STEVENS POINT, WI (WSAU) — Residents and business leaders in Stevens Point are invited to an open house/forum regarding plans for repairs on Division Street, a project that has been a lightning rod in the community for the last two years.
But Mayor Mike Wiza says he hopes residents put those hard feelings aside for two hours on Thursday between 6 and 8 PM so there can be productive dialog on how to move forward with the project.
“Out of everything that we deal with, roads should be the least political of the decisions we have,” said Wiza. “There should not be political arguments over roads. We can have differences of opinions, but it really seems this has politicized a road.”
Wiza says there will not be a solution that makes everyone happy, so they have to find a solution that everyone can live with. “There are a few wrong ways to do it, but there is no perfect way and not everybody is going to see this project as a solution. There will be pros and cons and we have to weigh those out for the benefit of everyone in the community.”
Anyone with questions about the project is encouraged to contact Wiza’s office early this week. He says they plan to put together a frequently asked questions flyer that will be distributed at the meeting, and by getting your questions or concerns in early city staff can make sure they can answer those questions in advance for everyone.
Division over the project led business leaders to begin a petition drive for a referendum that would require all transportation infrastructure projects costing more than $1 million to go before voters. That measure passed during the August primary, and next month voters in the city will see four such projects on their ballot.
RELATED: Four Transportation Referendum Questions Placed on November Ballot in Stevens Point
One is a complete street reconstruction project, another involves resurfacing some streets. The other two involve a possible extension of Badger Avenue and the installation of a rail sidetrack.
Wiza explains that none of those projects will have any impact on taxpayers as the two road projects were already budgeted for this year, and the two others would be funded through their respective tax increment districts. Additionally, he says that should the economic development projects that they are tied to not materialize, the city would cancel them altogether.
Other topics Wiza covered with WSAU’s Mike Leischner include:
Start of video- details on this week’s Fact or Fiction downtown walking tour
5:40- Referendum question information
7:50- Division Street meeting information
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