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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes PROCEEDINGS OF THE COMMON COUNCIL CITY OF OSHKOSH, WISCONSIN JuNE 25, 2019 REGULAR MEETING held Tuesday,June 25,2019, at 6:00 p.m. in Council Chambers, City Hall Mayor Palmeri presided. PRESENT: Council Members Bob Poeschl, Sill Miller, Deb Allison-Aasby, Steven Herman, Matt Mugerauer, Jake Krause and Mayor Lori Palmeri ALSO PRESENT: Mark Rohloff, City Manager; Pamela Ubrig, City Clerk; Lynn Lorenson, City Attorney and James Rabe, Director of Public Works Council Member Poeschl read the Invocation. The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Council Member Poeschl. PRESENTATIONS Joe Ferlo, President and CEO of the Grand Opera House, presented the Grand Opera House season preview. Julia Salomon, Public Planner, Winnebago County Health Department, presented the Oshkosh Youth of Color Report. Council Member Miller questioned if the presentation as going to be provided to the school district as he believed a significant amount of feedback from the youth was related to their experiences in school. Ms. Salomon explained the State had provided specific questions to ask, as each of the counties was gathering data and the questions would provide standardization. She stated she had worked with the youth on modifying the questions to be more applicable to their lives. She explained the report as a whole had more information on the community in general, however, because the conversation took place with youth and students, their experiences in school were a component. PROCEEDINGS OF THE COMMON COUNCIL-JUNE 25, 2019 Council Member Miller questioned if the presentation would be provided to the schools. He stated he believed it was important for them to hear. Ms. Salomon explained it had been shared at the schools where the survey had been conducted, and she would like to continue to share the results within the district. She stated they would be sharing the report with other community partners as well. Tim Hess, Invista Analytics, and Tyler Riley, owner of Extreme Customs, presented information regarding the Aviation Plaza Redevelopment tax increment financing plan for the Mineshaft Restaurant, Extreme Customs & Offroad and Rogans Shoes. Council Member Herman questioned what the timeline was for the project. Mr. Hess explained all of the parties were prepared to begin immediately after Council voted. He stated Extreme Customs and Rogans planned for their projects to be completed by the end of 2019, and the Mineshaft anticipated completion in April/May of 2020. Council Member Mugerauer stated when the Mineshaft had presented in February, it had been estimated that approximately 200 jobs would be created. He questioned why the number had dropped to 100. Mr. Hess explained he was only able to present the data he could justify. He stated he believed Mr. Masters, the owner of the Mineshaft, was excited for the project and did not believe he had intentionally misled Council. Council Member Mugerauer explained in February there had been reference to a complete market analysis. He questioned if that had been completed. Mr. Hess stated yes. Council Member Mugerauer explained with a pay-go TIF, the developer would need to cover the initial cost of the improvements. He stated in reviewing the numbers, he felt that funds were 'tight'. He questioned if there would be enough equity and financial backing that they would be able to sustain the project and make it fully viable. Mr. Hess stated yes. Council Member Mugerauer explained the analysis, it was indicated banks have different thresholds for lending depending upon the type of development and restaurants were risky. He stated 8 million dollars was the cap of what Mr. Masters was able to borrow, 2 PROCEEDINGS OF THE COMMON COUNCIL-JUNE 25, 2019 and he would need to bring another 8 million to the project. He explained he was concerned that if the biggest part of the development, the Mineshaft, did not go well quickly, there would not be enough funding to sustain it. Mr. Hess stated from an analytical standpoint, and considering the TIF, he evaluated if the development could be self-sustaining. He explained that Mr. Masters had 20 years of experience operating in Hartford, and had projected to do the same in Oshkosh. He stated he expected the project to succeed,however, the financial institutions were hesitant lending to restaurants. He explained