Wednesday night, the Shawano Common Council approved the bid for construction of Phase 1 of the Franklin Park Development project, as recommended by the Finance Committee and Park and Rec Commission.
Five companies put in bids, with Martel Construction Company in Green Bay securing the project with a bid total of $185,461.95.
The city had budgeted $75,000 in the 2017 CIP budget for Phase 1 and has $65,000 in outside donations, meaning the bid approval was contingent on the common council passing an amendment of the 2017 city budget in the amount of $55,000 to cover the first phase.
Two community members, Dr. Richard Sarnwick on behalf of the Shawano Farmer’s Market and Robert Dumke voiced their opinions on the city’s investment to the park.
“It’s very important to [the Shawano Farmer’s Market] to see this project go forward,” Dr. Sarnwick opined. “We’re really excited about it and we think developing that park is going to make Shawano shine.”
Dumpke, the owner of Cobbler’s Closet in downtown Shawano, adds the he understands the importance of getting visitors and tourists to the area who often comment how lucky Shawano is to have a vibrant downtown area.
“I know that these are difficult issues when you talk about borrowing money to finance recreational aspects of our community, however because of the importance of these types of activities to attracting new families to the area, I would hate to see a delay of eight to ten years to get some aspects of these projects done,” stated Dumpke.
Both resolutions were passed by the council without discussion. Alderpersons Rhonda Strebel, Woody Davis, and Lisa Hoffman voted to approve both resolutions, while Alderperson Bob Kurkiewicz voted against both measures.