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HomeMy WebLinkAbout03. Common Council Minutes PROCEEDINGS OF THE COMMON COUNCIL CITY OF OSHKOSH, WISCONSIN APRIL 25, 2017 REGULAR MEETING held Tuesday, April 25, 2017, at 6:00 p.m. in Council Chambers, City Hall Mayor Cummings presided. PRESENT: Council Members Caroline Panske,Jake Krause,Tom Pech Jr.,Lori Palmeri, Steven Herman, Deb Allison-Aasby, and Mayor Steve Cummings ALSO PRESENT: Mark Rohloff, City Manager; Pamela Ubrig, City Clerk; Lynn Lorenson, City Attorney; and James Rabe, Director of Public Works Council Member Panske read the Invocation. The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Caleb Paulick and Ainsley Moore from Trinity Lutheran School PROCLAMATION Mayor Cummings proclaimed Thursday, May 4, 2017 as a day of prayer in the City of Oshkosh. He encouraged the community to join in prayer. Michael Stratz accepted the proclamation and expressed his gratitude for religious freedoms of America. He welcomed citizens of any faith to participate in prayer outside of City hall from 12:00 p.m. until 12:45 on May 4, 2017. CITIZEN STATEMENTS There were no citizen statements to Council. CONSENT AGENDA Report of Sills by the Finance Director 1 PROCEEDINGS OF THE COMMON COUNCIL—APRIL 25, 2017 Receipt & Filing of Library Board Minutes from February 25, 2017 Receipt & Filing of Museum Board Minutes from March 2, 2017 Receipt & Filing of Common Council Minutes from March 14, 2017 Resolution 17-201 Approve ONEOshkosh—Our Neighborhoods Engage Strategic Plan Council Member Palmeri stated she appreciated the details of the strategic plan. She stated she was not seeing within the strategic plan where the City would complete a baseline market analysis with performance metrics after the improvements and participation. She questioned if it was firmly established that the City would complete a baseline market analysis. Allen Davis, Director of Community Development, stated City staff would complete the baseline analysis this coming summer, through a follow up from the analysis done by Neighborworks several years ago and expanding to include questions for ONE Oshkosh. He explained it would demonstrate how the City had progressed in the last five years as well as how it could be perceived in the future. Council Member Palmeri clarified that she was not talking about the citizen satisfaction survey. Mr. Davis stated he was not referencing that survey either. Council Member Palmeri questioned if the analysis would take place in each of the geographical neighborhoods. Mr. Davis stated it was a scientific, random sample. Elizabeth Williams, Planner, explained the survey would take place from a statistically valid standpoint, meaning it would be a random sampling of the target area which included the majority of the recognized neighborhood associations. Council Member Palmeri stated underneath neighborhood management, there was a discussion point on performance measures which included attendance at 11 annual 2 PROCEEDINGS OF THE COMMON COUNCIL—APRIL 25, 2017 Oshkosh Healthy Neighborhood Alliance meetings. She questioned if that was directed to City staff or to neighbors. Ms. Williams explained that was an expectation of City staff to participate actively in those sessions. Council Member Palmeri asked for an explanation of the acronym 'CDU'. Ms. Williams explained it was an evaluation tool that was used by the assessor's office to measure the condition, desirability and utility of existing structures in Oshkosh. She stated it was a uniform way of evaluating a structure's condition and impacts the property's assessment. Council Member Palmeri thanked City staff for the detail on the strategic plan and explained it had been a significant improvement from previous years. Council Member Herman questioned who would receive the information gathered in performance measures and the tabulation was complete. Ms. Williams stated in terms of reporting, City staff was anticipating an annual report that would evaluate the various key performance indicators and a dashboard that would allow them to input the data over time to track progress from year to year. Council Member Herman questioned if that would be available to citizens on the City website. Ms. Williams stated yes. Resolution 17-202 Approve & Submit Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources 2016 Storm Water Program Annual Report Resolution 17-203 Approve