 It is six o'clock and I will call the 12th Regular Common Council meeting to order will the clerk state the code of the evening Thank You mr. Mayor. It takes courage to be kind Will the clerk call the roll? Alderperson Ackley excused all the person Decker here all the person Felde here All the person Flicky Paneski all the person Heidemann here all the person Mitchell Alderperson Pirella here all the person Raimi here all the person rust all the person Salazar excused there are eight present. Thank you next if everyone can stand for the presentation of the colors Please 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 All right elder Decker is there a motion to approve the minutes Thank you, Mayor I move to approve the minutes from the 11th regular council meeting held on September 5th 2023 and the second special council meeting held on September 11th 2023 Moved in seconded discussion on the minutes Holder no All right all those in favor approval the minutes state I high All right any objection minutes are approved Next we have a resignation city attorney We have one resignation Adam Westbrook as the director of human resources and labor relations effective September 22 2023 Older Decker thank you Mary move to accept in file Moved in seconded. I also have a comment. All right older Decker Thank you, Mayor. I want to first thank mr. Westbrook for all the work that he's put in in this short time here We appreciate all he has done. He was a great employee. I Would like to express my disappointment that a small but vocal group has bullied an employee into resigning Doing this through an intimidation and in an anonymous website solely because of who he is. I Believe this is not who we as shabuiganites are From the city of shabuigan. I wish to apologize to mr. Redford for the harassment that this group has brought upon him. I Believe this does not reflect the majority of our city, but a small vocal minority. We are better than this Thank you older Decker. I know the rector Westbrook has some comments you'd like to share. Thank you mayor Thank you members of council for the past nine months It's been my pleasure and privilege to work alongside some of the most dedicated and professional civil servants. I've ever met When I accepted the position of HR director I knew there were many opportunities to help the organization heal from prior events spanning several years at first I was unsure how willing city leaders and employees would be to undertake the hard work that goes along with cultural change Especially not knowing the intricate relationships between individuals and departments However, did not take long for me to realize that every single department head here at the city gives a hundred percent of themselves every day To make the city a better place The same can be said for most of our city employees The city of shabuigan is staffed with hard-working passionate dedicated and most importantly caring individuals Who come to work every day ready to make today better than yesterday These individuals made my time here unforgettable As many of you know in may my family doubled when we adopted two incredible kiddos Upon taking this job. My dream was to move back to shabuigan the community where my spouse and I met However, after reflecting on my experiences here and the interactions with some of the community It became clear that my dream was not what was best for my family Despite what these individuals claim those who have worked closely with me know that every decision I have made every policy I have implemented and every action I have taken has been done with honesty integrity professionalism and compassion My only objective as hr director for the city was to ensure that all employees were able to thrive and Be held accountable to the high standards that you this council demands of its employees There are two pieces of advice that I've received in my life that have become central to my ethos So I'd like to take a moment to share them with you The first is that there is no job No amount of money and no person that is worth sacrificing your individual happiness for You should always look out for and advocate for yourself Even when it's hard or in the face of those who wish ill upon you because at the end of the day If you can't love yourself, it's impossible to love anyone else The second thing is that kindness Kindness costs nothing But has the power to change everything If everyone in our society showed just a little less hatred and a little more kindness the world would be a much better place I sincerely want to thank all of you for the opportunity to be a small part of this organization That is the city of shabuigan and I wish you in the city nothing but success in the future. Thank you very much Thank you director westbrook and seeing no other cues Um, this will be a voice vote all those in favor state I Any objection that item is approved next mayoral appointments city attorney item number six There is there is Yep, and that's coming up right after this There is one uh Appointment the mayor submits the following appointment for your confirmation Brittany Wagner to be considered for appointment to the mayor's international committee And that will lay over Next is public input city clerk anyone registered Mr. Rotten All right Mr. Rotten if