April 7, 2020 – West Bend, WI – The West Bend Common Council voted unanimously Monday night to approve a special assessment for neighbors in the Westminster Place subdivision located in the area of Decorah Road and 18th Avenue. The special assessment is tied to road improvements on 18th Avenue between Decorah Road and Vogt Drive along with curb and gutter, street lights, sidewalk, etc. About 85 properties are included in the special assessment.
In March 2020 neighbors spoke during a public hearing to try and convince the council to back off the special assessment that could tag properties an additional $1,757.14 to $5,449.47 to over $16,000. That last increase is for an address that houses a non-profit organization on 18th Avenue. Click HERE to watch the public hearing from March 3, 2020.
Monday night’s meeting
13. A Final Resolution Levying Special Assessments for the reconstruction of 18th Avenue between Vogt Drive and Decorah Road
City attorney Ian Prust – In consultation with City Administrator Jay Shambeau we felt this was important because these alderpersons consider this issue since the public hearing was in front of them.
City engineer Max Marechal – Payments could be made over five years and property owners would be given payment plan options.
Ian P – the other item to suggest and based on what other communities are doing is to delay the initial due date to May 1, 2021. This acknowledges the delays some people may be experiencing. The bills would be due and any payment plan would commence in 2021 and that would help if anybody is experiencing financial hardship.
Alderman Mark Allen – motion restated with Ian’s proposed changes.
All in favor – Alderman John Butschlick, Mark Allen, Andrew Chavalier, Chris Jenkins, Rich Kasten, Steve Hoogester, Justice Madl, Meghan Kennedy.
Dist. 8 alderwoman Meghan Kennedy: “I just wanted to say thank you to all the residence who reached out. I empathize and the people experiencing the impact of COVID-19 and the push back on the date. I went back and forth and to me the contract from 2004 stood out and that’s why I will vote yes because of the developer’s agreement.”
Neighbor reaction
Neighbors in the Westminster Place subdivision have been extremely organized in their effort to try and fight the special assessment. During the March 3, 2020 public hearing nearly a dozen people addressed the council.
Bob Roecker – The city shall have the right to impose special assessments. It doesn’t say the city must. We’re being assessed over $11,000; this increases speed and volume of traffic and we have to do snow removal. This benefits all of West Bend. Why isn’t the cost distributed evenly among all taxpayers? Are all road improvements in the city of WB financed by special assessments? Then if not – why this one? This money doesn’t fall from the sky. This isn’t fair or ethical. I hope you will decide to levy this tax on all taxpayers evenly.
After Monday’s vote, April 7, Westminster subdivision spokesman Louie Santini said he was extremely disappointed.
“The City Council should be ashamed of themselves. Anybody that’s having any kind of construction done, watch out for a special assessment.”
Questioned whether neighbors would file an appeal, Santini declined comment saying he wanted to cool down first and make a well thought-out decision.
More construction on 18th Avenue ahead
The 18th Avenue project between Decorah Road and Vogt Drive was completed in October 2018.
The second half of the project to widen and repave 18th Avenue from Vogt Drive south to Paradise Drive is ahead. So far, the work has yet to be bid out and a timetable approved.
Neighbors along the south end of that portion of 18th Avenue will also likely face a special assessment unless action is taken by the common council.
This special assessment is ridiculous! As is the election taking place today! So glad to be a resident of Colorado now!
So ashamed of our public officials that are supposed to serve the best interests of the citizens of West Bend! Such a “shady deal” was made almost 2 decades ago between the City of West Bend and the Westminster subdivision developers , and now you are making the Westminster subdivision/18th Street residents pay for this questionable “shady legal deal”? This “shady deal” was not disclosed to many of us 2nd and 3rd generation homeowners, prior to purchasing our homes……. how can this be fair?
The City of West Bend Attorney and Engineer should be doubly ashamed of their unethical behavior. All of the arguments made by those two why the Westminster residents were benefiting from this project we’re dispelled by Brett Berquist and others. Sadly, the City Attorney and City Engineer were just looking for someone to pay this bill and knew we could not afford to hire a lawyer to fight this. Shameful!
You have opened a can of worms for the City of West Bend with this decision. When embarking on future “road improvement projects” you had better offer the same generous courtesy to the rest of the residents in the City of West Bend to be fair and equitable. Not just charge our subdivision because of a two decade old “shady deal” between the City of West Bend and the developer of this subdivision!
Regretfully I see no fair alternative for the City but to assess all the properties that abut 18th avenue south of Vogt to pay for improvements just like those to the North have now been forced to. That was the City Wide issue all along of this ridiculous decision
Wow. Just wow. All of West Bend drives on these roads, but only a select few get to pay for them?!
*have to pay, not get to pay…. getting to pay is no privilege in this instance!
I am a resident of 18th avenue north living in a duplex just up from the Walgreens. I feel that assessment is necessary as long as it doesn’t effect the quality of living for those it effects in that area.