City Council

COMMISSION ON PUBLIC WORKS/UTILITIES COUNCIL ROOM DECEMBER 12, 2017 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 one burial at the Cemetery, equipment maintenance, snow and ice removal from streets and sidewalks, maintaining Christmas decorations, trimming and pruning trees, maintaining street lighting, working on decorative light pole bases, filling potholes, cleaning up brush and compost piles, hauling chips, work on the Emerald Ash Borer Tree Grant project is on hold while waiting on bucket truck repairs, leaf pickup is complete, Sewer Foreman Boon received a telephone call from the DNR in reference our Economic Variance Request, we are awaiting written guidance from them, before proceeding with the Multi-Discharge Variance, the Water Department is reading meters, all Christmas decorations are up, cleaning up stump grinding. Director of Public Works Flynn stated that he has asked City Attorney Wachsmuth to review City Ordinance Section 5-3-4 User Rules and Regulation, so everyone is aware of what our responsibilities are as a utility. City Attorney Wachsmuth stated that she looked at the ordinance in light of the proposed hospital development. Under the ordinance any person that installs a sewer line from their place to a City main is a lateral. An extension of a sewer main is paid for by the user (Hospital) at full cost, it is then turned over to the City and the City has to maintain it. If there is more than one user a lateral becomes a main. The question is-is the Hospital a lateral or main extension. Council Member Counsell stated that the Hospital wants other entities on their lateral, does that force it to become a public main. Wachsmuth stated that the ordinance does not define it, but it makes sense that if someone else hooks up to a lateral it would logically become a main. Council Member Clough stated that from a certain point to your place is a lateral, where would it connect to the City’s main. Flynn replied at Clay Street. Council Member Clough stated that if it is sized and constructed to serve multiple entities-it is a main. Council Member Neville stated a sticking point is-the line is under the river and future maintenance will be a big expense and cost all of the taxpayers more. Wachsmuth stated the user has to apply for a permit to connect for sewer service. Flynn stated that the users plans would be sent to the City’s engineers to review, we don’t have the technical knowledge in house to tell, if the plans are sized correctly for the hospital’s usage. Council Member Counsell asked about re-doing the ordinance to not call it a main. Wachsmuth stated the City ordinance has compulsory (mandatory) hook-up if a sewer main goes by the property. The main has to be City property, we cannot have others hooking up to someone else’s private property. Council Member Counsell questioned if a private party could allow someone else to hook- up to their own lateral. Flynn questioned whether the plumbing code would allow it. Council Member Glassbrenner stated that if you start limiting who can and who cannot hookup you are limiting development. Would Boon’s Subdivision be here. Council Member Counsell stated that Boon’s Subdivision was already in the City and did not have to annexed. Council Member Clough stated that the Hospital has to pay for the extension to their property, it is designed and sized as a main, it is brand new, will be inspected, it would become like any other main and we would have to maintain it in the future. Wachsmuth stated that in a Memorial Medical Center email-MMC requested a reduced sewer rate to assist in recovering the costs. Council Member Glassbrenner asked if the development’s agreement could have something in it that if something was to happen the Hospital would pay a part of the cost. Wachsmuth stated that a Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) agreement could be looked at. Council Member Counsell stated that a reduced fee would cost other taxpayers more. Flynn stated that nothing in our sewer rate schedule allows for a reduced user’s rate and hospital sewerage costs use more to process. Council Member Counsell stated that mains are spec’d out to last a long time. Flynn stated the whole project will be highly scrutinized before it is done.-Corp of Engineers, DNR, DOT, etc. Council Member Counsell asked if we have a developing agreement. Ryan Neville, President and CEO of MMC, stated that MMC needs some structure to draft a developers agreement, we are open to looking at options, we need your guidance on language. Flynn stated that he would like to talk to MMC’s engineers, a developer’s agreement is more than just the sewer line, everyone has a piece. Council Member Neville asked if we leave the ordinance as is or change it. Wachsmuth stated that this is a discussion on what your ordinance allows or doesn’t allow- compulsory hookup is required. Flynn stated that technically it is a main when you get a second hookup, practically and realistically, it is a main, it is an extension to a main. Ryan Neville stated the nursing home would be connected to the hospital, but metered separately. Wachsmuth stated if you call it a lateral you would have to have it in the developer’s agreement. Flynn stated that the City cannot go on private property. Ryan Neville asked who should author the developer’s agreement-MMC’s attorney or the City’s attorney. Council Member Counsell replied MMC’s attorney. Motion Neville, second Clough, to adjourn. All Aye. _____________________________________ Jerry L. Quicker, Chair ___________________________________ Rex R. Roehl, Clerk ************ COMMON COUNCIL COUNCIL ROOM DECEMBER 12, 2017 7:18 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. City Clerk Roehl reported on the December 12, 2017 meeting of the Illegal Tax Committee regarding: 1) discussion on and recommendations that the uncollectable personal property taxes of E/Z Auto Repair, Edward Bergey, for the year 2010, in the amount of $101.30 total (City share-$37.59) be written off and 2) discussion on and recommendation that the uncollectible personal property taxes of Buchanan Funeral Home, Allen Buchanan, for the year 2013, in the amount of $31.11 total (City share-$11.45) be written off. Council Member Quicker reported on the December 12, 2107 meeting of the Commission on Public Works/Utilities regarding: 1) current activities and 2) the review and discussion on City Ordinance Section 5-3-4 User Rules and Regulations. Discussion on a sewer lateral (a line from a City sewer main to an individual’s property); a lateral becomes a main when a second user hooks up, the main becomes City property and City has to maintain it; mandatory hook up is part of the City’s ordinance; and developer’s agreement language and drafting-no action taken. Mayor Mabie declared all reports filed as present with the City Clerk. Jerilyn St. Armand, Neillsville, stated that she is all for the hospital, but they said they were doing this at no cost to the taxpayer, now they want the people to pay more by raising system costs and reducing their rate. People are going to be pretty mad. Mayor Mabie asked if there were any questions on the Illegal Tax Committee items (1 and 2). Motion Clough, second Counsell, to accept the recommendation that the uncollectible personal property taxes of E/Z Auto, Edward Bergey, for the year 2010, in the amount of $101.30 total (City share-$37.59) be written off. All Aye. Motion Neville, second Quicker, to accept the recommendation that the uncollectible personal property taxes of Buchanan Funeral Home, Allen Buchanan, for the year 2013, in the amount of $31.11 total (City share-$11.45) be written off. All Aye. Mayor Mabie presented the following nomination list of polling place officials and voter registration deputies: Ward I – Jana Marden, Janice Mayer, Geri Schoengarth Ward II – Dorothy Counsell, Corrine Witte, Denise Clough Ward III – Brent Shoup, Helen Pfeiffer, Jerry Quicker Ward IV – Arlys Knoop, Sharon Bjerke, Marilyn Olson Ward V – Joan Hubing, Karen Venne, Eileen Zank This represents eight Republicans and seven Democratic representatives in the polling place. Their terms of office will be two years, from January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2019. Voter Registration Deputies – Kathy Turner and Rosaline Peterson This represents one Republican and one Democratic voter registration deputy. Their terms of office will be two years, from January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2019. Motion Glassbrenner, second Clough, to accept the Mayor’s nominations as presented for Ward I and appoint them to two year terms as polling place officials. All Aye. Motion Neville, second Quicker, to accept the Mayor’s nominations as presented for Ward II and appoint them to two year terms as polling place officials. Council Members Clough and Counsell abstained. All other members-Aye. Motion carried. Motion Clough, second Glassbrenner, to accept the Mayor’s nominations as presented for Ward III and appoint them to two year terms as polling place officials. Council Member Quicker abstained. All other members-Aye. Motion carried. Motion Counsell, second Clough, to accept the Mayor’s nominations as presented for Ward IV and appoint them to two year terms as polling place officials. All Aye. Motion Glassbrenner, second Clough, to accept the Mayor’s nominations as presented for Ward V and appoint them to two year terms as polling place officials. All Aye. Motion Neville, second Clough, to accept the Mayor’s nominations as presented for Voter Registration Deputies and appoint them to two year terms. All Aye. Mayor Mabie read Randy Anderson’s Letter of Resignation from the Planning Commission. Motion Counsell, second Neville, to accept the resignation of Randy Anderson as a member of the Planning Commission and to thank him for his service to the City of Neillsville. All Aye. City Clerk Roehl reported on receiving a $1,500 donation from Robert and Elsbeth Johnson for the Police Department K-9 program. Motion Counsell, second Glassbrenner, to accept and appropriate $1,500 to the Account No. 52100 Police Department Administration and to thank Robert and Elsbeth Johnson for their donation. All Aye. Chief of Police Klueckman reported on the November 2017 complaints, citations, warnings, and investigations. Jill Kyle started as the Department’s Administrative Assistant on December 1, 2017 and training is going very well. Of the 20 applicants scheduled for the Patrol Officer’s testing ten showed up-five will be moving to the interview stage. Mayor Mabie presented a letter from Clark County Health Department regarding the 2017 youth tobacco compliance check. The following were thanked for their compliance: Drescher Oil, Holiday #3336, Kwik Trip, Dollar General, Family Dollar, Gordy’s and The Brickyard. Motion Neville, second Glassbrenner, that City Bills Nos. 1140 to 1201 in the amount of $148,490.36 be paid. All Aye. Motion Counsell, second Neville, to adjourn. All Aye. _______________________ Steven J. Mabie, Mayor ___________________________ Rex R. Roehl, Clerk ************