MINUTES

FINANCE COMMITTEE

Tuesday, February 24, 2009
City Hall, Room 604

Immediately following Personnel which meets at 5:30 p.m.

 

 

MEMBERS:  Chairman John VanderLeest, Tony Theisen, Tom Weber, and Steven Deneys

 

1.  Roll Call. 

 

Vice Chairman Tony Theisen brought the meeting to order.  All were present except for Chairman VanderLeest, who arrived later in the meeting.

 

2.  Approval of the Agenda.

 

A motion was made by Ald. Deneys, seconded by Ald. Weber and carried to approve the agenda.

 

3.  Approval of the minutes of the Finance Committee meeting of February 10, 2009.

 

A motion was made by Ald. Weber, seconded by Ald. Deneys and carried to approve the minutes of the Finance Committee meeting of February 10, 2009.

 

4.  Discussion on referral from Advisory Committee to each standing committee to discuss staggering the day of standing committee meetings.

 

A motion was made by Ald. Weber, seconded by Ald. Deneys, and carried to receive and place on file discussion on the referral from the Advisory Committee to each standing committee to discuss staggering the day of standing committee meetings.  Additional discussion on this item can be found in Personnel Committee minutes.

 

A motion was made by Ald. Weber to move Items 6 & 7 up after #4.  It was seconded by Ald. Deneys and carried.

 

Item #6 was considered next, followed by Item #7.

 

5.  Approval of Service Agreement between the City of Green Bay and the Oneida Tribe of Indians.

 

City Attorney Allison Swanson noted that the City and Oneida Tribe met several times to help lay a foundation for this agreement and said they also toured Oneida’s facilities.  This agreement is similar to that which the County adopted and uses the same formula for determining payments.  It would run for 15 years.  Similar agreements will be made with Ashwaubenon, Hobart, and Outagamie.  The portion of taxes on Oneida parcels that would be owed to the City calculates to a charge of $210,000, but a 10% discount reduces that amount to $190,000.  Ms. Swanson explained that this discount takes into account the services Oneida already provides to its properties.  Future discussions will address specific areas where the two entities can cooperate, such as applying for funding through grants.  Another area that would be cost-effective for both is stormwater management. 

 

Ms. Swanson said the existing law enforcement agreement is being updated, and a list of addresses to which the Oneida Police Dept. will be first responder has been developed.  They are also working to improve communications among departments.  Ald. Weber said confusion often exists among his constituents over who has jurisdiction over their areas and asked that neighbors be kept informed when both agencies arrive at the scene of an incident.  Ms. Swanson explained that some properties are in Brown County while others are in Outagamie, and that Dispatch determines who is the primary responder.   

 

Ms. Swanson said the Nation has asked that stormwater management fees currently included on water bills be removed from all billing for their properties and one invoice reflecting their 10% discount be sent directly to them.  The dollar figure is $78,553 without the credit, and about $70,200 with the 10% reduction.  This money goes into the stormwater utility account.  When asked about street assessments, she said they are billed based on a value that was set up previously, using the same system used by the County. 

 

Under the Peace and Safety section, Ms. Swanson explained that the Oneidas do not currently have in place some of the ordinances that the City already enforces and that some changes will be made to address these issues.  Ald. VanderLeest suggested that an annual meeting be held with the Inspection departments of both entities to try to resolve property issues.  Ms. Swanson said the intention was to meet every time there was a need, but that she wouldn’t oppose putting an annual meeting into the agreement. 

 

Ald. VanderLeest made a motion to add language to the agreement relating to having the City and Oneida Inspection departments meet annually to discuss inspection issues that arise.  It was seconded by Ald. Deneys.  The motion carried.

 

Ms. Swanson said this has been a very smooth, amicable process, and that the City has learned a lot from the meetings.  The Oneida Nation has been very cooperative and brought a lot to the table

 

A motion was made by Ald. VanderLeest to convene in closed session pursuant to Sections 19.85(1)(e), Wis. Stats., for purposes of deliberating or negotiating the sale of public properties, investing of public funds or conducting other specified public business as necessary for competitive or bargaining reasons.  The Committee may thereafter reconvene in open session pursuant to Section 19.85(2), Wis. Stats., to report the results of the closed session and consider the balance of the agenda.  The motion was seconded by Ald. Deneys and carried.

 

Closed Session followed.

 

A motion was made by Ald. Deneys, seconded by Ald. Weber and carried to return to open session.

 

A motion was made by Ald. Deneys and seconded by Ald. Weber to approve as amended the portion relating to having the Inspection Departments of the Oneida Nation and the City of Green Bay meet annually.  Motion carried.

 

6.  Request to pass a resolution to have the State of WI continue payment of our lottery credit, school tax credit and any other applicable credit due to the City under WI Stats. S 79.10 (7m) (cm) (2007-08) subs (4) and (5) directly to the City of Green Bay.

 

This item was brought before the Committee last year about this time.  Comptroller Dawn Foeller stated she received a letter from the State that this request must be done each year and asked that the resolution included in next week’s packet state its enforcement each year going forward so that it can be used with the letter to the State each year and does not need to be brought back.

 

A motion was made by Ald. Deneys and seconded by Ald. Weber to approve the request to pass a resolution to have the State of WI continue payment of our lottery credit, school tax credit and any other applicable credit due to the City under WI Stats. S 79.10 (7m) (cm) (2007-08) subs (4) and (5) directly to the City of Green Bay.  The motion carried.

 

7.  Report of the Purchasing Agent:

 

a.  Request approval to award 5 portable radios for the Police Department to Baycom Inc. for the amount of $13,413.85.  Purchasing from the WSCA State Contract.

 

Purchasing Agent Julie Van Oss spoke to this issue and reiterated that this was for the Police Dept. and said it would be compatible with the Brown County upgrade to digital equipment.  Ald. Weber asked if this equipment was budgeted for, and Ms. Van Oss replied that it was.

 

A motion was made by Ald. Weber, seconded by Ald. Deneys and carried to approve the award of 5 portable radios for the Police Dept. to Baycom Inc. for $13,413.85.

 

8.  Report of the Comptroller:

a.  Update on the competitive purchase of fuel.

 

A motion was made by Ald. Deneys to convene in closed session pursuant to Sections 19.85(1)(e), Wis. Stats., for purposes of deliberating or negotiating the sale of public properties, investing of public funds or conducting other specified public business as necessary for competitive or bargaining reasons.  The Committee may thereafter reconvene in open session pursuant to Section 19.85(2), Wis. Stats., to report the results of the closed session and consider the balance of the agenda.  The motion was seconded by Ald. Theisen and carried.

 

Closed Session followed.

 

A motion was made by Ald. Deneys to receive and place on file the update on the competitive purchase of fuel.  It was seconded by Ald. Weber, and carried.

 

A motion was made by Ald. Deneys, seconded by Ald. Weber and carried to adjourn the meeting.  Meeting was adjourned at 7:23p.m.

 

2009 Contingency Fund

$109,930.00

 

Any person wishing to attend who, because of a disability, requires special accommodation should contact the Mayor’s office at 448-3005 at least 24 hours before the scheduled meeting time so that arrangements can be made.

Please take notice that it is possible that additional members of the Council may attend this committee meeting, resulting in a majority or quorum of the Common Council. This may constitute a meeting of the Common Council for purposes of discussion and information gathering relative to this agenda.