Silver Beach Road Committee to meet

The Silver Beach Road Committee will hold its first meeting on Thursday, Sept. 10, a few months after members were appointed to it.

A Village of Belgium ad hoc committee last December encouraged paving the road, which has been a longtime debate in the community.

That led to the formation of a Silver Beach Road Committee to seek funding, namely grants, for the project. Village President Pete Anzia appointed four members to it in July.

The portion of road to be paved leads into the village’s industrial park.

Belgium Area Chamber of Commerce board member Jay Lauer last December told the ad hoc committee that two “significant” companies didn’t locate in Belgium because Silver Beach Road isn’t paved.

Chamber Executive Director Tara Williams said the unpaved road is a “stumbling block” in trying to grow the village.

The village in 2015 delayed paving the road for an estimated $3.2 million until Main Street was redone. That project has since been completed.

While nearly all of the engineering work has been done, obstacles remain. One property owner said years ago he didn’t want a retention pond on his property. The village is also facing wastewater treatment plant upgrades required by the Department of Natural Resources that could cost about $1 million. Sewer work is also needed.

Treasurer Vickie Boehnlein noted that the village has a debt limit and has no choice but to do the treatment plant and sewer work.

Anzia, chairman of the ad hoc committee, said, “It comes down to how high do you want your cost of living in the village here.”

Lauer said a larger industrial base would help lower taxes and warned that if the village does nothing for too long taxes will rise. He said the village is now paying for past decisions that didn’t anticipate the future by paving the road.

Another hurdle is the fact the village does not own the portion of the road to be paved. It is in the Town of Belgium.

The road would have to be annexed into the village. The town has said it doesn’t want to help pay for the roadwork.

When the ad hoc committee met last December, it was days before the deadline to apply for a Multimodel Local Supplement Grant from the state to obtain 90% of the project’s cost.

Committee member and village engineer Matt Greely said via a phone call during the meeting that the grant paperwork could be finished by the deadline, but he suggested getting written support from the town.

Anzia went to talk to the Town Board, which was meeting on the same night. The town also planned to apply for a Multimodel Local Supplement Grant for one of its road projects and said it didn’t want to jeopardize receiving the grant by supporting the village grant.

The village didn’t apply for a grant and the town didn’t get the grant for its project.

The ad hoc committee had recommended forming a village committee to research paving the road. The Village Board turned down the recommendation until it held a joint meeting with the Town Board, which it did earlier this year.

That led to the formation of the Silver Beach Road Committee, which consists of Public Works Director Dan Birenbaum, Town Chairman Tom Winker, former village trustee Ron Weyker and business owner Brady Ingelse.

The meeting will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 10, at Village Hall. Agenda items include appointing a chairman and determining the committee’s purpose.