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HomeMy WebLinkAbout_MinutesPCC ROCEEDINGS OF THE OMMON OUNCIL CO,W ITY OF SHKOSH ISCONSIN A10,2016 UGUST REGULAR MEETING held Wednesday, August 10, 2016, at 6:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers, City Hall. Mayor Cummings presided. PRESENT: Council Members Benjamin Stepanek, Thomas Pech Jr., Lori Palmeri, Steven Herman, Caroline Panske and Mayor Steve Cummings EXCUSED: Council Member Allison-Aasby ALSO PRESENT: John Fitzpatrick, Assistant City Manager; Pamela Ubrig, City Clerk; Lynn Lorenson, City Attorney; and James Rabe, Director of Public Works Council Member Stepanek read the Invocation. The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Council Member Stepanek. CSC ITIZEN TATEMENTS TO OUNCIL Wendy Wilke, 336 W. 15 Avenue, explained she was the owner of Frugal Fashion LLC. th She stated she had been evicted from her storefront on Main Street after the building was sold to developers by the Housing Authority. She stated the developers had paid $30,000 less than the Housing Authority had paid a year ago. Mayor Cummings stated the Housing Authority was not associated with the City of Oshkosh. Ms. Wilke explained that she had experienced a personal and financial impact. She stated the community experienced an impact as well because the shop was stocked by consignors. She explained her credit card machine had tracked 750 new customers during the last 5 months. She stated although the City could not control the sale of the buildings they would be able to control what type of businesses occupied the buildings. She questioned if the developers had approval from Council for their plans. 1 – PCCA10,2016 ROCEEDINGS OF THE OMMON OUNCIL UGUST Council Member Pech explained the sale of the building had not been authorized by the City. Mr. Fitzpatrick stated certain areas of the city were zoned for particular uses. He explained as long as the purpose of the building was conforming to the zone the City would not necessarily need to formally approve the occupying business. He stated he was in contact with the Director of the Oshkosh Housing Authority and would provide her contact information to Ms. Wilke. Ms. Wilke stated she did not need that information. She stated she believed Council did not support small business. She explained the airport and the mall had been given to Appleton and the racetrack was being eliminated. Council Member Pech stated the airport and the Sunnyview Expo Center were owned by Winnebago County. Ms. Wilke stated Oswald Photography had also been displaced. She stated Dr. Marsh was leaving the downtown area and questioned if Council knew why. Council Member Herman stated he believed Dr. Marsh was building a new office on the west side of Oshkosh. Ms. Wilke stated she was aware of the developers having received historical grants. She stated she believed the developers manipulated the grants. She indicated Brian Wagner had told her instead of selling the buildings they sell the floors so they would not have to pay the grand funds back. She stated the developers also charge small businesses rents they are not able to afford. She explained she would continue to attend Council meetings and encourage others to do the same in an effort to stop greed and corruption in politics. She urged the City manager to clean things up. She stated the Parks Department was mismanaged and donors had reported money that was not accounted for. Council Member Pech stated he served on the Housing Authority Board. He explained the board and the developers had reached out to Ms. Wilke to offer assistance with moving. Ms. Wilke stated she had taken care of the move on her own as she did not want to deal with the developers. 2 – PCCA10,2016 ROCEEDINGS OF THE OMMON OUNCIL UGUST Council Member Pech explained help had still been offered. Ms. Wilke indicated that she received two free weeks so she would not need to move during EAA. Council Member Pech questioned what Ms. Wilke had meant when referencing a Council member sharing information. He questioned if a current serving Council member had provided Ms. Wilke with the information she was referencing. Ms. Wilke stated she had heard a ‘whisper’ involving a Council member but would not disclose further information. She stated she had been told the types of shops she and other merchants offered were not the types of businesses Oshkosh wanted. Council Member Pech questioned if she was stating she had ‘heard’ things. Ms. Wilke stated yes. Council Member Herman stated historic tax credits do not come from the City; they come from the State of Wisconsin. Council Member Pech stated it was important for Ms. Wilke to understand who was responsible for what prior to making