MONROE - In a meeting Tuesday, the City of Monroe Common Council:
• Passed the consent agenda, which included $378,140 to pay bills and granting miscellaneous licenses.
• Approved the certified survey map for property in the Town of Monroe along Youth Cabin Road, in the city's extraterritorial area.
• Approved the city to disclose a misstatement made on financial statement and annual financial reports in connection with bond issuance, under the SEC Municipal Continuing Disclosure Compliance Initiative that applies to bonds sold since Dec. 1, 2009. A discrepancy was discovered by the city's financial advisors pertaining to disclosing the filing date of the 2008 audit. The deadline to file the 2008 audit was Dec. 31, 2009, but the audit was actually filed on Feb. 23, 2010. In three succeeding bond issuance statements, the city did not disclose the correct date. The SEC will review the filing and determine whether the action was materially significant. If the misstatement is determined not to be material, SEC will take no further action. City Attorney Rex Ewald opined the discrepancy would probably not be considered materially significant by the SEC.
Mayor Bill Ross proclaimed November 24-30 as Family Promise Week.
Alderman Michael Boyce broached the issue of the city's missing the mark by overspending the 2014 budget and disqualifying for the state's 2015 expenditure restraint payment of about $240,000. He questioned whether the city could identify who was responsible for overlooking that consequence when advising or recommending the council approve applying surplus, self-insured healthcare funds to cover the surcharges for the changeover to state health insurance.
Chris Beer was absent.
MONROE - In a meeting Tuesday, the City of Monroe Community Improvement Committee:
• Recommended approval of a purchase and development agreement with WW Dairy for 2.3 acres of land in the Monroe North Business and Industry Park. The terms include sale of land at $1 per acres with development value of $230,000 within two years. Consideration will be given for the $1.9 million of development value on the company's current lot. The expansion lot is east of and adjacent to the company's current property.
MONROE - In a meeting Tuesday, the City of Monroe Salary and Personnel Committee:
• Considered a proposed revision to the city's Fair Labor Standards Act Policy, regarding pay for call-out and on-call duty. The committee requested that a two-hour minimum be included in call-out pay.
• Considered and approved by consensus revised wording in the Employee Policy Manual, regarding, meals and other breaks, call-out pay and on-call duties.
Both revisions will come back to the committee for final recommendations.
MONROE - In a meeting Monday, the City of Monroe Board of Public Works:
• Approved bills from Advanced Disposal for $2,160 for recycling; Fehr Graham for $1,820 for engineering services on 8th Street; DOT business management division for $200 and $97 for 8th/9th Street work; E&N Hughes Co. for $62,350 for 2014 utility improvement work at Spring Square alley.
• Permitted Main Street Monroe to erect several small signs, directed at pet owners, on the Square for a one-year trial.
• On a 3-2 vote, recommended hiring Fehr Graham to do a traffic count study and analysis along the 8th Street West corridor at a cost of $55,000, in preparation for decisions about reconstructing the strip next year. The count is expected to be presented in February and to include recommendations about the number of traffic lanes, designated turn lanes and roundabouts. Objectors to the study said the city already knows the traffic problems on the west side and that a full study is probably not needed.
• Recommended hiring Fehr Graham for $15,000 to design the improvements needed for traffic signals at Wisconsin 69 and 8th Street. Engineering Supervisor Al Gerber said the improvements should be made prior to the planned construction on 8th Street West. The signals have been experiencing several timing problems. Gerber said the state does not contribute financially to this type of project.
• Recommended hiring Fehr Graham for $17,500 to design a new, regional detention pond in the north industrial park to control the runoff from the new developments along the east side of the park, and to design a plan to convert the existing pond on the west side of the industrial park to a wet pond to improve the reduction of suspended solids. Gerber said state grants are available for help with these projects.
• Approved the purchase of a Miller Bradford, Bomag BW 138AD-5 asphalt roller for $47,700. A credit of $7,650 for renting the equipment for nine days will be applied. The equipment purchase price was part of the council-approved, 2014 capital equipment and utility mains loan package. The new roller will replace a 1978, 5,000-pound roller.
• Approved the 12th change order for work on the wastewater treatment plant upgrade project. This change order adds a net increase of $101,375 to previous increases of $961,461 for the project bid at $24.83 million. Construction on the project is expected to be completed in late February.
• Approved the purchase of a Bobcat V417-Cab Versa (Tele) Handler, including a general purpose bucket, heavy duty pallet fork with 48-inch teeth and 12-foot truss boom, for $55,785 from dealer, Carter and Gruenewald of Juda. An additional v-blade, snow plow attachment with floatation option, for $3,700 was also approved. The equipment was listed in the capital equipment loan, which was approved in 2014. It is to be used by the utilities departments for construction work, pallet moving and snow plowing.
• Approved the purchase of a 2016 Mack GU813, quad axle, dump truck for $116,500 from Madison Truck Sales, Inc. The equipment was listed in the capital equipment loan approved in 2014. An additional purchase of a dump box, pusher axle and other accessories will be required through Monroe Truck Inc., to be discussed at a future meeting.
• Public Works Director Colin Simpson recommended, as part of the city's development of a public works mission statement, the city hold an informational event for the public to present the city's Public Works division, to outline the tasks performed by the individual departments and to gather input from the public. That event would be followed by another board discussion to determine the city's needs and wants from and for its public works. The board noted the upcoming wastewater treatment plant open house and the Chamber's business expo event in the spring as other good ways to inform the public.
• Convened in closed session with legal counsel to discuss potential legal action against the city regarding the wastewater treatment plant project.
