July 2023 Council Meeting

COLBY COMMON COUNCIL July 11, 2023 Page 1 The regular meeting of the Colby Common Council was called to order at 6:30 P.M. by Mayor James Schmidt. On roll call: O’Brien, T Schmidt, Baumgartner, Hesgard, Hederer and Lindeman. Also present were Mayor James Schmidt, Clerk Connie Gurtner, DPW Higley and MSA Mike Voss. Agenda was posted by the clerk. The agenda will stand as the order of the meeting. Minutes of the June 6th meeting minutes were pre-read and reviewed. Motion was made by O’Brien, seconded by Schmidt to approve the minutes as presented. Motion carried with a voice vote. Financial Statement and Bills were discussed. Motion was made by Schmidt, seconded by Hesgard approve the financial statement and bills. The amounts approved are as follows: General Fund $163,954.53; Capital Fund $186,837.20; TIF Fund $107,440.00; Water Department $541,842.80; Sewer Department $24,548.62; Net payroll $24,083.60. Motion carried with a voice vote. Motion was made by Hederer, seconded by Lindeman to approve changed order #1 from Quality Construction for the Colby storage building in the amount of $11,180.00. The change order is for exterior concrete, ground breaker fiberglass foam cover and air infiltration barrier under steel. Motion carried with a voice vote. Colby/Abbotsford Police Commission met on June 12, 2023 Minutes and Expenditures were approved by the commission. Purchase K-9 Squad Car: The commission voted to recommend to the respective city councils purchasing a 2023 Dodge Durango Pursuit vehicle from Colby Chrysler at the cost of $41,017.00. Discussion points: the current K-9 squad car has 130,000 miles on it and should be replaced; is the vehicle the proper one considering high maintenance costs of the Durango model in the past; there is $15,000.00 worth of equipment that can be transferred to the new unit; in the first 36,000 miles, there have been few issues with the Durango model in the past; is it cost-efficient to get an extended warranty on the vehicle; only one bid was received. Chief Bauer said Ewald was not contacted for a quote; municipalities should buy local when possible; Chief Bauer does not want to get a truck such as a Ford F150 for a K-9 unit. Motion was made by Schmidt, seconded by Baumgartner to approve this recommendation from the commission. Motion carried with a voice vote. Review of Financial Contributions by Each Municipality: Currently, the CAPD budget is funded 55% by the City of Abbotsford and 45% by the City of Colby. This formula was set in the original ordinance created back in the 1960's. Discussion was held about basing the funding formula on equalized COLBY COMMON COUNCIL July 11, 2023 Page 2 valuation/population/percentage of calls. President Schmidt said blending the criteria could result in a 60/40 funding split. Chief Bauer said the list of calls with the Clark County Sheriff's Department was still being sorted out. Hederer said the 2024 CAPD budget in the City of Colby may have to be cut by $40,000.00; something would have to be cut out. Hederer suggested not hiring another officer when Chief Bauer retires. Chief Bauer said it was difficult getting everything done now with a department that is fully staffed. President Schmidt said he has not heard a word from anyone about backing off on 24-hour coverage. Chief Bauer said it "would be insane" to do so. The funding formula for financial contributions by each municipality will be reviewed again at the July meeting. Chief's Report: Chief Bauer said an anonymous $1,000.00 donation has been received for K-9 expenses. Officer Wagner will be in EVOC training for two weeks that will include other area police departments. The K-9 was involved in four drug arrests last month, including one fentanyl bust. Chief Bauer said activity report numbers were up in a few areas and down in a few others. He said ATV/motorcycle complaints have been an ongoing problem. He reported on an Open Records request from the ACLU regarding procedures on handling officer complaints. The summer staffing plan regarding SRO Officer Leichtnam was discussed. Chief Baier said he was going to be off on medical leave for two weeks and was using some vacation time in the summer rather than during the school year, and that he also accrued some comp time during the school year. President Schmidt noted it was the understanding that when the SRO Officer position was created, it would be able to "backfill" some shifts in the summer, reducing overtime costs. Chief Bauer said that overall, the staffing plan was working out well. The SRO