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Thorp City Council approves $3.34 million Plan 1A for 2026 street reconstruction after financing briefing
Summary
After a capital financing briefing from Ehlers, the Thorp City Council voted 3–0 on Feb. 10 to approve Plan 1A for the 2026 street project, a $3,341,666 scope covering School, Thorp and Clark streets; consultants warned additional phases may be financially infeasible without higher taxes or staggered timing.
The Thorp City Council on Feb. 10 approved Plan 1A for the city’s 2026 street reconstruction project, a $3,341,666 scope that covers School Street (half block west of Highway 73 to Cemetery Street), Thorp Street (County Trunk Highway X to Main Street) and Clark Street (CTH X to School Street). The motion by Alderperson Abramczak, seconded by Alderperson Korn, passed unanimously, 3–0.
The vote followed a presentation from Brian Riley of Ehlers, who delivered a capital financing forecast showing options for streets, utility improvements and possible City Hall renovations. Riley said the Phase 1A scenario would raise taxes by about $121 annually on a $100,000 home and recommended that the city retain roughly 10–15% of its maximum statutory borrowing capacity. He cautioned that capital costs beyond Phase 1A “are likely unfeasible” without altering the tax impact or sequencing projects.
Short Elliott Hendrickson (SEH) staff reported that project planning and coordination remain necessary to meet grant deadlines. SEH requested the council finalize the project scope so staff can present an engineering contract at the March meeting; consultants also recommended coordinating the timing of City Hall improvements with street work to limit combined tax impact.
Council members and staff noted the city’s enterprise funds for water and sanitary sewer could absorb additional financing costs related to utility work, while the general fund would carry street- and stormwater-related tax effects. The council’s approval of Plan 1A authorizes staff to pursue the next step: presenting an engineering contract in March and advancing grant and design work.
Next steps: staff will return in March with an engineering contract for council consideration and continue coordination on grant compliance and project timing.