they would be able to utilize equity in Mr. Masters' other restaurants in Hartford. Council Member Mugerauer explained a TIF for a standalone restaurant was a difficult request. He stated incorporating two other businesses made it easier to consider, however, he had difficulty subsidizing a restaurant and potentially putting other restaurants out of business due to a TIF. Mr. Hess explained he would not characterize the Mineshaft as just a restaurant. He stated he did not believe the clientele would be patrons of other restaurants in the area. He explained he understood there would be some overlap, however, he believed the market would be substantially different from that of other area restaurants. Council Member Miller questioned if Mr. Masters still participated in catering at EAA and Country USA. Mr. Hess stated he had not for several years. Mayor Palmeri questioned what types of wages would be paid for the jobs affiliated with the Mineshaft and Extreme Customs. Mr. Hess stated he was unable to allude to what the wages would be for the Mineshaft. He explained additional information would be provided in the future. Mr. Riley stated his team members made between $15 dollars and $25 dollars an hour initially and had the opportunity for wage increases depending on sales and commissions. Mayor Palmeri asked for clarification regarding 'some' of his team members. Mr. Riley stated some of the employees who had been there longer made more money, however, new employees made an aggressive commission based on their sales. 3 PROCEEDINGS OF THE COMMON COUNCIL—JUNE 25, 2019 Mayor Palmeri questioned what the impact of the project would be for Extreme Customs. Mr. Riley stated if the project did not move forward he would look at moving out the business out of the area as he was completely out of growing space. PUBLIC HEARING Ordinance 19-353 Approve Deletion of a Portion of Officially Mapped Riverwalk South Shore of Fox River from Iowa Street to 336' East of Oregon Street (Plan Commission Recommends approval) FIRST READING; LAID OVER UNDER THE RULES CITIZEN STATEMENTS Deb Martin, 164 Wyldewood Drive, stated she had noticed cellphones being utilized more frequently during Council meetings. She requested for the benefit of the public and other Council Members that Council refrained from using cellphones during the meetings. Marc Dosogne, W3299 Princeton Road, Green Bay, stated he was present to represent the Boys and Girls Club of Oshkosh, and indicated within the report on youth of color there was some comments about the Oshkosh Police Department participation at the Boys and Girls Club. He explained he believed they had done an excellent job at maintaining a partnership with the Boys and Girls Club for many years. He stated he was unaware of the experience the young person had, and while it was not necessarily negative, the individual had indicated that the police department was disengaged. He explained that had not been his experience as officers spent significant time at the club, visiting with kids and teaching various classes. He thanked the police department and Dean Smith, Chief of Police, for their efforts. Council Member Miller questioned how many children were fed each day at the Boys and Girls Club in the summer. Mr. Dosogne stated it was between 375 and 500 children during the summer, and during the school year it was 150 per day at the club, and 600 at the school sites. He explained during the summer it was breakfast, lunch and afternoon snack. Lydia Christensen, 1045 Greenwood Court, requested the Council consider adopting an ordinance prohibiting discrimination against members of the community who fall under 4 PROCEEDINGS OF THE COMMON COUNCIL-JUNE 25, 2019 the term 'sexual minority'. She stated with the number of diverse people who traveled to Oshkosh or attended school in the City, it should not be a controversial issue,yet many people believed it was. She explained the ordinance she was requesting was similar to one passed in Salt Lake City in 2009. She stated State law only protected members of the LGBT "plus" community in government offices. She explained the law in Winnebago County was the same. She stated the existing protections were not addressing the rights of the community at large. She explained at first she struggled to understand why people would take action to sue businesses for not providing a service as she did not believe that was necessarily the correct path