By John McCracken
Correspondent
BELLEVUE – Bellevue residents expressed concerns over how hybrid assessments are determined for upcoming construction on Manitowoc Road at the Feb. 24 village board meeting.
Properties along Manitowoc Road are being assessed for upcoming construction stretching from Allouez Avenue to Kewaunee Road.
The project has already completed sanitary sewer and water main replacement, and next the steps include storm sewer repair, box culvert extension, sidewalk, road and curb construction, new asphalt surfaces and landscaping restoration.
Property owners along Manitowoc Road are responsible for storm sewer adjustments, box culvert, yard drainage, sidewalk construction, and any slope correction.
Manitowoc Road resident Jill Bielinski said older properties along the road vary in assessments because of large plot sizes and non-homogeneous shapes.
“Do those people use the street any more or less than the property owner that is estimated to pay the least amount?” said Bielinski.
Eighty-seven residential properties are being assessed at $57.14 per foot, and 11 non-residential properties are being assessed at $59.10 per foot.
The total project cost is $2.8 million, with $1.8 million coming from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation’s Surface Transportation Program funding, $663,552 assessed to residential properties, $190,334 assessed to non-residential properties, leaving $171,929 from the village.
Trustee Tom Katers said no subdivision or roadway is homogeneous, and he is not a fan of the per-foot assessment.
“Everybody uses the road the same,” said Katers.
Addressing concerns around per-foot, per-lot or a hybrid assessment, Village President Steve Soukup said the bill is going to still come back to residents.
“Whatever we do, the cost will come back to the taxpayers,” said Soukup.
Trustee Dave Kaster said he would prefer funding come from the wheel tax as a part of the hybrid method available under the village’s municipal code.
“I would not like to pass this on to the general tax roll,” said Kaster. “We’re collecting that wheel tax and I would like to use it in some form.”
Village Administrator Diane Wessel said funding for smaller construction projects, such as Guns Street and Moonrise Court planned for this year, would need to come from the wheel tax, because they are not receiving large, outside funding.
The village board passed a motion 4-1 to assess Manitowoc Road properties on a per-foot basis, capping residential assessments at a maximum of $7,429, and using the wheel tax for remaining funds with Trustee Adam Gauthier opposed.
Fire and water updates
Bellevue is joining other municipalities in Brown County to combat rising sewer costs in the region.
The Village of Suamico spearheaded the creation of a NEW Water municipal committee.
The committee will be made up of one member from each community represented, and when an opening on NEW Water’s Board of Commissioners occurs, the committee will recommend a member to fill the position.
“These municipalities make up 87 percent of revenue and there’s no direct representation,” said Wessel.
The village board appointed Wessel to serve on the municipal committee.
She said property owners in the village are receiving stormwater credits but not maintaining properties correctly, accounting for a loss of roughly $80,000 a year in lost revenue.
The village board voted 4-1 to repeal stormwater credits provided to property owners in the area and dissolve the program by the year’s end, with Kaster opposed.
Property owners will receive a minimum of a 60-day notice for repealed credits for those who currently receive credits.
After Bellevue merged fire services with the City of Green Bay, community members are now serving in an advisory role.
The village board unanimously appointed Sinkler and former Bellevue Fire Chief Brad Muller to Green Bay Metro Fire Department Advisory Group.