Village Board of Trustees

VILLAGE OF WESTON MEETING MINUTES Meeting of: BOARD OF TRUSTEES Members: White {c}, Berger, Ermeling, Jaeger, Porlier, Schuster, Ziegler Location: Municipal Center; 5500 Schofield Ave. Board Room Date/Time: Monday, November 17, 2014 @ 6:00 P.M. 1. Call to Order. 1.1 Pledge of Allegiance. 1.2 Roll Call of Attendance. White called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. Present: White, Berger, Ermeling, Porlier, Schuster and Ziegler. Jaeger was absent and excused. Director of Public Works Donner, Deputy Director of Public Works Wodalski, Director of Planning and Development Higgins, Clerk Weinkauf, Finance Director Jacobs, Director of Technology Crowe, Taxpayer Relations Coordinator Hodell, Police Chief Sparks and Fire Chief Meilahn were also present. There were 9 audience members present. 2. Comments from the public on items appearing on the agenda. Mark Timkin, 5909 Coronado Dr., read a letter (attached) regarding a request to the Village Board to include $48,000 for the bus “K” route in their 2015 budget. 3. Communications 3.1 Acknowledge receipt of drafted meeting minutes from all standing and non-standing committees. *M/S/P Schuster/Ziegler: to acknowledge receipt of drafted meeting minutes from all standing and non- standing committees. 4. Consent Items for Consideration. 4.1 Recommendation from Clerk to approve prior meeting minutes of 11/03/2014. 4.2 Recommendation from Finance Director to approve Vouchers. 4.3 Recommendation from Clerk to approve operator license. 4.4 Recommendation from Chief Sparks to deny operator license. 4.5 Acknowledge Resolution VW-14-16 An Amendment to the 2006 Comprehensive Plan of the Village of Weston, Marathon County, Wisconsin; Consisting of a Replacement Parks and Recreation Chapter. 4.6 Motion to set public hearing date of Monday, January 5, 2015 at 6:00 p.m. to consider an amendment to the 2006 comprehensive plan of the Village of Weston, Marathon County, Wisconsin; consisting of a replacement Parks and Recreation Chapter. *M/S/P Berger/Ermeling: to approve consent items 4.1 to 4.6, contingent on making some minor corrections to the Village Board minutes. 5. Reports from Departments. 5.1 Clerk/Employee Resources Manager. Weinkauf asked if there were any questions. There were none. 5.2 Everest Metro Police Department. No comments. 5.3 Finance/Assessment. Jacobs said the budget public hearing is scheduled for November 24th. 5.4 Parks & Recreation. No comments.  VILLAGE OF WESTON MEETING MINUTES 5.5 Planning & Development. Higgins said staff received notice that the Village was approved for a broadband grant. 5.6 Public Works & Utilities. Donner reported staff is trying to pick up any yard waste that is visible under the snow. Management staff is taking the two new Street Department employees through orientation. A safety training class was held for all employees last week Thursday and Friday. 5.7 SAFER Fire District. Meilahn asked if there were any questions. There were none. 5.8 Technology Services. Crowe asked if there were any questions. There were none. 6. Business Items for Consideration. 6.1 Recommend to Board of Trustees, Finance Committee review/recommendation to rescind and recreate Personnel Policy and Procedure Handbook, Section 10.03 to create a BYOD policy and transition away from Village ownership of its cellular fleet for municipal employees. Berger said the Personnel Committee’s recommendation was to not approve the proposed BYOD policy, and send it back to staff, with some specific recommendations. These recommendations include not requiring all employees to have a cell phone, and also to not require employees list their cell phone number on any social media website. Ermeling agrees that not all employees should be required to have a cell phone. *M/S/P Porlier/Ermeling: to deny the BYOD policy and send back to staff to recreate and include the specific recommendations listed above. 