City Council

COMMISSION ON PUBLIC WORKS/UTILITIES COUNCIL ROOM JULY 12, 2022 6:45 P.M. The Commission on Public Works/Utilities met in regular session, Chair Clough presiding. On roll call: Council Member Perrine absent, all other members present. The minutes of the previous meeting were declared approved. Director of Public Works Friemoth reported on three burials at the Cemetery, parks and bathroom maintenance, weed trimming at the Cemetery, Heritage Days event set up and take down, road work on W. Fifth Street, curb and gutter work on W. Fifth Street, Water Department-daily testing and rounds, utility locates, finished follow-ups on high/low meter readings, raising and repairing water manholes on W. Fifth Street, Sewer Department-lift station rounds and maintenance, mowed at the wastewater treatment plant, raising and repairing sewer manholes on W. Fifth Street. Council Member Neville thanked the Parks, Street and Utilities crews for their help setting up and taking down the Heritage Days event. Jeff Butzlaff, 39 Center Street, expressed concerns with radon run off from properties into the river. When houses were built years ago the fill around them was a lot of scrap and garbage, now when people’s sump pumps move water to the streets and it goes down the storm drains it pollutes the river. Why can’t these sump pumps be diverted to the sewer system and the run off treated. Director of Public Works Friemoth stated the DNR will not allow the treatment of stormwater by our Sewer Plant. Also, our plant is not large enough to handle the flow or able to treat radon. Butzlaff stated his concern is radon runoff and pollution to our rivers. What else can be done. City Clerk Roehl reported that the regular meeting of Tuesday, August 9, 2022 is also the Partisan Primary Election day. Discussion followed. Motion Neville, second Poeschel, to reschedule the Tuesday, August 9, 2022 meeting to Monday, August 15, 2022 at 3:30 P.M. All Aye. City Clerk Roehl presented the Second Quarter 2022 Water and Sewer Utilities Financial Statements. Motion Counsell, Second Poeschel, to adjourn. All Aye. ________________________________ Daniel M. Clough, Chair _________________________________ Rex R. Roehl, Clerk ************ COMMON COUNCIL COUNCIL ROOM JULY 12, 2022 7:00 P.M. The Common Council met in regular session, Mayor Poeschel presiding. On roll call: Council Member Perrine absent, all other members present. The Pledge of Allegiance was recited. The minutes of the previous meeting were declared approved. Council Member Petkovsek reported on the July 6, 2022 meeting of the Beautification Committee regarding: 1) discussion on replacing the downtown banners, 2) discussion on the weeding schedule, 3) discussion on Prock Park plaque and updates and 4) discussion on products and prices on benches for the Town Square Park. Council Member Neville reported on the July 6, 2022 meeting of the Heritage Days Committee regarding discussion on and walk through on setup. Council Member Clough reported on the July 12, 2022 meeting of the Commission on Public Works/Utilities regarding: 1) current activities, 2) rescheduling the regular Tuesday, August 9, 2022 to Monday, August 15, 2022 at 3:30 P.M. and 3) reviewed the Second Quarter 2022 Water and Sewer Financial Statements. Mayor Poeschel declared all reports filed as presented with the City Clerk. City Clerk Roehl reported that the regular meeting of Tuesday, August 9, 2022 is also the Partisan Primary Election day. Discussion followed. Motion Clough, second Counsell, to reschedule the Tuesday, August 9, 2022 meeting to Monday, August 15, 2022 at 3:45 P.M. All Aye. City Attorney Wachsmuth read the following proposed ordinance. AN ORDINANCE REPEALING AND RECREATING SECTIONS OF TITLE 3, CHAPTER 4, FIRE DISTRICT REGULATIONS; OPEN BURNING The Common Council of the City of Neillsville does hereby ordain as follows: Sections 3-4-6 through 3-4-12 are hereby repealed. Title 3, Chapter 4 is hereby recreated as follows: SEC. 3-4-6 STATE STATUTES AND CODES ADOPTED. The following state statutes and codes as from time to time amended and/or renumbered, are incorporated herein by reference and adopted as part of this Fire Regulation Chapter: (1) Chapter 168, Wisconsin Statutes (2) Wisconsin Administrative Code ATCP 93 SEC. 3-4-7 PENALTIES. Any person who shall violate any provision of this Chapter or any order, rule or regulation adopted hereunder, shall be subject to the general penalty provisions of this Code. Section 3-4-13 shall be renumbered to Section 3-4-8. Motion Petkovsek, that the proposed ordinance be adopted. Council Member Counsell stated she has a big problem with the proposed ordinance, it has taken something needing a little change and made it a mountain. We are really talking about type of cans and how many gallons. How will the citizens know, not everyone can or knows how to research the State Statutes or administrative code and which would have added 92 pages by ordinance reference. It makes it more difficult for the Police Department. City Attorney Wachsmuth stated the Police Department has to enforce all the laws, at the last meeting she understood that she was told to look at the State Statutes and make our ordinance comply. Mayor Poeschel stated that the City Ordinance can be stricter. Discussion followed on storage of combustible material; the different ordinance sections; fixing our current ordinance with minor changes, instead of incorporating the huge State Statutes and Wisconsin Administrative Code documents; etc. Mayor Poeschel called for a second, there being none, the motion dies. Council Member Petkovsek asked with tweaking our current ordinance is something else needed to refer to the State Statutes or Administrative code. City Attorney Wachsmuth replied no, people are to have a general knowledge of State Statutes and code, we don’t have to have it referenced in every ordinance. Discussion followed on changing ordinance Section 3-4-7, number of gallons stored, types of storage containers, removing Section 3-4-11 lighting, etc. City Attorney Wachsmuth will draft an