Advisory referenda are votes cast that show lawmakers how their constituents feel on an issue. In the case of Burlington this fall, the question will let city officials know if voters want the dam that formed Echo Lake removed and the area returned to its original state, or for the dam to repaired and retained.
Building support for an issue on the ballot often involves employing printing services.
Echo Lake has been in existence since 1835 and has provided a range of recreational opportunities that have included ice skating, hockey, fishing, and small boat racing. A dam inspection in 2015 showed that Echo Lake Dam would not be up to handling a 500-year flood, and a verdict followed that the city had 10 years to bring the dam up to state requirements.
Jack Simenson, who works in erosion and sediment control, is a Burlington resident who explained to Fox 6 Milwaukee:
"A dam blocks sediment from a river coming down, so when you have a concrete barrier, and you have rivers coming through there, the sediment stops and continuously backs up."
The two options available to the city are demolish the dam at a one-time cost of $7.7m or spend $8.1m to dredge the lake to become compliant with state requirements.