Common Council Meeting

Common Council Meeting Whitewater Municipal Building Community Room, 312 West Whitewater St., Whitewater, WI 53190 *In Person and Virtual Tuesday, December 17, 2024 - 6:30 PM Citizens are welcome (and encouraged) to join our webinar via computer, smart phone, or telephone. Citizen participation is welcome during topic discussion periods. Please click the link below to join: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86996810151?pwd=KpIXXHMRK2Jyxa6oOr1uvr9TAqoxcD.1 Telephone: +1 (312) 626-6799 US Webinar ID: 869 9681 0151 Passcode: 878627 Please note that although every effort will be made to provide for virtual participation, unforeseen technical difficulties may prevent this, in which case the meeting may still proceed as long as there is a quorum. Should you wish to make a comment in this situation, you are welcome to call this number: (262) 473-0108. MINUTES CALL TO ORDER Council President Singer called the meeting to order at 6:30 pm. ROLL CALL PRESENT Council President Patrick Singer Councilmember Neil Hicks Councilmember Brienne Brown Councilmember Lisa Dawsey Smith Councilmember Greg Majkrzak online Councilmember Orin Smith online Councilmember Brian Schanen City Attorney Jonathan McDonnel City Manager John Weidl Public Works Director Brad Marquardt City Clerk Heather Boehm PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE APPROVAL OF AGENDA A councilmember can choose to remove an item from the agenda or rearrange its order; however, Common Council Meeting Minutes December 17, 2024 Page 2 introducing new items to the agenda is not allowed. Any proposed changes require a motion, a second, and approval from the Council to be implemented. The agenda shall be approved at each meeting even if no changes are being made at that meeting. Motion made approve the agenda and move number 16 the Starin Road Pedestrian update to right before number 11 the by Councilmember Schanen, Seconded by Councilmember Brown. Voting Yea: Council President Singer, Councilmember Hicks, Councilmember Brown, Councilmember Dawsey Smith, Councilmember Majkrzak, Councilmember Smith, Councilmember Schanen CONSENT AGENDA Items on the Consent Agenda will be approved together unless any council members requests that an item be removed for individual consideration. Motion made approve the Consent Agenda adding number 15 to the Consent Agenda by Councilmember Dawsey Smith, Seconded by Councilmember Schanen. Voting Yea: Council President Singer, Councilmember Hicks, Councilmember Brown, Councilmember Dawsey Smith, Councilmember Majkrzak, Councilmember Smith, Councilmember Schanen 1. Approval of Common Council Meeting Minutes from November 19, 2024. 2. Police and Fire Commission Meeting Minutes from November 18, 2024. 3. Lakes Advisory Meeting Minutes from September 11, 2024. 4. Public Works Committee Meeting Minutes from November 12, 2024. 5. November 2024 Financials CITY MANAGER REPORT City Manager Weidl gave his bi-monthly update of City events and accomplishments, including reports from the following departments: Public Works, IT, Neighborhood Services, Library, Parks and Recreation, Police, and Human Resources. STAFF REPORTS 6. Update on Public Hearings for Resolutions-City Attorney City Attorney McDonnel gave an update on when Public Hearings are required for Resolutions. 7. Competitive Bidding process.- City Attorney City Attorney McDonnel gave an update the Competitive Bidding process. 8. Debriefing of 2024 General Election- City Clerk City Clerk Boehm went over the survey results that was given to the election inspectors that worked the 2024 General Election and went over what worked, what didn't and a brief plan for upcoming elections. Common Council Meeting Minutes December 17, 2024 Page 3 9. Audio/Visual System Updated in Council Chamber-Media Services City Manager Weidl went over what staff found for updating the Council Chamber's audio/visual system. 10. WI DNR Sanitary Survey Report for the Water Department-Public Works Public Works Director Marquardt went over the WI DNR Sanitary Survey Report for the Water Department. HEARING OF CITIZEN COMMENTS No formal Council action will be taken during this meeting although issues raised may become a part of a future agenda. Participants are allotted a three minute speaking period. Specific items listed on the agenda may not be discussed at this time; however, citizens are invited to speak to those specific issues at the time the Council discusses that particular item. To make a comment during this period, or during any agenda item: On a computer or handheld device, locate the controls on your computer to raise your hand. You may need to move your mouse to see these controls. On a traditional telephone, dial *6 to unmute your phone and dial *9 to raise your hand. Mike Smith commented on the Christmas at Cravath lights, the Chili Cook off being held at Cravath Lakefront Park and the Starin Park Water Tower. RESOLUTION 11. Resolution