Vote on rail stop delayed

Brookfield Common Council members won't take action on the proposed high-speed rail stop in the city's Village Area on Tuesday.

Mayor Steven Ponto said today in a memo to aldermen that Wisconsin Department of Transportation officials have asked the city to defer consideration until Oct. 5. The DOT initially asked the city to make a decision before the end of September.

Preliminary engineering for the site is taking longer than state officials expected, which caused the delay, Ponto said.

Cost estimates for the proposed Village Area stop have ranged from $12.9 million to $30 million.

Ponto said the DOT indicated last summer that state and federal funding would cover project building costs. Since, government dollars for the stop dropped to $5 million - and then rebounded to $7 million. That would leave Brookfield responsible for remaining building costs.

"I oppose spending any city of Brookfield tax dollars to build a railroad station, platform or parking lot, and I have repeatedly stated that position," Ponto said.

The city also would be responsible for capital improvements and maintenance costs, which would range from $30,000 to $100,000 annually.

"I am further concerned about any liability to Brookfield if the high-speed rail project proves to be infeasible or is otherwise discontinued," Ponto said.

The Common Council, however, will make the final decision.

Ponto said there is currently no specific DOT offer to consider or act on. Such an offer could come as soon as Sept. 23, during a scheduled meeting between Ponto and state officials.