For the City Times
WISCONSIN RAPIDS – The city of Wisconsin Rapids is offering opportunities for the public to weigh in on the proposed transportation utility, which would replace special assessments.
Property ownerscanprovide feedback and ask questions about the transportation utilityusing any of the below methods: Submit feedback online at:www.wirapids.org/transportation-utility; call,emailor schedule an appointment to meet with Wisconsin Rapids City Engineer Joe Eichsteadt at 715-421-8251 orjeichsteadt@wirapids.org or Mayor Shane Blaser at 715-421-8216 ormayor@wirapids.org; or call, email or schedule an appointment to meet with you alderperson using their contact information availableat the clerk’s office at715-421-8200 or atwww.wirapids.org/common-council.
TheWisconsin Rapids Public Works Committee is expected to consider the transportation utility ordinance at theirMarch meeting, andthe city council is expected to consideritat theirMarch and Aprilmeetings.
“The transportation utility is a mechanism to raise revenue,similar toother utilities, and is based on a customer’s relative use of the road system(or the property’s “trip generation”).Trip generation for each property within the City is determined usingtheInstitute of Transportation Engineers’ Trip Generation Manual.The trip generation manual is derived from hundreds or thousands of studies across the nation for many different land uses. The data is analyzed and characterized in a way that can be compared across similar land uses with similar characteristics,” a city release stated.
“City councilapproveda $500,000 target revenue for the transportation utility, which would replace revenues from special assessments at $350,000 and increase road surfacing efforts at $150,000.
“The target utility revenue of $500,000 is divided by the annual trips generated within thecity to determinea cost per trip. The cost per trip is applied to the trips generated at each property within thecity.
“Single Family Residential – $20/year per dwelling unit; Duplex and triplexes – $17/year per dwelling unit; Multi-family with four or more units -- $16/year per dwelling unit.
“Commercial, institutional, industrial properties generate trips based on the type of business/use and certain characteristics,such as square foot of floor space,so each business has a unique charge.
“There have been recent and growing concerns aboutspecial assessments regarding assessment procedures and theamountof assessments to property owners.In 2020,citycouncil instructed staff to perform a review of the special assessment process and identify available funding options as a substitute for special assessments.Thecityhasanalyzedpublicsurvey data, and the pros and cons for several special assessment alternatives to select the transportation utility model as the most equitable alternative for further exploration.”
For more information, visitwww.wirapids.org/transportation-utility.
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