generalizations and accusations. Ms. Wilke stated she was not making accusations; she just needed to be heard. Mr. Fitzpatrick explained that if Ms. Wilke had any concerns about the City they could be brought to the City manager or himself. Ms. Wilke stated she would like to begin getting the City cleaned up starting with the Parks Department and account for the missing donor money. Council Member Pech stated each of the Council Member’s contact information was listed on the City website and she could reach out with concerns. CA ONSENT GENDA Report of Bills by the Finance Director 3 – PCCA10,2016 ROCEEDINGS OF THE OMMON OUNCIL UGUST Receipt & Filing of Common Council Minutes from June 22, 28 & July 12, 2016 ndth Resolution 16-402 Award Bid to WL Streich Equipment Co. Inc. for Commercial Dishwasher for Oshkosh Convention Center ($56,953.00) Resolution 16-403 Award Bid to L&S Truck Center for ½ Ton Full Size Cargo Van for Water Distribution ($28,905.09) Resolution 16-404 Approve Developer Agreement with ADVOCAP for Youth Build Project at 654 Frederick Street (Redevelopment Authority Recommends Approval) Mike Bonertz, Executive Director of ADVOCAP, explained ADVOCAP had been operating a program in Fond du Lac called Fresh Start that worked with struggling youth who had not graduated from high school. He explained the program helped the youth to get a GED and build a house which would then be sold to a low to moderate income level family. He explained ADVOCAP would like to begin the same program in Oshkosh, calling it Youth Build, and work in partnership with the City and Community Development. He explained the house would be built in the Middle Village neighborhood on Frederick Street and ADVOCAP had worked with the City on the housing design. He stated the house would be accessible with a first floor entrance and large enough bathrooms to accommodate a turning space for handicap accessibility. He explained energy efficient construction practices would be incorporated. He stated the real advantage of the project would be helping the youth turn their lives around which would benefit the community. Council Member Palmeri questioned how many youth would be involved with the build. Mr. Bonertz stated they hoped to involve approximately 10 youth. He explained there would be a parallel project in Fond du Lac and crews may move between the sites. Council Member Palmeri questioned if the project could be equated to an apprenticeship. Mr. Bonertz explained it would not be an apprenticeship at this stage but the goal would be to work towards that. 4 – PCCA10,2016 ROCEEDINGS OF THE OMMON OUNCIL UGUST Council Member Palmeri stated she lived in the neighborhood and was excited about the project. Council Member Pech stated the project in Fond du Lac was near Park Street. He questioned how many units had been developed in Fond du Lac. Mr. Bonertz stated there had been approximately 13 or 14 sites total in Fond du Lac. He stated the neighborhood near Follette Street and Rose Avenue had been blighted and a number of homes were foreclosed. He explained they had been able to raze those homes and replace the entire section of the neighborhood one property at a time using the project. He stated the last two homes were not in that particular neighborhood. He stated they incorporate the character of the neighborhood into the new homes, which then inspired neighbors to begin projects on their own properties. Council Member Pech encouraged other Council members to drive to Fond du Lac and see the properties and what they had done for the neighborhoods. Resolution 16-405 Approve Lease Agreement with Habitat for Humanity Twindominiums; 600 Block of Grove Street Resolution 16-406 Approve Agreement with Split Rock Studios for fabrication & installation of People of the Water Exhibition ($612,000.00) Brad Larson, Director of the Oshkosh Public Museum, explained the People of the Water exhibit had been in development since 2009. He stated it would be the first long term exhibit in approximately 20 years and would show the spread of 10,000 years of human habitation in the Winnebago region. He explained it would be an interactive exhibit including themes from the Ice Age to present day. He stated the exhibit was based on citizen input and had ties to 4 grade curriculum. He explained there would be a walk- th through longhouse where visitors would then exit on to a display of an archaeological excavation. He explained there would be an interactive area with an emphasis on travel and trade. He stated a visitor could also continue exploration at home through their computer or mobile device. He explained the gallery would be approximately 2,000 square feet and if approved would be complete end of June, 2017. Mayor Cummings stated it was an exciting project. 