Pandemic-tested leaders focused on a return to normal

While the pandemic continued to pose challenges to Grafton throughout 2021, leaders during the annual State of the Community presentation reported a return to normalcy in last year they hope continues into 2022.

The event, hosted on Jan. 26 at Twelve18, gave community members the chance to hear a year-in-review presentation from municipal and business leaders.

Grafton Chamber of Commerce Director Pam King said while 2021 was another year that had challenges because of the pandemic, it was also a year the Chamber began resuming normal activities and community partnerships.

Annual events such as Fall into Grafton and the Christmas parade were held, and thousands participated in remote offerings such as virtual visits with Santa, the Christmas house decorating contest and self-guided tours of Grafton.

King noted that 12 new members joined the Chamber in 2021 — bringing the total to 330 — room tax income began to increase from pandemic lows and Chamber gift checks totaled $30,000, up $10,000 from the previous high in 2019.

King highlighted the Chamber’s connections with the Grafton School District. She said the chamber helped find middle and high school students scholarships. One student even became an intern for the chamber and is helping with different initiatives.

King said as Covid caseloads continue to dip in 2022, that the Chamber is looking forward to resuming more of its normal operations.  

“2021 was challenging and we hope to continue to bring many of our favorite events and activities back as we move into 2022,” she said.

King added that the Chamber is looking forward to exciting new initiatives as well.

One is  developing what would be called Paramount Park. The Chamber has applied for a grant to create a space that would pay homage to Paramount Records, a music label responsible for recording early blues and jazz musicians, and the historical role it played in Grafton.

“We’re excited to move forward to make that park a reality so we can celebrate our blues history and have a place where people can come together and really understand and appreciate that history,” King said.

Village President Jim Brunnquell cited a number of new businesses and developments in the village as signs of growth.

He said 95 new homes were built in Grafton last year, 40 more than were built in 2020. Many were the result of progress on residential developments such as Blue Stem and Shady Hollow.

Brunnquell also noted new businesses that came to Grafton this year, including Resilient Nutrition, Cake Creations, Davis Engineering and Crumbl Cookies, saying that while some are smaller than others, they all play an important role in the community.

One other accomplishment for the village in 2021 was the closing of a downtown tax increment finance district that started in 1999 and supported more than 20 projects, including the Lumberyard Plaza, the Heritage of Grafton Condominiums, the Grafton Hotel Apartments and Mill Square.

“When you look around at the downtown and see what we’ve done in the last 20 years it’s just incredible,” Brunnquell said.

The TIF district added $61 million in value to the village.

Town of Grafton Chairman Lester Bartel said the town is growing as well. He said the valuation of the town used to be about a third of the villages but that as it hits $700 billion, it’s closer to half. He added that population is beginning to grow again and is nearing 4,300 after several years of stagnation.

Bartel said the town will be continuing road improvements throughout 2022 and continue to partner with the village for emergency services, school and economic opportunities.

He said the pandemic truly tested the community, but thanks to the relationships and foundations within Grafton, the village and town were able to weather the storm.

School District Supt. Jeff Nelson said while Covid continues to present challenges, school leaders were pleased they were able to have students learn in-person and begin resuming normal activity.

Nelson said during the worst of the pandemic, students missed out on key experiences, but through 2021 some of those memory-making events and activities are returning.

In addition to decreasing the mill rate by 31 cents last year — making it the third year it has dropped — Nelson said he is also proud the district received the highest score possible on the Department of Public Instruction report card.

“Out of all K12 districts in the state we are number nine,” he said. “It’s a huge accomplishment for our district. It’s something we are very proud of.”