Board OKs construction on Genesee Street

Telephone poles won’t be moved until end of 2023
By: 
Luke Reimer
Reporter

The Wittenberg Village Board agreed to modify an amendment to the sidewalk contract from Martenson and Eisele (M&E).

“This is for that new little pathway you wanted to have at Pond Park,” said village clerk Traci Matsche.

The board unanimously agreed to approve the construction of the sidewalk on Genesee Street and work as much as possible without removing any telephone poles.

The design shows the pathway on the side of Pond Park by houses. After seeing the design from M&E, questions came up surrounding the location of the pathway.

“It has to be on the other side,” said board trustee Renee Switalla.

Board president Bill Switalla suggested that the pathway should be built next to the existing pathway.

The board agreed to send their thoughts and suggestions back to M&E before they approve the construction.

“We have time,” said Bill Switalla.

Matsche said that she would inform M&E about the change and approving the project will be on the next agenda.

In a related story, M&E sent the village board a letter stating that sidewalks on Genesee Street will be done in 2022, but they won’t be able to complete the whole street because telephones poles won’t be able to be moved until the end of 2023.

“I really want the sidewalk, but there are a lot of poles in that one section,” said Bill Switalla.

The letter talks about starting at Wood Avenue and working up to Taco John’s.

“She said in the letter that doing it with the poles there and then having to redo it — it doesn’t make sense,” said Matsche. “At least for safety, this way we have a majority of it done.”

Bill Switalla said that he thought the village should wait until the telephone poles are moved to finish that section.

“I would hate to do that and then have to move the poles,” said Bill Switalla.

Board trustee Paul Yaeger said that they should do construction up to Westgor Avenue.

“If we can go up to Westgor, we should,” said Yaeger. “We let kids off on the bus and if you get kids walking across on that side, it is better.”