5 – PCCA10,2016 ROCEEDINGS OF THE OMMON OUNCIL UGUST Mr. Fitzpatrick explained he was excited about the exhibit and grateful to have received significant financial contributions from private donors including the Durow Trust. Resolution 16-407 Approve Private Water Main Agreement with Menards & Westowne Shoppes, LLC for Goodwill Development Resolution 16-408 Approve Initial Resolutions authorizing not exceeding $7,320,000 General Obligation Bonds of the City of Oshkosh Resolution 16-409 Approve Resolution Directing the Advertisement & Sale of Approximately $12,485,000 Water System Revenue Refunding Bonds, Series 2016G, Approximately $7,320,000 Aggregate Principal Amount of General Obligation Refunding Bonds, Series 2016H & Approximately $16,220,000 Aggregate Principal Amount of Storm Water Utility Revenue Refunding Bonds, Series 2016I of the City of Oshkosh, Winnebago County, Wisconsin Todd Taves, Senior Municipal Advisor, Ehlers, explained due to the historically low interest rates of the market, Ehlers had reviewed the City’s debt portfolio to see if any restructures would be appropriate. He stated there were two revenue bond issues, a general obligation bond issue, and a storm water revenue bond issue that could be refunded. He stated the estimated savings due to refunding would be approximately 2.3 million dollars. He explained the savings was significant and worth pursuing. He explained he would provide the majority of the sale results at the September 13 Council meeting and the final result at the September 27 Council meeting. Resolution 16-410 Approve Planned Development of Multi Family Residential Development; North Side of the 3500 Block of Logan Drive (Plan Commission Recommends Approval) Council Member Herman expressed concern with another apartment complex being built in the Jackson Street area. He explained he felt there was a lack of single family housing and an abundance of apartments. He questioned what Planning Services was doing to encourage developers to attract single family housing. 6 – PCCA10,2016 ROCEEDINGS OF THE OMMON OUNCIL UGUST Darryn Burich, Planning Services Manager, explained the number of apartment complexes being built was a reflection of what was happening in the housing market. He stated there was land available for single family usage and there were subdivisions moving forward but the market was limited for single family home construction at this point. Council Member Herman questioned if there had been any discussion within Planning Services of deconstructed blighted areas and offering opportunities to encourage new single family affordable housing to be built. He asked if there would be areas of the City that would be conducive for such a project. Mr. Burich explained that such a project would involve a significant cost to the City due to site acquisition and site preparation. He stated it would be possible but funding would need to exist. Council Member Herman questioned if Planning Services believed the additional apartments brought into the community would be viable. He expressed concern that the apartments would be built but not rented. Mr. Burich explained the market trend currently reflected a demand for apartment housing. He stated they had been trying to focus apartments in the downtown area. He stated the comprehensive plan was being updated and would change the land use descriptions to include references to high or low density residential usage. Allen Davis, Director of Community Development, explained the current comprehensive plan did not distinguish between different types of residential usage. He stated he believes this was detrimental to encouraging single family growth because was is unknown what type of density would be promoted in the particular areas. He explained the goal of the updated comprehensive plan was to distinguish between low density residential areas such as single family housing up to high density residential areas including apartment complexes to help put into perspective what the expectations were. Council Member Herman questioned if this would be a policy direction from Council. Mr. Davis explained his department would provide Council and other stakeholders their best recommendations. He stated the Council would be responsible for adopting the comprehensive plan that would identify items such as land use. 7 – PCCA10,2016 ROCEEDINGS OF THE OMMON OUNCIL UGUST Council Member Palmeri questioned the timeframe on the comprehensive plan. Mr. Burich explained the update to the plan was underway and he hoped to make progress during the next six months. He stated the City had purchased a block behind the former hospital and hoped to involve the Housing Authority and Habitat for