MONROE - Members of the Monroe Board of Public Works (BPW) and Finance and Taxation Committee want to take 16th Avenue assessments off of property owners.
They just don't yet know how they're going to pay for it.
The BPW and Finance and Taxation met jointly Tuesday night to start crunching numbers.
Property owners appealed to the City Council to find another way of funding the project at a public hearing May 6. Residents told the council the assessments were a financial hardship, and seemed unfair in light of the heavy traffic 16th Avenue receives as a business route to downtown. The city is receiving no grant funding for the project, which could have lessened the burden on property owners.
"We have to make up the $43,000, is what it comes down to," Mark Coplien said. "That's a heck of lot of taxpayers who have called me at home."
Members learned Tuesday that not all of the more than $70,000 savings from a bid that came in under budget for the project could be used to cover nearly $43,000 assessed to property owners.
"The majority of the contract savings is for the sanitary and sewer and that stays in the sanitary and sewer budget," Engineering Supervisor Al Gerber said.
Wastewater Treatment Plant Superintendent Jerry Ellefson said 75 percent of the project is sanitary and sewer replacement.
"You're not seeing a $70,000 savings," Ellefson said. "Al is not saving $75,000 out of his budget; it's out of my utility budget."
However, Gerber and Public Works Director Kelly Finkenbinder assured those in attendance the project could come in under budget.
"We do have other projects that we hope will come in under budget, also," Finkenbinder said.
Finkenbinder said "the earlier you can get the bids out, the better off you are," because so many companies are looking for work now for the coming construction season.
Gerber told the board the money needed for the 16th Avenue project already is in the budget. However, $20,000 in revenue, which now may not be coming back into the 2008 budget from assessment payments, needs to be covered.
But as far as the $20,000, "it's not an issue," Gerber said.
Money saved on bids, plus money that has been rolled over for the Eighth/Ninth Street project is available, he said.
They just don't yet know how they're going to pay for it.
The BPW and Finance and Taxation met jointly Tuesday night to start crunching numbers.
Property owners appealed to the City Council to find another way of funding the project at a public hearing May 6. Residents told the council the assessments were a financial hardship, and seemed unfair in light of the heavy traffic 16th Avenue receives as a business route to downtown. The city is receiving no grant funding for the project, which could have lessened the burden on property owners.
"We have to make up the $43,000, is what it comes down to," Mark Coplien said. "That's a heck of lot of taxpayers who have called me at home."
Members learned Tuesday that not all of the more than $70,000 savings from a bid that came in under budget for the project could be used to cover nearly $43,000 assessed to property owners.
"The majority of the contract savings is for the sanitary and sewer and that stays in the sanitary and sewer budget," Engineering Supervisor Al Gerber said.
Wastewater Treatment Plant Superintendent Jerry Ellefson said 75 percent of the project is sanitary and sewer replacement.
"You're not seeing a $70,000 savings," Ellefson said. "Al is not saving $75,000 out of his budget; it's out of my utility budget."
However, Gerber and Public Works Director Kelly Finkenbinder assured those in attendance the project could come in under budget.
"We do have other projects that we hope will come in under budget, also," Finkenbinder said.
Finkenbinder said "the earlier you can get the bids out, the better off you are," because so many companies are looking for work now for the coming construction season.
Gerber told the board the money needed for the 16th Avenue project already is in the budget. However, $20,000 in revenue, which now may not be coming back into the 2008 budget from assessment payments, needs to be covered.
But as far as the $20,000, "it's not an issue," Gerber said.
Money saved on bids, plus money that has been rolled over for the Eighth/Ninth Street project is available, he said.