you could state your name and address, please you'll have five minutes Sure, my name is ross otten. My address is 25 22 south seven street in shabuigan Having just heard uh, mr. Westbrook I can tell you that there is nothing Personally attached excuse me if I have voices at the brewery game on saturday night Um, there's nothing personally attached to anything that I have done Um And I cannot speak for everyone else But I will say that I am here tonight to set the record straight regarding Mr. Westbrook's resignation which takes effect this friday Since he is still employed my comments tonight are pertinent to the management of the city of shabuigan In parts of his resignation letter Published by the shabuigan press in september 11 Westbrook states Quote when I accepted the position with the city I understood that there was a need for significant cultural growth and change And I willingly accepted the responsibilities of being a conduit for such change unquote Herein lies the cornerstone to why westbrook's tenure was doomed to fail Who told him that it was his responsibility to be the conduit for significant cultural growth and change? I really would like to know The hr director is to administer the rules and regulations that guide the city's employees The hr director's job is to establish an environment of trust and transparency The hr director's role is to treat all employees fairly and equally Instead hr director westbrook used every opportunity to push the deib agenda into the workplace This even included a program to train employees on the correct pronouns to use when addressing others And this created an atmosphere of tension division and fear With city employees to the point where the great majority of those who disagreed with this stopped talking and communicating with each other This is what mr. Westbrook did Westbrook's letter continues quote whether it is because of my sexual orientation Because I support a diverse workforce or simply because I was a random target These individuals are making it extremely difficult for me to successfully continue in my job unquote The opposition to mr. Westbrook was based on his job performance And the environment of fear intimidation and retaliation that he brought to city hall I am one of the group that opposed mr. Westbrook His need to be coaxed into investigating the mayor for ethics violations His unwillingness to proceed with an investigation into the mayor for sexual harassment His encounter with a male teenage intern working for the mayor These are the reasons for my opposition to mr. Westbrook in the wake of city administrator todd wool's firing without cause He made a tense work environment And made it nearly impossible to come to work for many Westbrook's sexual orientation isn't even on my radar screen. I have gay neighbors who are great neighbors But when westbrook made it his responsibility to usher in a d.e.i. Be agenda He lost his professionalism and the respect of others He crossed the line Instead of protecting the workplace. He made it a playground of division A third part of westbrook's resignation letter included quote I wish I could have stayed here longer to continue to be a part of the transformational change that has already started unquote I truly believe that his resignation Signals that this community embraces its traditional values the values that attract so many to shaboy The values that parents want for their families the values that include the love of god family and country And finally, I want to address each of you common council members If you believe that this opera that this community wants transformational change One directed by the d.e.i. Be agenda Please run your reelection campaigns on that Please spell out How that looks in the workplace on main street and in our library Then let's see what the citizens want. Thank you Thank you All right, next we have an election of water commissioner beginning the term of october 1st alder Decker I move that nominations be received from the floor voting to be done by open ballot And if two or more candidates are nominated the candidate with the lowest number of ballots Belts be dropped from the list and balloting to continue until one candidate receives a majority Is there a second second are there any nominations? I nominate thomas how Is there a second it's been moved and seconded. Are there any other nominations? Are there any other nominations? Final call any other nominations for the board of water commissioners Seeing none alder decker. I moved to close nominations Moved and seconded Okay, alder decker. Okay. I moved that the city clerk be instructed to cast the enab's ballot for thomas Howell to serve as a member on the board of water commissioners Is there a second second moved and seconded? Any discussion on this item? Seeing none all those in favor of casting unanimous ballot for thomas howie. Please state I I any objection that item is approved. Thank you All right next we have a presentation I'll call the members up of the vfw in the american legion as well gentlemen And the marine corps leader here come on up so This past week was prisoner of war and missing an action day across the country and Paying recognition to those that have gave the ultimate sacrifice And who weren't able to return home is something that