Humanity in developing the land. Council Member Herman stated it was good to hear Planning Services was looking at single family housing as he believed there was a need within the community. Mr. Burich explained his department was looking at how to open up more land on the periphery of the City for single family development. He stated much of the land on the periphery of the City was under control of a few landowners. Council Member Pech explained the real estate market had changed. He believed many young people were leery of home ownership due to watching the economic downturn and homes being foreclosed. He explained millennials also did not want to be tied down and responsible for home maintenance and appreciated being able to move easier. He stated encouraging single family residential development was important but there was benefit in recognizing the need for apartments as well. He stated development was driven by the market. Mr. Burich explained they try to put the conditions in place to allow for what the market wants. Resolution 16-411 Authorize Sponsorship of Live Green Event on Saturday September 10, 2016 Elizabeth Williams, Associate Planner, explained Community Development was proposing to partner with Silverstar Brands to host a sustainability event. She explained the event, Live Green, would be September 10, 2016 at the Leach Amphitheater. She stated the event would host multiple vendors focused on sustainable lifestyles or products and would be open to the public without charge. She stated there would be activities for children and the opportunity to construct a rain barrel. Council Member Panske asked if there would be a fee to construct a rain barrel. 8 – PCCA10,2016 ROCEEDINGS OF THE OMMON OUNCIL UGUST Ms. Williams indicated yes. She stated the rain barrel activity would require prior registration. She explained there would be a reduced rate of $35 per barrel as opposed to the current cost of $50 per barrel. She explained staff would be promoting the City’s storm water credit. Council Member Panske questioned how an individual would register. Ms. Williams explained promotion of the event would begin as soon as Council gave approval. She stated individuals could access the registration form for the rain barrels at FWWA.org (Fox Wolf Watershed Alliance). Resolution 16-412 Approve Block Party Request – Barb McClain to utilize 12Avenue th between Rugby Street & Georgia Street for their Neighborhood block party / August 21, 2016 Resolution 16-413 Approve Block Party Request – Diane Kettner to utilize Evans Street between E. Irving Avenue & E. Lincoln Avenue for their Neighborhood block party / September 24, 2016 Resolution 16-414 Approve Special Class “B” Licenses, Operator Licenses & Taxicab Driver Licenses MOTION: ADOPT CONSENT AGENDA (Pech; second, Panske) CARRIED: Ayes (6) Stepanek, Pech, Palmeri, Herman, Panske, Mayor Cummings ATOR CTION AKEN ON RDINANCES AND ESOLUTIONS Ordinance 16-415 Designate Bike Lanes on Both Sides of North Main Street from Irving Avenue to New York Avenue MOTION: ADOPT (Pech; second, Panske) CARRIED: Ayes (6) Stepanek, Pech, Palmeri, Herman, Panske, Mayor Cummings Council Member Herman stated he hoped bicyclists would abide by the bike lanes as he believed they were not currently being correctly utilized on Irving Avenue. He explained 9 – PCCA10,2016 ROCEEDINGS OF THE OMMON OUNCIL UGUST there was also an issue with parking as cars had parked within the bike lanes. He stated he believed people were confused about the lanes but hoped that with time, just as with the roundabouts, people would become more comfortable and utilize the bike lanes correctly. Mr. Fitzpatrick stated staff would continue to work on education and he would pass Council Member Herman’s thoughts on to Chief Smith. Council Member Panske explained it was on the Bike and Pedestrians Committee agenda to continue to work on education. She stated she would like to work with the school district to begin education earlier. She explained it was a culture change and as time passed it would become more efficient. Council Member Pech stated people also needed to educate themselves. Council Member Panske explained that bicyclists could set good examples but it does take time for the culture to change. Council Member Palmeri stated she had been using the Irving Avenue bike lanes with her family. She explained her neighbors were considering letting their children ride to school because of the bike lanes. She stated she also would like follow up regarding vehicles parked within the bike lanes. Resolution 16-416 Approve Updated Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Policy & Application Guidelines MOTION: ADOPT (Pech; second, Stepanek) CARRIED: Ayes (6) Stepanek, Pech, Palmeri, Herman, Panske, Mayor Cummings Mike Harrigan, Senior Municipal Advisor, Ehlers, explained TIF was a tool for local governments to preserve and protect development. He stated TIF had been used in Wisconsin since 1976. He explained it was important to have TIF policies that allowed for flexibility. He stated guidelines were necessary but each deal needed to be considered individually as different situations require different action. He explained one of the significant proposed changes to the Oshkosh TIF policy would be changing the allowed 10 – PCCA10,2016 ROCEEDINGS OF THE OMMON OUNCIL UGUST 75% of revenue that was allowed to be applied to project cost to 90%. He stated it was important on each project to consider how participation would impact the developer’s profitability. He explained with each project the developer’s profitability should be vetted and then tested to see what impact different levels of TIF participation had. He stated Ehlers believed the question the City should be asking on each project was what rate on investment was the best level to attract capital into a project. He stated most often this was done by using an internal rate of return. He explained internal rates of return depend on assumptions of items such as projected rents and vacancy rates. He stated no matter how much analysis was present at the beginning of a project things often change during the project due to market and environmental changes. He explained the current City policy contained a ‘look back clause’. He stated Ehlers was in support of the proposed changes as long as the City would continue to do analysis. He explained the changes would allow the City to be more flexible and be able to accept a project that would be good for the community but may not meet a more rigid set of guidelines. He stated he believed it was a benefit for the City to continue to channel participation in to a ‘paygo’ approach. He explained a ‘paygo’ situation put the assumed risk on to the developer as opposed to the City. He explained the developer would borrow the funds and would receive payment from the City only if there was the tax increment to cover the payment. He stated if the developers were not producing revenue the City would not be responsible to pay them. He explained developers must either come up with equity or obtain a bank loan based on a ‘paygo’ situation. He stated after the 2008 recession banks became less willing to lend in a ‘paygo’ situation but since 2012 there had been an increase in this type of underwriting. He explained Ehlers recommended looking to ‘paygo’ first for financing on each project. He stated that in a ‘paygo’ situation the developer would be paying a higher borrowing rate and therefore would require a longer period of time for the payback. He explained another proposed change to the TIF policy was allowing the payback to go beyond 20 years. He stated this made sense on a case by case basis. He explained Ehlers would not advocate for these changes to be implemented on every project but supported adding flexibility to TIF policy. Council Member Palmeri asked for an explanation of the different types of ‘paygo’. Mr. Harrigan explained in a true ‘paygo’ arrangement the City did not put any cash into the project up front. He stated in this situation the funds would either come from the developer’s capital or developer funded financing. He explained there were times when a municipality would put the cash up front and still refer to it as ‘paygo’ as the project 11 – PCCA10,2016 ROCEEDINGS OF THE OMMON OUNCIL UGUST would conceptually be paying down the City’s debt. He stated when Ehlers referred to ‘paygo’ they meant a true ‘paygo’ situation. Council Member Palmeri questioned if there would be additional costs involved with extending the life of the TIF. Mr. Harrigan stated yes there would be additional costs but the costs would be offset by the elimination of risk for the City. Council Member Palmeri stated it was similar to an insurance policy. Mayor Cummings questioned if the proposed change to 90% and 27 years were the maximums allowed under the policy. Mr. Harrigan stated 27 years was the maximum under Wisconsin State Statutes. Mayor Cummings questioned if the City could choose to do less depending on the project. Mr. Harrigan stated yes the City could choose to do less. He stated that 90% would be the City’s new maximum not the maximum under the Wisconsin State Statutes. He explained the 90% would not be applied in every project and would be dictated by the evaluation of what would be needed to get an appropriate rate of return for the developer. Mayor Cummings stated within the criteria used to evaluate the developer the proposed employment potential carried a maximum