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COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE - MINUTES - 5/8/2003 COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE - CITY OF MUSKEGO Approved MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD MAY 8, 2003 Mayor Slocomb called the meeting to order at 7:13 PM. Also present were Ald. Petfalski, Buckmaster, Damaske, Patterson, Salentine, Madden and Schroeder, and Clerk-Treasurer Marenda. Those present recited the Pledge of Allegiance. The Mayor noted the meeting was noticed in accordance with the open meeting law. Ald. Salentine moved for approval of minutes of the 4/24/2003 meeting. Ald. Petfalski seconded. Ald. Buckmaster asked if a motion to reconsider is appropriate at a Committee of the Whole meeting in light of information he read to the contrary in the League’s “Handbook for Wisconsin Municipal Officials”. Mayor noted some research will be required. Motion carried. Mayor stated that typically this May meeting’s main purpose is to establish the budget goals for the upcoming year to determine what the Council wishes to have looked at or scrutinized so there is time to prepare over the summer. Typically there is no COW meeting in July and from time to time we skip June as well. UNFINISHED BUSINESS Status of High School Athletic Fields Ald. Petfalski reported that Parks and Rec Director Craig Anderson and Gary Rosploch of the School District have worked out a maintenance agreement and it is at the attorney’s office now. Discuss Status of Old Muskego Settlement Centre Mayor reported issues have come up that need to be addressed. Because it was moved, it’s subject to change of use under the new building codes. The whole building is going to be classed as an assembly area. New code requirements are being reviewed. A structural engineer is reviewing the stability of the structure. The Historical Society has stated they don’t want to sell anything there. It is okay if groups bring their own fermented malt beverages to consume on the premise. Ald. Petfalski asked that Parks and Recreation recommend an ordinance amendment to Chapter 26 regarding some conflicting language in 26.02 (1) (d) relating to consumption and sale of Alcoholic beverages in any park, parkway, recreational facility, athletic field or playground to specify conditions under which fermented malt beverages may be consumed and not allow consumption of intoxicating liquor. The facilities agreement with the revised language will be reviewed and discussed at the next COW meeting. DPW and Engineering will determine cut and fill requirements and may be able to put in the gravel parking lot. The Mayor was asked to check if the parking and access to the ramp must be paved to meet ADA requirements. New Berlin Drainage and Storm Water Issues The Public Works Committee met on Monday with the New Berlin Public Works Committee. Both cities signed the permit request for the DNR. 170,000 cu. yds. Have to be removed. Some is going to Park Arthur, some to their City Centre and some to Carity. Some more extensive soil borings will be done and may be able to stockpile top soil to sell. The grant expires in January 2004. Ducks Unlimited and the Waterfowl Association may help. Committee of the Whole Page 2 5/08/2003 Discuss Streetscape – Gateways to City of Muskego Nothing will be coming forward from the Planning Department until this fall after budget meetings. Will also be defining uniform signage in the community. Continued Discussion on Durham Drive – McShane to OO There was some concern this was being broken into two projects – McShane to Hi View and then Hi View south. That is not the case. It will be one project from McShane south. If we do not get the grant, the project will be pushed out. Sean is confident we will get the funding. Lake Fees Study Committee Update rd Ald. Salentine commented the Little Muskego Lake District annual meeting is the 3 week of September. They will start their budget in June for public hearing in July. A joint presentation is needed with the Lake District and the Council. Mayor noted that meeting should take place in June. The committee has been meeting. Further Discussion Regarding Open Space Requirement on OLS Lots in Relation to Possible ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) Requirements Mayor noted a copy of a letter from Atty. Molter with a League opinion was included in the packets, but it’s a case that isn’t even close to the situation we’re dealing with. The options are: research it from legal standpoint, consider acceleration of zoning code revisions – and each of those would cost $5-10,000 change, or do nothing. Ald. Schroeder asked that first the individual involved go through the Board of Appeals before the City spends money on further research. Ald. Schroeder moved to defer until the next COW meeting to see if he makes any adjustments or goes to Board of Appeals. Ald. Patterson seconded; motion carried. Update on Creation of Wisconsin Municipalities Health Care Trust and Consider Membership Mayor reported this process is moving along. An attorney has been hired by the group. A draft set of by-laws has been prepared. A temporary executive committee has been formed made up of people from 8 communities, including our Finance Director Dawn Gunderson. The committee