Creating The City of Whitewater Trippe and Cravath Lake District- Parks Motion made to postpone the resolution until May 6 to give staff time to do more research by Councilmember Dawsey Smith, Seconded by Councilmember Schanen. Voting Yea: Council President Singer, Councilmember Hicks, Councilmember Brown, Councilmember Dawsey Smith, Councilmember Majkrzak, Councilmember Smith, Councilmember Schanen Chuck Mills (S Whiton) asked if a survey could be done to see if other communities with a lake district, what the success rate was. Kurt Zipp (611 E Clay St) commented that he would like the Lakes Advisory Committee to see and go over questions posed from the Council. Jeff Knight (405 Panther Ct) commented he would like to see a public hearing, a mailing, something to let other people in the city know what is going on with posed Lakes District. Motion made postpone to May 6, 2025, Public hearing February 20, and four community engagement sessions by Councilmember Hicks, Seconded by Councilmember Dawsey Smith. Voting Yea: Council President Singer, Councilmember Hicks, Councilmember Brown, Councilmember Dawsey Smith, Councilmember Majkrzak, Councilmember Smith, Common Council Meeting Minutes December 17, 2024 Page 4 Councilmember Schanen ORDINANCES First Reading 12. Ordinance 2024-O-27 an Ordinance amendment of Chapter 5.20.030 Alcohol Beverages Licensee Conditions (Window Ordinance). - PD Motion made to approve first reading of Ordinance 2024-O-27 by Councilmember Dawsey Smith, Seconded by Councilmember Schanen. Voting Yea: Council President Singer, Councilmember Hicks, Councilmember Brown, Councilmember Dawsey Smith, Councilmember Majkrzak, Councilmember Smith, Councilmember Schanen. Councilmember Dawsey Smith asked that staff check with other communities to see about extending this ordinance to all store fronts. 13. Ordinance 2024-O-28 an Ordinance to Create section 2.08.130 Temporary Appointments to Ensure Quorum- City Attorney Motion made to approve first reading of Ordinance 2024-O-28 by Councilmember Schanen, Seconded by Councilmember Hicks. Voting Yea: Council President Singer, Councilmember Hicks, Councilmember Brown, Councilmember Dawsey Smith, Councilmember Majkrzak, Councilmember Smith, Councilmember Schanen. Council instructed staff to list what committees/board/commission that this would apply to and would not apply to, and bring that back in the second reading. CONSIDERATIONS 14. Discussion and Possible Action regarding Public Safety Referendum Question- Finance/PD No action was taken with this item. Council did choose the option "B" 1.176 Million, adding not to exceed language. Final question decision to be made January 7, 2025 Common Council meeting. 15. Discussion and Possible Action regarding purchasing a single axle plow truck instead of replacing the quad axle dump truck as listed in the 2025 CIP Budget- Public Works This item was included in the Consent Agenda and approved with that vote. 16. Discussion and Possible Action regarding the closure of Starin Road between Prairie Street and Warhawk Drive to vehicular traffic- Public Works Motion made to lower speed limit to 15 mph, add additional stop signs, and speed bumps/tables and come back and re-evaluate in 6 months by Councilmember Hicks, Seconded by Council President Singer. Voting Yea: Council President Singer, Councilmember Hicks, Councilmember Dawsey Smith, Councilmember Schanen Voting Nay: Councilmember Brown, Councilmember Majkrzak, Councilmember Smith Common Council Meeting Minutes December 17, 2024 Page 5 Motion made to direct staff to bring back at the June 17, 2025 meeting by Councilmember Smith, Seconded by Councilmember Brown. Voting Yea: Council President Singer, Councilmember Hicks, Councilmember Brown, Councilmember Dawsey Smith, Councilmember Majkrzak, Councilmember Smith, Councilmember Schanen Motion made approve lowering the speed limit, add stop signs and speed bumps and bring back to council at the June 17, 2025 meeting for re-evaluation by Councilmember Majkrzak, Seconded by Councilmember Smith. Voting Yea: Council President Singer, Councilmember Hicks, Councilmember Brown, Councilmember Dawsey Smith, Councilmember Majkrzak, Councilmember Smith, Councilmember Schanen Steffanie Hicks (Tower Hill Pass) spoke in opposition of the Starin Rd closure. Jay Craggs (178 N Park St) spoke in favor of the Starin Rd closure. Douglas Bradley (S Cottage St) spoke in favor of the Starin Rd closure. Dean Lesch (1260 Tower Hill Pass) spoke in opposition of the Starin Rd closure. Jane Mortensen (N219 Cty Rd N) spoke in opposition of the Starin Rd closure. Ben Holden (resident) spoke in opposition of the Starin Rd closure. Larry Kachel (457 S Buckingham Blvd) spoke of a compromise of both sides, suggested stop signs, lights, speed bumps, lowering the speed limit, force students to use crosswalks. Suggested trying it for a semester and then come back to reevaluate. Jeff Knight (405 Panther Ct) Suggested looking into the past traffic