MONROE - Council members agreed to borrow $14.225 million over 20 years to pay for a number of high priority capital projects on Tuesday, including reconstruction of 8th Street and the demolition of the downtown municipal parking ramp.
Funding will also be provided to Tax Increment District 5 and TID 6. Of the total, roughly $4 million will be borrowed on a note of 10 years of less, while just more than $10 million will be borrowed on a 20-year bond. A resolution outlining the terms of the bond will still need to be approved by council, but the conditions of the bond first need to be finalized.
City Administrator Phil Rath said if council members vote against the resolution, discussion on how to fund the various projects would restart, and the projects would most likely be delayed. Reconstruction of 8th Street from Wisconsin 69 to 6th Avenue West and the tear down of the downtown parking ramp have already been rescheduled to 2017 to accommodate for visitors during Green County Cheese Days. The street project will total roughly $5 million. Repaving the empty space once the parking ramp is torn down and its demolition is estimated to be $650,000.
Alderman Michael Boyce questioned whether the total of borrowing should be something for residents of the city to decide through a referendum vote. He said while he understands the city's desire to maintain its level of services, the population has reduced while taxes have increased.
"I don't think the public knows what's coming," Boyce said. "There has to be a conversation with taxpayers."
Boyce maintained that with a high amount of borrowing, there should be a referendum to ask residents how they prefer the city move forward. The final vote of 7-0 to seek the conditions of the bond included a positive vote from Boyce. Aldermen Chris Beer and Richard Thoman were absent. Boyce requested that the capital plan figures be included on the city website and shared through social media, with support from fellow council member Brooke Bauman.
Rath said the point of "representative Democracy" was to allow city representatives to vote on funding matters such as the issue at hand. According to Wisconsin State Statute 67.05, a municipality is not required to hold a referendum unless making improvements to a municipal government building such as City Hall, and borrowing exceeded a period of 10 years.
Originally, the plan totaled over $20 million with the added cost of utilities. The Finance and Taxation Committee decided to remove items from the capital list a day prior to the council meeting. Land acquisition for $2 million and improvements to any acquired land for $4 million were not solid prospects they decided, until land was actually acquired. A total of $95,000 in Monroe Municipal Airport improvements were also dropped from the list. Rath discussed the city's intentions to reserve funding to save in a capital fund for future use, but said building up the necessary amount to fund capital projects and equipment takes time. Finance and Taxation Committee members directed the city staff to reserve $350,000 from the levy to place in the fund in 2017.
Other items under the borrowing plan to be addressed either this year or within the next year include concrete repair outside of Monroe City Hall, which will be an estimated $260,000 with an added cover to the Parks and Recreation Office entrance. Included street improvements along 11th Street from Wis. 69 to 13th Avenue and along 21st Street from Wis. 69 to 4th Avenue West total $400,000. Equipment, such as a new plow truck, a one-ton dump truck, a boom truck an endloader and a plow for the endloader should total $395,500. Playground equipment, replacement of the Twining Park shelter, bandshell seating, pool improvements, storm siren upgrades, replacement of the 911 system server and other items are also on the list. A big project will be the replacement of four-inch water and sewer lines throughout the city, which will exceed $2 million in costs.
Funding will also be provided to Tax Increment District 5 and TID 6. Of the total, roughly $4 million will be borrowed on a note of 10 years of less, while just more than $10 million will be borrowed on a 20-year bond. A resolution outlining the terms of the bond will still need to be approved by council, but the conditions of the bond first need to be finalized.
City Administrator Phil Rath said if council members vote against the resolution, discussion on how to fund the various projects would restart, and the projects would most likely be delayed. Reconstruction of 8th Street from Wisconsin 69 to 6th Avenue West and the tear down of the downtown parking ramp have already been rescheduled to 2017 to accommodate for visitors during Green County Cheese Days. The street project will total roughly $5 million. Repaving the empty space once the parking ramp is torn down and its demolition is estimated to be $650,000.
Alderman Michael Boyce questioned whether the total of borrowing should be something for residents of the city to decide through a referendum vote. He said while he understands the city's desire to maintain its level of services, the population has reduced while taxes have increased.
"I don't think the public knows what's coming," Boyce said. "There has to be a conversation with taxpayers."
Boyce maintained that with a high amount of borrowing, there should be a referendum to ask residents how they prefer the city move forward. The final vote of 7-0 to seek the conditions of the bond included a positive vote from Boyce. Aldermen Chris Beer and Richard Thoman were absent. Boyce requested that the capital plan figures be included on the city website and shared through social media, with support from fellow council member Brooke Bauman.
Rath said the point of "representative Democracy" was to allow city representatives to vote on funding matters such as the issue at hand. According to Wisconsin State Statute 67.05, a municipality is not required to hold a referendum unless making improvements to a municipal government building such as City Hall, and borrowing exceeded a period of 10 years.
Originally, the plan totaled over $20 million with the added cost of utilities. The Finance and Taxation Committee decided to remove items from the capital list a day prior to the council meeting. Land acquisition for $2 million and improvements to any acquired land for $4 million were not solid prospects they decided, until land was actually acquired. A total of $95,000 in Monroe Municipal Airport improvements were also dropped from the list. Rath discussed the city's intentions to reserve funding to save in a capital fund for future use, but said building up the necessary amount to fund capital projects and equipment takes time. Finance and Taxation Committee members directed the city staff to reserve $350,000 from the levy to place in the fund in 2017.
Other items under the borrowing plan to be addressed either this year or within the next year include concrete repair outside of Monroe City Hall, which will be an estimated $260,000 with an added cover to the Parks and Recreation Office entrance. Included street improvements along 11th Street from Wis. 69 to 13th Avenue and along 21st Street from Wis. 69 to 4th Avenue West total $400,000. Equipment, such as a new plow truck, a one-ton dump truck, a boom truck an endloader and a plow for the endloader should total $395,500. Playground equipment, replacement of the Twining Park shelter, bandshell seating, pool improvements, storm siren upgrades, replacement of the 911 system server and other items are also on the list. A big project will be the replacement of four-inch water and sewer lines throughout the city, which will exceed $2 million in costs.