visited the Genesis facility. From an operational standpoint it looks like they have the capabilities. They are starting up in this aspect of benefits and claims management. The entire group met last week and decided to go out for a formal Request for Proposal (RFP) for the Health Care Trust. A short break was taken at 8:29 PM and the meeting resumed at 8:40 PM. Further Review of Estimated Costs for Tess Corners VFD Station #2 Project Mayor presented a revised spreadsheet showing the original cost estimates of 10/01 and updated estimates as of 3/3/03, along with final cost estimates. One comment that has been heard is that one of the reasons for the big change in price from 10/01 and today is all of the requirements of the Plan Commission put on the fire house. In fact that is not true. We can go through and identify issues that were requirements of the Plan Commission, we can identify issues that are related to site conditions like soil conditions, we can identify issues associated with further refinements of the plan. Committee of the Whole Page 3 5/08/2003 Mayor explained the original proposed footprint contained 8,335 sq. ft. and the current building has a footprint of 9,253 sq. ft. The difference resulted from some changes required by the Plan Commission. 11,361 is the total building square footage due to the mezzanine. The committee proceeded to review the spreadsheet item by item. Some concerns were expressed about needing to meet the Durham Hill Design Guide and possibly there should have been a separate category for municipal structures in an effort to save taxpayer money. Ald. Patterson asked how the costs can effectively be lowered. Mayor said on the north side of the building is a keystone wall to contain the soils to drive around the back of the building. Using it allowed less encroachment on the wetland. That was about a cost of $38,000, but then having to replace it with engineered fill that is compacted at a cost of $10-11,000. This hasn’t been discussed with the fire department, and it would have to go back to the Plan Commission. Ald. Schroeder questioned the use of the mezzanine. Mayor said it is primarily for future use due to planned build-out in the southeast area. Ald. Schroeder thought it could be eliminated, making more room on the first floor for expansion. Fire Chief Skip Wojnowski explained there was no room on the site to increase the footprint. Uses for the mezzanine also include the furnace room, equipment room and storage. Because of soils the plans would have to be redesigned and savings would be eroded. Plus, added space would have to be found for these rooms. Ald. Schroeder commented when MVFC #2 was built, citizens were impressed with the City and the department for proposing a fiscally responsible building. Ald. Patterson asked what savings could occur by staying with the basic footprint, but getting away from some of the decorative enhancements required by the design guide. Ald. Petfalski noted it cost $78,000 for the recent redesign of the building. The architect Mr. Link said that would be back to the first plan proposed that the Plan Commission rejected. This is the third design. Costs won’t go down and as we get another year in the future costs will only go up. Ald. Petfalski commented if we’d only save $200,000 he wouldn’t want to change the design. Mr. Link discussed the retaining wall at a total cost of $43,000. If the City can fill the wetland as a slope, you can easily save $30,000. Ald. Schroeder asked if the building could be built one story, but with the infrastructure to later add a second floor. Mayor indicated it could be done, but would have to be designed now so you put in all the footings and support system. Ald. Schroeder expressed some concerns that the aldermen didn’t have earlier communication about some issues required by the Planning staff and the Plan Commission. Fire Chief Wojnowski advised a grant has been applied for in amount of $100,000 for the exhaust system for station no. 1. Ald. Schroeder asked for a meeting with Mr. Link, the planning department and an aldermen to see what concessions can be made without redesigning the structure. Mr. Link noted state approved plans have been received, and the plumbing plans are ready to go. Good prices have been obtained to start construction now, and a delay would jeopardize that. Ald. Petfalski noted changes would have to go back to the Plan Commission which would delay the process. He stated he respected Ald. Schroeder’s Committee of the Whole Page 4 5/08/2003 efforts to effect some savings, but felt the small items that might be found would not warrant the changes. He recommended we go with the building as proposed and talk about equipment costs. Ald. Schroeder expressed concern that there might be more savings like the retaining wall that would be discovered. Ald. Petfalski commented maybe in future City projects the aldermen should give opinions to the Plan Department prior to submittal to the Plan Commission. Ald. Petfalski moved to proceed with the building as presented, looking into the retaining wall issue and any other savings that can be found. Ald. Patterson seconded. Motion carried by a roll call vote of 7-0. The equipment portion of the spreadsheet was reviewed. TCVFD representative Phil Dibb offered some reductions