 like to call the meeting to order. This is the 14th regular meeting of the 2019-2020 Common Council. Would the clerk please read this quote for the day. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Happiness is an inside job. Thank you very much. Would the clerk please call the roll? There are 10 present. Very good. Next, would you please stand and join me in the Pledge of Allegiance? I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Next, we'll move on to the approval of the minutes from our last council meeting. Alderperson Wolfe. Thank you, Mayor. I make a motion to approve. Second. Thank you for that motion and support. Is there any discussion on those minutes? Seeing none, all those in favor, please signify by saying aye. Aye. Opposed? Motion passes. Tonight we have a presentation by Joe Rupnick, the Executive Director of the Sheboygan Housing Authority and a little bit of a project update on the Wasserman Building. Mr. Rupnick's been in that role for the last eight years and Joe, please step to the podium. Thank you. Housing Authority of the City of Sheboygan was created by the Sheboygan County Council in 1967 under provisions of Wisconsin law. Under that law, a housing authority may engage in a number of activities to create or improve housing within a community. The Sheboygan Housing Authority has been primarily involved as a developer, owner, and manager of apartments for people of low and moderate incomes. We're called the Housing Authority of the City of Sheboygan because that describes our jurisdiction. So we only really operate inside the city limits. There's a housing authority in the City of Sheboygan Falls. There's also one in Plymouth and then the balance of the county is served under contract through WEDA. The Board of Commissioners is the governing board of the Housing Authority and it has five members. Those members are appointed by the mayor and confirmed by you the Common Council. Commissioners are appointed for five years and those years are staggered. The authority is a semi-autonomous agency. We are not included in the City budget. We receive no tax support from the city. The annual budget of the authority is not reviewed or approved by the city. The staff of the authority is employed by the authority and we are not city employees. The Wisconsin law does provide for the authority to use the legal services of the city attorney, which we have done from time to time, and we can provide purchase services from some services from the city. Various projects of the authority are exempt from city real estate taxes under a cooperative agreement between the city, the authority, and the federal government. We make a payment in lieu of taxes to the city each year based on the amount of rent collected from each of the projects that we have. We have a number of different projects which you may or may not be familiar with. The first was built in 1969 and 70 and there were two buildings that were built right about the same time. One is the Eugene Wasserman building over here on Water Street and the other one is Tamarack House out on Erie Avenue. Both of those buildings have 105 apartments, pretty much currently all are full. Excuse me. The second project was built in 1977 under what was called the Section 8 New Construction Program and that's part Plaza located on the corner of 9th and Ontario. That was a project that was involved WEDA, Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority. That was 81 bedroom apartments for the elderly. In July of 1997, that mortgage was paid off and Park Plaza now is there's no assistance attached to that that project anymore. The only source of operating income is from the the rents that we collect. The most recent project that we built was in 1981 and that consists of six two-bedroom apartments located at 919 Niagara Avenue and two 12-unit buildings on Georgia Avenue near Horace Mann and those are family units. Each of the 12-unit buildings has two three bedrooms and 10 two-bedroom apartments. The Housing Authority also under a separate agreement we manage a housing project called Rochester Springs and Sheboygan Falls that is actually owned and operated by the City of Sheboygan Falls Housing Authority but since it was built we've been the managing um entity for it. That again was a WEDA project that one has 48 one-bedroom apartments and built in 1978. HUD also gives the authority to operate gives us the authority to operate the Section 8 housing choice voucher program more commonly known as the Section 8 program. Under this program the authority contracts with private apartment owners to pay a portion of the rent normally paid by tenants. Again that's tenants pay 30 percent of their gross monthly income towards their housing and then we pick up the remainder of that that monthly cost. Presently the Housing Authority is authorized to contract for 191 apartments with a monthly federal subsidy of about $54,000. So the Housing Authority we own and operate about 230 apartments here in Sheboygan. I'm sorry 330. Our tenants are all low income folks. We take the vast majority of our folks live on a very fixed income. Average monthly income is just about $900 a month which usually is coming in from disability or social