Town of Lawrence, Wisconsin

Come Grow With Us!

Lawrence, a town of over 6,700 population, is one of the fastest growing municipalities in Wisconsin. Lawrence offers a high quality of both urban and rural lifestyles and excellent opportunities for residential, commercial and industrial growth. Interstate 41 runs through the middle of our community and provides ready access to both Appleton to the south and Green Bay to the north. The beautiful and picturesque Fox River forms the Town’s eastern border. The Town is served by the highly regarded West De Pere School District and Hemlock Elementary School is located in the burgeoning northwest side of the community.

If you are a resident of the Town of Lawrence, we hope you find this website to be useful and educational. If you are a visitor to this website, we hope you will learn about the many features that make the Town of Lawrence an enjoyable place to live, work, and visit!

Welcome to our Lawrence Community!

The Town Administrator is the Town's Chief Administrative Officer and is responsible for the coordination of the day-to-day operations of the Town and the implementation of the Town Board's policies and priorities.

This is accomplished through the administrative implementation of the Town Board’s resolutions and directives of the Town Board and by providing leadership and direction to the entire organization.

Other duties of the Town Administrator include the following:

• Preparing the Annual Budget
• Supervising and Directing Town Staff and Consultants
• Representing the Town in Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs
• Attending Town Board and other Commission and Committee Meetings
• Serving as Town Public Information Officer
• Promoting Civic Engagement
• Recommending Policies or Programs to the Town Board

Our Town Administrator is Patrick Wetzel who can be reached at PatrickW@lawrencewi.gov

The Town’s property assessments are provided via contract by Associated Appraisers.

Any annual assessment change notices are sent out to affected property owners by the Town Assessor in early Spring. An “Open Book” process then follows when affected property owners may review their assessment changes with the Town Assessor. In the event, a property owner wishes to contest a final assessment, the Town Board of Review is held anytime during the 30 day-day period beginning the second day in May.

More information from the Assessor is available.

The primary objective of the Town of Lawrence Building Inspection Department is to protect the safety, health, and welfare of the residents, transients, and general public through the issuance of building permits and inspections while maintaining neighborhood aesthetics and property values. The Building Inspection Department also works closely with other Town Departments as well as the Town Board and Planning and Zoning Board.

The Building Inspection Department manages the process of residential and commercial construction projects. The requirements for obtaining a permit are for the benefit of the property owner. The process begins with permit application, review and issuance. The Building Inspector performs field inspections for compliance of these building codes and standards to provide for the health and safety of all occupants. The process is completed with final inspection and the issuance of an occupancy certificate when applicable.

Do I need a permit?

Building permits are required for most projects except for purely cosmetic projects such as painting and flooring. Click the link below for the permit application that best fits your project.

Building Permit Applications

Please contact the Building Inspection Department for clarification or questions at (920) 347-3715.

Permit fees are doubled for projects started without proper permits. Other Violations and Citations may be issued.

In general, permits are needed for the following projects…

Permits are typically not required for the following projects…

Register to Vote online at https://myvote.wi.gov/, or in person at the Town Hall located at 2400 Shady Ct. To find out more information about voting, click here. 

Absentee Ballots

You may request an absentee ballot online at https://myvote.wi.gov/. Absentee ballots may also be requested by completing the “Wisconsin Application for Absentee Ballot” by mail. The form can be found here: Absentee Ballot Application

The office hours for In-Person absentee voting for the April 22, 2025 Special Recall Election for Wrightstown School District are as follows:

Tuesday,      April 7 - 7 a.m.-4 p.m.
Wednesday, April 8 - 7 a.m.-4 p.m.
Thursday,     April 9 - 7 a.m.-4 p.m.
Friday,          April 10 - 7 a.m.-11 a.m.
Monday,       April 14 - 7 a.m.-4 p.m.
Tuesday,      April 15 - 7 a.m.-4 p.m.
Wednesday, April 16 - 7 a.m.-4 p.m.
Thursday,     April 17 - 7 a.m.-4 p.m.
Friday,          April 18 - 7 a.m.-11 a.m.

Please note that we must have a photo ID on file for those voting absentee by mail.

