West Allis approves street-reconstruction assessments; engineers detail utility replacements and payment options

The West Allis Common Council on Feb. 11 confirmed a city engineer report scheduling concrete reconstruction and related utility replacement on several streets and approved the special-assessment schedule for the work.

City Engineer Melinda Dieske told the council and neighbors the projects include Lincoln Avenue (a joint state project), Orchard Street, and Mineral Street among others. She said the water mains, sanitary sewers and storm systems in the affected corridors are roughly 90 to 100 years old and will be replaced as part of full reconstruction.

“This is a full reconstruct. So we will be removing all the pavement, all the curb and gutter, all the driveway approaches, and all the sidewalk,” Dieske said during the public hearing. She described the typical funding breakdown shown in staff materials: special assessments estimated at about $474,000; property taxes covering roughly $2,500,000; the sanitary sewer utility about $1.3 million; the water utility about $1.7 million; and the stormwater utility about $900,000.

Dieske described the property-owner assessment rate used for example calculations: $69.67 per foot of frontage for the street reconstruction plus $8.70 per square foot for driveway approaches that must be replaced. Final bills, she said, will not be mailed until construction is complete and quantities finalized; the city plans to mail final assessment statements in March 2026. Installment payment options include a 10-year plan with a four percent interest charge (the city borrows the money and passes the interest cost to property owners).

Designs are being finalized this winter, with bidding planned in spring and construction expected to start early in the summer and wrap up in the fall, Dieske said. She encouraged residents to sign up for the city’s construction-in-progress web updates.

Multiple residents pressed staff for more detailed plans and timelines. Francisco Gisela, a retired civil engineer who said he has worked for WisDOT and Caltrans, told staff he had not located the preliminary design plans online and asked how residents could review designs at the 10–30% or 70–95% stages. Dieske responded that staff are developing final plans and will contact interested residents when plans are ready to be bid.

Residents raised other concerns: tree protection, temporary parking and driveway access during construction, coordination with alley access for garbage/recycling collection, and whether utility work under adjacent “number” streets would be done at the same time (Dieske said water mains on some adjacent number streets are not included this construction cycle unless otherwise shown on project-specific maps).

Several speakers questioned why West Allis uses special assessments rather than covering the work through the tax base. Dieske and council members explained the city’s long-standing policy (and state law authority) allows special assessments and ensures tax-exempt properties pay a pro rata share for street reconstruction projects that are otherwise paid from property-tax revenue.

The council adopted the city engineer’s report for street reconstruction at the recessed session; the resolution was moved and seconded and passed on voice vote. Councilors recorded a later roll-call approval during final business with 10 in favor, 0 opposed.

Staff listed follow-up tasks including finalizing plans, notifying affected property owners, publishing construction schedules and offering site-specific meetings at residents’ requests.