West Bend council delays vote on proposed Tax Increment District 17 after members say packet materials arrived late

The Common Council of the City of West Bend heard a detailed presentation on a proposed mixed‑use Tax Increment District (TID) Number 17 but agreed not to take final action at its Jan. 6 meeting, citing concerns about timing of the packet materials and statutory notice requirements.

Phil Costin, a municipal finance consultant with Ehlers, summarized the project plan before the council, saying the proposal covers a 104.77‑acre site with estimated project costs up to $17,800,000 and an estimated potential value increase of about $69,100,000. "We've identified estimated project costs up to $17,800,000," Costin said. He described the district as mixed‑use, allowed to remain open up to 20 years, and discussed requirements for mixed‑use TIDs, including limits on newly platted residential acreage and minimum residential density thresholds.

The plan identifies three primary development areas: a 95‑unit residential subdivision proposed by Newman Development (estimated at a conservative $425,000 per unit); commercial/light industrial acreage to the north (estimated conservatively at $350,000 per acre); and a later eastern residential area with about 25 additional units. Costin said the plan assumes a modest 2 percent annual property value increase for residential parcels and projects the South Eighteenth Avenue roadway and water main improvements as a major cost (about $6.6 million) likely to require city borrowing. He also described two municipal revenue obligations (MROs): $1,211,000 identified for Continental Properties and an up-to-$5,000,000 MRO under negotiation with Newman Development to reimburse internal subdivision roads from increment as it is generated.

Council members raised procedural concerns. The presiding official said several council members had not seen the presentation prior to the meeting and noted the Joint Review Board had a final meeting scheduled for Jan. 21. "I've got some concerns tonight on putting this to a vote, because this presentation was not posted in our packet and I would assume there's some council members who are seeing it for the first time," the presiding official said. Costin responded that the timing of the class‑1 public notice and the public hearing sequence needed to be confirmed and that the administration would follow up; he offered that moving the Joint Review Board date by a week was an alternative.

Council members also asked substantive questions about future park or green space within proposed residential development; Costin said amenities such as parks would be handled during the normal subdivision and zoning review process, not within the TID project plan, which is the financing tool.

After discussion the council agreed not to vote on the TID at the Jan. 6 meeting and to place the item on the Jan. 20 agenda for action so the notice and review schedule could be confirmed. Costin said that if the council approves the project plan on Jan. 20 it would return to the Joint Review Board for its final approval on Jan. 21.

Why it matters: Creating a tax increment district would let the city capture new property tax increment on future development inside the district to finance infrastructure and development incentives. The project plan identifies a major roadway and water main improvement and two development incentive agreements; those costs and their timing determined whether the TID can support borrowing and the length of the district’s life.

Next steps: The council put TID Number 17 on its Jan. 20 agenda for action; Joint Review Board final action is scheduled Jan. 21.