the various departments as needed.

Building Inspection Superintendent
Jeff Sorensen
Senior Building Inspector
Ken Robers
Building Inspector
Ralph Nichols
Clerical Secretary
Denise Pace
Building Inspection Department
9915 39th Avenue
Pleasant Prairie, WI 53158
262-694-9304
Fax: 262-925-6786

Hours: Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Clean Water Utility
 Storm Water Basics:
The Federal Government has enacted several new unfunded mandates requiring municipalities to increase their efforts regarding storm water quality. In order to comply with the Wisconsin DNR NR-216 permit, The Village of Pleasant Prairie has created The Clean Water Utility to fund capital projects needed to improve storm water quality. The four major components used by the Village, to determine The Clean Water Utility budget include operating expenses, new program costs, saving for future projects and capital projects.
2006 was the first year of the Clean Water Utility, and the Village Board decided to fund only daily operations. This excluded any capital projects. The 2007 budget will fund day to day operating expenses and system maintenance as well as vehicle equipment replacement, some capital projects, new federally mandated water quality programs, plus initiate a fund to draw on to replace older storm sewer pipes and storm water basins.
 All properties generate storm water runoff during rain events.
Storm water has become a concern for two main reasons - 1) the volume and timing of runoff impacting flood control and water supplies and 2) the potential health hazards that contaminated runoff carries with it throughout the water cycle.
Because areas of development have more impervious surfaces such as parking lots, roads, and buildings that do not allow rain to infiltrate into the ground, more runoff is generated per surface area than in less developed areas. This additional runoff causes stream and river erosion as well as flooding when the storm water collection system is overwhelmed by additional flow. Because water is flushed out of the watershed during a storm event, very minor amounts of water will infiltrate the already saturated soil to replenish our groundwater or supply a base flow for stream during dry weather.
Water we use in our homes finds its way into our household drains and is eventually routed through our sanitary sewer system to a wastewater treatment plant. But storm water or snow melt that flows into a storm drain flows unimpeded and untreated into our natural and recreational waterways. When you wash your cars in your driveway and let the soapy rinse water flow into the street it eventually finds its way to a storm water drain or ditch and into one our natural waterways. Look at your driveway or downspout the next time it rains and think about where all that rain water ends up. You probably already know that our storm sewer system and ditches eventually drain into one of two primary bodies of water. Surface water that drains into Lake Michigan flows towards the Atlantic Ocean while any water draining into the Des Plaines River flows southward to the Gulf of Mexico.
The UtilityÆs goal is to keep our waterways clean by stopping contaminates before they can flow into them. Clean rivers, lakes, and ground water are an essential component to the health and well being of all.

Pleasant Prairie Fire & Rescue Department
Mission Statement
Our purpose is to deliver services, at a reasonable cost, that maintain and improve the health, safety, welfare, and quality of life through the provision of fire suppression and emergency medical services that include, first responders, EMT-defibrillation, and paramedic training; prevention and public education; and safe, efficient, professional emergency response to those who live, work, visit, and travel through the Village of Pleasant Prairie.
Greetings from the Chief of Fire & Rescue
 On behalf of the members of the Fire & Rescue Department, it is an honor to welcome you to this Web site. We are pleased that you have taken the time to visit with the Pleasant Prairie Fire & Rescue Department to learn about our department and how to live a safer life. We hope your visit will leave you with the comfort knowing our people do not rest so that you, your family, and your neighbors can have a good nightÆs rest. We appreciate the support you provide to your Fire & Rescue Department.
Our personnel are trained to provide the highest skilled response to our residents and those visiting our community in a time of need. We continuously strive to improve upon the Fire, Emergency Medical Services, and Specialized Rescue Services that we provide, and work to be there whenever the need arises.
The Fire & Rescue Department continues to meet the challenges of change both within our village and those that affect our community. The Village of Pleasant Prairie continues to grow and mature, and for the Fire & Rescue Department to meet that change within itself is a great accomplishment. But the real accomplishment is the positive attitude and the sheer determination of our personnel who make this Fire & Rescue Department the successful organization that it is.
Our commitment is to continue to be a professional, well-prepared provider of Fire, Emergency Medical, and Specialized Rescue Services, made possible through the commitment of our personnel. We continue to make the Village of Pleasant Prairie a better and safer place in which to live, work, and recreate.
On behalf of our officers, firefighters, EMTsÆ, and paramedics, I thank you for the privilege of serving you! If I can be of any additional service to you on behalf of the Fire & Rescue Department, please contact me.