of 10 points. He asked if that made sense and if the City had also evaluated potential drain on the community’s infrastructure such as a large amount of water. Council Member Herman stated that had occurred with a development on the south side of the City where Public Works had gotten involved and stated the City did not have the capacity to support the development. Mr. Rabe explained it was had occurred with a residential development where the City did not have the infrastructure in place required to support the development. He stated 12 – PCCA10,2016 ROCEEDINGS OF THE OMMON OUNCIL UGUST the City would be able to phase the development in as the City continued to expand its infrastructure. Council Member Herman questioned if the TIF applications were reviewed to see if the City’s infrastructure including but not limited to water, electric, fire, and police. Mr. Davis explained the City reviewed those areas for every site development including those that did and did not have TIF involvement. He stated in reference to criteria point value, staff did not want to under evaluate projects such as rehabilitation projects that would add value to the community but may not add a number of jobs. He explained using the same type of criteria to evaluate an industrial development project versus a residential development project was difficult. Mayor Cummings stated what prompted him to ask his question was the Oshkosh Corporation TIF that resulted in a high number of high paying jobs. Council Member Herman questioned if it made sense to have two TIF policies; one for industrial and one for rehabilitation. Mr. Davis stated that would make sense as they were two different types of TIFs and the evaluation criteria did not correctly fit both types. He stated it would make sense to have separate policies for economic development and blight removal rehabilitation. He explained the scoring systems could then be revised to reflect the policy purpose. Council Member Herman questioned who determined the TIF percentage. Mr. Davis stated staff would give recommendations to Council and Council would make the decision. He explained there were two phases of a TIF project that would go to Council. He stated the first phase was a determination of eligibility for funding and the second would be the developer’s agreement which would incorporate the proposed City percentages. He stated it was important to include the look back clause with ‘paygo’ projects. Council Member Herman questioned if the proposed changes to the TIF policy would be retroactive and apply to underperforming TIFs. 13 – PCCA10,2016 ROCEEDINGS OF THE OMMON OUNCIL UGUST Mr. Davis stated the proposed policy changes would take effect going forward and would not be retroactive. He stated staff could revise the criteria to reflect two different policy types. Mayor Cummings stated two separate policies would make sense to suit the two different types of projects. Mr. Davis explained due to the different types of concerns unique to the two types of projects it would be beneficial to have a policy developed for each. Council Member Herman questioned what the timeline would be for the additional changes to the TIF policy. Ms. Lorenson stated Council would first give general direction to the existing proposal and an amendment would be presented to Council at a future Council meeting. Council Member Herman questioned if they passed the proposed change to policy would it hamper any ongoing projects. Mr. Davis stated it would not. Council Member Herman questioned if the TIF policy change would have an impact on the City’s relationship with GO EDC. Mr. Davis stated GO EDC would like the City to utilize TIF in any instance it was appropriate as they viewed TIF as a valuable tool. He stated he believed GO EDC would be in favor of making TIF more impactful. Council Member Pech stated the current proposed revised policy was not tailored to redevelopment or industrial projects but gave the City flexibility to address concerns on a project by project basis. He urged Council to pass the updated TIF policy so amendments could be drafted to address the two specific types of projects. Mr. Fitzpatrick stated he believed the proposed TIF policy change was broad enough to be used for the time being and changes could be adopted in the future. 