Monona Council addresses topics related to newly-annexed properties

By Audrey Posten, Times-Register

At its March 8 meeting, the Monona City Council discussed several topics related to the city’s recent annexation of properties in the area south and west of Highway 18/52 and Falcon Avenue. 

In total, six parcels of land were annexed into the Monona city limits, comprising 40.36 acres. The move was prompted by the proposed construction of a new Kwik Star convenience store at its current location just off Highway 18/52.

At the recommendation of the Monona Planning and Zoning Commission, the council approved designating the three current commercial parcels as C1-A Highway Commercial and the three existing agricultural parcels as A-1 Agricultural.

The council also approved an amendment to the Monona Urban Renewal Area that will bring the six recently annexed parcels under the plan and make them subject to the provisions of the plan. The amendment includes updating the description of the city’s North Page Street Reconstruction Project, which was previously approved in a September 2019 amendment to the plan, and authorizing the undertaking of a new urban renewal project in the urban renewal area. That will consist of providing tax increment financing support to Kwik Trip, Inc., in connection with the construction of a new convenience store/fueling station and car wash and the corresponding construction of public infrastructure. 

At its next meeting, on March 22, the council plans to take action and approve a development agreement with Kwik Trip, Inc., and authorize the annual appropriation incremental property tax payment. City administrator Barb Collins explained the current changes to the agreement. In addition to adopting an urban renewal plan and area, the council also adopted an ordinance providing for the division of taxes levied on taxable property which will be irrevocable pledged by the city to be paid to HRZ, LLP not to exceed $600,000 for the extension of public water and sewer to Kwik Star.

Additionally, the council approved a Kwik Star utility easement and temporary construction easement and approved easements from Monona Wire Corp. and Donald and Cheryl Wagner for the Kwik Star utility extension project.

Trail extension plans progress

Another upcoming project on the city of Monona’s radar is the extension of the Monona Recreational Trail. At the meeting, the council approved project plans and specifications, which were presented by Fehr Graham Engineer Jon Biederman.

Biederman said the trail will start in Gateway Park, where the old trail stopped, then continue around the new playground to the entrance of the park. The trail will then continue north on the west side of Main Street, in the city’s right of way, go north in front of NEIT, cross Oak Street and head north in front of Quillin’s. At the northern end of Quillin’s, the trail will turn west to cross over the parking lot of the Living Faith United Methodist Church, then turn back into the city’s right of way and continue north until meeting the intersection of Spruce and Main streets. 

The trial will briefly move out of the city’s right of way due to the slope of the driveway into the Methodist Church. Biederman said this detour in the trail could potentially save around $20,000 in construction costs.

Bid letting for the trail extension project was set for April 1.

Projects to address I&I issues

After much discussion, the council agreed to proceed with setting up a Phase III Sewer Project to finish lining the city’s remaining sewer lines and updating remaining manholes, in an effort to address inflow and infiltration issues in the city’s collection system, 

Forrest Aldrich, engineer with V&K, created an updated sanitary sewer rehab status map, which has color coded the sewer lines that have been completed for lining or rehab, sewer lines that still need to be lined or rehabbed and lines whose status is unknown. 

RCT Sewer & Vac investigated city sewer lines in 2020, and these lines would be approximately one-third of the remaining lines that need to be completed. The estimated project cost is $243,350.

The cost to line and rehabilitate all the remaining sewer lines and manholes not previously targeted came to an estimated $700,000 to $750,000. Grant money could be available for this type of project.

Operation/maintenance agreement upgraded

The council approved upgrading the operation and maintenance agreement between the city of Monona and PeopleService Inc. to eliminate the need for a new public works employees to be certified to handle the distribution side of the city’s water and wastewater systems. 

PeopleService employees Heath Draeger and Jared Burkle told the council updating the current contract would include monitoring and servicing a 300,000-gallon elevated storage tank and the water distribution systems containing various sizes of mains, water valves and fire hydrants on the water system. On the wastewater system side, the previous contract consisted of maintenance of an activated sludge wastewater treatment plant. A new contract would add the wastewater collection system consisting of various sizes of interceptor mains, manholes and three lift stations.  

The first year cost of this contract upgrade would be $107,052.