The Village of Howard officials are in the process of planning for the 2008 budget.  Part of that project is to plan for Capital Improvements in the Village.  The Press has been reporting a series of articles on the projected projects.  Last week The Press reported on the Village Center projects.  This week is a report on Velp Avenue.  Next week the Highway 29/41 corridors will be discussed as part of Capital Improvements.  

Last Tuesday evening the Village Board wanted to take a closer look.   Village officials and interested residents took a three-hour bus tour covering all parts of the Village where potential redevelopment, reconstruction and expansion could occur.  Staff members gave overviews of some of the requests the board will see at budget time. 

The tour started and ended at Village Green Golf Course.  They toured potential new development sites in the northern part of the Village, Glendale Avenue reconstruction, Windover/Sunridge utilities, Akzo Nobel Sports Complex and a proposed park just to the northeast of the Akzo Nobel Sports Complex.  The Public Works Building was a stop where expansion is needed and close to that in the Village’s Industrial Park was the site where the Village is considering extending a rail spur to allow a concrete company to be relocated. 

The tour continued by viewing Velp Avenue and the projected projects, touring Meadowbrook Park and discussing location of a new shelter, and from there discussing the intersection of Glendale and Hillcrest where there is a proposed roundabout planned.  Other sites were the Highway 29/41 corridors, proposed sidewalks for the Village and future development sites on the south end of the Village.

In a prepared statement to The Press Joshua Smith, Village Administrator said, “The bus tour with our elected officials successfully illustrated the different capital projects the Village is considering and gave the staff an opportunity to address numerous issues ranging from future highway reconstruction to utility extensions.  The Village Board has been successful in keeping our basic per capita spending the lowest of any community our size in the State of Wisconsin and with new commercial/industrial development entering the equation, it will give the board additional tax revenues to mitigate or minimize any tax increase to our residents.  At the end of the day we want to be known as the premiere community to live in Northeast Wisconsin, with the best amenities for our residents at the lowest possible costs.  New commercial/industrial development will assist in reaching that goal.”