Zeroing in on priorities for Port

PORT WASHINGTON - The last month has been a whirlwind for Melissa Pingel, Port Washington’s city administrator.

Since she started her job on March 18, she’s been familiarizing herself with the city.

She toured many of the city’s parks and subdivisions with Superintendent of Parks and Forestry Jon Crain and the water plant with Supt. Dan Fisher — “It was like taking a step back in time,” she said. “We have to say atta boy to Port Washington that it’s still functioning.” — as well as the senior center, library, streets, marina and recreation departments, everywhere, she said, but the wastewater treatment plant.

She’s met with aldermen, department heads, Ozaukee County Administrator Jason Dzwinel and representatives of such groups as Port Main Street Inc.

She’s reviewing the many plans the city has developed in recent years.

“The city in the last five years has done a lot of studies and planning. I get to reap the benefits,” she said.

She’s looked at the schedule of events in the community, everything from Fish Days to the beer gardens, and she’s been forming some thoughts on some of the issues at the forefront of residents.

On refurbishing the lighthouse, Pingel said, “It has to get done. Everyone wants it to get done. As I understand, we’ve agreed to keep it up. The cost is substantial because it’s lead paint.

“I can’t guarantee this, but I would say it will be funded next year. Then we have to budget to keep it up, and we will. ”

The efforts to stabilize the north bluff and Valley Creek “are absolutely critical,” she said.

“The creek, that’s people’s back yards. It’s a disaster waiting to happen. And the bluff, once it’s gone, it’s gone.”

Both are dependent on grant funding, but Pingel noted that the city has already received some funds. And granting agencies want to see the job completed, she noted.

“I’m hopeful the grants will come along,” she said. “Funding it ourself, I don’t think we could.”

Valley Creek, she added, is a multi-year project.

A new public safety building is already being planned, with Bray Architects preparing to make a presentation to the Common Council on May 7. The city is likely to borrow to finance the building, Pingel said.

The idea of expanding the marina isn’t one that Pingel, who is a boat owner, is ready to embrace.

“I think we’re a good size,” she said. “You don’t want to get too big.”

And the issue of parking in downtown is something that Pingel said the city needs to examine more closely.

“We’ll have to explore our options,” she said, particularly those that won’t cost motorists anything. “I would prefer we don’t charge people to park. It’s a hassle. It may stop people from shopping downtown.”

She suggested the city partner with Ozaukee County to create signage that would direct people to its parking lot at the downtown Administration Center at night and on weekends, when parking is often at a premium and the lot would otherwise be empty.

It should also look at wayfinding options, perhaps creating a parking map, and explore options with Port Main Street, Pingel said.

Pingel has also started to put together her priorities for the city.

“One of my big focuses is going to be communication,” she said, both within city government and within the community. “We’ve made great strides in that regard, but I want to keep on it. There has been some missed opportunities.

“We need to look at how can we engage the community.”

For example, she said, the city is working to rewrite its zoning code and to create a new pedestrian and bike path plan. Key to their success will be engaging the public.

“Inviting everyone here (to City Hall) isn’t always the most inviting,” Pingel said.  “We need to work on community outreach outside of City Hall.

“We always can do better with communication.”

Pingel said she would also like to further review the city’s many plans and see what’s been implemented, what’s possible and what’s really not going to work.

Some things, like the mini-roundabout proposed for the intersection of Grand Avenue and Wisconsin Street in downtown, aren’t likely to be practical, she said, and shouldn’t be included.

She said she would also like to reach out to Michael McMahon when he takes over as the new Port-Saukville School District superintendent and explore partnership options with him.

The same holds true with Dzwinel, she said, noting there are likely to be more areas where the county and city can work more closely — including, perhaps, the north bluff and Valley Creek projects.

“Coming from a county, there are a lot of opportunities to partner,” said Pingel, who was the Waushara County administrator before taking the job in Port.

After all, she said, all these branches of government are working for the same people.

“We’re all here for our citizens,” she said.