of action. She stated what she was doing was an important aspect of the work, however, she was also working with the LGBT plus community to ensure they treated others the same way they wished to be treated. She explained she had been surprised at the support she had received. She stated while she respected the viewpoints of others, an individual should not be able to be fired based on their gender identity. CONSENT AGENDA Report of Sills by the Finance Director Receipt & Filing of the Library Board Minutes from April 25, 2019 Receipt & Filing of Museum Board Minutes from May 9, 2019 Receipt & Filing of Common Council Minutes from May 28, 2019 Resolution 19-354 Approve Resolution providing for the issuance & sale of$11,085,000 aggregate principal amount of Water System Revenue Bonds, Series 2019D, of the City of Oshkosh, Winnebago County, Wisconsin, providing details, prescribing the form of bond, awarding said revenue bonds to the best bidder, and providing for the payment of said revenue bonds & other details & covenants with respect thereto Resolution 19-355 Approve Resolution providing for the issuance & sale of$16,115,000 aggregate principal amount of Sewer System Revenue Bonds, Series 2019E, of the City of Oshkosh, Winnebago County, Wisconsin, providing details, prescribing the form of bond, awarding said revenue bonds to the best bidder, & providing for the payment of said revenue bonds and other details & covenants with respect thereto 5 PROCEEDINGS OF THE COMMON COUNCIL-JUNE 25, 2019 Resolution 19-356 Approve Amendment to 2019 Operations Budget for TIF #23 for $66,200.00 Resolution 19-357 Approve & Submit 2018 Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Compliance Maintenance Annual Report / Wastewater Treatment Plant Resolution 19-358 Award Bid to Truck Country for Digger Derrick for Electric Division ($247,436.00) Resolution 19-359 Rescind Resolution 18-549 Awarding Bid to Northern Metal & Roofing Inc. / Roof Replacement / Wastewater Treatment Plant ($2774.80) Resolution 19-360 Approve Special Event — Oshkosh Elks Lodge #292 to utilize Rainbow Park for the Oshkosh Elks Sheepshead Fishing Tournament/July 20, 2019 Resolution 19-361 Approve Special Event—Wisconsin Football Coaches Association to hold the All Star Football Games at the JJ Keller at Titan Stadium / July 20, 2019 Resolution 19-362 Approve Special Event — Winnebago County Fair Association to hold the Winnebago County Fair at Sunnyview Exposition Center / July 31 —August 4, 2019 Resolution 19-363 Approve Special Event — Rech Entertainment to utilize the Leach Amphitheater for the BoDeans Concert/August 16, 2019 Resolution 19-364 Approve Special Event — Oshkosh Kids & Propel Oshkosh to utilize the Leach Amphitheater for the Celebrate Oshkosh event / August 31, 2019 Resolution 19-365 Approve Special Event—Winnebago County Labor Council to utilize South Park for the Labor Day Picnic & Car Show/September 2, 2019 Resolution 19-366 Approve Special Event — UW Oshkosh — Residence Life to utilize City streets for their Move In Days / August 28 & August 30 thru September 2, 2019 6 PROCEEDINGS OF THE COMMON COUNCIL-JUNE 25, 2019 Resolution 19-367 Approve Special Event — Lourdes Academy Student Council to utilize City streets for the Lourdes Academy Homecoming Parade / September 20, 2019 Resolution 19-368 Approve Special Event — Christine Ann Domestic Abuse Services, Inc. to utilize City streets for the Take Sack the Night event/October 2, 2019 Resolution 19-369 Approve Special Event — Run Away Events to utilize Menominee Park and City streets for the Run Away to the bay event / April 18, 2020 Resolution 19-370 Approve Special Event — Hmong Service Center, Inc. to hold the Hmong National Memorial Day Festival at the Winnebago County Community Park/May 23 & 24, 2020 Resolution 19-371 Approve Block Party — Melissa Blaske to utilize Hubbard Street between 191h Avenue & 201h Avenue for their neighborhood block party/July 27, 2019 Resolution 19-372 Approve Block Party — Ann Resop to utilize West Bent Avenue between Sheridan Street & Algoma Boulevard for their neighborhood block party/August 6, 2019 Resolution 19-373 Approve Block Party—Barb McClain to utilize 121h Avenue between Rugby Street & Georgia Street for their neighborhood block party / August 10, 2019 Resolution 19-374 Approve Appointments for the following Boards & Commissions: Public Arts & Beautification & Storm Water Utility Resolution 19-375 Approve Special