Aug. 13—SUPERIOR — Imagine walking downtown with music playing in the background along spruced-up storefronts in the summer.
Maybe an indoor sports center where the turf is always green could help chase the blues away on cold, snowy days ahead.
What about a shelter to house those who are homeless and ineligible for existing shelters?
Those are just some of the more than 50 proposals councilors will consider as they set priorities for the 2025 general fund and capital improvement budgets.
“I call it the magic wand exercise,” Mayor Jim Paine said. “If money were no object, what would we do?”
However, now it will be up to the council to determine which proposals matter most when the reality of limited resources is applied.
Most of the proposals would improve city infrastructure or operations.
They include funding requests for street improvements, crack repairs and sidewalks.
Council President Lindsey Graskey proposed crosswalk improvements along North Third, Fifth and Sixth streets, as well as side-street improvements in North End in anticipation of the Blatnik Bridge reconstruction project.
Graskey also started the conversation about establishing a fund to help businesses impacted by the lengthy closure of the bridge, expected to begin in 2027.
Traffic safety could also be enhanced with a preemption system that would allow first responders to control traffic signals when they are approaching.
Several proposals call for software solutions to improve recordkeeping and city operations. And numerous requests call for new equipment and vehicles to replace existing ones.
Facilities used or owned by the city could also see improvement if the council makes it a priority. The police department break room could be renovated. Proposals also include developing detailed plans to remodel the Municipal Services Building on Hill Avenue and rebuild the fire halls in the North End and East End. Funding could be allocated to predesign and estimate the cost for replacing the fire halls built in the early 1980s.
Paying for Fire Station No. 2 in North End could get a nudge with the help of a climate justice grant through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
“We’re preparing to submit the application in August,” said Councilor Garner Moffat. “We’re still waiting on a couple of numbers … to get more accurate numbers on some of these projects.”
Once submitted, Moffat said the EPA would review the application and provide feedback to allow changes to be made by the November deadline.
Restoration of the fountains at Barker’s Island, improvements to Bear Creek Park, and funding for permanent, plumbed restrooms in neighborhood parks that still don’t have restrooms are also proposed.
Additional funding could also help build the
ConnectSuperior broadband project
or expand the reach of the Environmental Services Division’s stormwater flood control program.
Several new positions could be created, including a safety and loss prevention coordinator; a community policing sergeant and a paid internship in the police department; a fire marshal; a grant writer; website and social media manager; and adding arts and crafts coordinator duties to the parks assistant program coordinator with a pay increase.
The city could also change the Fourth of July celebration with a drone or laser display in place of the traditional fireworks.
Councilor Mike Herrick said he appreciated that someone included a proposal to address the lead service lines that property owners could be required to replace at their own expense without the benefit of principal-forgivable loans that are available to other customers of utilities that are not privately owned.
With an inventory of pipe materials 74% complete,
Superior Water, Light and Power has determined about 5% of customers would be required to replace their service lines
at a cost of about $10,000. Councilor Jenny Van Sickle asked the council to consider setting aside $5,000 per home to help offset the cost.
In researching the issue and a proposed 18% increase in water rates, Van Sickle said she discovered Superior already has the highest water rates in the state. She said she also researched the history of the city’s incorporation in the late 1800s and discovered the city didn’t forgo its rights to operate a water utility when it contracted with Superior Waterworks.
“I’m not proposing reclamation of the utility, but it is something that we should very seriously consider because, again, our water rates — just basic access to water — is extraordinarily expensive comparatively in the state of Wisconsin.”
Moffat said he has been advocating for the city to purchase the utility based on his research. In 2003, the city of Beloit purchased its utility, and the water rates dropped significantly, he said.
“I think we should make every attempt to purchase the utility,” Moffat said.
Paine encouraged councilors to establish their priorities among the proposals and return them to him by the Aug. 20 council meeting.
“From the beginning, my very first budget,” Paine said, “I’ve tried to be a bit more collaborative about this process and solicit your opinions and priorities at the very beginning, so in October, I can present you with a budget that you substantially agree with.”
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