IMPORTANT:

Priorities USA v. WEC. On July 5, 2024, the Wisconsin Supreme Court issued an opinion that held that drop boxes are a permissible method of absentee ballot return under state law. This decision overturned in part a previous decision from 2022, Teigen v. WEC, that had held that clerks could not use unstaffed drop boxes for the return of absentee ballots. Clerks are not required to use drop boxes, but the Priorities USA decision permits their use if a clerk so chooses.

Thank you for your patience and understanding in this matter.

Election Notices:

Type BCD

Type E & Public Test

Nursing Home Notice of Voting

Sample Ballot:

Wrightstown School District

Town Ward Maps:

All Wards

School District Boundaries

County Supervisory Boundaries

ELECTIONS:

Voting takes place at:

Lawrence Town Hall
2400 Shady Ct.
De Pere, WI 54115

The polls are open from 7:00 am - 8:00 pm

Voter Photo ID Required

2024 Election Dates:

Tuesday, November 5 - Presidential Election                                                                        

Wisconsin voters need to show an acceptable photo ID when voting at the polls or by absentee ballot. There are some exceptions to the law when voting by absentee.  Visit https://myvote.wi.gov/ for more details.

Town of Lawrence Fire Department and First Responders

Est. 1956

Mission statement:

The Lawrence Fire Department, through its dedicated members, is committed to providing the highest level of public safety services for our community. We protect lives and property through fire suppression, emergency medical response, disaster management, fire prevention and public education.

Department:

The Lawrence Fire department was established in 1956 and was originally located in a small two stall garage in unincorporated Little Rapids. Since then, we have grown into a well-respected and efficient department. In 2009, the Lawrence First Responders were formed.  In 2022, the Lawrence First Responders became members of the Lawrence Fire Department.

In 2016 The Lawrence fire department entered into an auto aid agreement with several neighboring fire departments creating the Fox River Fire District. Fire Departments included in this auto aid agreement are De Pere, Ashwaubenon, Hobart, Ledgeview, and Bellevue. We assist one another with structure fires by simultaneously being paged to respond to each other’s structure fire calls. 

The Lawrence Fire Department is also a member of MABAS (Mutual Aid Box Alarm System) Division 112, which includes all fire departments in Brown County. Through the use of MABAS, box cards are created to efficiently dispatch pre-determined resources for specific type of incidents. These incidents include structure fires, mass casualty incidents, water/ice rescue, brush fires, technical rescues, and hazardous materials incidents.

We currently operate out of two stations.

• Station 1 is located at 2595 French Road and houses 4 apparatus.
• Station 2 is located at 1780 Crimson Court and houses 2 apparatus.

Our services include fire prevention, fire suppression and rescue, public education, and First Responder EMS.

The fire department meets a minimum of twice a month.  Training consists of fire suppression, vehicle extrication, and EMS, just to name a few. 

Firefighters/First Responders:

The fire department meets a minimum of twice a month.  Training consists of vehicle 

extrication, driver and pumper operations, fire suppression, first aid, and CPR- just to name

 a few.  These men and women attend hundreds of hours of   training so they can bring these professional services to our   residents.

   We currently have 30 firefighters/first responders.  Most       members do both. 

•  All members are trained in CPR/AED
•  29 members are trained in fire and rescue
•  17 members are trained in EMS to the following levels:
  • 6 - Paramedics
  • 1 - Advance EMT
  • 6 - EMT Basic
  • 4 - Emergency Medical Responder

We also have a Medical Director, who first responds to calls, as needed to support our staff.

These men and women attend hundreds of hours of training so they can bring these professional services to our residents.

Demographics:

The Lawrence Fire Department protects about 16.1 square miles and approximately 6,700 residents of the Town of Lawrence, a small portion of Hobart, and the Fox River Fire District.  Approximately 25% of the Town have fire hydrants, the rest do not.

Calls for service are shown below but have grown tremendously in recent years and are continually trending upwards.

Calls for Service

In 2023, the Lawrence First Responders combined with the Lawrence Fire Department to become one department. With this consolidation, our reports show a significant increase in service calls. Our fire/EMS calls are documented under the same records management program. This along with an increased effort to respond to EMS calls resulted in an increased call for service numbers for 2023 and going forward.

