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Council approves amended 2026 CIP after votes on Nichols Road design, vehicles and park items
Summary
The Monona City Council approved an amended 2026 capital improvement program Nov. 3 after passing a sequence of amendments that revised funding, timing and scope for Nichols Road design, vehicle replacements, street maintenance and park tree purchases.
Monona’s City Council approved the 2026 capital improvement program (CIP) Nov. 3 after a multi‑hour review and a series of individual amendments that changed funding levels and timing for several projects.
Finance Director Mark presented the proposed CIP and borrowing plan, explaining the mayor’s objective to limit general obligation borrowing to $2.5 million for 2026. He described the budgetary impacts to the median homeowner under three scenarios and warned that utility rates—especially sewer—are under pressure from Madison Metro Sewer District increases. Council then took up individual amendments and votes on projects and vehicles.
Nichols Road design and related grant: Council debated an amendment to retain full grant‑project scope and design funding for Nichols Road. Staff said design work must be completed in 2026 to meet Wisconsin DOT submittal and bid calendars; delay would push construction out and risk grant timing. An initial motion that would have kept the full project in the 2026 CIP was defeated. Council later approved a narrower motion to reinstate $100,000 previously reallocated so staff can complete design work and preserve the city’s position in the DOT schedule.
Fleet and equipment decisions: Council approved a $530,000 amendment to replace a plow truck and leaf vacuum (multi‑use hook truck) after staff explained operational needs, tradeoffs, and upfit capabilities. Members discussed vehicle lifecycles, maintenance hours, and options to retain older units as backups. On other fleet items, the council set the planned purchase year for a replacement Chevy Colorado to 2028 and moved a front‑loader purchase to 2027 to smooth borrowing and fleet timing.
Bridge, street and park items: Council added targeted funding to bridge and street maintenance lines to match historical funding levels and approved a staff proposal to reduce the park tree capital line from $15,000 to $10,000 (removing tree removal, which staff said should be an operating expenditure) while leaving the funding source unchanged. Library lighting work scheduled for 2025 required a small technical amendment and was approved.
Final vote: After individual roll‑call votes on amendments, the council approved the CIP as amended. Staff said the final borrowing numbers will be reflected in upcoming bond documents, and that water and sewer revenue bonds may wrap several items together to improve market access for utility borrowing.
What to watch: Nichols Road design work will proceed with reinstated funds; staff will continue to coordinate schedules with DOT and grant timelines. The approved vehicle and maintenance moves will appear in the capital spending plan and affect future borrowing and operating budgets.
