What's one more year?
For the Monroe Common Council Tuesday, it's a chance to get the 8th and 9th streets reconstruction project done right. The council voted 5-3 to uphold a vote by the Board of Public Works, which voted last week to hold off on the street work until 2011.
The decision to better plan the project was correct both in terms of the street widening but more importantly, and pertinent to the council's decision, according to council President Dan Henke Tuesday, the replacement of all water and sewer infrastructure along the route.
When dealing with an estimated project cost of $4.5 million - 80 percent of which is paid for by a state grant the city expects to retain next year - for the street work, and $182,000 for the utility replacement, the city should be absolutely sure of what it will be doing with the taxpayers' money.
But, Tuesday's council meeting also showed the project likely will cost more next year because of the complete reworking of the water and sewer infrastructure along the route. The current project was to include all new sanitary sewer mains, but new water lines along the 7th Avenue to 20th Avenue route were only going to be replaced at intersections where new storm sewers locations would interfere with them. The water utility cost would have been about $182,000, in the 2009 project budget. Monroe Mayor Ron Marsh said Tuesday the complete replacement of water lines would cost the city about $570,000.
The increased water and sewer utility cost might be an issue for the city because the Water Utility already asked the state's Public Service Commission for a rate increase to boost the utility's revenue to $1.73 million to cover costs. According to Utility Supervisor Michael Kennison, Jan. 5, in a Times article regarding the rate increase request the utility's projects for 2009 included, the current 8th and 9th streets Water Utility project, operating expenses and maintenance on Well No. 3.
If the rate increase is to cover the original 8th and 9th streets project cost how will the utility make up the estimated $388,000?
This is one of many questions the Common Council and mayor will have to answer in the coming year regardless of who occupies those positions after the April 6 elections. To make this essential project work for the city, they must present a clear picture to property owners on the route and taxpayers in Monroe what will happen in 2011, and exactly how it will be paid for.
Proceeding with the project during a Cheese Days year also could have caused problems for the city. If something had gone wrong with construction, having a large-scale street reconstruction on a main artery to the festival could have been potentially disastrous to the success of the event.
The Common Council did the right thing by taking another year to get this right, now they must use this opportunity.
For the Monroe Common Council Tuesday, it's a chance to get the 8th and 9th streets reconstruction project done right. The council voted 5-3 to uphold a vote by the Board of Public Works, which voted last week to hold off on the street work until 2011.
The decision to better plan the project was correct both in terms of the street widening but more importantly, and pertinent to the council's decision, according to council President Dan Henke Tuesday, the replacement of all water and sewer infrastructure along the route.
When dealing with an estimated project cost of $4.5 million - 80 percent of which is paid for by a state grant the city expects to retain next year - for the street work, and $182,000 for the utility replacement, the city should be absolutely sure of what it will be doing with the taxpayers' money.
But, Tuesday's council meeting also showed the project likely will cost more next year because of the complete reworking of the water and sewer infrastructure along the route. The current project was to include all new sanitary sewer mains, but new water lines along the 7th Avenue to 20th Avenue route were only going to be replaced at intersections where new storm sewers locations would interfere with them. The water utility cost would have been about $182,000, in the 2009 project budget. Monroe Mayor Ron Marsh said Tuesday the complete replacement of water lines would cost the city about $570,000.
The increased water and sewer utility cost might be an issue for the city because the Water Utility already asked the state's Public Service Commission for a rate increase to boost the utility's revenue to $1.73 million to cover costs. According to Utility Supervisor Michael Kennison, Jan. 5, in a Times article regarding the rate increase request the utility's projects for 2009 included, the current 8th and 9th streets Water Utility project, operating expenses and maintenance on Well No. 3.
If the rate increase is to cover the original 8th and 9th streets project cost how will the utility make up the estimated $388,000?
This is one of many questions the Common Council and mayor will have to answer in the coming year regardless of who occupies those positions after the April 6 elections. To make this essential project work for the city, they must present a clear picture to property owners on the route and taxpayers in Monroe what will happen in 2011, and exactly how it will be paid for.
Proceeding with the project during a Cheese Days year also could have caused problems for the city. If something had gone wrong with construction, having a large-scale street reconstruction on a main artery to the festival could have been potentially disastrous to the success of the event.
The Common Council did the right thing by taking another year to get this right, now they must use this opportunity.