Click HERE for the Lawrence Fire Department Annual Report

We would like to remind our residents and business that in the event you need the Fire Department or an Ambulance, to please call 911. Even though you don’t feel it is an emergency, 911 is the fastest and most efficient way for us to provide services to you.

The non-emergency number to call is 920-391-7450.

Calling the Town Hall may create a delayed response to something that truly is an emergency.

Click HERE for the town's interactive zoning map:

Town of Lawrence Restricted Zoning Map can be found here.

The Hobart/Lawrence Municipal Court is a joint venture between the Village of Hobart and the Town of Lawrence.  Under Section 755 of the Wisconsin Statutes, the Municipal Court has exclusive jurisdiction over allegations of ordinance or traffic violations brought by the Village of Hobart or the Town of Lawrence.

Address:

About the Court

Court Sessions:

Initial Hearings: 1st Thursday of each month at 9:00am,
Held at Hobart's Fire Station #1 at 2703 S. Pine Tree Rd, Hobart, WI 54155

Telephone Pre-Trial Conferences: Third Wednesday of each month.

Trials: Dates set as trials are requested.

Notice to the Accused:

You must be charged with a violation of a law which requires, upon conviction, that your operator's record be charged with such points and the Department of Motor Vehicles may suspend your operating privileges when your driving record shows that you have obtained or accumulated 12 points in 12 months (violation date to violation date).

The court may send you to jail if you do not pay your forfeiture. The court may also suspend your driving privileges for failure to pay.  If there is a suspension of your driver's license, or ability to obtain a driver's license, you must first pay the forfeiture, then go to the Department of Transportation and pay the required fees to reinstate your operating privileges. 

             For more information, please visit:       www.hobart-wi.org/municipal-court

Parks and Recreation Services

Lost Dauphin Park

Quarry Park

Shadow Ridge

                                   Amenities

There are various amenities in each of these parks for people to enjoy. The Town is actively engaged in improving these parks to meet the growing needs of our community. New residential housing units are assessed a park development fee that is used by the Town to pay for these park improvements.

Hobart-Lawrence Police Department

The Hobart-Lawrence Police Department (HLPD) serves the public twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. HLPD was established in 2001 as a cooperative department to provide the highest quality policing services at the lowest cost to taxpayers for both the Village of Hobart and the Town of Lawrence.

The Police Department is located in Hobart's Village Hall and is open to the public Monday through Friday from 7:30 am to 4:00 pm. The building is closed Saturday and Sunday. These hours are for the building and administrative personnel only and will not affect emergency and routine calls for police assistance. In addition, the Town of Lawrence residents can respond to the Lawrence Town Hall (during normal business hours) to report an issue, and an officer will respond to that location to assist. 

Emergency Response 9-1-1

• For urgent needs for police assistance

Non-Emergency Service (920) 391-7450 (Option #8)

• For non-urgent and/or routine requests for police assistance
  

Police Department Address:

2990 South Pine Tree Road                                                                                                                Hobart, WI 54155

PLEASE NOTE: The HLPD website below is hosted by the Village of Hobart website.
Please click the link below to be directed to the HLPD web page:

Hobart-Lawrence Police Department Website

The Department of Public Works is a small, talented group of employees to maintain and improve the infrastructure in the Town of Lawrence. The Public Works Department is responsible for all operational and maintenance activities to provide safe and efficient roadways for all modes of travel.  Additionally, the department assists with the maintenance of parks and Town facilities as well as coordinating with numerous other public utilities that operate within the Town’s right-of-ways. Public Works staff is also responsible for maintenance activities on the sanitary sewer and water system.

Staff

• Kurt Minten - Director of Public Works
• Tyler Mueller - Utility Operator
• Colin Wagner - Utility Operator
• Drake Bies - Utility Operator

For more information, please click on the buttons below:

The Town of Lawrence Town Board consists of five members with overlapping terms of two years each.

The Town Board is a policy and decision making body which exercises their authority only when acting in concert with other Town Board members at publicly advertised meetings.  

