Wausau holds public hearing on special assessments for four street reconstruction projects
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Summary
The Wausau Board of Public Works held a public hearing on proposed special assessments to fund reconstruction on four streets; officials outlined assessment rates, temporary service plans and notifications, and a resident objected to the estimated $3,300 assessment.
The Wausau Board of Public Works on Wednesday opened a public hearing on proposed special assessments to fund reconstruction of four streets — Stark Street, North 8th Avenue, 2nd Street and Division Street — outlining assessment rates, construction impacts and next steps for review by city committees and council.
Eric Lindman, director of Public Works and Utilities, said the hearing was to take testimony and comments about special assessments and that "the assessment rate, for the street curb and gutter is $55 per linear foot." He also read the city’s other estimates: sewer lateral replacement assessed as a $500 lump sum, drive approaches at about $8 per square foot and new sidewalk at about $16 per linear foot.
Project engineer TJ Nixic described construction impacts and mitigation steps for residents. Nixic said reconstruction would generally replace the road and, in most locations, sanitary sewer main, water main and storm sewer. He said residents should expect temporary disruptions when crews connect services and explained that "there's gonna be a slight disturbance for a couple of hours when we have to, connect you to this temporary main," but that sites will be restored at the end of each workday.
Nixic also described operational details: vehicles should be removed by 7:00 a.m. on work days to allow contractor access; cluster mailboxes will be placed within a block or two where mail trucks cannot reach streets; and garbage pickup will continue, with contractors moving bins to an accessible corner if trucks cannot pass.
Officials warned that separate lead lateral replacements may occur concurrently under a different contract managed by the water department. "Right now, it's 5 Star doing those services, but it's managed through the water department, which is not part of this reconstruction project," Nixic said.
During public comment, a resident identifying herself as Janina Went, of 817 Stark Street, told the board she did not have a driveway and said her alley needed blacktopping, which she said the city will not do. She objected to the assessment amount for her property: "I think $3,300 is an outrageous number since we already pay Taxes to the city for a public road that everybody uses," she said. Lindman said the comment would be entered into the record and forwarded to the Infrastructure and Facilities Committee.
Lindman said all property owners received notice of the hearing (published Nov. 19) and that comments would be referred to the Infrastructure and Facilities Committee at its Dec. 11 meeting; that committee’s recommendation will go to the Common Council on Jan. 13. The public hearing was closed, and a motion to adjourn was made; the transcript records a call for those in favor but does not include a recorded roll-call vote or tally. Staff members, including Nixic and a person identified as Alan, remained after the hearing to answer property-specific questions.
Next steps: the Infrastructure and Facilities Committee will review public comments on Dec. 11, and the Common Council is scheduled to consider the committee’s recommendation on Jan. 13.
