City will apply for stimulus funds for road work

The Wauwatosa Common Council tonight voted to apply for economic stimulus to pay for resurfacing West Burleigh Street from the east city limits to Highway 100 and enter into an agreement with a consulting firm for the design work.

If the city gets the funds for the resurfacing work, Wauwatosa will still have to foot the design consultant's bill.

The vote was 10-2, with Aldermen James Krol and Jacqueline Jay opposed, but for different reasons.

Krol voiced concern about the number of projects - flood-proofing the Muellner Building, Hart Park athletic facilities improvements, the new fire station and televising the city's sewers - the engineering staff already has to oversee and the tight turnaround required for this project. He also worried about moving up a project that was slated for 2012 because residents would have to pay special assessments earlier.

Jay said she didn't believe the city should take any stimulus funds because of an opposition to President Barack Obama's entire economic recovery plan.

Alderman Michael Walsh disagreed with Jay.

"If we don't spend it, the next town over is going to spend it," he said.

Walsh supported applying for the funds saying doing the project this year would improve city infrastructure with less of a financial burden on taxpayers.