Minutes: Finance and Labor: April 2008

City of Evansville
Finance & Labor Relations Committee

Regular Meeting
Thursday, April 3, 2008, 5:30 pm
City Hall, 31 S. Madison Street, Evansville, Wisconsin

MINUTES

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

II. Roll Call. Present: Chair Cothard and Alderpersons Mason Braunschweig and Diane Roberts. Also present: Administrator Dan Wietecha, Tom DenBoer, Dave and Tina Rosmiller, Rob and Erin Svaske, Tracy Schroeder, and Wally Shannon.

III. Approve Agenda. Braunschweig made a motion, seconded by Roberts, to approve the agenda as presented. Motion approved unanimously.

IV. Minutes of March 6, 2008, Meeting. Roberts made a motion, seconded by Braunschweig, to waive the reading of and to approve the minutes as presented. Motion approved unanimously.

V. Citizen Appearances. None.

VI. Water and Light Bills. Cothard made a motion, seconded by Braunschweig, to approve the Water and Light bills in the amount of $618,959.82 and authorize their payment. Motion approved unanimously on a roll call vote.

VII. City Bills. Cothard made a motion, seconded by Roberts, to approve the City bills in the amount of $266,844.29 and authorize their payment. Motion approved unanimously on a roll call vote.

VIII. Unfinished Business:
a. Youth Center Agreement. Chair of the Youth Center Advisory Board Dave Rossmiller said several disagreements were preventing finalizing the agreement. Due to some miscommunication, the Board had budgeted about $4000 more than the Common Council had for programming. CEO of the YMCA of Northern Rock County Tom DenBoer indicated he sees the program as simply providing the service, not leasing or maintaining the building.

The Committee indicated that the Common Council had budgeted $34,556 for programming and $3,994 for building maintenance and repairs. The Committee directed Wietecha to revise the draft contract to hold the YMCA responsible only for programming and asked that the contract be ready for approval by the May meeting.

b. Union Contracts. The Committee did not discuss.

IX. New Business:
a. Public Works Mechanic Position Description. The Committee noted that the description more accurately reflects the duties of the position, particularly for performing non-mechanic work. Cothard made a motion, seconded by Roberts, to approve the revised position description for the Public Works Mechanic. Motion approved unanimously.

b. Lease of Two Plow Trucks. Wietecha distributed a revised lease proposal and indicated that the Public Works Committee had recommended its approval. The current plow trucks are 1992, 1994, and 1995 models. The trucks are getting old, and this has been an especially demanding winter for maintenance. One new truck was budgeted for this year; the proposed lease is a cost effective way to acquire two new trucks. Cothard made a motion, seconded by Braunschweig, to recommend Common Council approve the lease-to-purchase for two plow trucks (capital budget #C819). Motion approved unanimously on a roll call vote.

c. Eager Fuchs, LLC. Wietecha noted that the development agreement was based on conditions that the Redevelopment Authority and Historic Preservation Commission had discussed. The building is currently a burnt out shell. Rehabilitation would comply with National Park Service criteria. When completed, it would result in two apartments plus retail space. Tax increment projections indicate a payback period of about nine years. Cothard made a motion, seconded by Roberts, to recommend Common Council approve the development agreement with Eager Fuchs, LLC. Braunschweig made a motion, seconded by Cothard, to revise the agreement to include a liquidated damages clause for the amount of the grant plus liquidated damages. Amendment passed unanimously. Original motion, as amended, approved unanimously on a roll call vote.

d. Snow Removal Expenses. Wietecha presented preliminary expenses for the 2007-2008 winter. Wages, including taxes and retirement, are over $71,000, about double the 2006-2007 season. Fuel, repairs, and other expenses through February are over double the entire previous season; March and April bills have not yet been totaled. Under Presidential Emergency FEMA-3285, the city is eligible to recoup a portion of the expenses due to the February 5-6 blizzard; the city’s application will be sent in the next couple weeks.

X. Adjournment. Cothard made a motion, seconded by Braunschweig, to adjourn. Motion approve unanimously at 6:25.