The Oshkosh Common Council considers river walk urban trail segment construction a high-water mark of its capital improvements project, but docks included in the project are taking on water.

During a 2011 capital improvements program workshop on Tuesday, councilors made it clear they continue to support inclusion of river walk segment construction projects. But councilors also identified transient docks included in segments to be built in 2011 along Marion Road and from Jackson Street to Main Street along City Center as a chance to cut project costs.

The cost of the river walk came under scrutiny after the city found out its application for a $1.6 million state grant that would have cut costs on the City Center segment in half was recently rejected. The grant funds would have provided about 22 percent of the $7.1 million included for the river walk in the 2011 capital improvement program.

Mayor Paul Esslinger said he sees the benefit of docks, but called the cost to install them “crazy.” He said he even favored returning a $325,000 state grant to fund docks along the Marion Road segment.

“This is crazy. If we put up all these docks here, fishers won’t be able to fish along the river. We have a storm water utility whose rate has the potential to go up 150 percent in the next five years,” Esslinger said. “I’m wondering if there isn’t a fourth scenario to use this money and move on with the river walk. … We need to complete the river walk.”

Of the $3.2 million in total funding for the City Center river walk segment, Community Development Director Allen Davis said docks are only estimated to cost $100,000 of the total segment costs.

Oshkosh City Manager Mark Rohloff said the allocated funds could likely be shifted to fund more river walk construction, but said the city could seriously risk getting any future state grants for waterways improvements by returning the Marion Road funds. It would be the second time the city would have returned such a grant.

“We’ve already turned it down once and the chances of getting another one will be minimized if we turn another one down,” Rohloff said. “City Center does have docks included, but we can minimize the number of docks there. And maybe that’s how we save money on City Center. I just want to be cautious about turning the grant down a second time.”

Other councilors supported the inclusion of the docks as a way to help spur boat traffic for downtown businesses.

“I am a boater and I can’t park my boat on the river (in Oshkosh),” Councilor Steve Herman said. “There are no places open. Go to Winneconne and ask what happened when they put in transient docks. Talk to Menasha. People want destination places to go.”

Councilors also asked whether the city had explored public-private partnerships with boating and waterways groups to help fund river walk costs. Parks Director Ray Maurer said he had met with local fishing clubs and conservation groups about either helping raise funds for the river walk and/or maintaining the docks once they are installed.

Ultimately, councilors will decide what river walk work will be funded when the capital improvements program, and the entire 2011 city budget, are considered during the next council meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 23.

via Council may cut costly docks as way to reduce spending in Capital Improvement Program | thenorthwestern.com | Oshkosh Northwestern.