Bill Connors <bill.connors@ci.evansville.wi.gov> wrote:
Dick:The five-year capital plan includes $4.5 million for dredging Lake Leota in 2009. This amount is not yet budgeted. The city only budgets one year at a time. The most recently adopted city budget covers 2006.The city uses the five-year capital plan for planning purposes. We try to identify all of the purchases and projects that will need to be made, determine which ones are time sensitive, and try to spread them out over the years so we do not need a spike in property taxes to finance them.If I recall correctly, the $4.5 million in 2009 was added by the Common Council at the end of the process of adopting the 2005 budget (in late 2004). At that time, we were putting the final touches on the five-year capital plan for 2005 through 2009, and the lake dredging project was added in 2009 because that was the last year of the plan (at that time). At the time this project was added to the plan, everyone acknowledged that we have no idea how the city is going to finance this project and the other projects and purchases in nearby years without a substantial increase in property taxes.Bill Connors
Evansville City Administrator
31 S. Madison St.
P.O. Box 76
Evansville, WI 53536
(608) 882-2263
fax: (608) 882-2282
(Ed. note. The Observer was surprised to hear the question of an approved 4.7 mil for the Lake Leota in the Long term Capital budget as mentioned at Monday nights candidate debate----- precisely because I was at the finance meetings and did not recall this approved amount. I thought maybe I had dozed off for a moment. Bill Connors writes to clarify for all interested citizens the status of the project. Even the Observer can be startled and confused when the facts are not correct. Thanks, Mr.Connors.)
Does this represent dredging it with the water in it?
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone have any idea what it would cost to drain it again for a year and use earth moving equipment to deepen the lake bed rather than dredging equipment with the water in it?
I would like to see Lake Leota stay, but 4.5 million does seem like a high price tag.
The folks at SOLE would like to allow the lake to indeed dry out more, and do something similar to what you are proposing. They have a concern the city will lose patience and insist the lake be allowed to re-fill. Apparently Public works recommened a six month drying time, but since that didn't include hot dry summer sunshine, it isn't as dry as had been hoped.
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