Paul G. Guilbert, Jr.
Chief of Fire & Rescue
E-mail: fireandrescue@plprairie.com
Pleasant Prairie Community Development Department
The Village of Pleasant Prairie Community Development Department efforts focus on coordinating development through sound land use planning and implementation of development controls and zoning. The department is responsible for encouraging and regulating the use of the land, waters, and structures in a planned and orderly manner so as to promote the public health, safety, convenience, and general welfare of the citizens of the community. This is done by respecting the balance between property ownersÆ rights, economic development, and environmental protection.
The department promotes the preservation of environmentally sensitive areas such as the Chiwaukee Prairie Nature Preserve located in the eastern portion of the Village and the Des Plaines River Watershed located in the western portion of the Village.
The department provides services such as: developing and updating the VillageÆs comprehensive plans, including the land use plan, park and open space plan, transportation plan, and neighborhood plans; reviewing site plans, operational plans, development plans, and planned developments for commercial, industrial, and institutional projects; reviewing all land divisions, subdivisions, and multi-family developments; providing technical planning and zoning information to the public; and conducting zoning inspections. The Community Development Department works closely with the Building Inspection, Public Works/Engineering, Administrative, Fire & Rescue, and Police Departments by coordinating all of the development applications and project reviews for all new and expanding residential, commercial, industrial, institutional, and recreational developments in the Village.
Community Development Director,
Village Zoning Administrator, and Village Planner
Jean M. Werbie
Assistant Planners and Assistant Zoning Administrators
Peggy Herrick
Tom Shircel
Executive Secretary
Jan Petrovic
Community Development Department
9915 39th Avenue
Pleasant Prairie, WI 53158
262-925-6717
Fax: 262-925-6787

Hours: Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The Pleasant Prairie Police has 27 sworn positions. This includes the Chief and Assistant Chief of Police.
The department deploys three primary shifts daily each of which is commanded by a Lieutenant of Police with the exception of day shift, where the Chief of Police functions as the shift commander. Each shift also has a Sergeant of Police assigned to function as a relief shift supervisor.
The Investigative Bureau is commanded by a Detective Lieutenant of Police who supervises the BureauÆs two detectives. In addition to the three primary shifts, the department deploys a canine unit during hours of peak activity.
The department currently utilizes nine marked and four unmarked police vehicles along with two Harley-Davidson police motorcycles.
In addition to the sworn staff, the department employs ten non-sworn clerical and dispatch personnel. Dispatch personnel provide emergency and non-emergency communications services to the police, fire, and emergency medical services, as well as the Public Works Department.
The Pleasant Prairie Police Department is headquartered at the Roger Prange Municipal Center, a state-of-the-art facility built in 1994, which the department shares with the Municipal Court and Public Works Departments.
The department maintains a computerized records database consisting of more than 75,000 persons and their histories along with records related to more than 100,000 calls for service. This records database is available to officers on patrol via the departmentÆs mobile data network.
In order to facilitate the delivery of quality law enforcement services, the department maintains personnel trained in the following specialty areas:
Accident Investigation and Reconstruction
Crime Scene Investigation/Physical Evidence
Latent Fingerprint Identification
Hazardous and Incendiary Devices
Arson Investigation
Death Investigation
Domestic Abuse and Sexual Assault
Police Canine Unit
Police Honor Guard
Police Firearms Instructors
Defensive & Arrest Training Instructors
Pleasant Prairie Police Department
8600 Green Bay Road
Pleasant Prairie, WI 53158
EMERGENCY DIAL 9-1-1
Non-Emergency 262-694-7353
Administration 262-694-7105
E-mail: police@plprairie.com
Pleasant Prairie Public Works
Village Hall: 262-694-1400
Dog licenses
Utility bill questions
Public Works: 262-694-1403
Signs damaged or missing
Animal carcass on the road or shoulder
Garbage Service, missed pickup or general garbage questions
Recycling bins
Lakeview RecPlex: 262-947-0437
Reserving picnic groves or party rooms
Membership
Pool/fitness center hours
WE Energies: 800-714-7777
Illumination lights out
Note: brown, black and wood poles are WE Energies poles. Green poles are Village poles.
Utility Department

