City to consider broadband sale, new runoff water charges on Wednesday Dec. 8, 2009 The Antigo Common Council may get out of the broadband business—but add a new fee on storm water runoff—when it convenes Wednesday.
The meeting, with one of the most contentious and far-reaching agendas in recent memory, will begin at 6 p.m. in the chambers at City Hall.
Storm water utility
Following months of discussion, the council may be ready to act on creating a controversial new utility, which would set fees for businesses and residents based on the amount of storm water runoff they add to the city’s aging and overtaxed system.
The fee, labeled a “gutter tax” by opponents, would be levied against all property—public and private, business and residential—with the dollars targeted for maintenance and upgrades to the system.
The ordinance and accompanying resolution would set the rate per house, known as an equivalent residential unit or ERU, at $3.92 per month, or $47.04 a year.
Each private residence would pay one ERU per month. Rates for duplexes and apartments, industries and businesses would be based on a charge formula that includes credits. Duplexes would be charged one-half an ERU per unit.
The business charges would be more complex, based on the total square footage of impervious area of the property divided by the square footage of one ERU, figured at 3,069 square feet.
Impervious surfaces are areas such as blacktop parking lots and roofs which rainwater will run off, ending up in the storm water system. Not included are lawns and landscaped areas which allow water to soak into the ground.
The maximum credit would be a 50 percent reduction based on factors such as the use of water retention basins, direct discharge of runoff and other case-by-case situations.
The rates and charges would go into effect after the publication of the ordinance, in early 2010.
Storm water maintenance now costs $178,000 a year, financed through the general property tax levy. Two priority drainage system improvements—between Saratoga Park and Deleglise Street and between Elm Street and First Avenue and Hogan Street—would cost $780,000.
Storm water utilities are increasingly common across the state. Rates across the state range from under $20 per household annually in Lake Delton, Watertown and Grantsburg to over $80 a year in Milwaukee, Brown Deer, Harrison, Little Chute and Appleton.
Broadband
In another big-ticket item, aldermen may vote to disengage the city from the broadband utility, started in 2006 as a way to retain businesses at a time when private providers were expressing little interest in upgrading services locally.
The resolution would sell the remaining pieces to Wittenberg Wireless LLC, an affiliate of the Wittenberg Telephone Company. It would require affirmation by the board of directors of Wittenberg Wireless, approval by the Wisconsin Public Service Commission and a referendum vote by city residents, probably in April.
The sale carries a price tag of $1.6 million, payable over 20 years through a lease-purchase arrangement. The funds would be applied to the city’s bond payment which initially financed the utility. It would also be used to repay part of a a loan received from city coffers to finance operations while the utility was not receiving adequate cash flow through subscribers.
The utility was established through a $1.21 million bond and has also borrowed $630,000 from the city to cover various expansion costs for a total of $1.84 million. Those notes will begin to come due next year.
Other business
In a labor matter, aldermen will be asked to approve a contract with the city Public Works Union Local 1192, which covers the 20 employees in the street, and park and recreation departments.
Bowing to the tough economic straights cities are facing, the contract calls for no salary increases for 2010. In return, the city agrees to no layoffs or furloughs over the next year.
Planning ahead for the construction of the Highway 64 bypass around the city’s northwest side, and the reconstruction of Fifth Avenue through downtown will fill a portion of the evening as well, with several resolutions slated for action.
Aldermen will be asked to accept the proposed amount of $55,200 for 4.04 acres along with temporary construction easements through the north industrial park, needed by the state for the new highway segment.
A second related resolution will transfer jurisdictional control on sections of the existing Highway 64 that follows Fifth Avenue from the state to the town of Ackley and the city of Antigo, depending on location. The state will receive control of Century Avenue which will follow the new bypass route.
In other matters, aldermen are expected to:
—add a part-time employee for the park, cemetery and recreation department.
—approve an unusual change order for the reconstruction of Fulton Street, Third Avenue and Hudson Street that reduces, rather than increases, the contract amount. The cost has fallen $37,125 after the city’s consulting engineer determined that a number of items that had been planned were not performed, including the amount of materials and total project length.
—and act on a series of licenses for Peep’s Pawn Shop, Mojo Electronics, Jammers LLC, Northside LLC, Now’s Investments doing business as Reflections, and Schizmars LLC, doing business as Smitty’s Bar.
|
|
|