definitely Needs recognition here. So I have my friend Dave frightag here from the he's the post commander of the vfw And he'll say a few words and then I'll had some additional comments Dave Thank you, mary. Mayor. Um, it is a privilege and honor for me to be here this evening To present the city of shabuigan with a p o w m i flag on behalf of the veterans of foreign war Memorial post 9156 The honor guard behind me Is made up of three units as the mayor said the vfw memorial post 9156 The american legion post 83 and the marine corps league detachment 1446 What's the significance of the p o w m i flag in 1971 Mrs. Michael hoff a member of the national league of families recognized the need for a symbol of prisoner of war missing an action Uh, her husband was an m i in vietnam the flag kind of started in the vietnam era She contacted the flag manufacturer to create a flag as the symbol To remember those that are prisoners of war and those that are missing an action In 1979 president carter signed a proclamation that national p o w of m i recognition day was established It would be recognized on the third friday in september As the mayor said september 15th of this year was that day um natural p o w m i recognition day is not a holiday But it's a day to recognize those service members that were prisoners of war and missing an action It is a day to remember the motto at the bottom of the flag Which you can't see now, but it says you are not forgotten That's one of them. We should not forget our people that has of may 22nd of 2023 The defense p o w m i accounting agency its latest update said that there are more than 81 000 Service members still missing This covers all the conflicts world war two korea vietnam the cold war the golf wars and other conflicts Um, our nation's promises to leave no service man service member rather behind So defense, uh p o w m i accounting agency is tasked with locating and bringing our missing service members home The um another one more point is that the six national observance the only flag that flies at the white house Other than the american flag is the p o w m i a flag on six specific days The recognition day the p o w m i a recognition day It also is on the nash. Um, i'm sorry the um Armed forces day memorial day flag day Independence day and veterans day But no other flag ever flies there other than that flag um Lastly when you see the p o w flag as you look at it and you see it and understand the black Understand what's on there. It's a head bob wire p o w It's a guard tower It all recognizes our oath goes back to vietnam But now you look at the the biggest amount of people that i read was world war two It's still missing a lot of people because it was a world war But when you see that flag when you walk into this chamber and you see that flag Take a minute to remember those that are missing And the families that have no closure yet. They're still they don't know where their loved ones are And if they ever will be fine found who are bringing back home. So Just keep that in mind when you do see that flag. There's a lot of significance there Especially when you have over 81,000 people still missing so service members missing. Thank you Thank you Dave So now i'll present the proclamation and as Some of these statements definitely are articulated in the post commander's comments as well Whereas there are still approximately 72,000 americans still missing from world war two 7500 from the korean war 1500 from the vietnam war 100 from the cold war and five from the golf wars Whereas many of those missing citizens were from wisconsin in the shabuigan community Whereas families friends and other concerned citizens are left still uncertain of the fate of the service men and women Who have made the extraordinary sacrifices for their country? Whereas it is essential that we continue to honor those who have brave bravely served our state nation and country That through steadfast efforts with the goal of bringing these vigilant service members home And whereas on this day, we encourage every citizen of shabuigan to honor Returned us prisoner of wars and many americans still captured unaccounted for or still missing in action Now i ryan sorenson by the virtue vested in me as the mayor of the great city of shabuigan do here Do hereby recognize p o w and am i recognition day throughout the city of shabuigan so Dave there we go And thank you again to the vfw for donating the p o w m i a flag which will be Sitting probably up on the dais over here for future generations. Thank you, and then we'll do some pictures quick All right We'll jump into mayor's announcements. I'll call didger martinez up for another great proclamation So not as not as great as the last one that is for sure so September is chamber of commerce month So whereas the shabuigan county chamber has provided expertise And has been a dynamic organization in the shabuigan county for over a hundred years Whereas shabuigan county chamber of commerce provides resources to educate and support the businesses of the shabuigan community To strive and continue the positive economic development of the city to promote tourism and business growth within the city in the shabuigan community And whereas the shabuigan county chamber of commerce works tirelessly to partner Throughout