-Tere Dunlap
• Passed the consent agenda, which included $378,140 to pay bills and granting miscellaneous licenses.
• Approved the certified survey map for property in the Town of Monroe along Youth Cabin Road, in the city's extraterritorial area.
• Approved the city to disclose a misstatement made on financial statement and annual financial reports in connection with bond issuance, under the SEC Municipal Continuing Disclosure Compliance Initiative that applies to bonds sold since Dec. 1, 2009. A discrepancy was discovered by the city's financial advisors pertaining to disclosing the filing date of the 2008 audit. The deadline to file the 2008 audit was Dec. 31, 2009, but the audit was actually filed on Feb. 23, 2010. In three succeeding bond issuance statements, the city did not disclose the correct date. The SEC will review the filing and determine whether the action was materially significant. If the misstatement is determined not to be material, SEC will take no further action. City Attorney Rex Ewald opined the discrepancy would probably not be considered materially significant by the SEC.
Mayor Bill Ross proclaimed November 24-30 as Family Promise Week.
Alderman Michael Boyce broached the issue of the city's missing the mark by overspending the 2014 budget and disqualifying for the state's 2015 expenditure restraint payment of about $240,000. He questioned whether the city could identify who was responsible for overlooking that consequence when advising or recommending the council approve applying surplus, self-insured healthcare funds to cover the surcharges for the changeover to state health insurance.
Chris Beer was absent.
MONROE - In a meeting Tuesday, the City of Monroe Community Improvement Committee:
• Recommended approval of a purchase and development agreement with WW Dairy for 2.3 acres of land in the Monroe North Business and Industry Park. The terms include sale of land at $1 per acres with development value of $230,000 within two years. Consideration will be given for the $1.9 million of development value on the company's current lot. The expansion lot is east of and adjacent to the company's current property.
MONROE - In a meeting Tuesday, the City of Monroe Salary and Personnel Committee:
• Considered a proposed revision to the city's Fair Labor Standards Act Policy, regarding pay for call-out and on-call duty. The committee requested that a two-hour minimum be included in call-out pay.
• Considered and approved by consensus revised wording in the Employee Policy Manual, regarding, meals and other breaks, call-out pay and on-call duties.
Both revisions will come back to the committee for final recommendations.
MONROE - In a meeting Monday, the City of Monroe Board of Public Works:
• Approved bills from Advanced Disposal for $2,160 for recycling; Fehr Graham for $1,820 for engineering services on 8th Street; DOT business management division for $200 and $97 for 8th/9th Street work; E&N Hughes Co. for $62,350 for 2014 utility improvement work at Spring Square alley.
• Permitted Main Street Monroe to erect several small signs, directed at pet owners, on the Square for a one-year trial.
• On a 3-2 vote, recommended hiring Fehr Graham to do a traffic count study and analysis along the 8th Street West corridor at a cost of $55,000, in preparation for decisions about reconstructing the strip next year. The count is expected to be presented in February and to include recommendations about the number of traffic lanes, designated turn lanes and roundabouts. Objectors to the study said the city already knows the traffic problems on the west side and that a full study is probably not needed.
• Recommended hiring Fehr Graham for $15,000 to design the improvements needed for traffic signals at Wisconsin 69 and 8th Street. Engineering Supervisor Al Gerber said the improvements should be made prior to the planned construction on 8th Street West. The signals have been experiencing several timing problems. Gerber said the state does not contribute financially to this type of project.
• Recommended hiring Fehr Graham for $17,500 to design a new, regional detention pond in the north industrial park to control the runoff from the new developments along the east side of the park, and to design a plan to convert the existing pond on the west side of the industrial park to a wet pond to improve the reduction of suspended solids. Gerber said state grants are available for help with these projects.
• Approved the purchase of a Miller Bradford, Bomag BW 138AD-5 asphalt roller for $47,700. A credit of $7,650 for renting the equipment for nine days will be applied. The equipment purchase price was part of the council-approved, 2014 capital equipment and utility mains loan package. The new roller will replace a 1978, 5,000-pound roller.
• Approved the 12th change order for work on the wastewater treatment plant upgrade project. This change order adds a net increase of $101,375 to previous increases of $961,461 for the project bid at $24.83 million. Construction on the project is expected to be completed in late February.
• Approved the purchase of a Bobcat V417-Cab Versa (Tele) Handler, including a general purpose bucket, heavy duty pallet fork with 48-inch teeth and 12-foot truss boom, for $55,785 from dealer, Carter and Gruenewald of Juda. An additional v-blade, snow plow attachment with floatation option, for $3,700 was also approved. The equipment was listed in the capital equipment loan, which was approved in 2014. It is to be used by the utilities departments for construction work, pallet moving and snow plowing.
• Approved the purchase of a 2016 Mack GU813, quad axle, dump truck for $116,500 from Madison Truck Sales, Inc. The equipment was listed in the capital equipment loan approved in 2014. An additional purchase of a dump box, pusher axle and other accessories will be required through Monroe Truck Inc., to be discussed at a future meeting.
• Public Works Director Colin Simpson recommended, as part of the city's development of a public works mission statement, the city hold an informational event for the public to present the city's Public Works division, to outline the tasks performed by the individual departments and to gather input from the public. That event would be followed by another board discussion to determine the city's needs and wants from and for its public works. The board noted the upcoming wastewater treatment plant open house and the Chamber's business expo event in the spring as other good ways to inform the public.
• Convened in closed session with legal counsel to discuss potential legal action against the city regarding the wastewater treatment plant project.
-Tere Dunlap