The Village of Pleasant Prairie Utility Department oversees Pleasant PrairieÆs water and wastewater operations.
Water
Pleasant PrairieÆs water source is surface water from Lake Michigan. All water is purchased from the Kenosha Water Utility, which is drawn through the largest micro-filtration plant in the world. Water is then pumped to our Sheridan Road booster station and reservoir where it is again pumped to a second booster station and four towers located throughout the Village with a combined capacity of more than 12,000,000 gallons available to homes, businesses, and industry through almost 100 miles of water distribution mains.
In addition to source testing at Kenosha Water UtilityÆs plant, Pleasant PrairieÆs water distribution system is tested eight times per month. Towers and reservoirs are inspected routinely and pumping stations daily. The Village of Pleasant Prairie participates in yearly lab certification and bi-annual lab evaluation. The Utility does many other programs such as testing for lead and copper in the water for homes built before 1983. The Village of Pleasant Prairie Fire & Rescue Department flushes all distribution mains and checks all of Pleasant PrairieÆs fire hydrants.
Since September 11, 2001, there has been a far greater focus on the safety of everyoneÆs water systems. Fencing, intrusion alarms, and lockouts are among just a few safeguards that have been added to Pleasant PrairieÆs water system. A vulnerability assessment was completed June 2004 which is Federally mandated.
We at the Village of Pleasant Prairie strive to provide an uninterrupted, safe, clean water supply for consumption and fire protection at a reasonable price now and for the future, 24/7.
Wastewater
The Village of Pleasant PrairieÆs wastewater operation consists of two wastewater treatment plants, sewer ôDö and 73-1 wastewater treatment plant. However, the vast majority of Pleasant PrairieÆs wastewater is processed at the City of KenoshaÆs wastewater treatment plant made possible by a cooperative agreement of both municipalities. As a part of that agreement, the Village of Pleasant Prairie will eventually direct all of its wastewater to Kenosha wastewater treatment plant by the year 2010.
Throughout the wastewater system, there are 17 lift stations that direct wastewater from lower-lying areas to points where it can then gravitate through more than 110 miles of distribution mains currently to wastewater treatment plants.
In order to operate wastewater treatment plants and discharge treated water into lakes and streams, the Village of Pleasant Prairie Utility is required every five years by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to have a discharge permit and monthly discharge monitoring report; an annual sludge report; a lab evaluation every three years; a yearly lab certification, and a compliance maintenance annual report, ôCMARö. In addition, the Village of Pleasant Prairie Utility crews are required to clean all distribution lines every three years. The utility crews have routine schedules for ground water infiltration to the wastewater system by visually inspecting manholes for leakage and video taping main lines and appurtenances for leaks and repairing them where necessary. Along with that, the Utility has aggressively sought out illegal discharge into the wastewater system.
The Village of Pleasant Prairie is proud of its record of the wastewater system, and in providing a reliable and safe sanitary sewer system for the community.
Division of Pleasant Prairie Public Works Department
Roger Prange Municipal Building
8600 Green Bay Road
Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin 53158
T: 262-694-1403
Emergency Phone: 262-694-1234 After normal business hours
F: 262-925-6790
Hours: Monday through Friday 7 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Division Head: Ron Kammerzelt, Utility Superintendent

Utility Billing Office
The Village Hall
9915 - 39th Avenue
Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin 53158
T: 262-925-6705
F: 262-694-4734
E: Utilitybill@plprairie.com for utility bill questions
Hours: Monday through Friday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

The Village of Pleasant Prairie Utility provides emergency service 24 hours a day. For sewer and water emergencies Monday through Friday after normal business hours or on weekends/holidays call 262-694-1234.
Contacts
The Village of Pleasant Prairie Utility Department Main Office
8600 Green Bay Road
Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin 53158
T: 262-694-1403
Hours: Monday through Friday 7 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. except holidays.

Name Title Phone Fax
Ron Kammerzelt Utility Superintendent 262-694-1403 262-925-6790
Dan Anderson Treatment Plant Operator II & Lab Manager 262-694-7089 262-694-7114
Rocky Horvath Treatment Plant Operator II 262-694-1403 262-925-6790
Tracy Twigg-Galicia Utility Billing Analyst 262-925-6705 262-694-4734
Susan Clot-Joseph Utility Clerical Secretary 262-694-1403 262-925-6790
Email the utility department: utilitydept@plprairie.com

The Office of Assessment Administration maintains specific property information and determines a value for most of the real estate parcels in the Village of Pleasant Prairie.
Contact Information:
AssessorÆs Office
9915 39th Ave.
Pleasant Prairie, WI 53158
T: 262-925-6707
F: 262-925-6785
AssessorsOffice@plprairie.com

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Demographic Information