Class "B" Licenses, Combination "Class B" Licenses, Secondhand Dealer & Taxi-Cab Licenses MOTION: ADOPT CONSENT AGENDA EXCLUDING 19-354 AND 19-355 (Herman; second, Mugerauer) CARRIED: Ayes (7) Poeschl, Miller, Allison-Aasby, Herman, Mugerauer, Krause, Mayor Palmeri 7 PROCEEDINGS OF THE COMMON COUNCIL-JUNE 25, 2019 Resolution 19-354 Approve Resolution providing for the issuance & sale of$11,085,000 aggregate principal amount of Water System Revenue Bonds, Series 2019D, of the City of Oshkosh, Winnebago County, Wisconsin, providing details, prescribing the form of bond, awarding said revenue bonds to the best bidder, and providing for the payment of said revenue bonds & other details & covenants with respect thereto MOTION: ADOPT (Herman; second, Mugerauer) MOTION: AMEND TO UPDATE BOND AMOUNT TO$8,220,000 (Herman; second, Poeschl) CARRIED: Ayes (7) Poeschl, Miller, Allison-Aasby, Herman, Mugerauer, Krause, Mayor Palmeri VOTE ON AMENDED RESOLUTION CARRIED: Ayes (7) Poeschl, Miller, Allison-Aasby, Herman, Mugerauer, Krause, Mayor Palmeri Resolution 19-355 Approve Resolution providing for the issuance & sale of$16,115,000 aggregate principal amount of Sewer System Revenue Bonds, Series 2019E, of the City of Oshkosh, Winnebago County, Wisconsin, providing details, prescribing the form of bond, awarding said revenue bonds to the best bidder, & providing for the payment of said revenue bonds and other details & covenants with respect thereto MOTION: ADOPT (Herman; second, Allison-Aasby) MOTION: AMEND TO UPDATE BOND AMOUNT TO$13,990,000 (Herman; second, Poeschl) CARRIED: Ayes (7) Poeschl, Miller, Allison-Aasby, Herman, Mugerauer, Krause, Mayor Palmeri VOTE ON AMENDED RESOLUTION CARRIED: Ayes (7) Poeschl, Miller, Allison-Aasby, Herman, Mugerauer, Krause, Mayor Palmeri Ms. Lorenson explained the bond totals had been updated and the City Clerk had the updated resolutions 19-354 and 19-355 on file. 8 PROCEEDINGS OF THE COMMON COUNCIL—JUNE 25, 2019 Council Member Herman requested an explanation of the updated amounts. Trena Larson, Finance Director, stated the bidding results had been positive. Jon Cameron, Municipal Advisor, Ehlers, explained the bond sales had been successful. He stated the interest rates had come in lower and the issue sizes had been significantly reduced, resulting in considerable savings for the City. ACTION TAKEN ON ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS Ordinance 19-376 Temporarily Close Pioneer Drive& 141h Avenue;Allow Persons to Use a Portion of Pioneer Drive for Viewing of the July 41h Fireworks Show &Allow Carry-Ins for July 41h Fireworks Show MOTION: ADOPT (Mugerauer; second, Herman) CARRIED: Ayes (7) Poeschl, Miller, Allison-Aasby, Herman, Mugerauer, Krause, Mayor Palmeri Ordinance 19-377 Approve Request to Annex to the City from the Town of Oshkosh/Gilman Annexation, 575 W Snell Road (Plan Commission Recommends Approval) FIRST READING; LAID OVER UNDER THE RULES Ordinance 19-378 Designate Bike Lanes on Oakwood Road between 91h Avenue & 201h Avenue & Allow Parking FIRST READING; LAID OVER UNDER THE RULES Dmitry Sokolov, 727 W. Lincoln Avenue, stated with the weather in Wisconsin, the amount of time bike lanes could be used was not enough to justify bike lanes. He explained he believed adding the lanes would make the road less safe. He stated it would encourage bikers to utilize the road,where they would be traveling with bigger and faster vehicles. He explained he believed the job of the City was to make commutes less stressful, and adding bike lanes would make it more difficult to travel. He stated if more accidents occurred due to the change, insurance costs could rise as companies could designate Oshkosh as a higher insurance premium City. He explained compared to the national average, Wisconsin residents were more likely to drive after drinking or taking drugs. He stated distracted driving was on the rise due to smart phones. He stated 9 PROCEEDINGS OF THE COMMON COUNCIL—JUNE 25, 2019 pairing these concerns with bike lanes was dangerous. He described a potential scenario in which a child utilized a bike lane at dusk during Country USA and was struck by a vehicle. Resolution 19-379 Approve Annual City Licenses (Renewals) MOTION: ADOPT (Mugerauer; second, Herman) CARRIED: Ayes (7) Poeschl, Miller, Allison-Aasby, Herman, Mugerauer, Krause, Mayor Palmeri Resolution 19-380 Authorize Staff to Complete & File a Water Rate Increase Application with