With games, entertainment and tastings, people celebrated mustard, the 'greatest (condiment) of all times', during National Mustard Day last Saturday on Hubbard Avenue in Middleton.
Downtown plaza project: A lesson to be learnt?
Following a near-unanimous recommendation from the finance committee (Emily Kuhn, Kathy Olson and Dan Ramsey in favor, chair Lisa Janairo abstaining), the Middleton city council, without discussion, approved a request by city staff to pump another $93,000 into the downtown plaza (Stone Horse Green) project, bringing the total (so far) to more than $1.9 million (not counting the purchase price of the land). Private donations total $720,000.
Abby Attoun, the city's director of planning and community development, explained the need for the new funds with, among other reasons, changes to plumbing and electrical codes that have been enacted since 2019 when the original cost estimates were drawn up, adding about $21,000. In her memo to the finance committee, she wrote that 'none of the cost increases are due to material delays', but are 'reflective of market cost increases and improvements that were made as construction has progressed'.