Minutes: Evansville Finance Committee : April 2006

Finance and Labor Relations Committee
Regular Meeting
Monday, April 10, 2006 5:30 PM
City Hall, 31 S. Madison Street, Evansville, WI

MINUTES

Chairperson Aikman called the meeting to order at 5:30 PM. Present were Chairperson Aikman, Ald. Cothard, and Ald. Roberts. Staff present: Bill Connors, City Administrator, Eric Jepperson, Finance Director; and Jim Beilke, Clerk/Treasurer. Ald. Sornson and Juergens were present in the audience.

Approval of Agenda.
The agenda was approved as printed.

Approval of Minutes.
Motion by Cothard, seconded by Roberts, to waive the reading and approve the minutes for the regular meeting on March 13, 2006, as printed. Motion passed.

Citizen appearances other than agenda items listed.
Paul Forstrom, 1687 W. Hope Road, Brooklyn, asked the City not to distribute the cash value of his accumulated sick pay, per the collective bargaining agreement. Mr. Forstrom wants the city to use the value of his accumulated sick leave for health insurance premiums instead, which would save him and the city money. Mr. Connors reported he is drafting an agreement authorizing the city to use the value of Mr. Forstrom’s sick leave to cover the cost of his health insurance premiums.

Water & Light Department Bills.
Motion by Aikman, seconded by Roberts, to approve the Water & Light bills in the amount of $356,300.22 and authorize their payment. Motion passed.

City Bills.
Motion by Aikman, seconded by Roberts, to approve the City bills in the amount of $150,596.87 and authorize their payment. Motion passed.

Unfinished Business.
The committee reviewed the status of insurance/collateral covering city’s deposits.

Mr. Connors reported he is gathering recruitment policy samples from other municipalities for the revised Employee Handbook. Ald. Aikman suggested that the recruitment policy should be separate from the Employee Handbook, and Mr. Connors agreed.

Motion by Aikman, seconded by Roberts, to remove from the table the motion to recommend to Common Council adoption of Resolution #2006-6, amending the adopted 2006 city budget to increase the appropriation for Phase 1 of the skate park.

Ald. Juergens reported that Ald. Kooyman requested $15,000 be appropriated to the skate park at the Council meeting in October 2005. Bill Alt, 216 W. Main St., distributed a summary history of the skate park history. Mr. Connors reported the city budgeted a total of $15,000 with the understanding the city will fund $10,000 and donations would be $5,000. The Park Board’s understanding was the city would fund $15,000, and donations of $5,000 would bring the total project to $20,000. Ald. Juergens is requesting the city allocate an additional $10,000 that was allocated for park capital projects but has not been budgeted yet to the skate park project. He is asking for the additional $10,000, because the Park Board has two current estimates of the cost of equipment for of Phase 1 of the skate park, and the additional money is needed to cover the cost of equipment and replacing the asphalt on the tennis court that will be converted to the skate park. Ald. Cothard expressed concern about future emergencies in the parks and the proposed use of the allocated but unbudgeted money to cover the skate park’s additional costs. When the Committee inquired about the status of the donations for the skate park, Mr. Alt reported the current balance is $4,400 and assured the Committee the Skate Club will have $5,000 when the park is built.

Motion by Aikman, seconded by Roberts, requiring the $5,000 donation payment is due when the payment for the skate park equipment is due. Motion passed.

The original motion, as amended, passed.

New Business.
Motion by Aikman, seconded by Cothard, to approve City Administrator’s attendance at Wisconsin Public Sector Labor Relations Conference. Motion passed.

Motion by Aikman, seconded by Cothard, to approve attendance by City Finance Director and other city staff at Caselle software training by CIVIC Systems, LLC. Motion passed.

Motion by Aikman, seconded by Roberts, to recommend to Common Council adoption of Resolution #2006-11, expressing support for the application of Design Planning Associates, Inc. for a brownfields grant from the state Department of Commerce for environmental remediation in the Grand Orchard Estates Subdivision. Motion passed.

Motion by Aikman, seconded by Roberts, to recommend to Common Council adoption of a motion authorizing Mayor Ringhand to submit a letter to the state Department of Transportation providing notice of the city’s intent to apply for a public transit grant. Motion passed.

Adjournment.
Motion by Aikman, seconded by Cothard, to adjourn at 6:38 PM. Motion passed.

Prepared by:
James Beilke
City Clerk/Treasurer

The Minutes are not official until approved by Finance and Labor Relations Committee at the next regular meeting.