position is funded approximately 75% by the Abbotsford and Colby school districts and 25% by the CAPD budget. Chief Bauer said the school districts were satisfied with their current contributions and were not willing to change the formula at this time. Rachu said the SRO does many things so another CAPD officer would not have to be in the schools. Social Services referrals are a big item. Rachu said use of 4-wheelers in the municipalities should be reconsidered. There were 862 total CAPD activities reported for the month of May, 2023. There have been 3,087 total CAPD activities reported for the first five months of 2023, compared to 3,992 activities for the first five months of 2022. Central Fire & EMS District met on June 15th. Nancy O’Brien reported on the meeting of Central Fire & EMS. Joint Review Board met on June 22nd. The Joint Review Board held the mandatory annual meeting on June 22, 2023. The Board appointed a chairperson and public member. COLBY COMMON COUNCIL July 11, 2023 Page 3 Review Annual PE-300 Report and the performance and status of Tax Incremental District No. 3. Clerk Gurtner reviewed the Annual PE-300 Report with the board. Approve “Resolution Acknowledging Filing of Annual Reports and Compliance with Annual meeting Requirement”: The committee voted to approve the Joint Review Board Resolution Acknowledging Filing of Annual Report and Compliance with Annual Meeting Requirement City of Colby. Mayor Schmidt: Mayor Schmidt reported on his meeting of the Clark County Economic Development Corp. The Mayor attended two ribbon cuttings this past month – one at Nutra Choice and Colonial Center. Clerk Gurtner: Clerk Gurtner informed the council that the City of Colby is going to have a float in the Colby Cheese Days parade recognizing the city’s sesquicentennial. DPW Higley: The following building permits were issued: Tyler Paul, 406 N 3rd St, bathtub & surround; Tim Krueger, 509 N 4th St, retaining wall, fence; Clifford Downey, 506 W Adams St, bathtub & surround; Dennis Hannan, 108 N 2 nd St, concrete driveway and patio; Barry Peterson, 501 N 2nd St, siding and windows; Jane Jarzin, 504 W Adams St, bathtub & surround; Todd Schmidt, 203 S 2 nd St, storage shed with electrical. DPW Higley reported on the precipitation and flows for June 2023 at the STP. He also reported on the pumpage of water for June 2023. The city received a donated bench in memory of Jim Baumgartner by the H4L Family. Engineer Mike Voss: The Community Drive portion of the street project is complete. Concrete has been replaced on N 2nd Street but there is an area by Zion Lutheran Church on Jefferson Street that is horrible and needs to be replaced again. The paving was going to be done this Friday, but DPW Higley asked them to wait until after Cheese Days. Operator’s Licenses: Motion was made by Lindeman, seconded by Hesgard to approve the operator’s licenses for Ashley Leader, Dallas Wiese and Rabecka Saal. Motion carried with a voice vote. Picnic License – CUDA for Ballpark at Cheese Days: Motion was made by Schmidt, seconded by O’Brien to approve the picnic license for the CUDA for the Colby Cheese Days ball tournament. Motion carried with a voice vote. Simplified Rate Case Application for PSC: The PSC allows for a simplified rate case application annually to allow for a rate increase factor. The rate is 8% COLBY COMMON COUNCIL July 11, 2023 Page 4 this year which would be an increase on the average residential water bill of 4,000 gallons would be $2.67 per month. Motion was made by Schmidt, seconded by Baumgartner to approve the Simplified Rate Case Application for PSC. Clerk Gurtner will publish the notice and complete the process. The new rate would be in effect 9/15/23. Motion carried with a voice vote. Contract with WCWRPC for City of Colby Comprehensive Plan: The city’s last comprehensive plan was adopted in 2009. West Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission presented an agreement to update the city’s plan at a cost not to exceed $15,000. Motion was made by Hederer, seconded by Lindeman to approve the agreement between the city and WCWRPC. Motion carried with a voice vote. Committee meetings for July: Colby-Abbotsford Police Commission will meet on July 10, 2023 at 6:30 P.M. at the Police Department. Central Fire & EMS District will meet on June 20, 2023 at 7:00 P.M. at Station 2. Adjourn: Motion was made by Hederer, seconded by Hesgard to adjourn at 7:34 P.M. Motion carried with a voice vote. Approved _____________________ James W Schmidt, Mayor Attest _________________________ Connie Gurtner, Clerk