the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin MOTION: ADOPT (Mugerauer; second, Allison-Aasby) CARRIED: Ayes (7) Poeschl, Miller, Allison-Aasby, Herman, Mugerauer, Krause, Mayor Palmeri Council Member Miller questioned if this application was for the wholesale rate. Mr. Rabe stated no, it was for water utility as a whole. COUNCIL DISCUSSION, DIRECTION TO CITY MANAGER &FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS Mr. Rohloff asked if there were any comments or questions related to the public information meeting on the transportation fee. Council Member Herman stated it was his understanding that after discussion at the previous Council meeting it was decided there would be a look-back, and it appeared now that there would not. Mr. Rohloff explained City staff did not initially propose a look-back as it would be left up to Council. He stated there had been discussion in which residents were requesting a look-back to the life of a project. Council Member Herman stated it was his understanding a five year look-back had been discussed. Mr. Rohloff explained the City of Neenah had done a look-back of five years, and City staff had not included that in the ordinance. He stated if Council wished to provide direction to include it, City staff would add the look-back. 10 PROCEEDINGS OF THE COMMON COUNCIL-JUNE 25, 2019 Council Member Herman questioned how much City staff time would be required to establish a look-back. Mr. Rohloff stated in the Neenah model, residents who had paid or been subject to a special assessment in the five years preceding the change, the City would waive the fee on a tiered schedule depending on how long ago the charges took place. He explained it would have an impact on City staff time as it would be a manual process. Trena Larson, Finance Director, explained the challenge would be in the administration of the look-back. She stated it would be a manual administration every year and would delay the implementation of the program. She explained each year a manual credit would need to be added to individual accounts. Mr. Rabe stated that may include approximately one hundred to one hundred and fifty customers per year for the street reconstruction projects. He explained over five years there would be between five hundred to seven hundred and fifty accounts that would require manual management. Council Member Krause stated it was his understanding then that it would affect a small percentage of the City. Mr. Rabe stated it was a rough estimate. Council Member Krause explained the major complaint he had received from citizens was if they had their street reconstructed in the last five years they believed they should not have to pay the fee. He stated he looked at it as a small percentage of the population, and citizens who had their streets scheduled for reconstruction this year and next year wanted the process to change quickly. He explained he believed it was something the City was in together, and citizens needed to consider how it would impact their friends, family and future generations. Mr. Rabe clarified the estimate he provided had been for the street reconstruction projects, and if sidewalk rehabilitation projects were factored in, the number of accounts that would have to be manually adjusted would be approximately 2,500 to 3,000 per year. Council Member Mugerauer questioned what type of look-back was being considered, if it was just street reconstruction or sidewalk rehabilitation as well. He explained the long range finance committee believed there was no perfect way to determine a credit for residents. He stated it would be something Council needed to consider and evaluate on a policy decision. He explained the number of accounts to manually adjust for street 11 PROCEEDINGS OF THE COMMON COUNCIL-JUNE 25, 2019 reconstruction would be relatively low. He stated personally,he believed when initiating any new process, there was a 'first' and a 'last'. He explained he believed at some point the policy needed to change, there had to be a stop date,and he would support the change with or without a look-back. Mr. Rohloff stated in respect to the sidewalk rehabilitation accounts, due to the volume, he would not recommend a look-back. He explained he had wanted Council to understand the logistics of the street reconstruction portion and City staff would follow Council's policy direction. Council Member Miller stated he understood the burden of the manual