City of Mequon Weekly Bulletin - April 6, 2018
Upcoming Meetings
Festivals Committee: April 9 – 6:00 P.M. (Agenda)
Planning Commission: April 9 – 6:00 P.M. (Agenda)
Architectural Board: April 9 – 6:30 P.M. (Agenda)
Public Welfare Committee: April 10 – 5:30 P.M. (Agenda)
Park and Open Space Board: April 10 – 6:00 P.M. (Agenda)
Finance-Personnel Committee: April 10 – 6:15 P.M. (Agenda)
Public Works Committee: April 10 – 6:30 P.M. (Agenda)
Sewer Utility District Commission: April 10 – 7:15 P.M. (Agenda)
Common Council: April 10 – 7:30 P.M. (Agenda)
Mequon-Thiensville Bike and Pedestrian Way Commission: April 12 – 8:00 A.M. (Agenda)
Common Council Organizational Meeting: April 17 – 7:00 P.M.
Park and Open Space Board: April 18 – 6:30 P.M.
Board of Appeals: April 19 – 6:00 P.M.
Three Aldermen Elected in Tuesday’s Election
At Tuesday’s Spring Election, three aldermen were elected for a three-year term beginning on April 17. District 6 elected Brian Schneider, District 7 reelected Kathleen Schneider and District 8 elected Andrew Nerbun. All will be sworn in at the annual Organizational meeting on April 17, 2018.
Town Center Gateway Conceptual Designs to be Presented Next Week
Groth Design & ZEBRADOG, along with the Ad Hoc Gateway Committee, will present three conceptual designs to the Common Council at next week Tuesday’s meeting. The gateway design concepts incorporate themes of both communities’ history, the river, people and growth. The project plan includes two opportunities for the Common Council and Thiensville Village Board to provide direction on the design(s). The Council will be asked to weigh in on concepts and individual features to determine where design consensus is achieved. This direction will allow Groth Design & ZEBRADOG to further refine one concept. The Ad Hoc Committee was enthusiastic about the designs. The designs create an opportunity to tell the community story and add functionality in a way that will transform the use of this space. This is the first step of activating the riverfront as a whole for current and future users.
S&P Assigns Rating to City's General Obligation Debt
Last week City staff participated in a teleconference with analysts from Standard & Poors Global Ratings. The purpose was to assign a credit rating to the City’s general obligation debt in advance of the forthcoming bond issue for the East Trunk Sewer Project. This is the first time the City has sought a rating from S&P for its general obligation debt. S&P assigned the City AA (stable) which is one grade higher than Moody’s current rating of Aa3. S&P cited as part of their rationale the City’s very strong economy, strong management, and very strong liquidity while cautioned against future budgets leading to a further decline in fund balance. On Tuesday, April 10, the Sewer Utility Commission and Common Council will take up the matter of whether to award the sale of the approximately $19.4M 2018A Bonds, which will have occurred earlier that day.
City Staff Assess Partial Railroad Quiet Zones
Partial railroad quiet zones from 10:00 P.M. to 7:00 A.M. for the Union Pacific Railroad crossings at Zedler Lane, Donges Bay Road, and Mequon Road were applied for by the City on December 11, 2017. The partial quiet zone request was denied in February and the notice of intent closed. On April 4, 2018 City staff met with railroad officials to discuss the next steps for the quiet zone. The crossings at Mequon Road and Zedler Lane lack a constant warning time device which is a minimum requirement. The Donges Bay Road crossing meets the constant warning time requirement. The two crossings would be required to be upgraded at the City’s cost. In addition, traffic counts and a risk analysis are required to be performed prior to consideration for a partial quiet zone at all three crossings. Additional safety improvements based on the traffic counts and the risk analysis results may be required at each crossing. A new partial quiet zone can be applied for when the signal upgrades are made and the risk analysis is completed. A full summary of the discussion will be presented at the Public Works Committee meeting on May 8.