14 – PCCA10,2016 ROCEEDINGS OF THE OMMON OUNCIL UGUST Council Member Pech stated the Council would have the final say in any TIF project as to how much the City would contribute. He explained the Long Range Finance Committee had reviewed and supported the proposed TIF policy change. CD,DCMFA OUNCIL ISCUSSION IRECTION TO ITY ANAGER AND UTURE GENDA I TEMS Mayor Cummings reminded Council of the GO-EDC presentation scheduled for the August 23, 2016 Council meeting. Mr. Fitzpatrick stated the presentation would be a brief update on GO-EDC on Initiative 41. Council Member Panske questioned if there would be an update on contacts at EAA as well. Mr. Davis stated the presentation would include an update on EAA. Mayor Cummings stated Mr. Rohloff requested an extension on the Municipal Court Workshop until the October 11, 2016 Council meeting. Mr. Fitzpatrick explained staff would like additional time to conduct research including reaching out to Winnebago County judges. Council Member Pech questioned if the workshop could be moved to September. Mr. Fitzpatrick explained a number of projects were scheduled to be discussed at the September 13, 2016 Council meeting including the Rental Contact Registration and Inspection Program as well as the Parking Study. He stated Mr. Rohloff would not be present for the Council meeting on September 27, 2016 and would like to be present for the Municipal Court Workshop. Council Member Pech stated he understood. Mr. Fitzpatrick stated the Municipal Court Workshop would be scheduled for October 11, 2016. 15 – PCCA10,2016 ROCEEDINGS OF THE OMMON OUNCIL UGUST Mayor Cummings reminded Council of the Budget Workshop meeting on August 30, th 2016 at 5:00 p.m. and the presentation of the Parking Study on September 13, 2016 at 5:00 p.m. He stated there was a notice of an inactive liquor license for Packers Pub. Ms. Ubrig stated the establishment had reached the one year mark of being closed. She stated the Clerk’s office would send out a letter to the applicant requesting a status report and provide that to Council. Mayor Cummings stated a Rental Registration and Inspection update was scheduled for the September 13, 2016 Council meeting. Mr. Fitzpatrick explained the idea behind the update was not to require Council to vote. He stated the update was to inform Council of the progress to date and assess how Council would like to see staff move forward with the project. Council Member Palmeri explained she had been looking into the possibility of working with a legislative intern. She stated it would be an educational opportunity at the City government level and an unpaid position. She explained other cities offered a similar opportunity. She stated as she was exploring the opportunity for herself she wondered if other Council members would be interested. Council Member Pech questioned what the legislative intern would do. Council Member Palmeri explained an intern would perform constituency work through correspondence, looking at special projects such as urban beekeeping, composting, or transit oriented development, as well as press and data entry opportunities. She stated it would be up to each individual Council member as to how they would like to provide the educational opportunity. She stated she envisioned a 5-10 hour a week time commitment dependent on what the University required for college credit. Council Member Panske questioned if one legislative intern for the Council as a whole would be beneficial as opposed to one intern per Council member. She stated there may be a need for the Council as a whole to have an intern for 5-10 hours per week but did not believe she personally had the need for an intern for 5-10 hours per week. Council Member Palmeri stated it could potentially be a shared person. 16 – PCCA10,2016 ROCEEDINGS OF THE OMMON OUNCIL UGUST Council Member Panske questioned if the intern did not attend for a week due to a lack in projects would the individual still receive credit. Council Member Palmeri explained she and Mr. Rohloff had discussed the intern working constituency outreach on social media and sending out thank you notes to promote community engagement when not working on other projects. Council Member Panske questioned where the intern would work. Council Member Palmeri questioned if the intern would be able to utilize office space at City Hall. Mr. Fitzpatrick stated it would be possible. He explained if an internship were to happen the school providing the intern would need to see structure and a formal position description. He stated the position would need to be meaningful for the intern and for Council. He explained when he referred to structure he meant a description of the responsibilities for the intern, who they would report to, how they received direction and other technical components. Mayor Cummings questioned if it would help staff if Council provided thoughts on how they would utilize an intern. Mr. Fitzpatrick stated Council could provide him that information and he would provide it to Mr. Rohloff. Council Member Herman stated researching what other municipalities utilized an intern for as he worked with staff on projects to complete his own