Evansville gets $600,000 to start road project
EVANSVILLE — Evansville will receive $600,000 through the federal stimulus package to replace curb and gutter, and mill and resurface part of West Main and Fourth streets.
The news came this week, City Administrator Dan Wietecha said, allowing the project to unfold a few years earlier than planned. The project will begin next spring or summer.
"It's something that probably wouldn't have been touched for at least a couple of years, and even when we got to it, it's something that would have been a cost our taxpayers and residents would have picked up," he said.
The stimulus money will pay for 100 percent of construction costs on the 0.8-mile project—West Main Street from First Street to Fourth Street, then north on Fourth Street to the city limits, he said.
The city will have to pay about $48,000 in engineering costs and possibly $20,000 to $30,000 to replace manholes in the street, he said.
Property owners also benefited because a significant portion of the curb and gutter likely would have been assessed to them had the federal funds not arrived, he said.
"It's nice to have money come in and help take a project off our plate and address some needed improvements," Wietecha said. "Budgets are tight, so it's nice to have the help."
Wietecha isn't sure how big of a headache the project will create for drivers, but hopes it isn't not too bad. The project starts at the west end of the brick paved street downtown, but runs through residential neighborhoods.
The bridge over Allen Creek on East Main Street also will be rebuilt next year. The project is scheduled to start around April and be completed by July, so the projects might have some overlap, Wietecha said.
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By GAZETTE STAFF 12/13/11
Jul 16, 2009 at 12:07 p.m.
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Curtain Call,
Are you alledging that Mason voted for his best interest (avoiding a higher tax bill for curb and gutter)? The new road is going between first and fourth streets. Mayor Decker is the only one with an address between 100-400 on W. Main Street. I discovered that with a minimal amount of due dilligence by going to the city site http://www.ci.evansville.wi.gov/city/com... Do a minimal amount of research before you start making allegations. Anything past fifth street is pretty new and shouldn't need to be rebuilt for years to come.
Jul 14, 2009 at 12:58 p.m.
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608-266-7871 is the no. you want to call about stimulus money in Wisconsin. I called them about this issue of the road work in Evansville , and talked to them and another office. I will address it with the city before going any further.
Jul 14, 2009 at 12:19 p.m.
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O.K. I talked with the Gov. Office and the office of recovery and reinvestment and as far as the stimulus money she said for road projects they usually have to apply for it. It does not just show up on the city's steps.
Jul 14, 2009 at 10:57 a.m.
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No one but the mayor on that road???? in terms of council? Just having the mayor on that road is bad enough.
Jul 14, 2009 at 10:53 a.m.
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Evansville is not the only one getting the money for road improvement, so it is not a matter of take it or lose it. Not only that but they were NOT told what road they had to repair. So the fact it just so happens to be the road the mayor lives on and a certain council member smells. I can just see the mayor going 'me , me, me , my road. ' True benefits to being on the council. It also sounds like someone on here is defending their friend/ council member who happens to live on W. Main. Hmmm I wonder who that would be.
Jul 14, 2009 at 8:06 a.m.
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Life is not fair.......Get Over It!!
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Or move to West Main Street, there is a house for sale on the corner of W.Main and Third Street.
Jul 14, 2009 at 6:49 a.m.
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I drove down West Main St. this morning and it seems in better condition than some of the streets in town, such as Garfield Ave. And no charge to the residents for curb and gutter. We should all be treated the same.
Jul 13, 2009 at 10:37 p.m.
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I see some class action lawsuits in the works from the residents on Madison, Lincoln and East Main streets in the works over this.
The stimulus $$$ should have been wasted on the lake (oops $$$$ were already wasted there.....my bad) or used to "fix" the mudhole/swamp on 6th street. Gonna be a lot of houses condemmed there that will need to be paid for....
Jul 13, 2009 at 8:23 p.m.
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First of all the DOT came the city with this. The stimulus states the owners of the property are not to be assessed for this project.I love the fact you all spout off before looking at the facts of the stimulus. The fact is this work needs to be done.
All of this stimulus money is going to be spent one way or another we might as well get our share because believe me Brooklyn, Oregon Brodhead etc. will take it if we don't.
Hey curtaincall I mean chasin, The only city offical that lives on that part of MAin St. is the Mayor.
Jul 13, 2009 at 12:27 p.m.
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More wasteful spending
Jul 13, 2009 at 12:15 p.m.
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I have to agree with those who are annoyed that this money will be used to upgrade Main Street and benefit those residents. How was that decision made? Why don't they use the money to benefit the entire city in some way, not those residents along Main Street only? There is some leeway in the use of such funds and I don't think they were meant to be a "get out of paying for your assessment fees free" card.
Jul 12, 2009 at 5:07 p.m.
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Sorry, that's 1/10,000th of 1% of the stimulus.
Jul 12, 2009 at 4:51 p.m.
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The stimulus comes from the purchase of concrete and other materials, even if the work is done by city employees. It's not much, you say, but the stimulus is the entire $750 billion being added to the economy, not each individual project evaluated as if it's going to be a community's salvation. This is 1/10 of 1% of the stimulus, and as such, it's doing 1/10 of 1% of the work of helping the economy.
Jul 12, 2009 at 10:42 a.m.
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How is resurfacing a street, replacing curb/gutter stimulating?
Jul 12, 2009 at 10:27 a.m.
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check out the city's capitol budget at
http://evansvilleobserver.blogspot.com/.. if they had not gotten this money it would not have been done anytime to soon.
Jul 12, 2009 at 10:24 a.m.
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Is it not convenient that the mayor and certain council members will get a huge break on this? Not have to pay what ever one else has had to in terms of curb and gutter replacement. How convenient. As suggested earlier what about Garfield street, what a mess that road is. But lets just all hope they don't decide to pave them in gold , it would not be out of the question when it comes to our council, when they have extra money they spend it.
Jul 12, 2009 at 8:38 a.m.
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How nice. Make West Main a priority with these particular funds so that the mayor and more important members of the community don't have to pick up the cost of curb and gutter. Will the same courtesy be extended to residents of Church and Garfield in the future? Those streets have suffered the most as the traffic keeps getting routed down them during what seems to be unending Main Street work.
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