City Council

COMMISSION ON PUBLIC WORKS/UTILITIES COUNCIL ROOM OCTOBER 13, 2015 6:45 P.M. The Commission on Public Works/Utilities met in regular session, Chair Quicker presiding. On roll call: all members present. The minutes of the previous meeting were declared approved. Director of Public Works Flynn reported on three burials at the cemetery, equipment maintenance, mowing and weed eating cemetery and parks, picking up branches and trash, assisting with the Chamber’s Autumn Harvest Fest, setting up detour signs and barricades, hauling brush and compost, cleaning storm drains, street sweeping, trimming low hanging branches over sidewalks, changing out parking signs on E. Fifth Street, repaired the storm sewer inlet at W. Fifth Street and Oak Street, sludge hauler emptied the sewer plant storage tank, hauled fill to the old landfill for erosion control and filling in settling areas, turned over the compost pile, starting leaf pickup this week, the airport project is moving along with the paving complete, landscaping in progress and pavement painting scheduled for next week, Allen Garbisch is doing a tree survey of City boulevard trees, the DNR tree health manager was here to look at the ash trees in Schuster Park (they are stressed and struggling – once we cut one down he will be able to examine it for Emerald Ash Borer). City Clerk Roehl presented the Third Quarter 2015 Water and Sewer Utilities Financial Statements. Motion Mabie, second Neville, to adjourn. All Aye. __________________________________________ Jerry L. Quicker, Chair ___________________________________ Rex R. Roehl, Clerk ************ COMMON COUNCIL COUNCIL ROOM OCTOBER 13, 2015 7:00 P.M. The Common Council met in regular session, Mayor Mabie presiding. On roll call: all members present. The Pledge of Allegiance was recited. The minutes of the previous meeting were declared approved. Mayor Mabie reported on the September 29, 2015 meeting of the TIF District #2 Joint Review Board regarding: 1) review of the Joint Board of Review standards of review, 2) reviewed and discussed the Project Plan Amendment and the joint Planning Commission and Common Council public hearing records and resolutions adopted by each, 3) adopted a Resolution Approving the Designation of TIF District #2 as Distressed Pursuant to Wisconsin State Statutes 66.1105(4e), and 4) dissolved the TIF District #2 Joint Review Board. Council Member Counsell reported on the September 30, 2015 meeting of the Historic Preservation Commission regarding: 1) discussed and authorized ordering 300 2016 calendars, 2) agreed to use the last back page of the calendar for ad sales, 3) discussed volunteers for selling calendars and note cards at the Chamber’s Autumn Harvest Fest, 4) discussed the 2015 Christmas Tour of Homes and marketing plans, and 5) authorized paying for the 2016 calendars when they arrive. Mayor Mabie reported on the October 5, 6, 8 and 12, 2015 meetings of the Finance Committee regarding: 1) department budget presentations, 2) authorizing Fire Chief Matt Meyer to set up a committee to spec out what is needed and what is being asked for in a new rescue van, 3) authorized budgeting for a 2016 Chevy Tahoe 4WD for the new police vehicle, 4) authorized budgeting an additional 600 hours of part-time help in the public works budget, and 5) work on the 2016 budget. Council Member Quicker reported on the October 13, 2015 meeting of the Commission on Public Works/Utilities regarding: 1) current activities, and 2) reviewed the Third Quarter Water and Sewer Utilities Financial Statements. Mayor Mabie declared all reports filed as presented with the City Clerk. Susie Gall, 1405 Bruley Street, stated that she was here on behalf of her son, who is a Marine on duty in Afghanistan. The dog is a German Shepherd. It was shuffled from one home to another, and is aggressive. We have done everything asked of us by the police. The dog has been through training twice, a fence has been built, and insurance coverage is in place. The dog stays in the fence and does not roam. Gall stated she has signatures from neighbors who have no problem with the dog. Janice Miller’s aunt, Arlene Kernz, also signed it. Council Member Neville stated that the Police Department has five reports of people being bitten by the dog. Gall stated that only one picture was taken, and the vet said it was not a bite, it was a scratch. She has talked with the person and offered to pay the medical bills. They have been getting threats, and someone has thrown a steak covered with ammonia over the fence trying to poison the dog. You have an ordinance to ban our German Shepherd – what is next, a poodle. The Police Department should have better things to do than concentrate on one dog. Mayor Mabie stated that this ordinance does not apply to just one breed. Council Member Neville stated no one should be fearful of walking by a dog, we appreciate your fence, and this ordinance applies to any dog deemed vicious. Bob Bell, 303 State Street, stated that when he was visiting his children, the city they live in was cutting down all the ash trees because of the Emerald Ash Borer. The Emerald Ash Borer is in Black River Falls and south of Marshfield. It is only a matter of time before it gets here. Bell has nine ash trees on his street. The City needs to look at this and think about what to do. Richard Bates, 502 W. Second Street, stated that the traffic on his street has slowed down due to increased police patrol and nine slow turtle men placed along the street. However, this is a band- aid and not a permanent