By Dave Fidlin
Correspondent
With the intent of reducing the likelihood of pollution and improve water runoff, Whitewater officials have backed a plan to construct a wet detention basin on the northwest side of Cravath Lake.
The Common Council on Sept. 1 voted to enter into a $197,000 contract with Strand Associates for the basin, which as its designation suggests, will also have some level of water within it.
The city successfully obtained a grant from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to cover half of the cost of construct the basin, meaning the city is on the hook for the remaining balance of $98,500.
The basin is included in the city’s 2016 capital improvements plan and will constructed on a plot of land the city is in the process of purchasing. The location is on West Ann Street, near the intersection of South Franklin Street.
In other recent business, the Common Council:
- Approved a rezoning request for a property at 531 W. Center St. Property owners Gordon and Jill Backman successfully sought a technical designation of a residential overlay district so up to six unrelated persons can live within the residence.
Under the previous zoning designation, the arrangement was not possible.
- Approved a plan to add positions to the Library Board. A mixture of council and resident designees could be added to the appointed body as alternates to fill gaps when regular members cannot attend.
- Adopted a resolution that puts the city on record as seeking a library tax exemption for properties in Jefferson County. Since Whitewater has its own library that is funded through municipal taxes, the city annually removes itself from the county library taxation.
