By Josh Staloch
Staff Writer
ALLOUEZ – The 2022 Central Brown County Water Authority (CBCWA) budget is set, and the department’s general manager, Nicholas Sparacio, was at the Oct. 5 Village Board meeting to talk about factors that influenced the process.
“I’m happy to say that there are more opportunities than issues this time around,” Sparacio said. “On the positive side, our members are projecting a higher amount of water usage next year. We’re also taking a bit of a break from a pretty full capital improvement program. Next year’s costs are very low.”
He said it’s likely the wholesale rate of water purchased by CBCWA from Manitowoc will increase, resulting in a slight rate hike for customers in Allouez.
Sparacio said Allouez uses about 400 million gallons of water per year, and that total isn’t expected to change in 2022.
Brown County Sheriff’s contract
The approval of a new, three-year contract for services with the Brown County Sheriff’s Office was put on hold until the board can get more information on the exact costs of a soon-to-be-implemented bodycam system.
“We’re planning on moving forward with a package deal from Axon, the company that makes Taser,” Chief Deputy Brad Brodbeck said. “We’re going to be going with their interview room cameras and the new Taser program. So with that, we get significant savings by bundling all of the products. It’s a five-year contract. This has always been something that was looked at, but because of the costs, we weren’t able to move forward on it. Now, it’s become an expectation. This will provide the transparency that people are after.”
The packet given to the board was missing detailed cost information on the camera project.
A motion was passed to postpone further discussion on the subject until the next board meeting.
Sidewalk repair
Public Works Director Sean Gehin gave the board an update on a planned project to repair pavement and sidewalks on Webster Ave.
“When we first scoped this project, we scoped it as a complete sidewalk removal from State Highway 172 north of Allouez and spot repair south of 172,” Gehin said. “With our tight schedule and staffing availability, we don’t at this time have the availability to take on this large of a project as it was originally scoped,”
At issue are concerns surrounding underground utilities, with an existing water main from 1968 located under the sidewalk in question.
Gehin said the sanitary sewer system in the affected area might not be in the best shape and could need replacement, which would further complicate the project’s timetable.
The board unanimously decided that spot repair would continue south of 172, with sidewalk removal and replacement happening north of 172.
Gehin said the village will continue conversations with Brown County to make arrangements to complete the project as it was originally laid out.
Fall clean up
As weather permits, the village will begin collecting leaves and yard waste from Oct. 18 to Nov. 14 following regular garbage pickup.
Leaves and yard waste should be placed in separate piles behind the curb, not in the street.
Neither brush nor green grass will be collected.
Allouez residents can use the LeBrun Yard Waste Site for these items.