the community to advocate for shabuigan's private and public sectors Whereas the shabuigan chamber gives definition to shabuigan throughout their guidance of local businesses sponsorship of events To promote and educate the greater shabuigan community And whereas this month the city shabuigan joins all shabuiganites in commending the shabuigan county chamber of commerce for their great work Of improving the community for a great place to live work and start and run a business. So Um Hi, ryan sorenson by the virtue of Invested in me as the mayor of shabuigan do hereby proclaim september 2023 as chamber of commerce month. So the city is proud To be a great partner and an active member of the chamber of commerce So I present tigre martinez with this proclamation and invite her to say a few words Sorry Well the good news is is the mayor is aware that i'm never short winded No, but really thank you so much mayor sorenson and common members of the common council and the city of shabuigan for your continued support We at the chamber really understand the importance of economic vitality in our communities And we can't do that without organizations that bring folks together bring businesses together bring organizations together To lift up and ensure great success. We know that if we don't have strong businesses We will not have strong communities. So thank you for your continued support And we appreciate you Thanks tigre All right, just a few General items then uh, so tonight on the agenda as well We will be having an item regarding the outdoor comprehensive plan So definitely want to thank our team at the department of public works The leadership of joe kerlin and the parks and forestry team for working on this Important item So this plan will definitely help us guide The city for the future and how we will make investments And strategic improvements across all of our great parks across the city of shabuigan As well as unlock a lot of great opportunities for potential grants as joe tells me down the line. So fingers crossed on that um I also want to thank uh The city staff and local business owners that attended the fall business improvement district meeting Last thursday it was great to see so many passionate individuals small business owners alike that care about our downtown riverfront and south pier district working together Making some awesome things happen. And I know that there are there are some more exciting projects in the hopper and we'll continue To improve these areas for a city To grow so also want to do a great shout out to another local business legend larry's Everyone knows wings are Key important food group For winning three national awards at the national buffalo wings festival In buffalo new york, of course the other weekend It's always great to see many local businesses from shabuigan competing on the national stage In getting the recognition that they deserve. So congrats to our friends at legend larry's. So those conclude my announcements All right, we'll jump into the consent agenda older decker Thank you, mayor. I moved to receive and file all our roles receive all our c's and adopt all resolutions and ordinances Is it Okay, any discussion on items on the consent agenda all their flicky panaski. Thank you I actually have three okay, the first is The parklet and there were lots of cross-offs and Editions have there been problems. Can you state what item you're referring to number 13? Okay Have there been problems? I it was hard. It was hard for me to follow What was coming and what was going in the parklet discussion? City attorney So the this is we discovered that when you approved some changes to the ordinance few weeks back That there was another set of ordinances to which this referred that did not get changed. And so this is Making sure that those references also are updated So it's a matter of correlating and corresponding The ordinances correct Okay, thank you Your next item. My next item is number 16 which is Purchasing five vehicles for the police department and Last week we heard the police department budget and it was about a million dollars and then additional wanting to halves which everybody did Was an additional four hundred thousand dollars and nowhere in there. Did we see anything about cars? So were the cars in capital improvements? I don't think because I don't think they belong in capital improvements but are Yes, the the the patrol cars are in capital improvements They are in capital improvements. Yes, please want to add anything else? Yeah, the cars are in capital improvements because of the supply chain issues We need to order them now because ford is going to open up The period for us to order them if we don't order them now for next year We will not get them. We did the same thing last year in place to order First week in october when it opened up. We have not received any cars yet. We're still waiting on all of those cars So this is a national issue if we don't order them now. We're not getting them Okay, thank you. I did not know automobiles were part of capital improvements now. I know and then I have number 18 Which is the crisis response program and I'd just like to say I was on a county-wide committee that Encouraged the ride-along of social workers with law enforcement to take care of our