City Council

COMMISSION ON PUBLIC WORKS/UTILITIES COUNCIL ROOM OCTOBER 8, 2013 6:45 P.M. The Commission on Public Works/Utilities met in regular session, Chair Horn presiding. On roll call: all members present. The minutes of the previous meeting were declared approved. Chair Horn read Director of Public Works Flynn’s report on two burials at the cemetery, equipment maintenance, picking up branches and trash, mowing and weed-eating in the cemetery and parks, removing summer cemetery decorations, cleaning restrooms, watering and removal of flowers from the hanging baskets and planters, placing fall decorations in planters and Gazebo Park, mowing vacant properties, removed a dead tree in Schuster Park and three from the roadsides, had stumps ground, opened storm drains, street sweeping, hauling brush and compost, final blacktop pavement scheduled for this week, working on downtown street lighting, placed treated plywood on upper area of salt shed, placed a new steel roof on the storage shed by the compost site, removed the fountain from O’Neill Creek, the Department of Commerce inspector visited last week and we are awaiting his report, a chainsaw safety training is scheduled for October 10, 2013, the Christie property at 514-518 Hewett Street repair work has been finished and inspected by the building inspector and fire department, nuisance violation citations continued to be issued to 14 Court Street and 303 W. Fifteenth Street, the Eisner property at 108 W. Fifteenth Street is having the upper portion removed by the Amish, so we will need to rebid what is left to clean up and fill in, fall cleanup week is scheduled for October 28 to 31, 2013, and we may have an electronics recycling event in November. Motion Weiers, second Neville, to adjourn. All Aye. __________________________________________ Daryn Horn, Chair ____________________________________ Rex R. Roehl, Clerk ************ COMMON COUNCIL COUNCIL ROOM OCTOBER 8, 2013 7:00 P.M. The Common Council met in regular session, Mayor Mabie presiding. On roll call: all members present. The Neillsville Cub Scouts led the Pledge of Allegiance recitation. The minutes of the previous meeting were declared approved. Council Member Glassbrenner reported on the September 25, 2013 meeting of the Parks and Recreation Board regarding: 1) current activities of the Recreation Department, 2) current activities of the Parks Department, 3) work on and referral of the proposed 2014 Recreation budget to the Finance Committee, 4) work on and referral of the proposed 2014 Parks budget to the Finance Committee, and 5) no applications for the 30% Room Tax – Parks and Recreation funds were received. Mayor Mabie reported on the October 1, 3 and 7, 2013 meetings of the Finance Committee regarding: 1) department budget presentation, and 2) work on the budget. Council Member Horn reported on the October 8, 2013 meeting of the Commission on Public Works/Utilities regarding current activities. Mayor Mabie declared all reports filed as presented with the City Clerk. City Clerk Roehl presented the First Amendment to Cooperative Agreement (PILOT) with WHPC Subs. (PILOT – Payment in Lieu of Taxes, and WHPC Subs – Wisconsin Housing Preservation Corporation’s three sub-units: Neillsville I, LLC; Neillsville II, LLC; and Neillsville III, LLC.) The payment will be $10,000 per year for five years, January 1, 2014 through December 31, 2018, at which time the agreement will be reviewed and renewed according to negotiations at that time. Motion Quicker, second Glassbrenner, to approve the First Amendment to Cooperative Agreement with WHPC Subs, and authorize the Mayor to sign it. All Aye. City Clerk Roehl requested permission to submit the 2014 taxi grant application jointly with Clark County to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Motion Glassbrenner, second Horn, to approve submission of the 2014 taxi grant application jointly with Clark County. All Aye. City Clerk Roehl reported on Council President Glassbrenner receiving a $500 economic development donation from Kwik Trip, Inc. at their Grand Opening. Motion Glassbrenner, second Neville, to accept and appropriate $500 to Account No. 56700 Economic Development Account Administration, and to thank Kwik Trip, Inc. All Aye. City Attorney Wachsmuth reported on the Christie property, 514-518 Hewett Street. John Schmidtfranz, Receiver, has completed the repair work under budget and ahead of the November 1, 2013 court deadline. City Clerk Roehl reported that the costs to date total is $13,879.92. The bill for electrical work has not yet been received. Wachsmuth stated the next step is a lien on the property through the court system once the total costs are known. The title work should be updated to make sure no new judgments have been placed on the property. An appraisal is needed to set a value on the property. The statutes require the property to sell for “value” plus cost of improvements. Does the City want to heat it for the winter? Wachsmuth stated that the biggest hurdle is over – the building has been repaired. Placing a lien on the property will force Christie’s hand – find a buyer and potentially get some money out of it or lose it to the City for a $13,000 lien. Wachsmuth stated that the statutes say you can put a mortgage on the property, but it is very vague with its designations. We will ask the court for direction. Wachsmuth stated she will check with Director of Public Works Flynn on the heating system and proceed with getting the appraisal, title work and court date. Mayor Mabie presented Chief of Police Lindner’s report on September, 2013 complaints, citations, arrests and investigations. Officer Jacob Aumann has completed his one year probation period. One hundred twenty-four applications were received for the vacant officer position – testing will be done on October 18, 2013. City Clerk Roehl reported on the Polling Place Onsite Accessibility Compliance Audit Report regarding accessibility findings identified at the City Hall during the April, 2013 election. Mayor Mabie read a thank-you letter from Interim Chief Executive Officer David Baltzer for the City’s adoption of Resolution No. 570 – A Resolution in Support of Memorial Medical Center at its September 24, 2013 Common Council meeting. Tavern Operator’s License Applications: Rachelle R. Canfield and Kelsey R. Jelinek Motion Quicker, second Neville, to grant all the listed licenses. All Aye. Motion Neville, second Quicker, that bills on City Vouchers Nos. 898 to 960 in the amount of $324,620.30 be paid. All Aye. Motion Horn, second Neville, to adjourn. All Aye. __________________________________________ Steven J. Mabie, Mayor ____________________________________ Rex R. Roehl, Clerk ************ CHECK MARGINS (BOTTOM) BEFORE STARTING NEXT SET OF MINUTES