and the committee members offered additional reductions. The equipment list was reduced as follows: $257,385 One sign(reducing 1 sign-PC appr.) - 4,000 Tailpipe Exhaust Station 1 - 115,000 Surge suppressors - 2,850 Comm. laundry eqpt. (moved to opr.) - 3,000 Projection screens “ “ - 750 Video equipment “ “ - 2,000 Kitchen equipment “ “ - 2,600 Design Builders Fee - 23,399 $103,786 Ald. Buckmaster moved to approve the equipment list as submitted with above revisions. Ald. Salentine seconded; motion carried. Mr. Dibb requested a letter to proceed as approved. Mayor will handle. NEW BUSINES Budget Goal Setting – 2004 Mayor announced his intent, which has been communicated to staff, is to hold within 2- 3% of our 2002 tax rate. This will be difficult with a $400,000 cut in revenue from the State, and expecting at best to hold health insurance premiums to current rate or at most a 10% increase. There will also be a significant $1.29 equalized rate increase due to the school district borrowing. Ald. Petfalski would like to see a percentage and/or co- pay increase for health insurance for non-represented employees to get more in line with what private employees do. Mayor noted if you truly want to save on insurance you do not increase what people pay monthly. Studies show they then use it more. During the last negotiations we were able to obtain 5% or better in savings by getting the co- pays up. Ald. Petfalski said the taxpayers that are paying these health insurance premiums pay a percentage of their own premium and they want City employees to pay a percentage rather than a flat fee. Ald. Buckmaster believed in the public sector you can’t compare across the board because they don’t match up in wages. Ald. Patterson felt the public sector has caught up quite a bit with the wages but didn’t keep up on the payment of their insurance. In addition they have greater job security. Ald. Petfalski noted our school district employees pay 10%. Ald. Salentine suggested looking at job positions we could get by without, since employee salaries and benefits are heavy costs. Dawn Gunderson asked she clarify if she meant positions we don’t fill through attrition or don’t need. Ald. Salentine responded “ to eliminate”. Ald. Schroeder stated he didn’t agree, but would consider Committee of the Whole Page 5 5/08/2003 looking at positions we have at this time and if we feel it’s important to have one or two less that we handle it through attrition. Mayor noted this fall we’re going to get proposals on increasing staff. Over the past 4-5 years we’ve increased population and increased roads, and have not increased employees. A community that is growing has continued demands placed on it. Ald. Schroeder said it may be we won’t be able to add. Ald. Madden believed that is the last place to look at. We should starting looking at more shared purchases, such as what the school district buys in paper. Jean Marenda explained the current V.A.L.U.E. shared purchase program the City participates in. Ald. Buckmaster stated he would not even entertain staff reductions unless the department head recommends it. When times are tough citizens are looking to the City for service and development. If we’re even going to look at positions, can’t we just offset it that year with landfill funds and not purchase land and keep the City functioning during the tough time? Mayor responded if you budget landfill funds for salaries, those funds are not guaranteed if there would be a catastrophe. Ald. Schroeder agreed it wouldn’t be a good situation if we’re banking 3 people on landfill funds and they aren’t coming in any more. He said his concern is borrowing from future landfill funds for anything. It would be nice to have landfill funds in the bank and be able to purchase with those funds on hand. Ald. Petfalski felt Ald. Buckmaster’s proposal is an artificial deflation of the tax rate and it ends up with a huge spike. Mayor said another concern, and we don’t know the answer yet, is with State Transportation Aids. Part of what’s being done at the State level are plans on taking $500M from transportation aids which is a segregated fund and use it to support State Shared Revenue recipients. Mayor requested any additional items the aldermen have relating to the budget be e- mailed to him and copied to Dawn. Ald. Damaske recalled that late in the budget process last year we went back to the department heads in an effort to cut another $250,000 from the budget. He suggested that be done again this year to let the departments decide where they can cut. Dawn said we first have to determine what that 2-3% increase in tax rate means. Ald. Petfalski said typically the departments present their budgets, administration reviews and cuts, and it then goes to the aldermen. Mayor noted last year at that time the aldermen then gave the direction to cut another $250,000, which was referred back to the department heads. Jean noted that the 2-3% reduction was not proposed on expenditures, but on the tax rate and that Dawn indicated taking a percentage across the board from departments doesn’t work since some budget like hers and the Clerks are mainly salaries and benefits. Ald. Buckmaster moved to adjourn at 10:57 PM. Ald. Madden seconded; motion carried. Respectfully submitted, Jean K. Marenda, CMC Clerk-Treasurer