GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – The City of Green Bay’s Finance Committee gave its approval to the allocation of American Rescue dollars to several infrastructure projects.
One million American Rescue dollars will go toward adding in storm water retention ponds at Seymour Park in Green Bay, if the full city council approves the project.
“The expectation, if both the east and the west ponds are created, the expectation is to remove the flooding from Ashland Avenue. It should also have a measurable impact on flooding on other connected storm sewers upstream from that Ashland Avenue where Ashland splits, the east and west sides of Seymour Park,” City of Green Bay Public Works Director Steve Grenier said.
Grenier says the city is still working out design details on the project.
Officials say they’ve been acknowledging feedback from neighbors about the design as well.
“The loss of a big chunk of a park is never desirable, but you’ve got to kind of weigh the impact that that has relative to something else that’s really been plaguing that area, which is chronic flooding for many decades,” alder and finance committee member Brian Johnson said.
The finance committee also approved the allocation of ARPA funds to go towards the lease for police body cameras, tasers, and squad car cameras, which began last year.
The Green Bay Packers contributed $757,389 to the contract with Axon, which covered everything except for tasers in year one of the deal.
Officials say their intent is to get the cameras into the operational budget in the future.
“We are also, right now, going through the process of priority-based budgeting. We’re taking a really tough look at all our expenses across the board in every single department. Obviously the public has identified this as a priority. Council has as well, and it’s appropriate to have it in operational budget,” Green Bay Mayor Eric Genrich said.
Mayor Eric Genrich says American Rescue dollars need to be spent by 2026.
