Town of Portland Information
Click here for full 2024 Town of Portland Annual Report
Contains info about recycling site, meetings, permits, voting, zoning regulations, etc.
Town of Portland Quick Links:
Town of Portland Building Inspection/Permit Information - FAQ
General Engineering (submit applications, pay permit fees online)
TOWN BOARD MEETINGS
Monthly Town Board meetings are typically held at the Portland Town Hall on the third Thursday of each month beginning at 7:00 PM. Anyone wishing to have an item placed on the agenda for one of the monthly Board meetings must contact the Town Chairperson or Town Clerk no later than the second Thursday of that particular month.
Notices of meetings and/or meeting agenda are posted at the following locations:
Corner of Port Road and Highway BB
Portland Town Hall – W 11720 Taylor Street
Town’s Solid Waste/Recycling Site – Witt Lane
In addition, most meeting notices are also posted on the Town website (www.townofportlandwi.org).
MEETING/HEARING FEES
Anyone requesting a Special Town Board Meeting to be held must pay a $250.00 fee before the meeting will be scheduled.
Anyone applying for a zoning change, conditional use permit, or variance must pay both the Town’s fee ($350.00) AND the pertinent General Engineering fee BEFORE the needed hearing/meeting will be scheduled.
All such paid fees are non-refundable.
VOTING INFORMATION
Elections are conducted at the Portland Town Hall located at W 11720 Taylor Street. All electors must be registered voters in the Town of Portland, must have resided in the Town of Portland for at least 28 days prior to the specific election, and must provide proof of identification. More information regarding voting is available from Town Clerk Nancy Thompson (920-478-3724) or portlandtownclerk@gmail.com), the Wisconsin Elections Commission website (https://elections.wi.gov), or the Elections Commission Help Desk (608-261-2028).
ZONING REGULATIONS
Anyone purchasing or selling property in the Town of Portland is encouraged to contact Kory Anderson at General Engineering Company for information about Town zoning regulations that affect the property. Anderson can be reached at 608-742-2169, 608-697-8001, or kanderson@generalengineering.net.
Both the Town’s Zoning Ordinance and the Town's Comprehensive Plan (which was last updated in 2015) are posted on the Town's website (www.townofportlandwi.org) under Notices and Forms/Reports, Plans, Maps.
LAND USE, BUILDING, ELECTRICAL, AND DRIVEWAY PERMITS
Any person desiring to have a one or two-family residence constructed, a mobile/manufactured home or other residential dwelling moved onto a Town site, or planning any other new construction or remodeling project must secure the required permit(s) prior to initiating such project. Follow-up inspection is also required. Any needed driveway must also be completed and approved before any associated building permit will be issued. In addition, all electrical service for commercial entities (which include agricultural operations), as well as other electrical service requires permitting and inspection.
Any person failing to secure any required land use, building, electrical, and/or driveway permit(s) prior to beginning any new construction or remodeling project will be subject to payment of double the associated fees.
Questions regarding permit applications, fee amounts, and other related issues should be directed to the Town’s building inspector, Dion Okeson. He can be reached by phone (608-617-9326) or by email (dokeson@generalengineering.net).
Pertinent information and application forms are also available on the Town’s website (www.townofportlandwi.org).. (See above.)
ROAD EASEMENTS
Due to the Town’s ever-increasing liability exposure, Town roadway easements will be enforced. Crops, trees, or anything else kept less than thirty-three feet (33 feet) back from the centerline of a road will be cut or removed.
BURNING REGULATIONS/PERMITS
Any person wishing to burn any leaves, grass, brush, clean wood, or other vegetative debris on his/her property MUST obtain a burning permit and then call the Dodge County Dispatcher (920-386-3726) before lighting the fire. There is a link to the burning permit application on the Town’s website (www.townofportlandwi.org) and directions under “Burning Regulations/Permits” there.
There is no fee for a burning permit.
(SEE LINK AT TOP OF PAGE FOR BURN PERMIT APPLICATION)
WOOD-FIRED FURNACES
Anyone wanting to install an outdoor wood-fired furnace must obtain a permit for such from the Town. The furnace must have an appropriate length of stack--no short stacks are allowed. The Town Board reserves the right to designate the location for any such furnace.
DOG LICENSES
All dogs (including house dogs) five (5) months of age or older must be licensed. Current licensing fees and required license application forms are available from Town Treasurer Carleen Benninger (920-927-5244). A current rabies certificate must also be provided before any dog license will be issued.
Households with more than four (4) dogs must apply for a kennel license by providing Treasurer Benninger with current rabies certificates for all the dogs, along with a $50.00 kennel license fee. She will then present the kennel application to the Town Board for consideration and possible approval at its next monthly meeting.
STRAY ANIMALS
The Town of Portland utilizes the Fond du Lac Humane Society for STRAY DOG (no other animals) services. Permission must be granted by a Town Board member prior to asking the Fond du Lac Humane Society to pick up any stray dog(s). Without such prior authorization, no dog(s) will be accepted.
SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL/RECYCLING SITE OPERATION AND FEES
The Town operates a site located on Witt Lane for disposal of recyclables and solid waste. The site is for the use of Town of Portland residents only and is typically open from 9:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. each Saturday, though hours are subject to change upon posting. Town residents must sign in EACH TIME they use the site.
Fees for permitted non-recyclable materials are as follows:
$ 2.00 per 15-gallon trash bag
$ 4.00 per 30-gallon trash bag
$ 6.00 per 55-gallon trash bag/barrel
$10.00 per load of construction materials
Fees for disposal of other items are as follows:
Paint cans $ 1.00 per can
Tires $ 4.00 - $30.00 each
Appliance containing Freon: $ 30.00 each
Appliance without Freon: $ 5.00 each
Televisions $ .75 per pound
Large/ "stuffed" chair $ 10.00 each
Sofa/couch $ 25.00 each
Hide-a-beds $ 25.00 each
Mattresses/Box springs $ 10.00-$20.00 each (+$5.00 more if pillow top)
Fluorescent bulbs $ .25-$1.00 each
Questions regarding any other possible acceptable items and the fee for such should be directed to attendant Joseph Pantely (920-219-0903).
A clean area is also available at the site for dumping stones, cement blocks, bricks, and other similar items if approved in advance by the site attendant. A “clean burn pit” is also available for burning raw wood and brush. There is no fee for such.
State law bans placement of oil filters in the ground. Such filters are not to be
commingled with anything else but may be taken to the site and given to the center attendant for disposal. The current fee for such is $.50-$1.00 per filter.
PLEASE NOTE: All Town fees listed on the previous pages are subject to change at any time deemed needed/appropriate by the Town Board. Similarly, the Town Board may institute additional new fees whenever the need arises.