Jane McWilliams, LWV Observer
All councilors were present.
Following action on the six consent agenda items, the council approved changes in the water, wastewater and storm water rates for 2010. Residents and businesses pay user fees which must cover all operating costs, debt service and capital needs of each operation. Water and sewer fee increases from 2005-2009 have been based on a 2004 rate study done by Ehlers and Associates and will be applied in 2010: they will be increased 2% and 5% respectively. Storm water will go from $9.50 to 11.50. The larger increase is necessary because there have been a number of years since an increase has been imposed and because of the increased cost of new regulations.
The council also approved resolutions to implement the 2010 reconstruction of 4th Street from Division Street to Nevada Street as well as adjoining side streets. The project will be funded through a combination of assessments, bonding, enterprise funds, and Master Development Fund. In addition, it will be supported by Municipal State Aid funds. Work will begin in spring of 2010, and should be completed by November 2010.
The safety center and library projects returned to the agenda, this time for decision-making. First, the council recognized the need to expand or replace the safety center and expand the library during the next 5 years to meet the needs for the next 20 years. Councilor Jon Denison cast the sole negative vote on this action. He said he was uncomfortable putting 2 major projects into 5 years, that the safety center was a serious issue and that he didn’t see the need for the library. The other councilors appeared to agree with Councilor Jim Pokorney who said they were equal needs. Although the timing of meeting them was a different issue, he said one project should not be pitted against the other.
Next, the council chose among 4 options for the safety center. Once again, Councilor Denison voted against the motion, which defined the scope of each facility. The location of the existing building will house a new fire hall (the present building will be razed and replaced) and the police facility will be built in a location yet to be determined. The library expansion on the current location was approved, with the understanding that parking will be integrated in the final design. Administrator Walinski noted that this program could be a “two-fer” in that, by working with downtown merchants, overall parking issues can be addressed.
The projects will be sequential with the police construction beginning in 2011, the fire hall in 2012, and the library in 2014. According to Administrator Walinski, during the construction of the fire hall, equipment will be housed in cold storage facilities requested earlier by the water department. The vote was divided with Mayor Mary Rossing, Councilors Rhonda Pownell, Kris Vohs and Betsey Buckheit voting in favor, while Councilors Pokorney, Zweifel and Denison voted against the motion.
The final action was establishing a “not to exceed” cost for each project. The council established $8.5 million for each project. Although at least $10 million had been discussed earlier for each project, tonight councilors agreed to challenge the “advocates” to, as Councilor Pokorney said, give everyone a chance to recalculate needs. “It gives the message that we are concerned about costs.” Administrator Walinski noted that they need a preliminary number to do the financial modeling, and if the advocates can make a good case, it is the council’s prerogative to change it. Mayor Rossing repeated a suggestion she had made at an earlier meeting that a group of experts be assigned the task for costing out the projects. Councilor Denison was the lone dissenter on this vote.
The mayor congratulated the council for their work on these decisions. In preparation for the meeting, Administrator Walinski provided a 5-page memo which provided a framework for working through the decisions. While he provided optional motions, the council appeared to have had enough information from discussion at previous work sessions and in the five reports and studies they had received, to take the action needed tonight. The task was to insert the projects in the Capital Improvement Plan and to begin planning for the construction of the projects. Specific authorization and approval of design, financing, and location will be on the council’s future agendas. There was no reference to the possibility of putting approval of financing to the voters.
Mayor Rossing reported that she was receiving requests from groups in the community, including the Chamber of Commerce and the colleges, to meet with the council at work sessions to bring their concerns. Councilor Pownell had raised the issue with her earlier, expressing a desire to be in touch with groups constituents. The current practice is for the council to meet solely with city boards and commissions, not with citizen groups. The mayor suggested holding listening sessions before council meetings and asked councilors for guidance from her colleagues. She has urged citizen groups to contact individual council members, but recognizes the inefficiency of this process. The councilors recognized the dilemma affording certain groups the privilege of meeting separately while excluding others, though communication with certain groups on particular issues can be important. Walinski suggested a listening session once a month, to start in the new year. He will check with other cities to see what their experience is. Mayor Rossing asked Councilor Pownell to make a list of people they can invite, and asked others to think about this and “shoot me some ideas.”
The meeting was adjourned at 10:27.