action. You can’t have a patrolman there all the time. We would like a stop sign and the truck traffic taken off our street. Council Member Glassbrenner asked where they would put the stop sign. Bates replied on W. Second Street and Oak Street, to divide things up a little, and enforcement of a truck route. Most of the trucks are going to the hospital. Mayor Mabie stated that the Police Chief could talk to Memorial Medical Center to get the word out that the trucks should be using W. Fifth Street. Bates stated W. Second Street is a walking street with no sidewalks. People on other streets, like Hewett Street, are asking him how to slow down traffic on their streets. Cindy Moseid, 118 Clay Street, stated traffic is horrendous in the mornings and afternoons. We have no sidewalks for the children to ride bikes, it is not safe for her nine year old to ride to the arboretum. The police need to be present during commute hours, not Sunday morning for church. Charles Cooper, 210 E. Division Street, stated that the school parking issue is a concern. If parking is banned on the north side of the school, people with disabilities and elementary parents of 3K and 4K students have nowhere to drop of children, as parking on the south side is a long walk. Could the green space on the north side be split – half for cars and half for buses. Chief of Police Klueckmann stated that the school would have to address that matter, as it is on the school grounds. It is an inconvenience for parents, however the City cannot overlook the safety issues on the street. Moving the traffic to the south side of the school puts the traffic in one area, which is better for enforcement – one officer is not trying to cover both sides of the school. Cindy Moseid stated that 3K and 4K students have to be walked in, the bigger children at the fieldhouse scare the little ones. City Attorney Wachsmuth read the following ordinance. ORDINANCE NO. 1051 AN ORDINANCE AMENDING SEC. 8-1-4(e), SCHOOL TERM PARKING The Common Council of the City of Neillsville does hereby ordain as follows: Section 8-1-4(e) is repealed as currently written and is rewritten to state: (e) SCHOOL TERM PARKING. It shall be unlawful for any person to park a motor vehicle on East 5th Street between State Street and East Street, between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m., and 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. on Monday through Friday while school is in session. This ordinance shall be effective upon publication. __________________________________________ Steven J. Mabie, Mayor __________________________________________ Rex R. Roehl, Clerk Motion Counsell, second Glassbrenner, that Ordinance No. 1051 be adopted. All Aye. City Attorney Wachsmuth read an Ordinance Amending Sec. 7-1-1(b)(17)a and Sec. 7-1-6(b), Vicious Dogs. Mayor Mabie stated that this ordinance is for people’s protection, the Chief of Police looked at ordinances from around the state, which have a little more teeth than our present ordinance. Chief of Police Klueckmann stated that this ordinance is not breed specific. Wachsmuth stated that this ordinance does not have a grandfathering clause. Charles Cooper stated any officer can deem a dog vicious. Wachsmuth replied it cannot be just any dog. There are exceptions in the ordinance. Cooper asked about a dog for your protection. Chief of Police Klueckmann stated a dog protecting its owner is an exception. He asked that the ordinance includes an oversite and review process. When a dog is deemed vicious, the owner has five days to file a written request for a review by the Common Council. He asked whether the Police Department has authorization to seize a dog. City Attorney Wachsmuth replied language clarifying police seizure can be added. Council Member Counsell asked if you can un-vicious a dog. City Attorney Wachsmuth stated that the City of Eau Claire ordinance has a length of time process. Susie Gall stated the Chief of Police asked for $100,000 in insurance liability, we offered to pay the hospital bill, we put up fence, took the dog to training, we have followed all the rules and done everything asked. Council Member Counsell stated accidents happen, and you can’t guarantee something will not happen again. There are five documented times now. Charles Cooper stated that his child had half his face taken off, and that dog is still around. Chief of Police Klueckmann stated that animal and dog bites have to be reported by law, Galls built a fence – it was required by their insurance company, not the city, and we appreciate that they did it, Galls did not question the bites until after the dog was deemed vicious, just because no pictures were taken doesn’t mean there wasn’t an incident, the Chief read the names of the five individuals bitten. Mayor Mabie stated this matter is tabled, and the City Attorney will make the changes for the next meeting. Council Member Clough presented a community information handout from the DNR website on the Emerald Ash Borer. The natural spread of the Emerald Ash Borer is one to fifteen miles per year, and it has been confirmed in Black River Falls. Clark County has not been quarantined yet, but every county south of us has been. We need to get ahead of this, we can still harvest and burn the ash trees. The first thing is to do a tree inventory to see what we have. We have a guy through Job Service, at no cost to the City, with a two-year degree in Urban Forestry, who can do this. A sampling protocol has been developed. Starting with the City street right-of-way, Allen Garbisch will be