City Administrator Overview: Common Council Meeting of June 13.

Memorandum
To: Mayor Decker and Common Council

From: Bill Connors, City Administrator

882-2263

Date: June 12, 2006

Re: June 13, 2006, Regular Common Council Meeting

Overview of Selected Agenda Items and City Administrator’s Report

OVERVIEW OF SELECTED AGENDA ITEMS
Below is a summary of information the Common Council will discuss and consider at the Council’s regular meeting on Tuesday, June 13, 2006. Copies of all ordinances, resolutions, and relevant supporting documentation are attached to the agenda provided by the City Clerk/Treasurer.

Floodplain Zoning

The Common Council will consider adopting Ordinance #2006-10, which would update the city’s floodplain zoning to be consistent with recently revised state standards. The Plan Commission recommended that the Common Council adopt this ordinance.

Vehicular Access for Commercial Development

The Common Council will consider adopting Ordinance #2006-11, which would amend the city’s zoning code to repeal the restrictions on the types of streets onto which commercial development may take its vehicular access. In general, the current zoning code requires the commercial development to take its vehicular access onto an arterial street (such as USH 14) or a collector street (such as S. 6th St.), and prohibits commercial development from taking its vehicular access onto local streets (such as Brown School Road). The city has not been enforcing this provision. In place of this provision, Ordinance #2006-11 would enact a requirement that when considering an application to rezone property to the local business district (B-1), central business district (B-2), community business district (B-3), regional business district (B-4), or planned office district (O-1), the Plan Commission and Common Council shall consider whether the proposed zoning district change likely will result in increased vehicular traffic on nearby local streets in areas of existing residential development and whether such increased traffic will have an adverse impact on the existing residential development. In addition, Ordinance #2006-11 would make certain other, technical changes to the rezoning application review process, such as requiring the City Planner to report whether the requested change in zoning is consistent with the city’s comprehensive plan. The Plan Commission recommended that the Common Council adopt this ordinance.

Council Order of Business and Rules of Procedure

The Common Council will consider adopting Ordinance #2006-9, which would amend the Common Council’s order of business to allow citizens to appear near the beginning of each Council meeting and address the Council for up to five minutes per on any subject, regardless of whether the subject is or is not listed later on the agenda. The city’s current practice is that citizens are allowed to speak at this time only about items not on the agenda. Regarding items on the agenda, the city’s current practice is that citizens are permitted to speak only at the discretion of the presiding officer, unless there is a public hearing. The ordinance also would clarify that city staff are allowed to address the Council when recognized by the presiding officer.

Budget Amendment Resolutions

The Common Council will consider adopting a number of resolutions that would amend previously adopted city capital budgets. Resolution #2006-17 would appropriate $355,000 to acquire and renovate the building at 535 S. Madison St. as the new location of the Department of Public Works and Emergency Medical Service. Of this $355,000, 80% would be allocated to the Department of Public Works and 20% would be allocated to the EMS. The municipal water and electric utilities would receive $116,200 from the city to compensate them for properties that will be transferred to ADEVCO, LLC as part of this transaction.

Resolution #2006-18 would make appropriations from the Wastewater Treatment Utility Fund for equipment and projects that were included in the five-year capital plan for 2006 through 2010 but which were inadvertently omitted form the capital project fund. This resolution also would increase the appropriation for sanitary sewer replacement in and near the intersection of Main St. and Madison St. from $40,000 to $74,500.

Resolution #2006-19 would appropriate $457,500 from the Water and Light Utility Fund for replacing water main under Madison St. from Water St. to Grove St. The five-year capital plan for 2006 through 2010 included $175,000 for replacing water main under Madison St. from Church St. to Mill St. (C626) in 2006 and $215,000 for replacing water main under Madison St. from Mill St. to Grove St. in 2008. The adopted 2006 city capital budget inadvertently omitted the $175,000 appropriation for replacing the water main under Madison St. from Church St. to Mill St. The City Engineer and Superintendent of Water & Light recommend expanding the scope of the 2006 water main replacement on Madison St. to include replacing water main between Water St. and Grove St., which would increase the estimated cost of the project from $175,000 to $457,500, including design and construction engineering, pavement patch, and some curb patching.

Resolution #2006-20 would amend the adopted 2005 and 2006 city budgets to carry forward and increase an appropriation for the renovating the second floor of City Hall and increase an appropriation for replacing the roof and making other exterior repairs to City Hall. The total amount previously appropriated for these projects, less expenditures through the end of 2005, is $224,988. The updated total estimated a cost of these projects is $384,200, a difference of $159,212. The resolution is drafted to allow the Common Council to set a total budget amount for these projects, which the City Engineer would take into account in drafting a project contract for bids that would identify certain components as part of the “base” contract and other components as “add-ons.” The resolution provides that replacing the roof would be part of the “base” contract.

