The Prescott City Council approved Resolution 09-25, adopting the Public Participation Plan and Public Survey at the Feb. 10 meeting.

“It’s basically stating what we will do moving forward in terms of opening it up to our community for input,” City Administrator Matt Wolf explained.

Wolf also shared that the city has created a comprehensive survey to gather feedback from residents. To encourage participation, four $50 Chamber Buck gift cards will be raffled off to those who complete the full survey. Wolf hopes this incentive will boost community involvement.

The survey aims to gather insights that will inform the Plan Commission of updates to the city’s comprehensive plan. Wolf emphasized the importance of feedback, stating that they want “to see what the community wants.”  While the goal is for as many residents as possible to complete the online survey, the city is aiming for at least 10% participation.

As the council commented on the long length of the survey, Alderperson Adam Granquist said, “Painting a picture for the future of the city, yeah, I would expect it to be exhaustive and would want it to be.”

Riverfront Phase 2 Project

The council awarded the Riverfront Phase 2 Project bid to Haas Sons, Inc. for $1,066,667. Bids were submitted by Haas Sons, Inc., Pember Companies, Inc., and Janke General Contractors, with amounts ranging from $1,066,666.93 to $1,112,338.28, and $1,398,105.30, respectively. City Engineer Greg Adams of Cedar Corporation pointed out that Haas Sons, Inc. was the lowest bidder.

“This was quite a bit lower than my final design estimate when we had it all final designed,” he explained. “It was a very good bidding environment.”

Reflecting on Haas Sons, Inc.'s past work for the City of Prescott, Adams commented, “We’ve had good luck with them and so we felt comfortable with awarding that to that contractor.”

Magee Park Trail and Parking Lot Plan

The city council also approved plans and authorized advertisements for bids for improvements at Magee Park. The proposed additions include park features such as a 30-foot diameter fire pit area featuring an inner five-foot fire ring, designed as a concrete space with a walkway leading from the trail. The area will also feature 12 4-foot long limestone benches to offer seating around the fire pit.

Adams, who detailed the trail area, explained that three or four bench areas will be included along the trail to provide resting spots for users.

A year ago, the estimated cost of the project was approximately $538,800. However, with some additional elements added, the new estimate is around $590,300. Adams noted that the increase in cost is mainly due to the trail construction, which will include paving. When asked about funding, Wolf confirmed that a grant of $280,700 has been awarded to assist with the cost, and an additional $304,066 has been budgeted for the project. Wolf also mentioned that some elements, such as the pedestrian bridge, signage, and safety and security measures, fall outside this estimate.

Adams said the trail will be constructed with 8 inches of base and 2 inches of asphalt. He described the trail as more of a "multi-use" path than just a standard walkway. When Alderperson Maureen Otwell asked if the trail would be bike-friendly, Adams confirmed it would indeed be a multi-use trail, suitable for biking as well.

As the council discussed the history of the trail and how long it has been in development, Otwell remarked, “I just can’t believe we’re at this point,” while Alderperson Mike Gerke added, “It’s kind of coming together, isn’t it?”

Other business

The city council approved an agreement with McCabe Construction for Water Lateral Material Verification for 40 laterals, totaling $25,866. Wolf noted that the lead service line inventory, which was required by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), was completed in October. Due to the historic nature of many areas within the community, there were no records available for several homes, resulting in many laterals being marked as "unknown" or "other."

Wolf said the city decided to only address specific sections and gather quotes to compare costs. The council ultimately approved the lowest bid from McCabe Construction at $647 per lateral. “The money would come out of the water fund to complete this work,” Wolf shared.

The council then approved Ordinance 01-25, amending City Code Chapter 248, Article II – Bicycles. Wolf explained that the key changes involved removing the requirement for bicycle licenses and updating equipment requirements to align with Wisconsin State Statute 347.489.

“Specifically, we no longer require bicycle licenses within the city,” Wolf said.

He recommended waiving the third reading to expedite official approval of the ordinance, and the council unanimously agreed.