doing a walk-around, measuring trees, noting heaving sidewalks, and overhead wires. Clough stated a management plan needs to be developed once the inventory is done and we know now many trees are involved. If we take some of the ash trees out now and start planting new trees, the impact both visual and budgetary, will not be as big. The City’s management plan would be for City trees only (boulevard/parks/arboretum), not private property owner’s trees. Clough stated a work plan separate from the management plan would also have to be developed. Director of Public Works Flynn stated a few trees in Schuster Park will be taken down and checked out for signs of the Emerald Ash Borer. There is a cluster of 15 to 20 trees in a small area, which have to be thinned out. Council Member Glassbrenner asked if one tree is infected, will we have to take them all down. Director of Public Works Flynn replied yes. Clough stated that the Emerald Ash Borer is a beetle which goes tree to tree. When trees are close together, it is easier for them to spread than if you have a tree further away. The beetle larve is what kills the tree, girdling it starting at the top tender branches. If a tree is infested, we have to take it to the landfill and burn it. If a tree is not infested, it can be harvested and used. The time to take down infested trees is in the winter when the beetle is dormant. Director of Public Works Flynn requested permission for the Public Works employees to take the Veteran’s Day holiday on the day after Thanksgiving. The new employees have no vacation to use on the day after Thanksgiving, and we are in the middle of leaf pickup. Motion Neville, second Quicker, to grant the request to take the Veteran’s Day holiday on the day after Thankgsgiving. All Aye. Mayor Mabie read Carrie Converse’s letter of resignation from the Heritage Days Committee. Motion Counsell, second Neville, to accept Carrie Converse’s resignation from the Heritage Days Committee, and to thank her for her years of service to the City of Neillsville. All Aye. Mayor Mabie recommended the appointment of Aaron Bembnister as a Heritage Days Committee member. Motion Clough, second Quicker, to accept the recommendation to appoint Aaron Bembnister (2016) as a member of the Heritage Days Committee. All Aye. Council Member Glassbrenner stated that the Transit Committee has approved starting an Agency Fare rate for the taxi service. Clark County agencies are given money to pay for their clients’ transportation (Medicare, etc.). The agency fare charged by the Clark County taxi is $7.46. Currently, the Neillsville Taxi Service charges $1.75 for elderly and disabled riders. We would like to start out charging $5.00, and raising it up in increments after we see how it works. Abby Vans would do the agency billing and collection. Motion Neville, second Clough, to authorize a taxi agency fare in the amount of $5.00 per fare. All Aye. Chief of Police Klueckmann reported on September, 2015 complaints, citations, warnings, arrests and investigations. Detective Pokallus has been assigned to the Clark County Child Abduction Response Team (CART), a multi-jurisdictional team to investigate missing, endangered and abducted children in Clark County. Chief of Police Klueckmann stated that the officers have been working on a speeding complaint on W. Second Street. Traffic has been sporadic, with the maximum speed being 41 mph. Normal speeds have been around 31 mph. The narrow street makes it look like people are driving faster. There is no crash data to support a stop sign at Oak Street, and he does not support a stop sign, which sometimes can make an intersection more dangerous. The truck traffic is mainly delivery trucks from Memorial Medical Center. Posting 25 mph speed limit signs, installing sidewalks, or making a truck route may be options. Director of Public Works Flynn stated first time installed sidewalks are billed to the property owner. The City would have to budget and pay for the project, and the property owners are billed on a three to five year payment plan. Chief of Police Klueckmann stated that they will be bringing back an old program called “Santa in Blue”. It is a partnership between the Neillsville Chamber of Commerce and Police Department, where donated gifts from area businesses are given out to motorists traveling through Neillsville on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Council Member Glassbrenner reported on attending a Memorial Medical Center Finance Committee meeting. They have been able to cash flow without having to touch the City’s loan money, and have put in $700,000 in capital improvements. Council Member Counsell requested that the next time Memorial Medical Center comes to a council meeting that they be listed as an agenda item, not just show up as an appearance. Mayor Mabie reported on a thank you from Randy and Julie Reineck, Central Wisconsin Horse Sale, for the City’s support. Reinecks, after 35 years, have sold the sale. City Clerk Roehl presented the Third Quarter 2015 City Financial Statements. Tavern Operator’s License Applications: Nancy L. Curtin, Natasha T. Hetzel, James R. Myers, Tiffany M. Myers and Dallas A. Zickert Motion Quicker, second Neville, to grant all the listed licenses. All Aye. Motion Glassbrenner, second Quicker, that City bills Nos. 985 to 1059 in the amount of $343,359.39 be paid. All Aye. Motion Counsell, second Neville, to adjourn. All Aye. __________________________________________ Steven J. Mabie, Mayor ____________________________________ Rex R. Roehl, Clerk ************