Dear Residents,
September is always a season of transition. Students return to classrooms, families settle into new routines, summer projects move toward completion and at city hall, our attention turns toward the planning and budgeting decisions that shape the year ahead.
As school resumes, please slow down and use extra caution around school buses, crosswalks and students walking or biking. This is especially important along West Park Drive, where a major reconstruction project has been underway throughout the summer.
The project included new storm sewers, curbs, gutters, asphalt pavement, driveway aprons, ADA-accessible ramps and improved pedestrian access. While construction is never convenient, these improvements were designed with the long-term safety of our students, families and neighborhood in mind. We appreciate everyone’s patience as the remaining restoration work is completed.
September also begins the city’s annual budget process. Over the next several months, committees and the common council will review revenues, department needs, staffing, equipment, infrastructure and the services residents rely on each day.
Budgeting is about more than numbers on a spreadsheet. It requires deciding which needs are most urgent, what can responsibly wait and how to move important projects forward without placing an unreasonable burden on taxpayers. This year, two very different projects — the former Landmark property and the city’s weed harvester — show how challenging those decisions can be.
The former Landmark property at 310 Oconto Avenue has continued to deteriorate. The city has completed asbestos abatement and environmental assessment work, but the building has experienced a significant roof collapse, unstable floor conditions and continued concerns about people entering the unsafe structure.
Demolition is now necessary to remove a public safety hazard and prepare the property for future redevelopment.
The city used available grant funding to complete much of the environmental work, but we do not currently qualify for additional grant assistance for demolition. We could begin a new grant process, but that would likely take about a year, with no guarantee of an award. During that time, the building would remain standing and continue to deteriorate.
Other options include borrowing the money, using general fund dollars or exploring whether accumulated interest proceeds from the Revolving Loan Fund/UDAG fund may legally be used toward demolition. That option would require approval from the appropriate committee and verification by the City attorney, but it may allow the city to address an immediate safety concern without placing the full cost directly onto taxpayers or taking the entire amount from the general fund.
The city faces a similar decision regarding our weed harvester. Our previous harvester failed this summer, leaving us without the equipment needed to manage aquatic vegetation in the Peshtigo River. A replacement harvester, trailer and shore conveyor will cost approximately $282,000.
The city applied for Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources grant funding to offset a significant portion of that expense. Although our application was ranked, it was not recommended for funding during this grant cycle.
We are grateful to have received a $5,000 grant from the WPS Foundation, along with several generous resident donations. Those contributions are sincerely appreciated, but a substantial funding gap remains.
The next question is whether the city should pay for the equipment on its own, pursue another grant opportunity or delay the purchase while we seek additional funding. Waiting could improve our chances of receiving outside assistance, but it would also mean another season without a functioning harvester. Purchasing it sooner would restore an important service, but the city would need to identify a responsible way to pay the remaining cost.
These projects are very different, but they present the same challenge — the need does not disappear when grant funding does not come through.
Grants are especially important for a community of our size, but they are competitive and never guaranteed. When funding is not awarded, the city must decide whether to wait, borrow, reprioritize existing resources or find another responsible path forward.
None of these choices are without consequence. The Landmark property involves public safety and future redevelopment. The weed harvester affects the health, appearance, accessibility and enjoyment of one of our community’s greatest natural resources. At the same time, every dollar committed to one project is a dollar unavailable for another.
As these discussions move through committees and the common council, residents deserve to understand both the needs before us and the financial realities behind them. There may not always be a perfect answer, but there should always be a thoughtful and transparent process.
As we begin this budget season, we will continue balancing immediate needs with long-term planning, pursuing every reasonable funding opportunity and remaining mindful that the dollars entrusted to the city belong to the people we serve.
With appreciation,
City of Peshtigo Mayor Katie Berman
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