Topics for this post:
- Brief TIF update
- Widening Harbor Street
- Beach Parking Fees
- City Manager Replacement Search
- Taco Bell Downtown
- Planning for Southern Beaches
City Manager Report
Toward the end of Mr. Buckley’s City Manager report, there will be an update on TIF districts. I haven’t written much about TIFs before, but they’ve been mentioned frequently. Recently, they’ve been used for projects like façade grants and new developments like Violet Inn.
Widening Harbor Street
There is a backlog of meeting minutes from committees being accepted tonight. One of the more interesting items is the possible widening of Harbor Street with the options as follows. Existing Harbor Street is 24’ wide with parking on south side only.
- Widen Harbor Street to 28’ and have bikes on road
- Separate off street trail (10’ wide) on south side
- Consider converting to one-way
Is that street so busy in the summer months that we need a widened street for bikes? It’s a ghost town most of the year because it’s all vacation homes, but maybe there’s a lot of bicycle traffic between the Coast Guard station and Neshotah.
Beach Parking Fees
The Advisory Recreation Board is looking into options for charging non-residents for parking at Neshotah Beach. Their minutes mention exploring:
- Revisit IPS Group kiosk system
- Explore new vendor with a toll-way style system
- Possibly pilot and/or do a car count at parking lots.
The ARB plans to host a vendor presentation, likely in March.
City Manager Replacement Search
Mr. Buckley is retiring around August 8, and the search for his replacement is underway, led by Public Administration Associates (PAA). Here are some key points from the meeting packet (pages 33-34):
- Mr. Buckley’s Role: He is deeply involved in the process. While his knowledge of the city and the role is unmatched, some residents may worry his involvement could limit fresh perspectives.
- Candidate Outreach: PAA will reach out to professional associations, graduate programs in public and business administration, and directly to 100-150 potential candidates.
- Finalist Assessment: A group of 4-7 finalists will visit Two Rivers on May 30-31. The visit includes meetings with department heads, a community reception on Friday evening, and interviews with the City Council on Saturday.
Taco Bell Downtown
Last week’s Plan Commission meeting discussed Taco Bell development plans. On Wednesday, January 22, updated plans will be submitted, reflecting committee feedback to narrow the drive-thru lane and shift the building 10 feet east.
Jason Ring presented comments from the Main Street Committee. The main point of discussion expressed concerns surrounding the newly painted mural. The proposed building is setback 38 feet from Washington Street, so it may block a portion of the mural. The applicant explained that there should be enough room for the building to shift 10 feet to the east, to allow for a better view of the mural. This is also possible because of the elimination of a second drive through bypass lane.
Planning for Southern Beaches
Early in the meeting, there’s a discussion about long-term planning for the southern beaches along Memorial Drive. The agenda includes this snippet:
Consideration of Professional Services Agreement With Stantec Consulting Services for Grant-Funded Project, “Creating a Resilient Waterfront Parkland,” Addressing Long-Term Planning for Shoreline Resiliency and Enhanced Public Access/Use of the Public Lakefront from the Harbor South Past the City Limits to the Vicinity of the Chamber of Commerce Property.
I think you’ll see something a little more developed for use than what’s in this video, but you’ll get the idea.
Meeting Agenda Packet
You can read the full packet that council members get here:
MEET-Packet-238acda4816e4464ade70c10466cdf0b.pdf