Business View Civil & Municipal - May 2023

55 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 4, ISSUE 5 success too. We just recently provided Old World Creamery with a business development grant, and they’re adding several new lines and adding more employment as well. It’s been the silver lining of the pandemic, where folks invested more and saw the benefit of doing business in Sheboygan.” On the subject of housing, Director of Planning and Development, Chad Pelishek, admits, “Affordable housing, like any other community across the nation, is a struggle here. So, a big piece of our infrastructure plan is really about trying to redevelop.” Outlining some plans for development that include infilling of central areas of the city, and the purchase of additional lands to expand affordable subdivisions, he conveys, “In 2021 we completed an affordable housing market study that determined that we need 1000 to 2000 new apartments and another 4000 to 5000 single-family housing units over the course of the next 5 to 10 years. We have a lot of work ahead of us to meet the demands of our employers, and we’re up for the challenge.” As a historic community, there is also a continuous need to update infrastructure within Sheboygan, and the city is prepared to incorporate this into its growth plans. “Currently, we do a lot of our own paving, we’ve got our own paving machine, and our Department of Public Works does a lot of road upgrades,” Pelishek describes. “We also go after state and federal department of transportation grants to help supplement the funding stream as it relates to that.” A city is only as strong as its partnerships, and Pelishek says the Sheboygan County Chamber of Commerce is a valued partner. He remarks, “Their executive director sits on our redevelopment authority and other city committees, and they also focus a lot on trying to include new residents into the community, connecting them with opportunities and building that culture around what we have going on here.” The Sheboygan County Economic Development Corporation is another valued relationship, especially in terms of workforce recruitment. The recent introduction of the EDC’s workforce SHEBOYGAN, WI SCONS IN