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Monroe City Council: September 21, 2011
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MONROE - In a meeting Tuesday, the City of Monroe Historic Preservation Commission:

- Approved certificates of appropriateness for Minhas Micro Distillery at 1404 13th St.

- Discussed and conditionally approved a certificate of appropriateness for Santos Tinoco at 1713 11th St. Tinoco must present a colored sketch of a proposed sign from the company producing the sign.

Absent members were alderperson Jan Lefevre, Dennis Dalton and Rudolph Regez.

MONROE - In a meeting Tuesday, the City of Monroe Finance and Taxation Committee:

- Postponed authorization until the end of the year to move $25,000 from undesignated funds to the Street Department capital fund. The capital funding, part of the 2011 budget plan, was to have come from a portion of certificates of deposits after they matured and the money, $540,000, became available. The CDs recently matured, but their entire sum had been earmarked this summer to pay a portion of a $750,000 city-wide radio upgrade mandate project. City treasurer Cathy Maurer said the radio project or other accounts may come in under budget by the end of the year, making the transfer from the undesignated funds or contingency funds easier to accomplish. The contingency fund has $111,000 remaining for the year.

- Authorized the transfer of $8,700 from the contingency fund to cover extra unbudgeted expenses for needed forestry work. The extra costs came as a result of summer wind storms that downed many trees around the city.

MONROE - In a meeting Tuesday, the City of Monroe Salary and Personnel Committee:

- Discussed a newly created Director of Water and Wastewater position and voted to recommend the council approve the job description.

- Recommended to council to appoint George Thompson to new director of Water and Wastewater position and approve a revised employment agreement with Thompson that included revised compensation.

- Recommended to council to approve a new official Discipline and Grievance Procedure policy.

- Discussed updating non-union represented employee job descriptions, as well as the pay scale of each position. The committee will review the descriptions and proposed pay scales as they become available.

Alderman Brooke Bauman was absent.

MONROE - In a meeting Tuesday, the City of Monroe Insurance Committee:

- Discussed the city's current health insurance structure. The city is self-insured with a stop-loss plan. The committee asked for quotes on fully-insured plans of insurance companies.

- Discussed and postponed action to obtain proposals for participation in the Wisconsin Public Employers' Group Health Plan.

- Discussed the city's current participation and insurance through CVMIC. The city's current policy runs through 2012.

MONROE - In a meeting Tuesday, the City of Monroe Common Council:

- Voted unanimously to hire Reffue, Pas, Jacobson and Koster LLP of Monroe to perform the city audit for the years 2011, 2012 and 2013 at a cost of $63,400.

- Approved unanimously $983,900 to pay bills.

- Approved the city's new Official Discipline and Grievance Policy.

- Approved unanimously an updated job description for deputy clerk and the transfer of Ellen Miller from the assessor's office to the deputy clerk position at an hourly pay rate of $16.80, effective Nov. 7.

- Approved special events for Monroe Youth Hockey Association's Chili Cook-off for Saturday, Oct. 1 and the Big Brothers/Big Sisters bike ride fundraiser, also Saturday, Oct. 1. The council granted a temporary class B beer license to Monroe Youth Hockey in Conjunction with an outdoor beer garden for the Chili Cook-off. The resolution passed on a 6-3 vote, with Jan Lefevre, Charles Koch and Sara Conway against.

- Approved the transfer of a class A beer license held by Santos Tinoco from 1105 16th Ave. to 1713 11th St. and granted a class B restaurant beer and a class C wine license to him for 1713 11th St.

- Approved on an 8-1 vote a revised agreement and related documents for acquiring 4.5 acres of land for a proposed detention pond along 21st Street at a cost of $55,800 from Orchid International.

- Moved to closed session to review and discuss and possibly take action regarding revised employment agreements with George Thompson that includes revised compensation for the new position of Director of Water & Wastewater and with Rob Jacobson that includes revised compensation for the new position of Director of Technical and IT Services.

Mayor Bill Ross announced at the beginning of the council meeting the Jacobson agreement would be moved from the agenda into closed session following regular business. Later in the meeting, the council voted 6-4 on a motion by Michael Boyce, seconded by Thurston Hanson, to move the Thompson agreement into closed session as well. Neal Hunter, Jan Lefevre, Charles Koch and Tyler Schultz voted against the motion.

Ross announced the city's budget was ready to be presented to the Finance and Taxation Committee at its next meeting, Oct. 3.

Green County Development Corporation director Anna Schramke presented an update on the organization's past and future plans for promoting economic development in Green County.

Alderman Brooke Bauman was absent.

MONROE - In a meeting Monday, the City of Monroe Board of Public Works:

- Approved bills from MSA Professional Services for $630 for 21st Street detention pond design and from Fehr-Graham and Associates for $5,900 for pond dredging at Monroe County Club.

- Authorized advertising for quotes for installing new pumps and related work for the East Terrace lift station maintenance project.

- Heard an update on the progress of plans and some suggestions for the wastewater treatment plant from engineering firm AECOM. AECOM is waiting for DNR information on new regulations to begin planning for the facility's future compliance.

MONROE - In a meeting Monday, the City of Monroe Public Safety Committee:

- Approved the installation of a "Children at Play" sign in the 800 block of 12th Avenue, for a trial basis.

- Recommended to council the Monroe Youth Hockey Association Chili Cook-off for Oct. 1 on the inside lanes of the downtown Square and the Big Brothers/Big Sisters bike ride fundraiser for Oct. 1 starting from the southeast corner of the Square.

- Took no action, pending further information, on a requests for a no parking zone on the west side of the 1300 block of 20th Avenue and for a stop sign at the east intersection of 25th Street and 13th Avenue.

- Tere Dunlap