West Bend BID weighs downtown cleaning plan, asks staff for cost options on spider control and sweeping

The Downtown West Bend Business Improvement District on an unspecified May meeting discussed a proposed downtown cleaning program that would address persistent spider webs along the river walk, curb/gutter cleanup and cigarette litter around the farmers market. Board members sought clearer cost estimates and asked staff to return with multiple vendor options before committing funds.

Board members and staff described two leading concerns: heavy spider-webbing that hangs from walkways and the presence of cigarette butts and debris in gutters after weekend evenings. John (staff member) said some items could be expensive if done on a weekly basis and recommended clarifying the geographic scope (specific blocks versus the entire downtown footprint) before issuing a formal request for proposals. He told the board he would solicit local quotes to gauge likely costs and timing.

Directives and next steps emerged with no final vote. The board asked staff to: get multiple price options (for example, sweeping once per week, periodic cobweb removal, and extermination-type approaches); seek three quotes for spider-control and three for general cleanup to inform whether an RFP is warranted; and return with line-item estimates so the board can prioritize within the existing landscaping budget (about $10,000 identified for downtown maintenance). John said he would begin collecting those quotes and bring results back to the board.

Several board members expressed unease about using insecticide-style extermination because spiders consume other pests; one member who identified themselves as a downtown business owner said removing spiders could create a mosquito issue because the river attracts insects. The board therefore asked staff to include lower-impact options such as routine web removal and periodic targeted treatments, with clear cost comparisons and specifications about coverage (river walk, main walkway, blocks, or all downtown).

The board also discussed operational details: whether business owners should be expected to clean sidewalks immediately outside their premises, public-works sweeping cadence (monthly), and whether cleanup needs to be scheduled before farmers market days. No formal contract or amended scope was approved at the meeting.

The discussion was recorded for follow-up: staff will gather quotes and bring the information back at the next BID meeting to enable a more defined scope and potential RFP development.