City of Wisconsin Rapids and American Legion Post 9 announce the inaugural Veterans Honor Walk5/17/2022
Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin – The City of Wisconsin Rapids and American Legion Post 9 announce the inaugural Wisconsin Rapids Veterans Honor Walk. From May 20 through Veterans Day, 31 custom banners celebrating veterans will be hung on light poles along Grand Avenue, from 8th Street to City Hall. Booklets with maps and banner pictures will be placed along the route.
To celebrate the unveiling of this year’s Veterans Honor Walk, the American Legion Post 9 will host an informal gathering at Veterans Memorial Park, 2nd Street between Grand Avenue and Jackson Street bridges, on May 21, from 2 – 4 p.m. They will also host an informational booth at the Buckley-Baldwin VFW Post 2534’s 90th Anniversary celebration at Donald J Knuth Memorial Hall, 2711 Reddin Road, on May 21, from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. “It has been a pleasure working with the American Legion to bring the Veterans Honor Walk to Wisconsin Rapids for the first time. The Honor Walk commemorates the accomplishments and sacrifices of veterans and active service members in our community. We thank you for your service,” said Mayor Shane Blaser. Those interested in purchasing a banner for the 2023 Veterans Honor Walk can find an application at wirapids.org or at City Hall, 444 West Grand Avenue. The American Legion Post 9 will accept applications for 2023 until there are 40 approved applications, or until February 28, 2023. First time banners will receive priority. If there are any openings available on March 1, renewals of 2022 banners may be accepted. Learn more by visiting wirapids.org or by contacting Jerry Krofta, American Legion Post 9, at 715-424-6260. If you have questions, please contact: Jerry Krofta 715-424-6260 American Legion Post 9 4132 16th St. S Wisconsin Rapids, WI 54494-4259 ![]() Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin – The City of Wisconsin Rapids Police and Fire Commission announces that, after a search, assessment, and interview process, Interim Fire Chief Todd Eckes has been appointed to serve as Fire Chief for the City of Wisconsin Rapids. Chief Eckes has been with the Department for 16 years, advancing to Captain of Operations in 2010, Battalion Chief in 2018, and was named Deputy Chief in 2019. He was appointed Interim Fire Chief in October 2021 upon the retirement of Chief Scott Young. Chief Eckes is certified as both an Executive Fire Officer through the National Fire Academy and a Chief Fire Officer through the Center for Public Safety Excellence. Police and Fire Commission President, Bruce King, said, “We are happy to announce Chief Eckes’ appointment as Fire Chief. We had a strong slate of internal candidates, and it was a tough decision for the Commissioners. This is a testament to the excellent Fire Department we have. We believe that Chief Eckes is the right person for this important position at this time. We look forward to continuing to work with him.” “I am both humbled and proud to be selected as the next Fire Chief of the Wisconsin Rapids Fire Department. Humbled by the support of the Department, City staff, and the Police and Fire Commission; and proud to serve alongside thirty-five members who walk through the doors of the Department dedicated and committed to the citizens of this great community every day,” said Chief Todd Eckes. “We have great focus as a team on the future, and the staff that is in place will take what is already a great Fire Department and make it even greater. As a Department, there is nothing that cannot be accomplished if we do it together.” Mayor Shane Blaser has made a proclamation recognizing April 30th, 2022, as Arbor Day.
Arbor Day commemorates the planting, maintenance, and preservation of trees. Arbor Day was first proclaimed in 1874 by Nebraska Governor Robert W. Furnas. WISCONSIN RAPIDS – The City of Wisconsin Rapids Parks and Recreation Department is moving to the Lowell Center at 220 3rd Ave S #3, Wisconsin Rapids, WI 54495.
Currently located at City Hall, the Parks and Recreation Department will open in its new location on Wednesday, April 27. Services and office hours will not be impacted by this move. Learn more about the Parks and Recreation Department, including programs and parks, at: https://www.wirapids.org/parks-recreation Any questions can be directed to the Parks and Recreation Department at 715-421-8240. WISCONSIN RAPIDS – The City of Wisconsin Rapids Common Council approved the transportation utility to fund $500,000 of operating and maintenance expenses for streets and sidewalks, and eliminate special assessments. The transportation utility would replace revenues from special assessments at $350,000 and increase road surfacing efforts at $150,000.
Transportation utility fees will be charged through the Water Works and Lighting Commission utility bills. Billing may start as soon as July 2022. Properties with pending special assessments will not be charged the proposed Special Assessment charge. In the coming weeks, a formal letter will be sent to each of the properties that were noticed of pending special assessment charges. The transportation utility is a mechanism to raise revenue, similar to other utilities, and is based on a customer’s relative use of the road system (or the property’s “trip generation”). Trip generation for each property within the City is determined using the Institute of Transportation Engineers’ Trip Generation Manual. The trip generation manual is derived from hundreds or thousands of studies across the nation for many different land uses. The data is analyzed and characterized in a way that can be compared across similar land uses with similar characteristics. The utility revenue of $500,000 is divided by the annual trips generated within the city to determine a cost per trip. The cost per trip is applied to the trips generated at each property within the city. • Single Family Residential ~$20/year (per dwelling unit) • Duplex and triplexes ~$17/year (per dwelling unit) • Multi-family with 4 or more units ~$16/year (per dwelling unit) • Commercial, institutional, industrial properties generate trips based on the type of business/use and certain characteristics, such as square foot of floor space, so each business has a unique charge. There have been growing concerns about special assessments regarding assessment procedures and the amount of assessments to property owners. In 2020, City Council instructed staff to perform a review of the special assessment process and identify available funding options as a substitute for special assessments. The City has analyzed public survey data, and the pros and cons for several special assessment alternatives to select the transportation utility model as the most equitable alternative for further exploration. Learn more about the transportation utility here: www.wirapids.org/transportation-utility Questions can be directed to: Joe Eichsteadt City Engineer 715-421-8251 [email protected] |
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