research. He stated he would like to know how other communities in Wisconsin utilized interns. Council Member Palmeri stated the emphasis would be on the educational opportunity for the intern. Council Member Stepanek questioned if the City manager’s office had taken on interns in the past. Mr. Fitzpatrick explained the City manager’s office had not taken on interns in the sense that they would work with the City manager. He stated they had a formal management assistant program in the past that reported to Mr. Fitzpatrick. He explained the position 17 – PCCA10,2016 ROCEEDINGS OF THE OMMON OUNCIL UGUST provided assistance to other departments and provided a formal experience for the individual by rotating between departments. He explained the individuals were typically graduate students. He stated it was a paid position that was eliminated due to other budget needs. He explained Mr. Rohloff would like to implement s management analysis position in a number of departments. Council Member Stepanek questioned if the intern could spend time in the City manager’s office as a Council liaison position if Council did not have enough work for the intern to do. Mr. Fitzpatrick stated however the program moved forward it would be important for the intern to receive specific direction. He stated he did not believe it would provide a meaningful educational experience to bring on an intern to have them float between departments and lack specific direction. Mayor Cummings questioned if it would be helpful for Council to submit their thoughts on an intern by August 19, 2016. Mr. Fitzpatrick stated if Council would like to do so he would take their feedback and share it with Mr. Rohloff. He explained he would gather information on how other municipalities in Wisconsin utilize their interns. Council Member Panske questioned if staff could gauge interest with community partners such as UW Oshkosh and Fox Valley Technical College. Council Member Palmeri stated she had met with individuals from UW Oshkosh to determine how many hours would be required for the intern to receive college credit. Council Member Panske questioned if the University was actively looking to place interns. Council Member Palmeri stated yes and the individuals she spoke to would be willing to help prepare a position description. Mr. Fitzpatrick stated educational institutions preferred to collaborate in the drafting of the framework for the internship position so it meets the standards necessary for credit. 18 – PCCA10,2016 ROCEEDINGS OF THE OMMON OUNCIL UGUST Council Member Palmeri questioned if the program did move forward would Council members have an opportunity to participate in the interviews of potential candidates. Mr. Fitzpatrick stated yes. CSC ITIZEN TATEMENTS TO OUNCIL There were no citizen statements to Council. CMA&S OUNCIL EMBER NNOUNCEMENTS TATEMENTS Council Member Palmeri stated she would be at Planet Perk on Monday August 16, 2016 at 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. She explained if a citizen, resident or business member would like to join her she would welcome any discussion. She stated she would like to do this once a month at different locations in the community. Council Member Pech stated he was concerned with the lack of civility in recent conversations in the community specifically in forums. He explained that civility and diversity begin at home and no program could force civility but there would be benefits in continuing the discussion on how groups within the community could come together and be more civil. He stated he would like to have a discussion with Council and other community groups on August 30, 2016. Council Member Herman questioned if the discussion would take place after the Budget Workshop. Council Member Pech suggested the discussion be held on August 31, 2016 at 6:00 p.m. to avoid conflict with the Budget Workshop. He stated he would work with the various community groups and Oshkosh Media to publicize the event. He reiterated that the discussion would not be about a diversity coordinator. CMAS ITY ANAGER NNOUNCEMENT AND TATEMENTS Mr. Fitzpatrick explained the Engineering Services agreement with CH2M HILL Engineers for the 2016 Wastewater Collection System Evaluation. He stated the agreement was involved with the Environmental Protection Agency in regards to 19 – PCCA10,2016 ROCEEDINGS OF THE OMMON OUNCIL UGUST capacity management operations and maintenance plan. He reminded Council and the public of the Oshkosh Avenue closure at Westfield Street beginning August 11, 2016 for th two weeks. Mr. Rabe confirmed it would be a two week closure. MOTION: ADJOURN (Pech; second, Palmeri) CARRIED: VOICE VOTE The meeting adjourned at 7:51 p.m. PAMELA R. UBRIG CITY CLERK 20