The theme is a familiar one:
The economic condition and the potential for state budget cuts that may impact municipalities requires us to look once more at every project and piece of equipment to determine if it can be deferred.
That's Mayor George Sherck in a memo to the Council members. It's a familiar theme but a prudent one. Neenah is in good financial shape compared to other cities around the state and compared to the state of Wisconsin itself.
Things you may be interested in
Lots happening on Wednesday, January 21st. There are solid meetings at City Hall from 4:00pm onwards.
The Community Development Authority meets at 4:00 in the Hauser Room. It will feature a "Public Hearing to consider expansion of the boundaries of Redevelopment Area No. 2-Downtown Gateway, and the associated Amendment #2 to the Redevelopment Plan." The piece of property in question is adjacent to the Fox River right near where the new Plexus headquarters is to be built. It's about nine-tenths of an acre in size.
After the public hearing, the CDA will then vote on whether to approve Amendment #2.
The CDA will also hear an update on the condition of the land the city is obligated to buy from Kimberly-Clark. The DNR has some issues. Not unusual for industrial property, but it might delay the purchase.
At 5:45 a Special Finance and Personnel Committee meeting will follow the CDA meeting in the Hauser Room. They'll talk about officially using another bank for city funds and a tentative agreement with the Teamsters Union. Teamsters members on the city payroll include workers in Streets & Sanitation, Park & Rec., and the cemetery. The city attorney notes: "As in any contract negotiation, neither side achieved everything it desired. However, I believe that this is a very fair agreement and strongly recommend its ratification."
Then at 6:00 the Committee of the Whole of the City Council will meet in the Council Chambers to consider "the GreenBay Road/Winneconne Avenue traffic improvement projects".
One of the main considerations whether to go ahead right away or to defer the reconstruction of Green Bay Road and Winneconne Avenue is the timetable for reconstruction of the Breezewood exit by the state. The concern is that if Neenah delays reconstruction of GB Rd./Winneconne Ave. until after the state finished its reconstruction at the Breezewood exit, it is "questionable" whether GB Rd./Winneconne Ave. will be able to handle the increased traffic from the re-routing of that busy Hwy 41 exit.
So, for budget considerations during tight economic times, it may be best to defer the reconstruction of GB Rd./Winneconne Ave. It also may be prudent to do so since we don't have any firm agreements with any private development outfit to build new facilities on the existing Big Lots site. There have been rumors, of course, but nothing firm.
Another rumor that's affecting the decision to reconstruct that major intersection is the status of Shopko.
However, will we be willing to put up with massively increased traffic congestion at GB Rd./WInneconne Ave. when the state reconstructs the Breezewood exit? As Deputy Public Works Director, Gerry Kaiser, pointed out at the last Public Services meeting, while Neenah plans to allow continued use of Green Bay Rd./Winneconne Ave. during construction, the state will completely shut down the Breezewood exit.
Of course, one thing that hasn't been mentioned -- at least where I could hear it -- is that the state itself may delay the reconstruction of the Breezewood exit. We could then afford to put off the GB Rd./Winneconne reconstruction. The economy will bounce back, investors will take a more serious interest in the WInneconne Ave./GB Rd. "gateway", and we could go ahead with construction to be ready when the state decides to go ahead with the Breezewood exit.
This is all coming to a head because the state -- at least for now -- has indicated that it might very well move up the construction schedule for the Breezewood exit from 2013 to 2011.
To me, it would seem feasible to request that the state not move up its construction schedule to give us a bit more, as Deputy Director Kaiser calls it, "wiggle room".
There have also been some very vocal opponents to roundabouts. I mention that because the city is definitely leaning towards a roundabout-laden reconstruction of GB Rd./Winneconne Ave.; four new roundabouts to be precise. Kaiser will have video available at the Committee of the Whole meeting "showing pedestrian movements at roundabouts".
Immediately following the Committee of the Whole meeting in the Council Chambers, the Board of Public Works will sneak in before the Council meeting to approve payment of some bills.
Then at 7:00, or thereabouts, the full Neenah City Council will meet. Two Public Hearings will be conducted covering:
- "Rezoning 520 W. North Water Street from I-2 General Industrial to R-2 Two Family Residence District."; and
- "Proposed expansion of Redevelopment Area No. 2..."
I'm not sure why there's another public hearing covering the same topic in the public hearing during the CDA meeting; but there it is in the Council agenda. Maybe it's a typo...or maybe multiple public hearings on the same day covering the same topic are standard operating procedure.
During the meeting the Council will possibly have a vote to approve the recommendation made by the Committe of the Whole on the GB Rd. redevelopment options ... if any. There's really no telling whether the CotW will make a recommendation or not.
The Council will also vote on the recommendations made by the various committees: payments of construction bills, approving the addition of another bank for deposit of city funds, the Teamster contract, etc. The last thing the Council will vote on is to approve/authorize the Mayoral proclamation of a snow emergency. If that doesn't pass, then anybody who got a ticket for not complying with the parking restrictions in the proclamation could conceivably get their tickets fixed.