ordinance. City Attorney Wachsmuth read Ordinance No. 1068 ORDINANCE NO. 1068 AN ORDINANCE CREATING SEC. 2-4-15 PERSONNEL COMMITTEE. The Common Council of the City of Neillsville does hereby ordain as follows: Section 2-4-15 is created to read as follows: SEC. 2-4-15 PERSONNEL COMMITTEE (a) COMPOSITION. The Personnel Committee shall have four (4) members, consisting of the Mayor and three (3) council members. The Personnel Committee shall be appointed each year by the Mayor, subject to approval of the Common Council. (b) DUTIES. The Personnel Committee shall have the authority to recommend matters to the Common Council or Finance Committee as appropriate, in the following matters: (1) Development, review and implementation of personnel policies and procedures in accordance with all local, state and federal laws. (2) Changes to local ordinances regarding employment to assure compliance with local, State and Federal laws, as well as the needs of the municipality. (3) Compensation for employees with suggested rate ranges for each position. (4) Salaries, hourly wages, fringe benefits, health insurance, worker’s compensation and percentage participation. (5) Adjustments to non-union employee wages. (6) Union contract negotiations. (7) Best practice plans for training employees and department heads for inclusion in the annual budget. (8) Policies to create and maintain personnel files as required by law. (9) Human resources policies. (10) Prospective employees for hire. (11) Grievances of employees as required by the personnel policy. (12) Information technology policies for hardware, software and cyber security. (c) RECORD. The Personnel Committee shall keep a written record of its proceedings to include all actions taken, a copy of which shall be filed with the City Clerk/Treasurer. ______________________________  Duane G. Poeschel, Mayor ______________________________ Rex R. Roehl, Clerk Motion Counsell, Second Clough, that Ordinance No. 1068 be adopted. All Aye. Mayor Poeschel recommended the appointment of Lori Pekol as a member of the Beautification Committee. Motion Clough, second Petkovsek, to accept the recommendation and appoint Lori Pekol as a member of the Beautification Committee (2023). All Aye. Chief of Police Mankowski reported on the contacting Kevin Radman, Neillsville Trailer Park, Live Oak Investments, LLC. The new owner lives in West Virginia, not Milwaukee, so he cannot attend a meeting. The LLC has a registered Agent at a post office box in Milwaukee. He has hired Nicole Egland as the Park Manager. Chief of Police Mankowski has met with Egland and explained the City’s concerns. They have provided copies of the park rules, application screening and rental agreements. It is nice to have rules, but they need to be enforced. How will violations be rectified. We need to know someone will manage the trailer park, it is not the City’s job, we should not have to tell them how to run their business, we have to hold them to a standard. Council Member Counsell stated documents have been provided, how will nuisance issues be addressed. Chief of Police Mankowski stated he would contact Nicole Egland to come to a meeting. Council Member Clough thanked the Public Works crews for the great job they did during the Heritage Days events, the City’s table at Farm Technology Days had a couple thousand people visit and take flyers–it was very worthwhile as a lot of information was given out. Council Member Neville thanked the Chief of Police Mankowski and his Department, Director of Public Works Friemoth and his crew, Parks Director Barth and his crew, the Heritage Days Committee members and Heritage Days sponsors for helping to provide the free Heritage Days event. Council Member Neville also read thank you notes received. Chief of Police Mankowski stated it was nice to see people having fun and engaging others. A lot of compliments were received. This is his second year working the event and no arrests had to be made. Chief of Police Mankowski reported on completing the 20-week Armour College Command Staff College, other trainings, equipment purchases to outfit new officers, squad car maintenance, June citations, complaints, business checks and activities. Fire Chief Matt Meyer reported on the Second Quarter 2022. Attending a Clark County Emergency Services meeting in Abbotsford, receiving a generator donation from the Lions Club, attending a mock school bus mass casualty training in Granton, four new firefighters have completed the entry level training and can now enter building fires, changing the Smokey Bear sign, meeting with fire truck salesmen, did a wild prairie burn for Rick Sturtz, conducted annual hose testing, provided an engine and tender for a live burn in a burn trailer at the Fairground for CVTC, provided a truck for the Senior send off Skit night, attended two Town of Hewett meetings regarding storm damage from the December 15, 2021 tornado, completed the semiannual business inspections, provided a truck to send off two track team members to State, filled six swimming pools, purchased ice/water rescue equipment, attended Rural Fire Association and Community Fire Hall Board meetings, did a foster home inspection in the Town of Pine Valley. The Department responded to 14 calls (4-City: one faulty alarm, one burnt bacon, one gas meter and a structure fire; 10-Rural: three grass fires, barn fire, two ATV accidents, tractor accident, motorcycle accident, car accident, dump truck accident). City Clerk Roehl presented the Second Quarter 2022 City Financial Statements. Tavern Operator’s License Applications: Penny L. Courtney, Steven J. Mabie, Mindy M. Stangland Motion Neville, second Clough, to grant all the listed licenses. All Aye. Motion Clough, second Neville, that City Bills Nos. 676 to 717 in the amount of $190,247.53 and TIF District No. 4 Account Bills Nos. 6 to 8 in the amount of $1,244.60 be paid. All Aye. Motion Counsell, second Neville, to adjourn. All Aye. __________________________________ Duane G. Poeschel, Mayor ________________________________ Rex R. Roehl, Clerk ************