MONROE - During a meeting Tuesday, the Monroe City Council:
• Held a public hearing and passed an ordinance recreating sections of the Monroe City Code, which removes specific fee amounts for permits and licenses from the code and allows for the fee amounts to be set by resolution.
• Adopted a fee schedule for 2009 for building inspection and related licenses.
• Approved budget transfers within the 2008 budget to close out the year. At the Finance and Taxation Committee meeting, City Treasurer Cathy Maurer said the transfers were "housekeeping" measures to take care of shortfalls in some budgets using savings from other departments. Street maintenance in particular was hit hard by increased fuel costs, she said.
• Passed a resolution declaring official intent to reimburse the city for expenditures paid from funds on hand for costs incurred with the downtown TID No. 7 improvements from proceeds of borrowing for the project. The city intends to finance the project on a long-term basis by issuing tax-exempt bonds, the principal amount of which is not expected to exceed $3,820,000.
• Passed a resolution for the sale of $1,775,000 Water System Revenue Refunding Bonds, Series 2001B, dated June 1, 2001. The city will refund the outstanding bond and borrow the funds through a similar bond at a lower interest rate, currently at 2.05 to 2.9 percent, creating a net savings of about $86,000. The city has the option to pull the sale if interest rates increase.
• Authorized hiring Ismael Cristobel Hinojosa as a Water Department operator in training effective March 4, at the 2008 AFSCME contract probationary hourly rate of $16.58.
• Approved claims in the amount of $380,790.44.
• Approved the extension of the all-terrain vehicle (ATV) route within the city limits to include the 400-700 blocks of Sixth Street, and the 500-700 block of Eighth Avenue. The route will not cross Eighth Street at Eighth Avenue, and will not proceed north of the Burger King property. The Green County ATV Club shall be responsible for obtaining and posting official DNR-approved ATV signs, before the route can be used.
• Granted operator licenses to Susan H. Buholzer, Tyler F. Humphrey, Roger A. Sutter, Sarah M. Trombetta and Julie M. Walmer.
• Passed a resolution ratifying building permits issued for properties within the downtown Historic Preservation District between the time boundaries were set and final adoption of the Historic District by Council. The resolution covers building permits issued between January 1, 2007, and Feb. 18, 2009, when guidelines for issuing a certificate of appropriateness were not clearly established. Most building permits did not need a certificate of appropriateness, but some could arguably have required the certificate.
• Authorized Mayor Ron Marsh and Director of Public Works Kelly Finkenbinder to gather information for a plan to create a transportation utility, expected to fund street projects without property assessments.
• Conferred with City Attorney Rex Ewald and authorized him to take action to appeal a decision by the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development finding that the Wis. Prevailing Wage Law applies to public infrastructure constructed as part of the Wal-Mart PUD project.
• Held a public hearing and passed an ordinance recreating sections of the Monroe City Code, which removes specific fee amounts for permits and licenses from the code and allows for the fee amounts to be set by resolution.
• Adopted a fee schedule for 2009 for building inspection and related licenses.
• Approved budget transfers within the 2008 budget to close out the year. At the Finance and Taxation Committee meeting, City Treasurer Cathy Maurer said the transfers were "housekeeping" measures to take care of shortfalls in some budgets using savings from other departments. Street maintenance in particular was hit hard by increased fuel costs, she said.
• Passed a resolution declaring official intent to reimburse the city for expenditures paid from funds on hand for costs incurred with the downtown TID No. 7 improvements from proceeds of borrowing for the project. The city intends to finance the project on a long-term basis by issuing tax-exempt bonds, the principal amount of which is not expected to exceed $3,820,000.
• Passed a resolution for the sale of $1,775,000 Water System Revenue Refunding Bonds, Series 2001B, dated June 1, 2001. The city will refund the outstanding bond and borrow the funds through a similar bond at a lower interest rate, currently at 2.05 to 2.9 percent, creating a net savings of about $86,000. The city has the option to pull the sale if interest rates increase.
• Authorized hiring Ismael Cristobel Hinojosa as a Water Department operator in training effective March 4, at the 2008 AFSCME contract probationary hourly rate of $16.58.
• Approved claims in the amount of $380,790.44.
• Approved the extension of the all-terrain vehicle (ATV) route within the city limits to include the 400-700 blocks of Sixth Street, and the 500-700 block of Eighth Avenue. The route will not cross Eighth Street at Eighth Avenue, and will not proceed north of the Burger King property. The Green County ATV Club shall be responsible for obtaining and posting official DNR-approved ATV signs, before the route can be used.
• Granted operator licenses to Susan H. Buholzer, Tyler F. Humphrey, Roger A. Sutter, Sarah M. Trombetta and Julie M. Walmer.
• Passed a resolution ratifying building permits issued for properties within the downtown Historic Preservation District between the time boundaries were set and final adoption of the Historic District by Council. The resolution covers building permits issued between January 1, 2007, and Feb. 18, 2009, when guidelines for issuing a certificate of appropriateness were not clearly established. Most building permits did not need a certificate of appropriateness, but some could arguably have required the certificate.
• Authorized Mayor Ron Marsh and Director of Public Works Kelly Finkenbinder to gather information for a plan to create a transportation utility, expected to fund street projects without property assessments.
• Conferred with City Attorney Rex Ewald and authorized him to take action to appeal a decision by the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development finding that the Wis. Prevailing Wage Law applies to public infrastructure constructed as part of the Wal-Mart PUD project.