Gillett TID OK’d, contract awarded

The Gillett Planning Commission on Aug. 29 recommended approval of a fourth tax increment financing district (TID), which would include the new Dollar General store and a planned new storage building among its parcels.

The commission forwarded the proposal to the city council, which is expected to consider TID 4 when it meets Sept. 15.

Art Bahr, community development specialist for MSA Professional Services, a Baraboo-based civil engineering firm, explained how creation of a TID generates additional revenue for a city. The increased property tax from new development within the district is reserved for municipal use for 20 years rather than shared with other taxing entities such as schools, the county or state.

The money can then be used to improve infrastructure within the TID, including reconstruction of Washington Street, which is planned in the spring.

In a special meeting after the commission met, the Gillett City Council awarded the contract for the Washington Street work to Dorner Inc. of Luxemburg, which submitted the low bid of $2.619 million.

The vote was 4-1, with Alderman Deb Rudie dissenting because the bid was 30% higher than the original estimate. Craig Schuh, manager of engineering for consulting firm Ayres and Associates, said in the current era of inflation “that’s pretty much happening everywhere” and cited a Sept. 7 deadline to approve a contract or lose available grant money.