Committee of Whole

CITY OF HORICON COMMITTEE OF WHOLE MARCH 12, 2013 The Committee of Whole of the City of Horicon met in regular session on March 12, 2013. The meeting was called to order by Mayor Neitzel at 6:02 p.m. Alderpersons present: Hady, Marschke, Pahl, Miller, Plautz, and Wieneke. Alderpersons absent: None. Mayor Neitzel led the Pledge of Allegiance. Public Appearances: None. Alderperson Miller read a letter from Russ Schroeder, Rock River Hills, Ltd. Board President, informing the City RRH is looking for approximately $12,000 to replace the HVAC system. A discussion was held in regard to the lease between the City and RRH and current status of RRH operations. It was the general consensus of the Committee the City needed to receive a current Business Plan from RRH. Mitch Leisses of Kunkel Engineering gave a presentation on the Northeast Area Drainage Study completed for the City. Leisses presented two options for alleviating the flooding issues in this area. Discussion was held in regard to the options and their timeframes. No decisions were made at this time. Dave Magnussen, Public Works/Utility Supervisor, gave a brief report on the status of the Lake Street Bridge. In order to apply for the current funding cycle the City will need to complete an inspection and structural analysis, currently there are no funds in the 2013 Budget for this. Magnussen stated at this time it looks like the City will need $2,500 for these items to be completed. It was the general consensus to use monies in the Contingency Fund to fund the inspection and structural analysis. Discussion was held regarding the use of City manpower and equipment to aide residents during the recent rain event. It was agreed the City cannot continue to provide aide to individual homeowners if the issue is not the result of the City’s wrongdoing. Motion by Hady, second by Pahl, to purchase the following equipment for the new squad per the 2013 Budget:  Squad car striping package  Squad car equipment installation package  Squad car console  Squad car partition conversion kit  Squad car prisoner transport seat All voting AYE. Motion carried. Motion by Plautz, second by Miller, to authorize disposal of the 2005 Ford Crown Victoria. All voting AYE. Motion carried. CITY OF HORICON COMMITTEE OF WHOLE MARCH 12, 2013 Motion by Hady, second by Miller, to authorize disposal of the following equipment from the Police Department:  Two Eye Witness VHS camera units  Compaq Presario CPU  1992 Motorola base radio set  Swintec typewriter  Go-Video VHS player  19” Samsung TV/VHS combo  13” Phillips TV/VHS combo  Daewoo DVD player  Bowflex Power Pro XTL  Life Fitness Cross Trainer  AB Lounge Chair All voting AYE. Motion carried. Motion by Hady, second by Marschke, to authorize the use of PropertyRoom.com for disposal of municipal equipment. All voting AYE. Motion carried. Motion by Marschke, second by Wieneke, to authorize the Consent Request for Improvements from U.S. Cellular for equipment located on the Eagle Hill Water Tower. All voting AYE. Motion carried. Kristen Jacobson, City Clerk-Treasurer, announced U.S. Cellular is requesting a second easement for access to Eagle Hill Water Tower. The proposed easement has been reviewed and approved by Magnussen; it is currently under review by the City Attorney. Discussion was held in regard to what U.S. Cellular is paying for the easement. The easement and cost will be reviewed at the March Council meeting. Motion by Hady, second by Miller, to authorize the City Clerk-Treasurer to proceed with the application process for a City credit card. All voting AYE. Motion carried. A discussion was held regarding who should be issued City credit cards and their authorized credit limit. There was a general consensus to issue cards to Department Heads and other personnel as agreed upon by the Department Head and the Clerk-Treasurer. There were no operator license applications. Non-Action Discussion: Joseph Adamson, Police Chief, inquired as to the status of the City website. He also expressed his appreciation for newly purchased software that allows him to remotely view City financial information. Adamson gave an update on the search for a Lieutenant. CITY OF HORICON COMMITTEE OF WHOLE MARCH 12, 2013 Geri Feucht, Librarian, stated numerous Library patrons have commented on how clean the streets have been this winter; she thanked the Public Works employees for their good work. Wieneke requested the City consider lifting the ban on chickens and gave a brief presentation on the benefits of raising chickens. Miller stated he had received complaints regarding the clearing of residents’ sidewalks. A discussion was held in regard to the process of enforcing residents to clear their sidewalks. Pahl questioned the City’s ordinance regarding outdoor wood burning stoves in relation to new ownership of the property. He also questioned the pitch of roofs in the downtown area. Plautz announced he had received a complaint from a resident regarding water in their basement. The resident believes the water is a result of an adjacent alley. Discussion was held in regard to the process of alley repairs. Motion by Marschke, second by Wieneke, to adjourn. All voting AYE. Meeting adjourned at 8:49 p.m. _____________________________________ Kristen M. Jacobson, City Clerk-Treasurer