NEWS
Committee to continue State Street discussion
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Also by Jessica Peterson:
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by Jessica Peterson
Wednesday, March 13, 2002
Despite a Board of Estimates decision Monday to delay allocating funds for the State Street redesign project, the city’s Downtown Coordinating Committee will continue to discuss the project tonight.
Tonight’s meeting was originally called to ensure recommendations for the design project are finalized prior to its introduction in the City Council, committee chair Mary Lang Sollinger said.
But members of the Board of Estimates voted to delay a decision about the project’s funding, citing city budget uncertainties and questions about the project that remain unanswered as reasons to refer the action to their next meeting.
Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, said due to the board’s decision, the committee will not be able to take final action on the recommendations tonight.
However, he said recommendations about design elements such as bus shelters will still be discussed.
“I still think we will make enough progress,” Verveer said.
The Downtown Coordinating Committee will meet today at 4 p.m. in room 204 of the Madison Central Library.
Sollinger said the committee has a rough draft of the design recommendations, and said prior to the Board of Estimates vote that the committee was aiming for approval.
Although the Board of Estimates did not make any final decisions about the project’s finances, Sollinger said the committee still plans to discuss the plan’s costs.
“We want to make sure not a lot of money is spent on studies and projects that are not needed,” Sollinger said. “There needs to be enough money left over for State Street.”
Verveer said the most recent delay in the redesign process means the Council would not likely receive the finalized project proposal for a vote until April. Regardless of the delay, Sollinger said it is important the committee continue meeting.
“We need to stay on the same schedule as everyone else,” Sollinger said. “It won’t be a wasted meeting.”