study. Chuck Mills (336 S Whiton) spoke in opposition of closing Starin Rd. Brenda Jones, Vice Chancellor of Finance and Admin Affairs from UW Whitewater spoke in favor of closing Starin Rd from 6 am to 6 pm while students are on campus. Councilmember Hicks read the following statement into record: To start, I want to state that at the DPW meeting on December 10th, I was not for this closure, but a motion and a second with a 3-vote committee, ensured it was coming to the council. I did vote YES to bring it to the council for further public scrutiny and get it in front of the 7 council members who are elected to make these decisions for the community. I had asked for additional attempts to resolve this issue by use of signs, street lightning, flashing lights, etc – to only have it labeled as a band aid. This supposed issue on Starin did not start this year, not last year, not even before COVID. Adults have been crossing this stretch of road for 50+ years. Suggesting we MUST close the road, and NOW – is keen to amputating your arm to heal a Common Council Meeting Minutes December 17, 2024 Page 6 papercut. However, there are things we (the city & the UW) can do together to prevent accidents, while not cutting off a major artery of the city. In the last 5 years, there has been only 5 incidents on the stretch of Starin road we are considering, and NONE of them involved pedestrians. In comparison, on Main Street, there were 46 incidents, and 5 DID involve pedestrians! This test showed some movement of traffic, both north to Schwager and south to Main Street. Schwager may have had a 68% increase in traffic, but even with Starin closed, Schwager still only had 25% of what Main Street has on a daily average traffic count. Additionally, the UWW noted an increase of 400 cars per day on Prince Street. The intersection of Prince and Main will become congested and create additional safety concerns. In the last 5 years, there have been 19 incidents at the intersection of Prince and Main, 3 of which involved pedestrians. Prince Street contains walking traffic for elementary aged kids attending Lincoln. Adding this additional traffic to an already hazardous intersection is foolish. We don’t shut down Prince Street in front of the school for the busses offloading K-5 elementary school kids, who would be more distracted and possibly make more erratic decisions, such as darting out in traffic. As part of the transportation committee discussions with the Whitewater Unified School District, Nelsons Bus service and the city department of public works – we have learned that parents are not sending their kids to school due to the unsafe nature crossing Main Street. We don’t shut down Elizabeth Street in front of the middle school, to avoid students running across the street to their parents’ waiting cars on Laurel, Melrose and Court Streets. We don’t shut down possibly the busiest intersection in the city from 745 to 8AM at Elizabeth and Walworth, to allow middle school traffic, high school traffic, bus traffic and resident commuter traffic to safely pass thru; all while middle school and high school students also walk thru that intersection. However, just this past fall, the UW police department promptly worked with WWUSD under an existing memorandum of understanding, to add a paid crossing guard to that intersection in the morning and afternoon. Shutting down Starin road goes against the recommendations of the City Manager, the Chief of Police, the Chief of the Fire Department, and the streets department. I am completely against the idea of closing down Starin road, in any capacity. I would move to table this discussion until June 2025, and direct staff to communicate with the university on other potential resolutions to cross walks on Starin Road. Common Council Meeting Minutes December 17, 2024 Page 7 FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS Councilmember Hicks would like to see the WAFC committee come back 17. Update from Landmarks Committee regarding Starin Park Water Tower- Schanen May 2025 18. Public Comment for Boards and Committees-Hicks Q1 2025 19. Public Surveys-Hicks Q1 2025 20. Chapter 19 and 20 cleanup- Schanen Q1 2025 21. 2024 Year End Code Enforcement Update.- Q1 2025 ADJOURNMENT Motion made to adjourn at 9:29 pm by Councilmember Dawsey Smith, Seconded by Councilmember Schanen. Voting Yea: Council President Singer, Councilmember Hicks, Councilmember Brown, Councilmember Dawsey Smith, Councilmember Majkrzak, Councilmember Smith, Councilmember Schanen Anyone requiring special arrangements is asked to call the Office of the City Manager / City Clerk (262-473-0102) at least 72 hours prior to the meeting. 2023-2025 City of Whitewater's 5 strategic goals: Build single-family homes, Communicate with the community without the newspaper, Support a thriving business community, Recruitment and retention efforts with a focus on diversity, and Prioritization of expenditures with available resources.