Evansville council adopts special-assessment plan and awards $1.43 million Longfield Street contract

The City of Evansville Common Council on April 15 adopted a preliminary resolution declaring its intent to levy special assessments for Longfield Street improvements and approved a $1,429,854 contract to rebuild the roadway.

Town & Country Engineering’s Nick Bubolz gave the staff summary of the Longfield Street project before Mayor Dianne Duggan opened a public hearing. Six Longfield Street residents — Jana McKinney (416 Longfield St.), Dana Palmer (410 Longfield St.), Claudia Laak (409 Longfield St.), Warren Janisch (403 Longfield St.), Mark Merrill (404 Longfield St.) and Kelly Koehler-Mason (427 Longfield St.) — spoke during the hearing, which closed at 6:47 p.m. The council then adopted Resolution 2026-11, declaring intent to levy special assessments under §66.0703, Stats., on a motion by Alderperson Abbey Barnes, seconded by Alderperson Lita Droster; the motion passed 8-0.

Later in the meeting, Municipal Services brought forward the construction contract for the Longfield Street Reconstruction Project. Alderperson Ben Corridon moved to approve a contract with BKS Excavating Inc. in the amount of $1,429,854.00; Alderperson Lita Droster seconded and the motion passed by roll call 8-0.

The minutes record that Bubolz summarized the project and that several residents spoke during the public hearing; the minutes do not include verbatim quotes from those speakers. The record does not provide a detailed line-item construction scope in the minutes; the council’s actions indicate the project will proceed with funding to be finalized through the special-assessment process and the awarded contract.

Next steps, according to the meeting record, include following the statutory special-assessment process under §66.0703, Stats., to determine individual property assessments and scheduling construction per the awarded contract.