Wisconsin Rapids council approves resident-funded paving, discontinues Market Street and alley and OKs contract changes

The Wisconsin Rapids Common Council approved several street projects and contract changes during its meeting, including a resident-funded paving request, two discontinuance resolutions and additions to the city’s 2026 asphalt and construction-engineering budgets.

Chair (speaker 1) opened the session on a request from the owner of 1610 Riverwood Lane to pave a short public gravel strip serving their driveway. Engineering staff Joe said the segment is about 22 feet wide and 90 feet long and estimated the work at roughly $5,000; the owner first offered to cover 50% and recently offered to fund 100% if the city does the installation. Council member (speaker 4) moved to approve the work if the owner pays all costs and the council approved the motion 3–0.

The council then adopted a resolution discontinuing a segment of Market Street near the courthouse and a separate resolution abandoning the alley immediately north and west of the East Jackson/Market intersection. Engineering staff said both discontinuances are tied to planned East Jackson Street improvements and that utilities have been accounted for in the draft design; the Market Street resolution passed 3–0 after resident Tom Riom urged council members to ensure traffic counts and broader project impacts are considered before implementation.

Council also approved change order No. 3 to the 2026 asphalt contract. Joe told the council the change order would add grant-eligible items—fine grading, pavement markings and sod installation on East Jackson phases 1 and 2 and a fine-grading item on the 48th Street contract—so the city could capture Local Road Improvement Program reimbursement. The total increase is $134,471.40; the council approved the change order 3–0.

Finally, the council authorized pursuing an external construction engineering agreement for East Jackson Street after staff said in-house work is not grant-eligible. The lone proposal received from POB estimated $70,000 for construction staking and inspection (about 600 labor hours); staff said contracting would free internal staff hours for other projects. The motion to proceed carried 3–0.

Votes at a glance: the council recorded unanimous approvals on the paving request for 1610 Riverwood Lane (motion moved by Council member, seconded by Alder Austin; vote 3–0); the Market Street discontinuance resolution (vote 3–0); the alley discontinuance resolution (vote 3–0); change order No. 3 to the 2026 asphalt contract, $134,471.40 (vote 3–0); and authorization to pursue $70,000 in construction engineering services for East Jackson Street (vote 3–0).

The council recorded the discontinuance resolutions subject to utility easements and directed the city clerk to record certified copies with the Wood County register of deeds. The paving approval requires the property owner to sign a waiver related to public-hearing assessment procedures and to agree to the stated dollar amount for the work.

Action items and next steps include executing the owner waiver for the Riverwood Lane paving, adding change order work items into the asphalt contract to pursue grant reimbursement, and negotiating the POB construction engineering scope and contract terms for East Jackson. No further public hearings were scheduled on these items at the meeting.