COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE - MINUTES - 9/25/2003
COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE – CITY OF MUSKEGO Approved
MINUTES OF MEETING HELD SEPTEMBER 25, 2003
Mayor Slocomb called the meeting to order at 7:03 PM. Also present were Ald. Patterson, Ald.
Buckmaster, Ald. Damaske, Ald. Salentine, Ald. Schroeder, and Ald. Madden, Finance Director Dawn
Gunderson, Police and Fire Commission President Michael Kuwitzky, and those per attached list. Ald.
Petfalski was excused.
All in attendance recited the Pledge of Allegiance.
Mayor Slocomb noted the meeting was noticed in accordance with the Open Meeting Law.
Mayor Slocomb stated the Committee of the Whole budget minutes would be approved at the last Budget
Committee of the Whole meeting.
Unfinished Business
1. Continue review of 2004 Capital Budget
2. Continue review of 2004 Operating Budget
Mayor Slocomb opened up meeting for discussion on both 2004 Capital and Operating Budgets.
Finance Director Gunderson presented summary of 2004 Operating Budget. The changes presented on
summary represent five percent co-pay for non-representative employees for health insurance and the
elimination of four positions and the creation of a new position. There was also a change in the net value
of the Recreation Supervisor positions. Some numbers increased in Recreation Budget due to the small
loss of revenue with the elimination of some of the programs. Changes occurred in the Plan Department
with the elimination of one position. Mayor Slocomb is taking out the expense for lobbying. Finance
Director Gunderson reviewed changes for 2003 in insurance coverage, employees dropping insurance or
going from single to family coverage and family to single. Finance Director Gunderson is meeting with
representatives to discuss self-insurance for increased deductibles. By the first of October more
information will be known about transportation aid and state computer replacement credit.
Ald. Damaske brought up taking out of the Historical Budget the tables and chairs. This can be put back
into budget when the Old Town Hall building is completed.
Finance Director Gunderson distributed a summary of the changes between 2003 Operating Budget and
2004 Proposed Budget. Expenses are increasing by $211,000.00 and revenue is increasing by
$246,981.00. Other financial sources and uses has a reduction in use of fund balance of $208,000.00
and an increase in some other financing sources and uses by transferring in dollars from cable and other
minor changes. Other financing uses are decreasing by $50,000.00. The tax levy is $10,086,991.00 and
the tax rate is $6.28.
Discussion took place on use of Landfill Funds to pay for Debt Service and therefore reducing levy.
Finance Director Gunderson recommended that this not be done. The City would have to borrow against
future landfill payments to pay for Debt Service and it was previously decided that the City would not do
this. Next fall there will be funds in Landfill and the committee may want to review at that time.
Discussion continued on equalized and assessed value rates. Waukesha County bases its’ tax on an
equalized value. The City tax rate is based on assessed value. Ald. Schroeder asked if it would be
prudent to set aside a percentage of landfill funds for Debt Service. Mayor Slocomb stated the first of the
year would be a good time to look at this.
Reviewing notes from previous meeting Finance Director Gunderson stated that the cost for Porta Potties
for Historical Days was $120.00. Finance Director Gunderson reviewed summary received from Public
Works Superintendent Wayne Delikat on the cost of leaf collection. After removing both pieces of
equipment the cost is $108,341.12. Leaf collection requires four employees, one driving the truck, one
vacuuming, and two raking the leaves. The two raking the leaves will be part time employees. Ald.
Buckmaster stated that removing leaf collection from the budget would have a negative impact on
subdivisions and half area lots. There are beautification requirements within subdivision covenants.
Removing leaf collection from budget would cause more burning issues and have people lining up at the
landfill. Ald. Schroeder had an issue with spending that much money on leaf collection. Ald. Schroeder’s
district is probably the least user of leaf collection program. He does believe collection around the lake is
a good program. Ald. Schroeder had an issue with the overtime for this. Discussion continued on total
labor cost. Total labor cost will be going up due to the employment of existing full time employees plus
the newly hired part time employees for leaf collection. The hiring of part time employees would free up
the full time employees to perform their regular duties.