6.2 Recommend to Board of Trustees the 2015 Water Utility Operating Budget, Sewer Utility Operating Budget, and Capital Budget. Donner gave a report on both the 2015 water utility, sewer utility and capital budget. Staff recommends the water utility use fund balance to fund the tank painting in 2015, but replenish the expense through a rate increase. Staff also recommends the utility file for a rate increase with the PSC in 2015 with a target date for rate implementation around January 1, 2016. Jacobs referred to the capital equipment total expenditures. He also gave an update on the storm water fund and said no rate increase is needed for that. 6.3 Convene into closed session under Wisconsin State Statutes 19.85 (1) (c) for the purpose of considering the employment, compensation, or performance evaluation data of any employee over which the governmental body has jurisdiction or exercises responsibility to consider recommendations regarding the promotion and permanent hiring of the Planning Technician position. *M/S/P Schuster/Ziegler: to convene to closed session at 6:41 p.m. Roll call vote: All were in favor. 6.4 Reconvene into open session. Take action on closed session item. *M/S/P Schuster/Ziegler: to reconvene from closed session at 6:54 p.m. *M/S/P Ziegler/Porlier: to approve the promotion and permanent hiring of Jared Wehner, as the Planning Technician. 6.5 Recommend to Board of Trustees, health insurance renewal and insurance plan offering for fy2015. Weinkauf explained the Personnel Committee recommendation is to offer both the Security Health Plan Broad Network and Narrowed Network Options to employees, subject to the final proposals matching the base rate proposals. If the final proposal does not come in at the proposed base rates the Village will offer the employees the original proposal from United Health Care. This option includes the 2000/4000 deductible with the HRA. The  VILLAGE OF WESTON MEETING MINUTES premiums remain the same for employees. The employer would have to budget the same premium as they are paying right now, with an extra $20,000 for the HRA. The Committee also recommended staff look into the Aspirus narrowed network option. *M/S/P Porlier/Ziegler: to approve moving forward with the health insurance renewal, per the recommendation from the Personnel Committee. Weinkauf said several employees asked about the possibility of the Village reimbursing them a stipend amount if they choose not to take the Village insurance. The Board members agreed it is the employee’s choice to take insurance somewhere else and said they would not consider giving a stipend amount for that. Weinkauf explained both the broad and narrowed network options to the Board. She also indicated staff will look into a narrowed network option with Aspirus. Sparks said he would like to have more input in this process to help his employees make decisions on whether they stay with this insurance or go somewhere else. He would also like to see more options offered to the employees. There was a short discussion on United Health Care’s proposal. There was also a short discussion on deductibles and co-insurance. Weinkauf also reported the employee HRA screenings are scheduled for this Wednesday. She was just informed today that 5 or 6 employees have decided to not participate for different reasons. It’s now looking like only 21 employees will be participating. She said staff will not be able to get any group data from the screenings if 25 people do not participate. There was a lengthy discussion on a wellness incentive for participating in the HRA screenings. It was indicated that a wellness incentive has never been officially approved by the Board. Ermeling finds this to be a little ironic that staff has got to this point and nothing has been worked out on the incentive side. Weinkauf thought staff provided this information to them back in June. She said staff will bring another proposal back to the Board for discussion and possible action. 7. Report from the Administrator. No comments. 8. Remarks from President/Trustees. Ermeling commented the Finance Committee approved forwarding the budget to the Board, with the recommendation the transportation fund be rescinded. She wanted to clarify this since the letter from NAOMI states something different. White asked for an Executive Closed session get put on the November 24th agenda. 9. Set next meeting date, discuss items for next Board agenda: Monday, November 24, 2014. 