Ashwaubenon committee approves participation in Brown County "Safe Streets and Roads for All" planning grant; village cost and next steps discussed

The Village of Ashwaubenon Public Works and Protection Committee voted to execute an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) with Brown County to participate in a planning grant under the Federal Highway Department’s Safe Streets and Roads for All program.

Staff explained the county was awarded a planning grant for approximately $200,000 and that the program uses an 80/20 federal-to-local funding split. The committee was told the village’s share is calculated by centerline road miles: staff stated the village’s portion would be $3,568 based on its share of lane miles in Brown County, and later in the discussion a figure of $35,100 was also mentioned. The transcript records both figures; the committee did not resolve the discrepancy during the meeting.

Staff clarified the grant is for planning only — to identify priorities such as signage, centerlines, rumble strips, lighting and other recommendations to reduce crashes and support multimodal users. The planning work would produce prioritized improvements and could be used to support future grant applications that require documented priorities. Committee members discussed the value of completing the planning study to preserve eligibility for future safety grants.

On financing, staff said the village would cover its local share from an existing contracted engineering account that also holds funds set aside to update standard specifications; the expense would likely reduce the balance available for that project. The committee moved and seconded approval of the IGA and the chair announced the motion carried.