Board Meeting Roundup: Kayak Launch, Oakland Ave, Regressive Tax

SHOREWOOD, WI — The mask mandate is gone, a Hubbard Park canoe launch will be delayed, and Oakland Avenue will wait to get repaved, according to Village Board meetings Monday night.

The Hubbard Park kayak/canoe launch project will be delayed. Only one contractor's bid was received for the project, but the board decided to try again next year instead of nixing the item from future consideration.

The North Oakland Avenue pavement replacement project will be put off to give local businesses some breathing room to prepare and rebound from the pandemic.

The project would temporarily eliminate most parking and seating on Oakland Ave, according to Village Manager Rebecca Ewald.

If done right now, such impacts could be drastic for businesses as they attempt to rebound from pandemic restrictions and economic downturn, according to local business owner Nat Davauer.

The Village Board also discussed possible new options to diversify Village income streams in 2022. Possible options include: a $20 wheel tax, installation of parking meters and the transfer of emergency service expenses to residents' water bills.

No decisions were made on the matter, but Village Trustee Wesley Warren indicated hesitancy toward such changes.

A Shorewood wheel tax and parking meters, especially on top of the already existing $30 Milwaukee County wheel tax, could be too regressive, according to Warren.

Any potential transfers of emergency service fees to water bills would amount to around $80 annually, but those would be offset, according to Finance Director Mark Emanuelson.

A parking meter option would install meters along Oakland Avenue business districts.