Minutes--Finance Committee--3-13-2005--Dean Center, Skate Park, TIF #6 and more covered

Finance and Labor Relations Committee

Regular Meeting

Monday, March 13, 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, and Jim Beilke, Clerk/Treasurer. Ald. Sornson was 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 February 13, 2006, as printed. Motion passed.

Citizen appearances other than agenda items listed. None

Water & Light Department Bills.

Motion by Aikman, seconded by Roberts, to approve the Water & Light bills in the amount of $533,559.89 and authorize their payment. Motion passed.

City Bills.

Motion by Aikman, seconded by Roberts, to approve the City bills in the amount of $2,039,748.96 and authorize their payment. Motion passed.

Unfinished Business.

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

New Business.

Motion by Aikman, seconded by Roberts, to recommend to Common Council adoption of Resolution #2006-5, amending the adopted 2006 city budget to increase the appropriation for converted farmland tax penalty. Mr. Conners reported Resolution #2006-5 would increase the appropriation for payment of the converted farmland tax penalty. Farmland is assessed at a lower value based on “use value.” When farmland is converted to non-agricultural use, the owner of the farmland must pay a penalty to the county, which pays half of the penalty to the city or township within which the property is located. If the property was recently annexed, the city or village must pay half of the amount it receives from the county to the township. In 2004, the city received converted farmland tax penalty revenue from Rock County, but failed to pay to the Town of Union its share of the revenue. Resolution #2006-5 would amend the budget to appropriate money to make the overdue payment to the Town of Union. Motion passed.

Motion by Aikman, seconded by Roberts, 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. Mr. Connors reported Resolution #2006-6 would increase the appropriation for Phase 1 of the skate park from $10,000 to $20,000. Before the 2006 city budget was adopted, the Parks and Recreation Board had recommended appropriating $15,000 for this project, but as the result of a miscommunication, only $10,000 was appropriated. The additional $10,000 will come from an unallocated amount of un-earmarked capital funds for parks projects. Barbara Jacobson, 55 S. 6th St., a member of the Park Board, said it was not clear that the Park Board ever had requested a $15,000 appropriation for this project instead of $10,000. Committee members also wondered why the total cost of the project had increased from $15,000 or $20,000 to $25,000. The consensus was to wait amending the budget until a final project cost could be determined.

Motion by Cothard, seconded by Roberts, to table the motion. Motion passed.

Motion by Aikman, seconded by Roberts, to recommend to Common Council adoption of Resolution #2006-7, amending the adopted 2006 city budget to increase the appropriation for clerk/treasurer computer equipment. Mr. Connors reported Resolution #2006-7 would increase the appropriation for clerk/treasurer computer equipment by $1,250 to purchase a projector and screen for projecting graphics and text during presentations. Mr. Connors reported that the projector and screen could be used to display graphics and text at public meetings, such as the annual public hearing on the city budget, but conceded the equipment would not be used often. Motion passed.

Motion by Aikman, seconded by Roberts, to recommend to Common Council adoption of Resolution #2006-8, amending the adopted 2006 city budget to increase the appropriation for the youth center for equipment. Mr. Connors reported Resolution #2006-8 would reduce the appropriation for renovating the building at 209 S. 1st St., a capital project, by $5,000, and increase the appropriation for the Dean Community Center cost center by $5,000 for equipment purchases, an operating expenditure. The city is renovating the building at 209 S. 1st St. to be the new home of the youth center and AWARE Agency. Because of contributions of building materials and skilled labor the Dean Community Center Advisory Committee has obtained, it appears that the building renovation project will not cost the full $50,000 appropriated. The Dean Community Center Advisory Committee would like to use the savings on the renovation project to purchase equipment for the new youth center. David Rossmiller, 413 S. Madison St., Chair of the Dean Community Center Advisory Committee, said that the contributions of building materials and skilled labor his committee anticipates obtaining could reduce the total cost of the renovation substantially below $45,000, in which event the savings to the city on the project would more than offset the $5,000 his committee is requesting for equipment for the youth center. The consensus was to wait amending the budget until a final cost for the renovation could be determined.

Motion by Roberts, seconded by Cothard, to table the motion. Motion passed.

Motion by Aikman, seconded by Roberts, to recommend to Common Council approval of the Proposal for Creating Tax Incremental District No. 6 by Ehlers & Associates, Inc. Mr. Connors reported that the city has in the past used the services of Ehlers & Associates to create other tax incremental districts. Mr. Connors reported territory of TID No. 6 would include the more than 96 acres of land owned by D&D Development, which was applied to be annexed, located at the southeast corner of CTH M and USH 14. To comply with state law, at least half of the territory of TID No. 6 must be zoned industrial. It appears the remainder will be zoned commercial, and the commercial zoning will be adjacent to USH 14. The city intends to use the tax increment generated by any commercial development within TID No. 6 to pay debt service on the cost of constructing streets, sanitary sewers, water mains, and other infrastructure for a new industrial park within TID No. 6. Using the tax increment from the commercial development to pay debt service on the industrial park infrastructure, rather than to subsidize construction of infrastructure for the new commercial lots along USH 14, would reduce the risk the city will undertake by issuing bonds to finance infrastructure construction in the new industrial park. Motion passed.

Mr. Connors led a discussion on the city’s policy regarding approval, if any, required for attendance by city administrator and department heads at educational seminars and any associated travel/lodging expenses. The consensus was that Finance and Labor Relations should review and approve the City Administrator’s educational seminars and any associated travel/lodging expenses, and the City Administrator should review and approve department heads’ educational seminars and any associated travel/lodging expenses. Mr. Connors said he will include these policies in the revised Employee Handbook he is working on.

Adjournment.
Motion by Cothard, seconded by Roberts, to adjourn at 6:20 PM. Motion passed.

Prepared by:

James Beilke

City Clerk/Treasurer