process. Ms. Larson explained the current fee calculation total of$4.50 had not taken into account any credits or look-backs, which may result in an impact to the program. Council Member Herman he stated if the fee were to be reduced through a look-back, the money would need to come from somewhere, and would have an impact on citizens. Mr. Rabe agreed. He explained City staff had not reviewed how a look-back would impact the rate. Mayor Palmeri stated it was brought to Council's attention that there may be some citizens impacted more than others, and she wanted to ensure that the City was communicating the policy change by all means possible. Mr. Rohloff explained City staff had not received a significant response from the public. He stated the group that had attended the public information session was largely composed of Hazel Street and Oregon Street residents. He explained City staff had received calls from governmental entity partners, and would continue to utilize press releases and social media. He stated he could not guarantee that the information would reach each citizen, however, City staff was utilizing every means possible to communicate. Council Member Miller explained he would like an additional public information meeting geared towards the business community. Mr. Rohloff stated the City had been invited to a meeting at the Oshkosh Convention Center hosted by the Oshkosh Chamber of Commerce on July 91h. He explained both City staff and Council Members would be in attendance. Council Member Herman recommended reaching out to the Westside Association. 12 PROCEEDINGS OF THE COMMON COUNCIL-JUNE 25, 2019 Mr. Rohloff questioned if there was consensus in terms of the look-back. Council Member Poeschl stated he believed it was a great idea, however, he would feel uncomfortable voting for it as his personal property had been assessed within the last year and he would therefore benefit from a look-back. He explained his employer would also benefit from a look-back. Mr. Rohloff clarified the look-back would be to waive the fee for a period of time, not the assessment total. Council Member Poeschl stated he understood. Mayor Palmeri explained she resided on Parkway Avenue, which was completed relatively recently, and may be impacted by a look-back. Mr. Rohloff stated there was a Council Member who had been subject to special assessments several years ago, and had been advised because the assessments impacted the entire neighborhood, and not just the Council Member specifically, it had been acceptable to vote on. Ms. Lorenson explained she did not give ethics opinions during Council meetings, and advised Council Members to speak with her separately. Council Member Poeschl stated he believed it was important for Council Members who had experienced assessments during the look-back period to disclose that information. He explained he believed it was important to find a way where they could support the policy change while remaining ethical. Council Member Krause explained he would be interested in a five year look-back, similar to the City of Neenah, specific to street reconstruction and not sidewalk rehabilitation. He stated he would like an update on how the look-back would impact the $4.50 per month charge. Mayor Palmeri questioned if narrowing down the look-back to street reconstruction properties would reduce the number of manual adjustments to a few hundred. Mr. Rohloff stated it would be approximately one hundred and fifty manual adjustments a year, over a period of five years. 13 PROCEEDINGS OF THE COMMON COUNCIL-JUNE 25, 2019 Council Member Krause questioned if the waiver would only occur if the property owners still resided at the same address they lived at when the work was completed. Mr. Rohloff stated it became complex in those areas, and recommended if Council chose to include a look-back to make it as simple as possible. Council Member Mugerauer stated he was not in favor of a look-back. He explained it was possible he could be talked into one, if it was the correct one, however, his stance right now was no. Mayor Palmeri questioned when the new policy would go into effect. Council Member Mugerauer stated immediately; if an individual had received a special assessment so far this year, they would be responsible for it. Mr. Rohloff explained the ordinance would be provided for Council's consideration at the July 91h Council meeting without a look-back clause. He stated