constituent So I would I would just encourage that. Okay. Thanks for the support on that item Any additional comments on the consent agenda older prella? Yeah, I actually had the same question on item 16. So you answered that but I was about the number 14 What is the actual service that the jt will do? I couldn't find that information in the actual document City engineer Yes, what jt engineering will do is they will design the intersection of wilgus and taylor to look at what new equipment We should install there If we should make the road a little bit wider if we should put some turn lanes in adding additional sidewalk Yeah, the equipment at the intersection is really is really old and these needs to be updated So it's it's an engineering design contract So they will look at different aspects of the the whole redesign basically. Yes. Okay. Okay. Thank you Any additional items on the consent agenda for discussion? Seeing none. This is a roll call vote Eight eyes that's approved Right next we'll do reports of officers Item 19 ro number 42 23 24 By city attorney submitting a matter of record a copy of the stipulation for dismissal filed with circuit court on august 30th 2023 In the matter of better state law LP versus city shaboy in case number 22 cv 292 holder decker Thank you, mayor. I moved to accept and file Moved and seconded any discussion on this item? Seeing none all those in favor state. Aye. Aye any objection? That is approved Items 20 through 22 will be referred to the finance personnel committee As well as resolutions item 23 25 will be referred to their respective committees and reports of committees item 26 rc number 80 23 24 by the licensing hearing and public safety committee To whom was referred general ordinance number 20 23 24 by elder salazar and feldy amending the city's nuisance ordinance Recommends adopting the ordinance and deleting the words in article 3 In section 36 to a and strike section 36 to b Older feldy. I'm sorry. Oh, sorry. I gotta add to you. I moved to accept All right, there's been a motion to accept second and adopt the substitute ordinance Are we clear on that? Older feldy your motion is to receive and to adopt the substitute ordinance, correct? Yes. All right. Thank you. That's the way I heard it Second. All right. It's been moved and seconded any discussion on this item. Alder flicky paneski. Thank you. Um Thank you for the copy and In this plan, there's four and a half million dollars worth of improvements Over a five-year time frame We're talking about the nuisance ordinance. Oh, sorry. Okay. Got my numbers Any discussion on the nuisance ordinance? All right, seeing none. This is a roll call vote Eight eyes That item is approved item 27 rc number 81 23 24 by public works to whom was referred Resolution number 36 23 24 by elder persons decker and rest Adopting the city of shabuigan 2024 2028 comprehensive outdoor recreation plan Recommends adopting the resolution to modify the first whereas clause to read whereas the city shabuigan Adopted a five-year comprehensive outdoor recreation plan in 2016 And to replace the comprehensive outdoor recreation plan originally referred to the public works committee on august 7th 2023 with the september 6 2023 final version attached elder decker Thank you, mayor. I moved to receive the rc and adopt the substitute resolution Moved in seconded discussion on this item elder flicky paneski. Thank you now. I'm on the right number I'm impressed with the thoroughness of the plan. Let's just put that out there I also noticed that it was four and a half million dollars worth over five years I am presuming and correct me if this is not accurate that in order to Spend the money This has to come back to us individually Or once we pass this we have said you can spend four and a half million dollars I'm going to call on our parks and forestry superintendent joe kerlin Yes, good question. Um, yeah, all that is is basically At whatever point we were in the process of doing this report was our five-year plan So it should be pretty similar to what we're asking for cip for in our five-year plan It's probably going to be some differences because it was a while ago But yes, of course anytime we have a project Especially again, it correlates to cip it would be we're in the budget season for this year So we'd be doing a new five-year plan For 2024 through 2028 We'd be doing that each year. So we'd be coming to the council asking for those And it'll be updated as we go and be coming to the council council for 2024 cip through 2028 And then we continue just just like we're normally doing but we just wanted to kind of we wanted to put it in The report and that actually helps when we go out for grants The more specific we can be in this report The better we're going to have a state and federal funds I get that Okay, then follow up question. I do. Thank you so much Then I maybe it's a city attorney question when we pass this are we saying you get the four and they have no You are not because any Spending needs to be approved either in the budget or in the comprehensive, you know in the cip Or if it's outside of that you would it would be a budget amendment which would require a vote of the council So this is a plan But the execution of that plan would still require action by you And i'm understanding