Finance Committee: October 2007

City of Evansville
Finance & Labor Relations Committee

Regular Meeting
Monday, October 8, 2007, 5:30 pm
City Hall, 31 S. Madison Street, Evansville, Wisconsin

MINUTES

Call to Order. The meeting was called to order at 5:30 pm by Chair Tom Cothard.

Roll Call. Present: Chair Cothard and Alderpersons Mason Braunschweig and Diane Roberts. Also present: Mayor Sandy Decker, Alderperson Barb Jacobson, Finance Director Eric Jepperson, Administrator Dan Wietecha, and Library Director Kathi Kemp-Tejeda.

Approve Agenda. The agenda was approved as presented without objection.

Minutes of September 6, 2007, Meeting. Braunschweig moved, seconded by Roberts, to waive the reading of and to approve the minutes as presented. Motion approved unanimously.

Citizen Appearances. None.

Water and Light Bills. Cothard made a motion, seconded by Braunschweig, to approve the Water and Light bills in the amount of $1,431,810.67 and authorize their payment. Motion approved unanimously on a roll call vote.

City Bills. Cothard made a motion, seconded by Roberts, to approve the City bills in the amount of $842,394.50 and authorize their payment. Motion approved unanimously on a roll call vote.

Unfinished Business:

a. Bond Counsel. Cothard made a motion, seconded by Roberts, to recommend to Common Council approval of engagement of Quarles & Brady as bond counsel for $940,000 taxable general obligation community development bond issue. Motion approved unanimously on a roll call vote.

b. TIF Bond Issue. Wietecha noted that the bond issue was for the two tax increment projects; it also includes costs of issuance and capitalized interest. He indicated that the bids for the issue were not scheduled until the next morning so the final numbers were currently unknown. Braunschweig noted that the sale would not be approved by the Council unless the terms and rates were acceptable. Cothard made a motion, seconded by Roberts, to recommend to Common Council approval of Resolution 2007-40, Authorizing the Sale of $940,000 Taxable General Obligation Community Development Bonds, pending a favorable recommendation by Ehlers & Associates. Motion approved unanimously on a roll call vote.

c. Fire Station Note. Wietecha indicated that the proposals for the promissory note would not be known until the next morning so the final numbers were currently unknown. Roberts made a motion, seconded by Braunschweig, to recommend to Common Council approval of Resolution 2007-42, Accepting Proposal for $169,000 General Obligation Promissory Notes, pending a favorable recommendation by Ehlers & Associates. Motion approved unanimously on a roll call vote.

d. Fire Station Lease. Wietecha noted that discussion over the last several months had been that the Fire Department could continue to use the current Fire Station during construction of the new one. The lease formalizes this agreement; the Fire District would be responsible for all utilities and insurance. Cothard made a motion, seconded by Roberts, to recommend to Common Council approval of Lease of Fire Station to Evansville Fire Protection District from November 1, 2007, to December 31, 2008. Motion approved unanimously.

e. Post Office Note. Wietecha indicated that the proposals for the promissory note would not be known until the next morning so the final numbers were currently unknown. In answer to a question, he said that there had not been a recent appraisal of the building. Braunschweig noted that the note could be prepaid if the City decided not to purchase the building or to finance it differently. Cothard made a motion, seconded by Braunschweig, to recommend to Common Council approval of Resolution 2007-43, Accepting Proposal for $200,000 General Obligation Promissory Notes, pending a favorable recommendation by Ehlers & Associates. Motion approved unanimously on a roll call vote.

f. 2008 Operating Budget. Jepperson reviewed his budget memo. He noted that adjustments had been made based on the September 27 City Council meeting. The proposed levy would result in a slight tax rate decrease. The committee asked that construction of a roundabout at J Lindemann Drive be added to the capital budget.

g. Publication of 2008 Operating Budget. Cothard made a motion, seconded by Braunschweig, to recommend to Common Council publication of the proposed 2008 operating budget. Motion approved unanimously on a roll call vote.

h. US Cellular Contract. Wietecha noted that the two year contract would basically extend the existing contract with the revisions discussed the previous month. Cothard made a motion, seconded by Roberts, to recommend to Common Council approval of the US Cellular contract extension. Motion approved unanimously.

i. Economic Development Revolving Loan Fund. Wietecha noted that in March the committee had asked that the RLF policies be updated if the Economic Development Committee wished to revitalize this program. Braunschweig made a motion, seconded by Roberts, to recommend to Common Council approval of the revised Economic Development Revolving Loan Fund Policies & Procedures Manual. Motion approved unanimously.

j. Vacant Lot on Water Street. Wietecha distributed a memo outlining the formula originally used by the city for lot sales on Water Street.

k. Union Contracts. Wietecha noted that they would be meeting with the Wisconsin Professional Police Association the next day for initial trade of proposals. The Teamsters Local 579 had been unprepared for the meeting on September 25; that initial meeting needed to be rescheduled.

New Business:

l. EMS Bad Debt. Cothard made a motion, seconded by Braunschweig, to recommend to Common Council approval of the write-off of bad debt in the amount of $2,981.84 and to designate the parties of these 14 calls for tax intercept. Motion approved unanimously on a roll call vote.

Adjournment. On a motion by Cothard, seconded by Braunschweig, the meeting adjourned at 7:00pm.