dependent on direction from Council, City staff could then provide an amended ordinance for consideration at the July 23rd Council meeting with a look-back clause. Council agreed. Mayor Palmeri reminded Council of the scheduled workshop on July 23rd regarding boards and commissions, including the updated alternate ordinance, at 5:00 p.m. in room 404. Mr. Rohloff explained he would forward Council a copy of the pervious boards and commissions study for reference. Mayor Palmeri stated the diversity coordinator study was applicable to the boards and commissions. Council Member Mugerauer explained the League of Wisconsin Municipalities was supportive of possible legislation at the State level to eliminate personal property tax. He stated he understood the amount of exemptions the State allowed was a burden, and it often cost business owners more to do the accounting than the actual tax amount. He explained he believed it may be appropriate for the City to create a resolution in support of advocating for the elimination of personal property tax. 14 PROCEEDINGS OF THE COMMON COUNCIL—JUNE 25, 2019 Council Member Miller agreed. He questioned if he was correct in understanding that the personal property tax was useless to most municipalities. Mr. Rohloff stated personal property accounted for approximately four percent of the City's value. He explained the League was opposed to the personal property proposal on the table right now, however, if the State was willing to backfill the loss to municipalities, and put in an inflationary factor, he believed there would still be value. He stated assessing personal property tax was much more cumbersome than real estate. He explained the workshop on policy for acquiring and disposing of real estate was one of the goals Council had set for him. He stated it was a matter of setting a date and time. The date was set for August 131h at 5:00 p.m. CITIZEN STATEMENTS TO COUNCIL There were no citizen statements to Council. CO UNCIL MEMBER ANNO UNCEMENTS & STATEMENTS Mayor Palmeri stated there was a summer program to feed children through the age of 18 a free lunch meal. She explained parents or guardians were welcome when accompanied by a child and the meals were held Monday through Friday from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at three different sites. She stated from July 291h through August 301h it would be held at St. Andrews Church, July 151h through August 301h it would be held at First English Lutheran Church and July 291h through August 301h it would be held at Our Saviors Lutheran Church. Council Member Miller explained the fireworks would be located off of the Pioneer Island this year, and the Leach Amphitheater would be hosting an event. He stated they were anticipated to be one of the best shows in years. CITY MANAGER ANNO UNCEMENTS & STATEMENTS Mr. Rohloff explained there was a map published that shows the different locations within the City where citizens could park to watch the fireworks. He explained City staff had identified areas where citizens could not park in an effort to eliminate confusion. He stated City Center had opened up their parking ramp, which would hold approximately two thousand vehicles. 15 PROCEEDINGS OF THE COMMON COUNCIL-JUNE 25, 2019 Council Member Allison-Aasby explained she had received questions about boaters in the marina by Pioneer Island. She questioned if there would be access to that area or if there would be limited hours and access. Mr. Rohloff stated there would be opening and closing of the bridges. Council Member Herman stated Council Member Allison-Aasby was questioning access to the boats, not the bridges. Council Member Allison-Aasby questioned if an individual had a boat in a slip in that marina, how they would be able to access it. Mr. Rohloff explained 141h Avenue would remain open. He stated immediately after the fireworks show, the bridges would open to allow boats to clear out of the space as quickly as possible. He explained after approximately twenty minutes, the bridges would go down to allow those with vehicles to travel. He stated he planned to share the information with the various boating clubs. Mayor Palmeri reminded those participating in any of the viewing areas that there may not be garbage receptacles. She asked citizens to please take out whatever they bring in. Mr. Rohloff agreed. He stated the budget preparation calendar had been included in the Council packets and was