Town of Hull Gearing Up for Meetings On Residents’ Dry Well Concerns
By Brandi Makuski
Officials from the Town of Hull say they’re prepping for two upcoming meetings between residents and local officials, and they expect a high turnout concerning recent complaints over dry wells.
A listening session is planned for Tuesday with Portage County Executive Patty Dreier from noon- 1 PM at the Town of Hull Municipal Building, 4550 Wojcik Memorial Drive. That meeting, according to Town Secretary Barb Brilowski, had been planned before large- scale concerns over dry wells had been made public, but Brilowski said residents are encouraged to bring up any issues they wish with Dreier.
“As citizens, people can bring up whatever is on their mind with her,” Brilowski said.
Another meeting has been scheduled specifically to discuss well water issues in the Town of Hull, this one being held at SPASH on Oct. 21 at 6 PM. According to Town Chairman John Holdridge, the meeting is being held at SPASH to accommodate the large number of residents he expects that night. A previous meeting held in the town’s municipal building was so large it nearly broke fire code.
Holdridge said residents of Hull have been complaining about water disappearing from their wells for the past few months. During an Oct. 5 meeting, many residents came forward to say they believe high capacity well #11 for the City of Stevens Point, which is close to Hull, is to blame.
Many of the residents said they’ve had to shell out more than $6,000 for new wells to be drilled.
City leaders have repeatedly said the well is not to blame, citing hydrological research they say proves the new well, which went online in 2012, isn’t to blame.
“I understand the knee jerk reaction,” Stevens Point Mayor Andrew Halverson said. “Well 11 simply isn’t the culprit.”
Whether representatives from Stevens Point will be present for the Oct. 21 meeting is unknown, as the city holds its regular monthly council meeting on the same date at 7 PM.
Brilowski said the town is working to keep residents educated as best it can, sending fliers in the regular mail and using email and Facebook to keep information flowing.
“We’re going to try to keep people updated (via the town website), and we know people don’t always have that ability, but we’re doing the best we can,” she said.