A committee will be created to discuss long-term planning for a county/city public works facility.
When the Waupaca Common Council met on Nov. 15, it approved the idea and also the creation of a city non-lapsing Public Works Facility Fund.
John Edlebeck, Waupaca’s director of public works, said representatives from the city and county met to discuss establishing such a committee.
“We did a joint feasibility study last year,” he told the Common Council. “We feel the next step it to put together a joint planning committee.”
In addition, the city’s Board of Public Works recommended that a non-lapsing account be established in the city for costs that could be part of planning for such a facility.
Edlebeck said these costs, such as soil borings, would not be items included a borrow. He also told the council that thus far, any costs have been split between the city and the county. That is expected to continue.
Mayor Brian Smith appointed Alderman Paul Hagen to be the city’s representative on the new committee. Hagen is the chairperson of the Board of Public Works.
The newly approved non-lapsing Public Works Facility Fund will begin with a zero balance. With the city’s 2012 budget set, Smith said the earliest the city could money into the fund would be in 2013.
Three members of the council – Jim Boyer, Paul Lehman and Dave Shambeau – voted against the idea of creating a non-lapsing account.
Shambeau said that considering the city’s financial situation, he is not excited to talk about a public works facility, even if it is a project that is a few years down the road.