similar to prior years. He reviewed the scheduled sessions. Trena Larson, Finance Director, explained the City had gone live with Munis utility billing. She stated 73 customers had signed up for citizen self-service, which would give them full access to their account and usage, as well as allow them to make account changes. She explained credit card payments were available through citizen self-service and over 500 individuals had signed up for emailed bills. She stated she encouraged citizens to reach out with questions, and explained City staff had included a'how to read your bill' document with the new monthly bills. Mayor Palmeri questioned if customers would have a different account number. Ms. Larson stated yes; all utility customers would have a new customer number and account number. She explained it would be listed on their first new utility bill, or customers could contact utility accounting. She recommended customers who utilize bill pay with their financial institutions to update their account numbers. 16 PROCEEDINGS OF THE COMMON COUNCIL-JUNE 25, 2019 Mayor Palmeri questioned what happens in the event a citizen forgets to change their account number and the payment was sent via bill pay with the old information. Ms. Larson explained the customer name was provided on the checks, and City staff would make every attempt to locate the correct account number. Mayor Palmeri questioned if the entire customer base was now on monthly billing. Ms. Larson stated yes. Mayor Palmeri explained customers could reach out to utility accounting via phone, email or in person with any questions. She stated she understood some customers were confused that the bills would not be due the same date each month. Ms. Larson agreed. She stated an insert with each of the bill dates had been provided to the customers and was posted on the City website. Mr. Rohloff explained the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WDOT) had given the City a notice that the Congress Avenue Bridge would be closed in July for two weeks during the daytime hours. He stated he had been concerned about the last minute notice during peak summer season. He explained after reaching out to representatives, he had been informed that the closure would be postponed until fall. He stated it would be for work that needed to be completed prior to the bridge being closed for six months beginning in December. Mr. Rabe stated when the closure occurred in fall, the bridge would be closed to both vehicle traffic and navigational traffic on the river. Mayor Palmeri questioned what the additional work would be prior to the closure in December. Mr. Rabe stated it was to replace beams required to operate the lift section. Mr. Rohloff explained he appreciated local legislators working with the WDOT to accommodate the City. Council Member Mugerauer thanked City staff and the local representatives. He recommended working with Ray Maurer, Director of Parks, and reaching out to the fishing clubs prior to the closure in fall. He explained people often stored boats in fall, and there were two marinas near the bridge that could be impacted. 17 PROCEEDINGS OF THE COMMON COUNCIL-JUNE 25, 2019 Mr. Rohloff stated he had included the status of outstanding issues in the Council agenda. He questioned if Council would like to schedule an upcoming meeting with the Oshkosh Area School Board. Mayor Palmeri stated yes. Mr. Rohloff explained he would reach out to schedule a meeting. Mayor Palmeri questioned if it would be hosted at City Hall. Mr. Rohloff stated he believed so. Mayor Palmeri questioned if Council Members should submit desired topics. Mr. Rohloff stated he would prefer to set a date first. MOTION: CONVENE INTO CLOSED SESSION TO DISCUSS BARGAINING OPTIONS, STRATEGY, PARAMETERS & TERMS RELATED OT THE NEGOTIATION OF AN AGREEMENT FOR THE REDEVELOPMENT OF AVIATION PLAZA PURSUANT TO SECTION 19.85(1)(E) OF THE WISCONSIN STATE STATUTES WHERE COMPETITIVE BARGAINING REASONS REQUIRE A CLOSED SESSION; AND DISCUSS THE MID-YEAR REVIEW OF THE CITY MANAGER AN EMPLOYEE OVER WHICH THE COMMON COUNCIL HAS JURISDICTION & EXERCISES RESPONSIBILITY PURSUANT TO SECTION 19.85(1)(C) OF THE WISCONSIN STATE STATUTES (Herman; second, Mugerauer) CARRIED: Ayes (7) Poeschl, Miller, Allison-Aasby, Herman, Mugerauer, Krause, Mayor Palmeri MOTION: ADJOURN (Mugerauer; second, Allison-Aasby) CARRIED: VOICE VOTE The meeting adjourned at 8:02 p.m. PAMELA R. UBRIG CITY CLERK 18