I reported last week that the City of Ladysmith would be holding a Public Hearing regarding assessments to property owners to pay for costs of street maintenance. The Ladysmith News reported on the meeting.

About a dozen Ladysmith residents — including several corner lot owners with streets on two sides of their properties — objected Monday to a city plan to start assessing for some street and sidewalk work.

The common council has proposed amending an ordinance to assess abutting property owners:— 75-100 percent of costs for sidewalk repair/replacement.— 50 percent of costs for chip sealing.— 25 percent of costs for street paving and repaving.

Several who spoke during a public hearing on the proposal complained about mounting charges for city services and their ability to absorb another expense.

“This is not Eau Claire. We don’t have the median incomes they have in Eau Claire. We don’t have the median property values they have down in Eau Claire,” resident John Pohlman said. “If they do both sides, this could be a third to half of what my house is assessed at. I am not enthusiastic about signing my deed over to the city.”

The proposal likely will come back to the council for a vote in a couple of months perhaps May or even later, according to (City Administrator) Christianson.

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News of the North reports on a Department of Transportation long range plan ...

The Wisconsin DOT (Department of Transportation) is seeking public comment on a new transportation plan it issued last month, called Connections 2030. The long-range plan, which is explained at the DOT website, contains plans for transit via highways, local roads, air, water, bicycle and pedestrian. It also includes linking up several major cities in the state by passenger high-speed light rail transit.

How does northern Wisconsin rate on this long range plan?

... northern Wisconsin is not on the DOT’s map.

We are not even on the map!