from you that it's a five-year plan and we've seen it and it's in the cip correct. Thank you Any other items regarding the comprehensive vote or plan? Elder prilla just curious. So do we do that every year? No, it's a five-year plan. So we will do it again in five years. We'll we'll do This again. Yep for 2029 We'll we'll start. Well, hopefully adopt a new five-year plan then In 2029. Yes, correct. Thank you. Yeah additional comments on this item Seeing none, this is a roll call vote. Thank you, joe Eight eyes that item is approved next item 28 rc number 82 23 24 by the finance personnel committee to whom was referred direct referral resolution number 58 23 24 by older persons mitchell and flaky paneski authorizing Excuse me adopting policies to be contained in the city of shabuigan employee handbook holder mitchell Thank you, mayor. I moved to receive the irc and adopt the resolution It's been moved and seconded any discussion on this item Older mitchell Thank you I Would just like to start with that is listed on the agenda that this item was sent back from committee without a recommendation That was something that I had asked for in committee just based on the timing and the size of the document I felt that I can't speak for other members of the committee But the motion was made so I imagine that this is the general sense of the committee I know personally I felt I did not have enough time to consume all of it in just the few days To feel I could give a recommendation My motion to adopt now is I have Now been through it Thank you. Older me twice And then I would also just like to recognize director westbrook and everybody else who took part in this task this is going to be a I feel like a large improvement might be putting it a bit short since We have some policies kind of floating around and this will Actually put them all in one place It's a lot more thorough somewhere that people can find them I imagine it was a no small task and Thank you to you and your team for all the work that went into putting it together Thank you. Older mitchell older decker. Thank you, mayor. I just want to say I Back this policy I back to say and the only thing that I would like to improve upon it And this is not something that we have to do now, but in the future. I do want to have a An employee engagement group that would work on policies in the future. That's all I would say Thank you. Older decker. Older flicky peneski. Thank you I too was on the committee and did have extra time to look through the policies section 2.09 Is not there And I believe it was the acting up Correct. So 2.09 the language is not there as indicated at the committee. The language will Essentially mirror what is in ordinance currently So the the content of it is already in our ordinance, but that language will get put in Once Administrator bradley arrives and again those types of updates you will get When they're put in but for content purposes It's already in the ordinance and it it'll just spell out in a way that supervisors and employees can understand The process better Thank you. Yep Any other discussion on this item? older mitchell Thank you, mayor. I suppose I'll direct my question at either director westbrook or the city attorney It dawned on me as we were one away from this that we discussed in committee. The plan was that the The policies within the resolution would go into an employee handbook that would then become effective on january 1st Good for a collection. Would you like to make an amendment on your motion? Sure Right. We're supposed to do that Sure an appropriate amendment would simply be to amend the resolution so as to provide that the policies take effect on january 1 2024 And I would move to amend Exactly a stated right. It's been so moved and seconded any discussion on the amendment Seeing none all those in favor of accepting the amendment for the item to take effect The first of the year 2024 state. Aye. Aye Any objection on the amendment? Seeing none. We're back to the main motion as amended Seeing no more queues. This is a roll call vote. Please refer to the item as amended That item is approved as amended. Thank you RC number 89 23 24 by the finance personnel committee to whom was referred direct referral resolution number 56 23 24 by elder persons Mitchell and flaky paneski authorizing the appropriate city officials to execute Three mortgage subordination documents guarding loans to catering with culinary artists LLC and black pig Hellcart Lake LLC holder Mitchell. Thank you mayor move to receive the RC and adopt the resolution It's been moved and seconded any discussion on this item Seeing none. This is roll call vote He dies that's approved right next Other matters authorized by law city attorney Uh, the other matter is uh an ro number 43 23 24 by the city clerk Submitting a certified survey map creating lot 1a and out lot 1b in the south point enterprise campus Including dedication of public street right away for a portion of the south taylor drive north of horizon drive as shown on the attached map That will be referred to the plan commission All right, we've exhausted the agenda alder decker Thank you, mayor. I moved to adjourn second moved in second all those in favor of adjourning state. I've any objection We're adjourned at 642. Thanks everybody You