Delaying DPW building replacement suggested

CLINTONVILLE – Some members of the Clintonville Finance & Personnel Committee recommended that the city of Clintonville delay its plan to replace the Clintonville Department of Public Works (DPW) building until it can be determined how the construction of a new building would be funded.

The suggestion to pause the DPW building replacement plan took place at the committee’s budget workshop, Oct. 26. In 2025, the Clintonville Plan Commission had recommended that the DPW building be the next city building to be replaced because of the condition of the current building.

At the Finance & Personnel Committee Budget Workshop for the city’s 2027 budget, Ald. Brandon Braden said the city has not figured out a way to fund replacing any of its buildings. In addition, Braden said the decision to replace the city’s DPW building next was made before the city decided to start up its own ambulance service.

Clintonville City Administrator Craig Moser recommended that the city pause in 2027 the replacement plan of the city’s DPW building to give the city time to reevaluate the city finances.

“We have a lot of moving parts and pieces,” Moser said. “I still don’t fully have my head around where we’re at in terms of fund balance and our fiscal health.”

Moser added that he told department heads in the city to advocate for their departments.

“I do not begrudge them for putting items into the budget that they feel are important and necessary, and ultimately it’s the (Clintonville Common) council’s decision as to what the priorities are,” Moser said.

Ald. Jim Supanich agreed that the replacement of the city’s DPW building should be delayed. He said residents are wondering how the building replacement will be funded.

“If we’re just going to borrow the money and add it to the tax roll, that’s going to be a problem,” Supanich said.

Ald. Branden Schirpke countered, “That Public Works garage already looks like it’s been a project that’s been pushed back longer than it should have been. From a safety perspective, I’m concerned about that structure. And if we wait another 10 years, we’re going to probably be asking the same question, how are we going to fund it because buildings are only going to get more expensive.”

Supanich said he was not advocating waiting 10 years to replace the DPW building. He said he has toured the building and knows it is in poor condition.

“But we need to know how to finance this because we still have an older population in this city and we have a lot of people who are lower income, and if we think we can just keep raising real estate taxes like we did last year, we’ve got a problem because I’m starting to see more and more for sale signs popping up,” Supanich said.

Committee Chairman Ald. Greg Rose added, “I think putting off (replacement of) that structure, the DPW building, for one year while we get our ducks in a row makes sense. But it has to be on the short line for replacement.”