City Moving Quickly To Reap Full Benefit Of Dredging Grant

Peshtigo City Council is taking quick action to reap full benefit from a $358,000 Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Grant. The money was awarded for dredging silt from the bed of Trout Creek and the Peshtigo River in the Riverfront Park and Badger Park area.

At a special session at 4 p.m. Thursday, July 19 they are scheduled to act on several items that hopefully will allow the dredging to be done at the most economical cost - while river bed is mostly dry because of a drawdown to facilitate replacement of the old Hwy. 41 bridge and repairs to the Wisconsin Public Service (WPS) dam just downstream. This is the second time in two years the water levels have been drawn down, and WPS spokesmen say it is not likely to happen again for many, many years, probably not in the lifetime of anyone alive today.

In other actions, Council is expected to formally approve borrowing $3,355,657 to help finance some of the many city improvement projects currently underway. The loans, $1,957,657 from Peshtigo National Bank at 2.74 percent interest, and $1,677,000 from Farmers & Merchants Bank of Marinette at 2.47 percent to finance TIF projects, were approved by City Council at their regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, July 3. According to loan documents prepared by City Clerk Mary Ann Wills, total value of all taxable property in the city as equalized for state purposes is $162,687,800.

In connection with the dredging, council is expected to approve payment of $3,112.50 to Pace Analytical Services for test bores on the bed of the Peshtigo River and Trout Creek. Test bore results are needed to complete application for a permit from the DNR to do the long-sought dredging. The original application was rejected as incomplete because it lacked test bore information.

The city learned just last week, with the help of State Rep. John Nygren, that this time its application to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for river bed improvement through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative grant program has been successful and they will be getting $358,000 to pay for the long awaited dredging. A similar application submitted two years ago was unsuccessful. However, time is short to put that money to good use and get the dredging done while the water levels in the river are low.

If nothing changes, applications for permits generally take 30 days for approval. Terms of the current drawdown permit require gradual restoration of water levels to start on Wednesday, Aug. 15 and be completed by Sept. 15. The DNR dredging permit also calls for a 30-day wait between the time a completed application is received and a permit is granted.

Meanwhile, water levels in the flowage upstream from the WPS dam in Peshtigo have been drawn down as far as possible to facilitate work on the bridge and the dam. Wisconsin Public Service (WPS), which holds the drawdown permit, has agreed to seek a 30-day extension from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) provided the city pays for energy the dam turbines will not produce during the extra drawdown period. If everything goes well, the dredging can be done at far less cost while the river and creek beds remain nearly dry.

However, if no drawdown extension is granted the dredging will need to be done by underwater methods, which will approximately double the costs.

The existing permit requires WPS to start refilling the river on Wednesday, Aug. 15 at the rate of six inches per day, to make water levels stable at nesting time for the semi-protected Blanding’s Turtle that lives in the vicinity. Water levels are to be fully restored by Sept. 15.

Unless the DNR finds room for flexibility in its 30-day waiting period for the dredging permit, earliest possible start would be perhaps Aug. 21, provided a contractor could be found to bid and then start work almost immediately.

WPS representatives at a special Parks and Recreation Committee meeting last week said if they do delay refilling the flowage it also means a delay in resuming electric production by the dam, which in turns means a loss of income, for which they would expect the city to reimburse them. Agenda for the special Council meeting Thursday night includes approval of a formal request for the additional 30 days of drawdown and agreement to pay $5,000 to $10,000 as a drawdown fee if necessary.

Also scheduled for action is setting up a special bank account to receive donations for a Recreation Safety and Tourism Fund for the Peshtigo River. Eric and Cindy Anderson have been attempting to get the old stone logging cribs that lurk just below water level flattened somewhat while the water is out. They contend the old cribs are navigational hazards, since under normal conditions they are not visible to boaters and water skiers. However, they would like to reconstruct at least one of the cribs on shore as a monument to the lumberjacks who risked their lives to break up log jams on the river in the days of the great log drives.

Also on the agenda are approval of a donation for Experience Works, which provides experienced personnel free to assist with city projects; discussion and approval of benches and other decorative items as needed for the downtown beautification project, an adjustment to park river front control, and discussion of easements for the storm water project currently underway in the industrial park.

The day will be a busy one for most council members, starting with a meeting of the Industrial Park Oversight Committee. They will discuss the storm water easements in the industrial park, with an eye to a recommendation for the Council’s 4 p.m. meeting.

They also will consider a request from Faith Baptist Church to either buy or lease some land on Ogden Street adjacent to church property for a garden. That request was relayed to Council at the July 6 meeting by Mayor Al Krizenesky, and referred to the Industrial Park Oversight Committee because of possible restrictions on use of the land.

The committee will also hear a report on the Thompson property, which is Lot 22 in the industrial park.

Then, at 1:30 p.m., the Fire, Lighting and Building Committee will meet briefly to do a replay of a prior meeting of which committee member Cathi Malke, had not been notified. Agenda for the replay, as for the original meeting, includes review and discussion of the status of the tornado sirens, review and discussion of the Drees Community Center as a polling site, and discussion on City Hall heating, ventilating and air conditioning. At the non-meeting, which was attended only by Committee Chair Fred Meintz and member, Alderman Mary Lock, decision was to keep the Municipal Building as the city’s sole polling place, and accept a proposal from Crivitz Police Chief Mike Frievalt, who has served as consultant on the warning siren project, to get the electrical work done at an estimated cost of $16,324.77. Action on that agreement was postponed at the July 3 council meeting until the committee could meet and make a formal recommendation.

The Parks and Recreation Committee, headed by Malke, will meet at 2 p.m. Their agenda includes discussion and possible action on the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative grant, probably with an eye to recommendations for the 4 p.m. council meeting that follows. They will discuss the Badger Park Grant, the Riverfront Park Grant, and the revised contract with Alfredson Brothers to build the new gazebo, install lights, walkways and benches, and do whatever else is needed to bring the plans for Riverfront Park to reality for $192,057.60.

The committee also will consider a contract payment to Barley Trucking and Excavating for Badger Park dump station work.

The afternoon then will conclude with the 4 p.m. council meeting.

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