The Common Council will consider adopting Resolution #2006-21, which would declare the Council’s intent to reimburse expenditures for the acquisition and renovation of the property at 535 S. Madison St., repair and renovation of City Hall, and replacement of water main under Madison St. from Water St. and to Grove St. from the proceeds of future borrowing. The city did not borrow enough during 2005 to cover the cost of these projects. The city would need to borrow more money later in 2006 or in 2007 to finance these projects and other projects scheduled 2007 and 2008. In the meantime, the city would use cash from its fund balances and retained earnings to pay for these projects until the proceeds of the additional borrowing are received.

Special Assessments for Badger Dr. Project
The Common Council will consider adopting Resolution #2006-22, which would make a preliminary declaration of the Common Council’s intent to levy special assessments on properties that will be benefited by the Badger Dr. street reconstruction project. This project will consist of installation of new or replacement of existing curbs and gutters; installation of new or replacement of existing driveway aprons; installation of new or replacement of existing storm sewer and drainage flumes; construction of new or reconstruction and surfacing of existing streets; and landscaping. The special assessments would be calculated as follows: 100% for new curb and gutter; 50% for replacement of curb and gutter; 100% for new driveway approaches; 50% for replacement of driveway approaches with defects; no assessment for driveway approaches without defects; no assessment for storm sewers; and no assessment for street construction or reconstruction and surfacing. Property owners would be able to elect to pay the special assessments in installments, with interest, over 10 years.

Stop Sign Locations
The Common Council will consider adopting a number of ordinances that would establish new locations for stop signs. Ordinance #2006-12 would establish a four-way stop at the intersection of S. 5th St. and Badger Dr. and a four-way stop at the intersection of 5th St. and Main. St. In addition, this ordinance would provide that 5th St. would no longer be designated as a through highway. Ordinance #2006-13 would establish stop signs stopping northbound and southbound vehicles on Higgins Dr. at the intersection with Badger Dr. Ordinance #2006-14 would change the intersection of S. 6th St. and Vision Dr. from a single stop sign stopping southbound vehicles (this stop sign was authorized but not put in place) to a three-way stop. Ordinance #2006-15 would change the intersection of Brown School Rd. and J. Lindemann Dr. from a single stop sign (the current Municipal Code authorizes a stop sign stopping eastbound vehicles on Brown School Rd., but the stop sign in place stops westbound vehicles on Brown School Rd.) to a three-way stop.

Wisconsin Public Power, Inc.

The Common Council might entertain a motion to authorize the municipal electric utility to join Wisconsin Public Power, Inc. (WPPI). WPPI is a not-for-profit municipal wholesale electric utility created in 1980. It is owned by the 40 municipalities that are members and operate municipal electric utilities (nearby municipalities that are WPPI members include Stoughton, New Glarus, and Brodhead). The Council heard a presentation by WPPI during the May 9, 2006, Council meeting. Currently, the Evansville municipal electric utility purchases wholesale power exclusively from Alliant Energy. If the municipal electric utility joins WPPI, it will purchase wholesale power exclusively from WPPI. The Water and Light Committee already was heard a presentation by WPPI and supports joining WPPI.

Introduction of New Ordinances

The Common Council will have a first reading of Ordinance #2006-16, which would permit signs to be placed on the insides of windows showing outward without a sign permit, subject to certain limits on the total amount of indoor signage. Currently, the Municipal Code prohibits all indoor signs, although it appears this never was the intent of the Common Council.

The Common Council will have a first reading of Ordinance #2006-17, which would authorize the Common Council to establish a fee for applications to amend the future land use maps in the city’s Smart Growth Comprehensive Plan if the application is made by someone other than the Plan Commission, Mayor, or Common Council. The amount of the fee would be established by a separate resolution.

The Common Council will have a first reading of Ordinance #2006-18, which would provide that all committee appointments are effective and terminate on the third Tuesday in April. Currently, some appointments are effective and terminate on May 1, even though the terms of alderpersons begin and end on the third Tuesday in April.

The Common Council will have a first reading of Ordinance #2006-19, which would add text to the Municipal Code to codify the city’s current practice for selecting alderpersons to represent the city on the board of the Evansville Fire Protection District.

CITY ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT

I have many projects to try to complete before my last day of employment with the city on July 6, 2006. I will provide Mayor Decker with a memorandum summarizing the status of any projects I am not able to complete by July 6, so she can work on these issues or turn them over to the new City Administrator. I also will be working on any economic development opportunities that might present themselves between now and July 6.