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City manager outlines TIF footprint, development updates, and grants including $15,000 tree-planting award
Summary
City Manager Greg briefed the council on multiple city projects: tax incremental district (TID) statistics, development progress at Sandy Bay Phase 3, lead lateral replacement delays, a $15,000 forestry grant for Washington Park with a youth apprenticeship, tourism publications, and staffing updates.
City Manager Greg delivered a wide-ranging report to the 2 Rivers City Council on Jan. 20 that summarized tax-incremental financing (TIF) activity, development projects and recent grant awards.
Greg said the city has 12 active TIF districts covering about 486 acres, roughly 12.5% of the city's land area (the city is about 6 square miles of land). He told the council the increment captured by the city's TIFs totals about $24,422,000, or around 4.6% of the city's equalized value as of 2024. He noted state law prohibits creating or amending TIFs if captured increment exceeds 12% of equalized value.
Greg reviewed several TIF-specific projects and histories, including industrial TIFs created for Eggers VT and the Woodland Industrial Park, the downtown Cobblestone Hotel-related TIF that funded blight elimination and redevelopment, and TIF-supported projects such as assistance to Riverside Foods.
On development, staff reported that Sandy Bay Phase 3 crews completed sanitary and water mains and laterals serving 26 lots but have paused road grading and final surfacing until spring because of frost. A contract for one Raleigh Court lot is expected to close later in January at $74,900, and staff said several builders have expressed interest in other lots.
Greg also updated the council that contractor work on lead lateral replacements remains on hold during cold weather and will resume in spring. He said contractors had advanced much of the underground utility work in Sandy Bay but deferred surface work while frost persists.
Parks and recreation director Mike Mathis and representatives from Grace Congregational Church described a joint grant application under the federal Inflation Reduction Act funds administered by Faith in Place. The city will receive just over $15,000 to plant about 20 trees in Washington Park, cover watering and seasonal staff costs, and hire a forestry-track youth apprentice for 450 hours at $15 per hour. Church volunteers will help with planting and community outreach.
Tourism director Joe Metzen previewed two new publications produced in partnership with Visit Manitowoc: a joint tourism guide and a hike-bike-paddle brochure with an interactive map and QR links to partners. Both documents will be available in print and online at explore2rivers.com, and distribution events are scheduled later in January.
Greg reported personnel items: a newly hired police clerk and evidence technician will be formally announced soon; the city is continuing recruitment for a city planner/community development director and a certified water operator; and the city manager recruitment outreach will begin in March with a late-May target for finalist visits. He also recognized Police Officer Alec Henseler for a valor award he received in Wisconsin for a line-of-duty incident in 2022 prior to his hire in 2 Rivers.
Greg closed by noting upcoming events and reminders about snow-and-ice sidewalk removal rules and the winter parking ban enforcement policy.