The Town Board is to provide a forum for the discussion of community issues, to build consensus and to adopt policies. It is legislative in nature, and is accomplished primarily through ordinances, resolutions and motions that define community standards and procedures to guide program development and implementation.

Town Board Meetings are held the second and fourth Monday of each month 6:00 p.m. at the Town Hall. 

Town Board Members

Town Board Agendas

Town Board Packets

Town Board Minutes

Other Important Town Phone Numbers:

COME GROW WITH US!

The Town of Lawrence continues to grow!  The population of Lawrence has grown from 4,284 in the 2010 census to 6,306 in the 2020 census.  This is a 47% growth increase, which makes Lawrence one of the fastest growing communities in Brown County! 

Current population is 6,936 residents

There are several subdivisions within the Town with available lots. 

Please click on the subdivisions below for more information!

American Rapids

Light Industrial/Commercial lot subdivision

Archangels Estates

Single Family lot subdivision

Autumn Field Condos

 Condominium lot subdivision

Autumn Heights

Single Family lot subdivision

Carpenter's Crossing South

Single Family, Duplex, and Condominium lot subdivision

Lawrence Parkway Estates

Single Family lot subdivision

Lawrence Parkway 1st Addition (Torchwood Extension)

Single Family lot subdivision--Please contact the Town Hall at (920) 336-9131

Little Rapids

Single Family and Duplex lot subdivision-Please contact the Town Hall at (920) 336-9131

Welcome to the Town of Lawrence Water Utility

  The Town’s Water Utility is responsible for the     maintenance, repair, replacement, and operating   services for the Town’s Water system.  The Town has   joined six surrounding communities to make up the Central Brown County Water   Authority (CBCWA).  The CBCWA was created to develop a joint water system that   would provide a reliable and high-quality source of water to meet the needs of each   community.

  We all work in partnership with the City of Manitowoc and Manitowoc Public Utilities (MPU).  The agreement with the CBCWA and Manitowoc has been in place since 2007. 

 Manitowoc Public Utilities produces some of the highest-quality drinking water in the nation.  This means that your tap water has met and exceeded federal and state drinking water health standards.

For more information on the Central Brown County Water Authority, please visit: www.cbcwa.com

The Town has one (1) metered intake site (located at 1220 Mid Valley Rd) from the CBCWA line and a 2^nd future metered intake will be at 1451 Bio Tech Way.   Our certified water system operators control the level of this through a computerized, radio-controlled signal system called SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition).  This system is monitored 24/7 and can alert our staff to changes in levels at any time of day.

Water Utility Services

• Meter Reading
• Meter installation, maintenance
• Meter repair
• Water tower cleaning, maintenance, and repair
• Diggers Hotline locate requests
• Emergency water main break repair
• Hydrant flushing and flow testing.
• Water main maintenance and repairs

For current water and sewer rates, click HERE

For a copy of our Annual Consumer Confidence Report, click Here

The Planning and Zoning Board meets on the second Wednesday of the month in the
Town Hall at 6:00 p.m.

Members

• Dr. Lanny Tibaldo (Chair)
• Larry Boldt (Secretary)
• Skip Lee
• Katie McCarty
• Mike Vande Hei
• Kyle Treml
• Travis Runke

Planning and Zoning Meeting Agendas

Planning and Zoning Meeting Minutes

The Zoning Board of Appeals meets as needed in the Town Hall.

Members

John VerBoort

Mike Vande Hei

Larry Boldt (alternate)

Andy Selner (Chair)

Bob Kidney

Tom Heffernan

• News &
  Notices
• Events
   
  
• Related
  Pages
• Services
   
  

• Notice of Possible Town Board Quorum for HALO Meeting
• 2025 BCHBA Fall Showcase of Homes
• Notice of Possible Town Board Quorum for Lawrence Town Center Groundbreaking
• 09-04-2025 Police Commission Agenda
• Labor Day Closed 2025
• Notice of Possible Town Board Quorum for HALO Meeting
• Brown County’s Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Survey
• 2024 Consumer Confidence Report

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  Fri Oct 31 16:00:00 2025
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