Continue Review of 2004 Operating & Capital Budgets
Committee of the Whole Page 2
Minutes of Meeting Held September 25, 2003
At a previous meeting further information was requested on Menomonee Falls lawn mowing program for
their parks. Menomonee Falls has two small parks where volunteers mow the grass and maintain the
grounds. The volunteers did not want to use the large 72” cut mowers. The average age of the
volunteers was 68 years old. The Village maintains the larger parks. The Village does not save money
by using volunteers. Mayor Slocomb is still looking at the testing program of Briggs & Straton but will not
have an answer until next year. Briggs & Straton is looking for large acreage parks to mow for testing
their motors. Germantown has an adopt-a-park program that Mayor Slocomb is checking into. Ald.
Schroeder asked what the weed-cutting program is. The program includes ditch mowing of all City
streets and mowing weeds in uncut vacant lots. The owner of the lot is invoiced for weed cutting. Ald.
Schroeder will investigate the program further. There was a discussion on planting wild flowers in ditch
areas.
Mayor Slocomb distributed rough draft of his recommendations to Capital Budget and recapped the
proposed changes. The men’s bathrooms upper/lower will not be remodeled. Upgrade Financials to
SQL has been moved to 2005 through 2008. Upgrade Police switch to Gigabit has been moved out two
years to 2006. ArcINFO License will be re-evaluated due to staff changes. Mayor Slocomb is expecting
to move out one year the GIS Web server but does not have a final answer. Police vehicle replacement,
which is funded by operating budget, will be lowered by approximately $22,000.00. The sewer and water
to Police Range will depend on whether or not education facility is build and funded by someone else.
Replacing of Police software has been moved to 2005. The Tess Corners Volunteer Fire Department
received a grant for $90,000.00 for the Plymovent Apparatus Exhaust System. The City will have to
come up with the additional $36,500.00 needed and will have to purchase in 2004 to receive the grant.
Mayor Slocomb is checking into the impact of splitting the 800 MHz radios for Tess Corners Volunteer
Fire Department. The $60,000.00 requested by Muskego Volunteer Fire Company for network computer
system, setup and training has been taken out of the 2004 Capital Budget. Their request for confined
space/computer network is being recommended to move out two years. Muskego Volunteer Fire
Company request for the utility vehicle/command center will be moving out to an undetermined future
year. The truck purchase for the Building Department can be removed. This was a vehicle for a new
Building Department position that is not going to be filled. The Road Program for 2004 is funded through
Operating Budget. Public Works Department replacement patrol truck is funded through Operating
Budget. Urban and rural drainage is also funded through Operating Budget. Mayor Slocomb will be
looking at request for roadside mower to see if this can be put out one year and he also wants to look at
current compliance standards. The request for the aerial boom truck has been removed from the 2004
budget. The request will be looked at for a future year. The motor grader was removed to 2005.
$100,000.00 was left in the 2004 Budget for phase II Durham reconstruction with the balance of
$4,085,000.00 put into the 2005 Budget. The City is trying to qualify for C-Mac funding of $4,185,000.00,
which is ninety percent paid by State/Federal and ten percent City. The Janesville Recreation Trail will
stay in the 2004 budget as long as Waukesha County does the Tess Corners area Janesville Road
Project in 2004. Idle Isle remodeling is being moved to 2007. The request for a diesel tractor can be
moved to 2005. The all terrain letter vehicle for $33,000.00 was been removed and the City is now
looking at another option for a $10,000.00 vehicle. Stormwater North of Kelsey has been moved to the
2005 and Tess Corners Creek Channel, South of Woods has been moved to 2007/2008. The next step
will be to prepare presentation of the 2004 Capital Budget to show funding.
New Business - None
Communications and Miscellaneous Business as Authorized by Law - None
Adjournment
Being no further business to discuss, Ald. Salentine moved to adjourn the meeting at 9:59 PM. Seconded
by Ald. Madden. Motion carried 7 - 0.
Respectfully submitted,
Dawn R. Gunderson, CPFO
Finance Director