Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Infrastructure topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council asks staff to develop policy on undergrounding utilities during reconstruction, highlighting boulevards and gateway corridors
Summary
Council supported staff work to develop a policy that prioritizes undergrounding utilities for key corridors and wider boulevards during reconstruction, and asked staff to include boulevard-style streets in guidance for future capital projects.
The Oshkosh Common Council instructed staff to continue drafting a policy to evaluate undergrounding of utilities during street reconstruction and to include wider boulevards and gateway corridors in the review criteria.
Public Works staff briefed the council on draft hierarchy for street types (arterials, collectors, local streets) and on common utility easement issues that influence feasibility. Council members said gateway corridors and wider boulevards—where additional right‑of‑way or central medians exist—should be included explicitly as potential candidates for undergrounding because they can be more resilient and improve streetscape aesthetics.
Councilmembers acknowledged cost implications for property owners and the city but also noted resiliency benefits and potential grant opportunities. Staff said the draft policy will be refined to include street typology, feasibility thresholds, funding approaches and grant‑seeking options, and to return to council for further direction.
Council gave staff the guidance requested and asked that the policy include specific language about boulevard-style streets and gateway corridors.