security payments. So tenants then pay one-third of their gross because that's what HUD says is affordable and then we manage from there. Since all of the mortgages have been paid off there is no monthly subsidy that comes from HUD except for that Section 8 program. So most recently what we've undertaken is what HUD is calling a repositioning where we've taken the Wasserman building right behind us here 105 units and we've pulled it out of the public housing domain and by doing so HUD basically signed off on the building because they have an interest in it because they paid for the construction initially. And so we took the building and we kind of sold it mostly to ourselves and we set up a separate LLC and that allowed us to then apply for and we were given tax credits. So low income housing tax credits. So we found an investor that was willing to purchase those tax credits and we've started what is right now about a $14 million renovation of that building which is basically everything is going to be new inside the building. So we're doing demolition right now we've moved a number of tenants out and we will continue that through December of 2020 and at that point then the tenants will have a brand new apartment pretty much a brand new building and hopefully that building then will last us for another 30 or 40 years. It's a very very challenging project. And that's about it. Well Joe thank you very much for that report and all the great work that you do we really appreciate it. Next we'll move on to public form I'll turn it over to our city clerk Meredith De Bruyne. There's one person tonight Dulcy Johnson. Dulcy can you state your name and address for us? Dulcy Johnson 1306 North Third Street, Sheboygan. Thank you you'll have five minutes. In the interest of transparency I am presenting my annual State of the City's Ambulance Service report based on data received in an FOIA request for the operation of the service in 2018. Ambulance Service Expenses accounted for in the Ambulance 280 fund totaled $685,000. Salaries and benefits for the four firefighters included in the budget was $100,457 per hire an increase of about $6,500 per hire from 2017. Those four firefighters have always been the last four hires but last year Nancy Busch told me that that is no longer the case and I don't know how those four employees are chosen now. Figuring 18 firefighters salaries and benefits at 75% the total salaries and benefits for the 22 ambulance personnel was $1,758,000. That figure however is actually higher because of the longevity factor for some of the ambulance personnel. Total collections were $1,226,000 or 37% of billings. That means that the personnel costs of the service were more than half a million dollars over what was actually collected. The total cost of operating the service without any administrative costs was $2,041,000. That includes expenses for leasing the ambulances and contracted billing services. Subtracting expenses from revenues results in a loss of $815,393. If you hear that the department made a million dollars you might consider that fake news. It's easy to declare a profit when you don't include all your expenses. One of the four recommendations of the independent fire department study was and I quote, the city should consider adjusting their financials to reflect the 18 FTEs adjusted to 75% as a more representative cost allocation for EMS staffing requirements. Ambulance calls accounted for 77% of calls in 2018. There were only 48 structure fire calls that's less than 1% of calls and fewer than one call per station per month. When the department took over this service there was no reason given for doing so. Orange Cross was doing fine without taxpayer support. I remember however Chief Letusky saying that he realized the need to justify the cost of the fire department budget. Maybe the reason for taking over the ambulance service had more to do with sustaining the number of firefighters being paid by the taxpayers than anything else. Someone at the time called the takeover the firefighters guaranteed employment act. In 2018 your constituents subsidized 63% of the service for city and non-city users. Your constituents never paid a subsidy to Orange Cross and Orange Cross makes thousands of calls every year without a fire truck leading the way. Yes I know there are times when the department is called to assist Orange Cross but that number is very small compared to their total number of calls. Ambulance drivers continue to wander about the city when on what one citizen labeled joy rides. Evidently ambulance drivers feel that they have carte blanche to go wherever they choose if they're not responding to a call. You will note that actual fuel expenses were 17% higher than budgeted in 2018. At the time that the city decided to take over the ambulance service a story in the Sheboygan Press noted and I quote, if the service loses money city fire officials will cut the department's budget to make up for the loss. That has never happened of course because it's easier to avoid that situation when you don't count all your expenses. Last year I was asked to present some options to the increasing costs of the department. All of you know the options. None of them are acceptable