By Michelle Kennedy
News-Chronicle
No matter what the outcome, De Pere City Clerk David Minten expects a much larger turnout than usual for today's referendum on the destiny of the Claude Allouez Bridge.
"It's always hard to predict how many people will come out for a vote," he said. "But this issue has engrossed the city, and I anticipate a good showing."
Minten said he expects about 60 percent of the 12,000 registered De Pere voters to speak out on the issue.
The question, as it is presented to voters on the ballot, asks: "Shall the city of De Pere rebuild or repair, but retain, a two-lane bridge on the existing Claude Allouez bridge site in downtown De Pere?"
A "yes" vote, Minten said, means that the voter agrees that a two-lane bridge should remain in the exact location as the current bridge either through repair or replacement. The bridge would be out of service for an unspecified period of time during the repair or replacement.
However, the Alternative Bridge Coalition (ABC) says that a yes vote doesn't automatically close the bridge. The DOT said it would likely not start the bridge repair until 2004 or 2005, and the referendum is only binding for only two years.
On the other hand, a "no" vote, Minton said, means that the voter does not agree that the two-lane bridge must be repaired or replaced, leaving the consideration of other bridge alternatives available.
The ABC claim that a "no" vote is an implied message to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation that a four-lane bridge is acceptable.
But the De Pere Area Business Alliance, which endorsed a no vote, has several members who say they would support a two-lane option but that a yes vote would close any alternatives to the current bridge issues.
The bridge, built in 1932, has not only come into question because of traffic and safety issues.
The DOT has said the bridge is not in imminent danger of closing for safety reasons, but an April 2001 inspection indicated 60 percent of the deck was in "serious" condition and the remainder in "poor" condition.
Conditions of the superstructure and substructure in different sections of the bridge ranged from "poor" to "satisfactory."
Dale Weber, the district bridge maintenance engineer for the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, said during a media tour of the bridge in March that he was unsure how long the present bridge could be maintained.
Minten said all of the controversy and media attention will bring more than double the amount of voters who normally come out for a spring election.
"There are never any 'big names' on an April ticket, and the elections are usually not very highly contested," he said. "Especially in De Pere, we haven't had a reason for a turnout like this in a very long time."
Incumbent De Pere Mayor Michael Walsh is being challenged by Rita Coenen, a political newcomer who became active in supporting the bridge referendum.
Incumbent Allouez Village President Cameron McCain faces a challenges from Gene Norman. The nonpartisan spring election also selects members of the County Board, school boards, city councils, and village and town boards.
In addition to the De Pere referendum, residents of the town of Hobart will be asked whether they favor incorporating as a village.
The routine of the election has been altered by the redrawing of districts after the 2000 census. Two seats have been added to the Brown County Board, and more than 20,000 county voters have been moved to new polling places.
In De Pere, Minten said that approximately 2,100 notices were sent to residents informing them of the changes.
While Green Bay City Clerk Doug Daul anticipates a relatively low turnout, approximately 30 percent citywide, Brown County Clerk Darlene Marcelle expects an even lower percentage countywide.
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