CIP program goes to council: Pool in plans for 2020
By Hub City Times staff
MARSHFIELD – Marshfield aldermen will be asked to sign off on the city’s latest version of its five-year planning document.
The city’s Board of Public Works, on April 16, gave its approval of the Capital Improvement Program (CIP) that covers 2019- 2023.
City Administrator Steve Barg said the plan totals just over $33 million, and nearly half of that is earmarked for street work.
“Our goal is to do $2 million a year in asphalt, mill, and overlay work,” said Barg. “This year, we came up with $9.8 million for the five years, so it is just a fraction under that – only $200,000 less than the goal – which is pretty good.”
Street work makes up 44 percent of the CIP. The next biggest chunk of funding belongs to parks, at nearly 25 percent, or $8.2 million.
The 2020 portion of the CIP does include funding for a Hefko Pool replacement. That includes $2.8 million in borrowing and $3.4 million in private donations. Parks and Recreation Director Justin Casperson said no formal fundraising process has yet been started.
“We’re still looking for what I’ll call a stakeholder or champion of the program to help fundraise,” he said. “Right now, we are still looking for an individual in the community who might be interested in helping fundraising, getting a committee together. Right now, we don’t have that person.”
Casperson said he’s still in talks with officials at Marshfield Utilities about where a new pool or aquatic center would be located, on what is now essentially property owned by the utility.
“I had conversations with the new general manager over there, Nick Kumm, and right now it’s not a high priority for him. He would like to get his feet under him a little bit more, understand the direction of the utility, and bring that back up probably later this year, early part of next year,” Casperson said.
The Marshfield Common Council voted last summer in favor of a recommendation from its pool study committee to put any new aquatic facility where Hefko Pool has been for 80 years, right across the street from Wildwood Park and Zoo on the city’s south side. The recommendation conflicts with the building wishes of Marshfield Utilities, which plans to expand its operations and put up new facilities on its property at 2000 South Central Avenue. Both Marshfield Utilities and Pool Study Committee members have said they want to co-exist on the same site, which technically is owned by the utility.
The CIP program was approved through Plan Commission on April 17 and now goes to the full council.
Leave a reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.