to the union or the department but the council needs to balance the risk with the taxpayers capacity to pay. Thank you. Thank you Delcy. Okay next we'll go on with mayor's announcements. Just like to remind everybody that curbside leaf collection has started and it will continue through Friday November 22nd. Citizen residents are allowed to rake leaf files into the street gutter for easier and faster pickup by city crews. Department of Public Works has divided the city into five sections for leaf collection and one zone for each day of the week and DPW crews will concentrate their efforts in the assigned zone each day. They only ask that when you put the leaves in the gutter please leave room for water to pass through at the base of the gutter and move the leaves a little bit away from the curb. Our drug take back day is set for Saturday October 26th. Sheboygan County will be accepting unused medications from 10 o'clock to 1 o'clock and the location in the city is St. Nicholas Hospital on Superior Avenue. And the Mead Library is having their friends book sale that's going to be on October 24th, 25th and 26th. The Friends of Mead Library will hold the book sale from on those days and on Friday rather on Thursday it'll start at 9 a.m. and go to 8 p.m. on Friday at 9 o'clock to 5 o'clock and on Saturday October 26th from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. And I want to wish everybody a happy Halloween. Our trick-or-treat hours will be as normal on Halloween Day October 31st from 4 to 7 p.m. in the city of Sheboygan. Next we'll move on to the Consent Agenda that will include items 2.2 rather through 2.14. Alderperson Wolfe. Thank you, Mayor. I make a motion to receive and file all ROs, receive all RCs and adopt all resolutions and ordinances. Second. Thank you for that motion and support. Is there any discussion on any of those motions? Alderperson Donahue. Thank you, Mayor. I would request that 2.14 be pulled for separate discussion. Thank you very much. If there's no objection we'll pull that forward at this time. Please proceed with your comments. Thank you. This particular ordinance was a direct referral to public works and implements the changes that we approved last year to the winter parking ordinance. Many of us will remember and many of us may not remember that this extends the alternate side parking and the no parking during winter hours by a month. This was one of the things that you received comments about and I received a fair number of communications from constituents that were all marked by great anger and I think in part this is because particularly in my district which covers a good share of the older part of the city parking is difficult. Many of the residents particularly in Ward 13 and then some wards of course south of the city have to park on the street and so the alternate side parking is viewed by some as as a trap. I do think that prior to extending the month this this parking arrangement by a full month we had all gotten used to it and if you didn't move your car well that was your that's your own fault. This resolution takes care of all the no parking signs that were not in effect when the ordinance went into effect and therefore wasn't introduced. I'm going to move to approve this ordinance. My concern is that I just want to and I'm sure that the public works department will do an excellent job and the mayor's office of publicizing this again which may refresh people's recollection about how they don't like it. But it was a direct referral and it's on the consent agenda and it seemed to me that I just wanted to pull it out so that there was notice that this is in fact being done. I ultimately I think I voted to approve I can't really remember. I understand the rationale that was put forward by DPW which I think is a good one. It will be of assistance to the Department of Public Works in clearing streets opening up clogged manholes and so forth. So I'm just reflecting that this is a hardship for our constituents. So it's a balancing act. I'm okay with the balance that we received. I just wanted to bring that up and and and put it out there. So with that in mind I would move that we adopt ordinance 23-19-20. Second. Thank you for that motion and support. All other persons sorenson under discussion. Thank you Mr. Mayor. I'd just like to add my comments in favor of this as well too. I know I've gotten some calls as well regarding the changes that we made to the parking during winter regulations as well too and and I think it makes most sense too that we're bumping it back to the end of April. I think if folks can really remember the past two April's mid or later April we've had quite a heavy number of stow too and you know makes things challenging for the folks in the Department of Public Works to adequately clean the streets too. And when I've cleared and cleared up some misconceptions and had some conversations with constituents as well too they seem very much in favor of this as well too when we explain it and educate them about the benefits that the alternate side parking has when it's not snowing then the DPW crew is allowed and it's more accessible for them to clean up the curbs, the gutters, the drain pipes, whatever else it is