10. Adjourn. *M/S/P Schuster/Ziegler: to adjourn the meeting at 7:40 p.m. Respectfully, Sherry Weinkauf Village Clerk To t h e W e s t o n Village Board: N o v e m b e r 17, 2014 O n N o v e m b e r 4, W e s t o n r e s i d e n t s v o t e d " N o " t o p a y i n g m o r e in t a x e s f o r p u b l i c t r a n s p o r t a t i o n . D e s p i t e the vote o u t c o m e , w e believe t h e results m a y not accurately reflect the level of s u p p o r t W e s t o n residents have for continuing bus service. T h u s w e respectfully request t h e W e s t o n Village Board i n c l u d e $48,000 f o r t h e "K" r o u t e in its 2015 b u d g e t . W e m a k e this request for t h e following reasons: 1. R e s i d e n t s w e r e n o t p r o v i d e d w i t h a d e q u a t e i n f o r m a t i o n b y W e s t o n officials t o m a k e a n informed decision a b o u t this r e f e r e n d u m question a n d t h e impact of their votes. No public f o r u m s w e r e h e l d b y W e s t o n officials t o i n f o r m r e s i d e n t s a b o u t t h e r e f e r e n d u m a n d g i v e t h e m a n o p p o r t u n i t y t o a s k q u e s t i o n s . N o i n f o r m a t i o n w a s m a i l e d t o r e s i d e n t s via t h e W e s t o n W i r e o r o t h e r m e a n s . T h e little i n f o r m a t i o n p r o v i d e d o n t h e w e b s i t e w a s n o t e a s i l y a c c e s s i b l e a n d d i d not include t h e essential facts a b o u t w h a t a" y e s " a n d " n o " vote would m e a n . 2. A d o o r - t o - d o o r s u r v e y o f n e a r l y 1,000 W e s t o n h o m e s d a y s b e f o r e t h e e l e c t i o n s h o w e d t h a t m a n y r e s i d e n t s w e r e u n a w a r e o f t h e u p c o m i n g r e f e r e n d u m a n d w h a t it w a s a b o u t . W h e n a s k e d their opinion a b o u t public transportation, t h e vast majority of people e x p r e s s e d support. 3. N u m e r o u s c i t i z e n s a n d o r g a n i z a t i o n s w r o t e l e t t e r s o f s u p p o r t f o r p u b l i c t r a n s p o r t a t i o n in o u r local n e w s p a p e r s . M a n y w e r e W e s t o n r e s i d e n t s . S i n c e t h e r e is n o p u b l i c t r a n s p o r t a t i o n t o t h e W e s t o n M u n i c i p a l C e n t e r , a t t e n d a n c e a t V i l l a g e B o a r d m e e t i n g s c a n n o t a c c u r a t e l y reflect t h e l e v e l of s u p p o r t f o r b u s s e r v i c e . It is i m p o r t a n t t o n o t e , h o w e v e r , t h a t o f t h o s e in a t t e n d a n c e a t the m e e t i n g s only o n e person s p o k e against continuing t h e service. 4. T h e w o r d i n g o f t h e r e f e r e n d u m o n t h e b a l l o t w a s l e n g t h y a n d c o m p l e x , m a k i n g it difficult f o r v o t e r s t o c l e a r l y u n d e r s t a n d t h e q u e s t i o n — e s p e c i a l l y if t h e y h a d n o t r e c e i v e d i n f o r m a t i o n a b o u t it in a d v a n c e . F o r t h e s e r e a s o n s , it is c l e a r t h a t t h e r e f e r e n d u m w o u l d h a v e h a d a g o o d c h a n c e o f p a s s i n g h a d c i t i z e n s r e c e i v e d a d e q u a t e i n f o r m a t i o n a b o u t it. N e v e r t h e l e s s , d e s p i t e t h e e l e c t i o n o u t c o m e , s e v e r a l w e e k s a g o b o t h t h e W e s t o n Village Administrator a n d t h e Chair of t h e Finance C o m m i t t e e s t a t e d t h e r e w a s already a d e q u a t e f u n d i n g in t h e 2015 b u d g e t t o c o n t i n u e t h e "K" r o u t e . P r i o r t o t h a t t h e F i n a n c e C o m m i t t e e h a d u n a n i m o u s l y a p p r o v e d t h e 2015 b u d g e t , w h i c h c o n t a i n e d a p r o v i s i o n f o r c o n t i n u i n g b u s s e r v i c e . Therefore, w e respectfully r e q u e s t t h a t this allocation for public transportation b e f u n d e d . H o w e v e r , s h o u l d y o u d e c i d e t o e n d b u s s e r v i c e , a r e a r e s i d e n t s d e s e r v e t o k n o w : w h a t will b e y o u r p l a n t o h e l p r e s i d e n t s w h o d e p e n d o n p u b l i c t r a n s p o r t a t i o n ? T h e f a c t t h a t W e s t o n r e s i d e n t s n e e d e d 394 p a r a t r a n s i t r i d e s in 2013 s h o w s t h a t b u s s e r v i c e is e s s e n t i a l . W e , t h e N A O M I B u s T a s k F o r c e , p l e d g e t o a d v o c a t e f o r c o n t i n u a t i o n a n d e x p a n s i o n o f p u b l i c t r a n s p o r t a t i o n s o t h a t W e s t o n r e s i d e n t s a n d o t h e r s in our m e t r o area can be active participants of their c o m m u n i t y . Respectfully submitted. NAOMI BUS T A S K FORCE