City of Delafield - The Common Council is expected to begin deliberations
Monday on a proposal to levy $450,000 in water main special assessments on agricultural land that, according to its owner, may never be developed.

Another $234,000 in special assessments may take years to collect because it is also based on the assumption that farm land located in the northeast quadrant of the city will be developed, according to city officials.

City Engineer Mike Court of Yaggy Colby Associates said the land can be assessed because according to the city's master plan it will eventually be developed.

The proposal, described as "speculative financing" by one alderperson, is part of a  financial plan intended to help reimburse the water and utility funds for the costs of a controversial $4.1 million water main that was installed last year along Highway 83 between Interstate 94 and Highway 16.

The city paid for the water main by borrowing about $2.5 million dollars in 2005 and contributing another $1.5 million sewer and water utility reserve funds.

The city will recoup about $2 million over a period of years through development agreements with the Village Square shopping center, Oakwood Church, and developers of the Geason Family Farm along Highway 83.

The city anticipates levying special assessments against other existing commercial properties along the highway in addition to about $900,000 from the owners of undeveloped farm land.

However, local farmer David Morris said he told city officials last year that he does not intend to develop about 120 acres of land he owns and it will be five to six years before a decision is made regarding another 80 acres of agricultural land owned by his family estate.

Mayor Ed McAleer said the Common Council must either adopt the special assessment proposal or find an other alternative for reimbursing the utility funds.

"All of this should have been discussed and decided before the pipe was put into the ground. Now, the city is between a rock and a hard spot," McAleer said.

However, Alderwoman Beth Leonard said owners of agricultural land should not be specially assessed to help pay for the pipe line proposed by former City Administrator Matt Carlson to serve the shopping center, future developments, and reduce radium in a city well.

"One of the reasons I was opposed to Matt Carlson's water pipe was because the city didn't have a clue how it was going to pay for it," Leonard said.

The highway 83-16 overpass that borders the City of Delafield and Village of Hartland, closed for nearly a month because of construction work, has apparently been re-opened.

Motorist reported the overpass bridge was open early Friday afternoon although state highway officials had indicated the construction work was not expected to be completed until August 8.

State highway officials have not returned telephone calls seeking confirmation that the overpass is open for the traffic.

Motorists who usually travel north and south across the overpass were asked to take a circuitous detour through the Village of Hartland to Highway KE (West North Shore Drive) in order to rejoin Highway 83 south of the construction work.

The detour resulted in unusually heavy traffic through the village and an occassional traffic jam on Highways 16 and 83 and on downtown streets in the village.

The bridge deck overlay work is part of an $824,000 resurfacing of Highway 83 that extends 3.2 miles from Interstate 94 in Delafield south to near Cardinal Lane in Hartland.

Village of Hartland - Lake Country commuters traveling east board along Highway 16 to Interstate 94 should either seek alternative routes or anticipate traffic delays during morning and evening rush hours.

A traffic jam early Tuesday morning was apparently caused by road construction along Highway 16 and increased traffic resulting from work on the Highways 16 and 83 overpass.

Lake Country commuters who live east of Highway 83 may want to use south bound Highways KE, KF or 164 as alternate routes to Interstate 94.

Commuters who live west of Highway 83 might want to use south bound Highway P as an alternate route to Interstate 94.

State highway officials said that east bound Highway 16 at the North Avenue overpass in Hartland has been reduced to one lane while workers repair the overpass.

There has been a increase in traffic along Highway 16 between the Highway 83 and Jungbluth Road (Highway KE) interchanges because the route is being used as a detour because the Highway 16 and 83 overpass is closed for construction, according to state highway officials.

John Kanzenbach, project director for the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, said he anticipates that traffic along Highway 16 will be reduced to one east bound and one west bound lane while work on the North Avenue overpass is completed during the month of August.

Kanzenbach anticipates that traffic along Highway 16 will also be reduced to one east bound and one west bound lane possibly beginning next week at the Capital Drive interchange.

Department of Transportation officials say the long stretch of I-94 closure could be opened to through traffic by the end of this week.

On Tuesday afternoon, the Department of Transportation (DOT) announced it was beginning a nearly $900,000 emergency construction project for the 4-mile stretch of road between Johnson Creek and Lake Mills.

The construction began early this week and will create two-way traffic (one lane each way) in the normal eastbound lanes, allowing vehicles to crossover and nudge together near the Johnson Creek Outlet Mall and travel for several miles before opening back up to the full interstate near Lake Mills.

The bidirectional traffic lanes will be separated by median wands, while the northern portion of the road – the normal westbound lanes – will remain closed until water recedes.

Plans call for speed limits to slow to 55 miles per hour and even 45 miles per hour in some areas.

City of Oconomowoc - Oconomowoc Police Cheif Dave Beghun stated that he awaiting a call from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation for the city's assistance in closing down westbound traffic access to I-94 at the Highway 67 interchange as part of a bigger effort to close down the interstate's westbound traffic from Highway 83 in Delafield to to Highway 26 in Jefferson County as flooding continues to reach roadways.

The detour will direct drivers south to I-43 to Beloit where they can get on I-90 and head north toward Madison.

The duration of the closure is not yet known.