as well. So I'm in favor of it just for the sake of helping the folks out as well too but I hear all other person down to use concerns as well too and I hear them from my constituents. Thank you for those comments. Seeing no other discussion with clerk please call the roll. Ten ayes. Motion passes. Now we're back to the original motion proving 2.2 through 2.13. Is there any other discussion on those other items? Seeing none then would the clerk please call the roll for passage. Ten ayes. Motion passes. Under communications item 3.1 and 3.2 will be referred to the finance and personnel committee. Under reports of officers items 4.1 through 4.3 will be referred to various committees. Under resolutions items 5.1 through 5.4 will again be referred to various committees. Under reports of committees item 6.1 is RC number 157 of 1920 by the finance and personnel committee. Tomb was referred resolution number 95 of 1920 by Alderperson Donahue and Bourne authorizing the appropriate city officials to enter into an intergovernmental cooperative agreement with Sheboygan county for the sales tax revenue sharing for transportation infrastructure maintenance and recommends adopting the resolution with amendment. Alderperson Donahue. Move to receive the report of the committee and adopt the substitute resolution. Second. Thank you for that motion in support. Is there any discussion on the motion? Alderperson Bourne. Thank you mayor. First of all I'm glad we're getting the revenue from the county and we can use that for street repairs. However I've had a problem since the beginning of this because of the fact that the majority of this revenue is being collected in the city of Sheboygan obviously with the biggest municipality and in my opinion because the majority of this revenue is being collected in the city we should be getting more of it but I am thankful that we are getting something because it is very useful for street repairs. Thank you. Thank you for those comments. Alderperson Donahue. And the county decided to do this on the basis of assessments, property assessments throughout the county and while we may not like it I think in fact we're kind of stuck with it. The county would not have had to give us any money at all. I do understand that intuitively we can say that most of the money does come from the city. Figures that I saw though in terms of when we were debating this and certainly more heated kinds of context while the city clearly most of the revenue is generated here it's not as large a percentage as you might think. I remember you're 38 percent that could be right that could be wrong but in any event it's a better deal than a sharp stick in the eye so. Thank you for those comments. Any other discussion? Seeing none will the clerk please call the roll for passage. Motion passes. Item 6.2 through 6.4 will lay over those are all items on the budget that will come up at our next council meeting. Under general ordinances item 7.1 is general ordinance number 24 of 1920 by Alderperson Phillips granting the Van Horn Development Company LLC and Kingsbury Village LLC and its successors and assigns the privilege of encroaching upon describes portions of New York Avenue right away in the city of Sheboygan for the purpose of constructing a sidewalk. Alderperson Phillips adopt items 7.1 through 7.3. Thank you for that motion in support. Is there any discussion on those three items on our agenda? Will the clerk please call the roll? Ten ayes. Motion passes. Next item is item 7.4 which is general ordinance number 27 of 1920 by Alderperson Feldy annexing territory to the city of Sheboygan 3820 North 13th Street. Alderperson Feldy. Point four. Thank you for that motion in support. Is there any discussion on the motion? Seeing none will the clerk please call the roll for passage. Ten ayes. Motion passes. Items 7.5 through 7.7 will be referred to various committees. Under matters laid over 8.1 is RO number 69 of 1920 by the City Planning Commission. Tumas refer general ordinance number 16 of 1920 by Alderperson Phillips and the RO number 63 of 1920 by the city clerk submitting a communication from David Gass of Rody Dale's LLP filing a petition for direct annexation by unanimous consent for the land currently located in the town of Sheboygan 3820 North 13th Street. Tax parcel number 59024346190 and recommends receiving the RO and adopting the general ordinance as amended. Alderperson Bourne. I make a motion to receive the RO and file the substitute ordinance. Thank you for that motion in support. Is there any discussion on the motion? Seeing none all those in favor of the motion please signify by saying aye. Aye opposed. Motion passes. Next under matters authorized by law I'll turn it over to city attorney Charles Adams. There's one other matter it's an RO by the city clerk submitting various license applications for the period ending June 30 2020 and June 30 2021. That'll be referred to the Licensing, Hearings and Public Safety Committee. Alderperson Wolfe. Thank you mayor I make a motion to adjourn. Thank you for that motion in support. All those in favor of the motion to adjourn please signify by saying aye. Aye. Opposed? Motion passes. Thank you for your time tonight. Have a great evening.