Resolution to Declare End to Emergency for Purchase of Repair Parts & Repair of Biosolids Dewatering Centrifuge Resolution 17-204 Approve Initial Resolution for Special Assessments — Contract No. 17-22 Sawdust District Improvements —Phase 1 3 PROCEEDINGS OF THE COMMON COUNCIL—APRIL 25, 2017 Council Member Krause asked for an explanation of how the beautification piece would impact property owners and if they had been informed. Mr. Rabe explained the resolution was providing his staff the authority to start preparing estimates to be able to provide the information to the adjacent property owners. He explained when the estimates were prepared they would be delivered to the City Clerk's office for mailing along with notice of the future public hearing. Council Member Krause questioned if the resolution gave City staff the authority to charge for the special assessments or to gather estimates. Mr. Rabe explained it would give City staff the authority to prepare the estimates and the public hearing would be the time that Council would approve any special assessments. Resolution 17-205 Award Sid for Public Works Contract No. 17-11 to Wood Sewer & Excavating, Inc. for Sanitary Manhole Rehabilitation/ Inflow / Infiltration Reduction Program ($595,252.80) Resolution 17-206 Award Sid to Michels Materials, MCC Inc. & Northeast Asphalt Inc. for Road Materials for Various Departments Resolution 17-207 Award Sid to Reinders Inc. for Leaf Picker for Parks Department ($17,430.00) Resolution 17-208 Award Sid to Reinders Inc. for 16' Riding Tractor Mower for Parks Department ($82,240.24) Resolution 17-209 Award Sid to Office Technology Group for Video Conferencing Equipment for the Fire Department ($71,370.64) Resolution 17-210 Approve Change Order No. 1 with Fab Tech Wastewater Solutions LLC for Primary Clarifiers Repair & Rehabilitation Project ($45,767.50) Resolution 17-211 Approve Purchase from TAPCO for Pedestrian Crossing Equipment for Electric Division ($30,965.60) 4 PROCEEDINGS OF THE COMMON COUNCIL—APRIL 25, 2017 Resolution 17-212 Approve Special Event — UW Oshkosh Women's Center to utilize City streets for the Walk A Mile In Her Shoes event/May 3, 2017 Resolution 17-213 Approve Special Event—Kelly's (Corey Gay) 219 Wisconsin Street to hold their Graduation Seer Garden/May 12 & 13, 2017 Resolution 17-214 Approve Special Event — Oshkosh Garden Club to utilize the front grounds of the Oshkosh Public Museum for the Oshkosh Garden Club Plant Sale /May 20, 2017 Resolution 17-215 Approve Special Event — Hmong Service Center, Inc. to hold the Hmong National Memorial Day Festival at the Winnebago County Community Park/May 27 & 28, 2017 Resolution 17-216 Approve Special Event — John Sakschek to utilize Opera House Square for the Franki Jo — Inspiration Celebration Series / June 3 through October 28, 2017 (Saturdays) Resolution 17-217 Approve Special Event — Waterfest Inc. to utilize the Leach Amphitheater for the Waterfest Concert Series / June 15 through August 31, 2017 (Thursday evenings) & Wednesday, July 12, 2017 Resolution 17-218 Approve Special Event — Camp Hiwela Youth Fund of the Oshkosh Area Community Foundation to hold the Camp Hiwela's 801h Anniversary Event at the Paine Prairie Woodlands /June 24, 2017 Resolution 17-219 Approve Special Event — Oshkosh Corporation to hold their 1001h Anniversary Concert at the Experimental Aircraft Association(EAA) grounds /July 14, 2017 Resolution 17-220 Approve Special Event — Shanice Forgette to utilize South Park & City streets for the Jasmine Marie Memorial 5K Run Walk / August 12, 2017 5 PROCEEDINGS OF THE COMMON COUNCIL—APRIL 25, 2017 Resolution 17-221 Approve Combination"Class S" License, Class "A" Fermented Malt License & Special Class "B" Licenses MOTION: ADOPT CONSENT AGENDA EXCLUDING RESOLUTION 17-217 (Allison-Aasby; second, Herman) CARRIED: Ayes (7) Panske, Krause, Pech, Palmeri, Allison-Aasby, Herman, Mayor Cummings Resolution 17-217 Approve Special Event — Waterfest Inc. to utilize the Leach Amphitheater for the Waterfest Concert Series / June 15 through August 31, 2017 (Thursday evenings) & Wednesday, July 12, 2017 MOTION: ADOPT (Herman; second, Pech) MOTION: AMEND TO CHANGE ALCOHOL SALES TO END AT 10:00 P.M. AND MUSIC TO END AT 11:00 P.M. (Herman; second, Palmeri) Council Member Herman withdrew his motion. Council Member Palmeri withdrew her second. MOTION: ADOPT (Herman; second, Pech) MOTION: AMEND TO CHANGE ALCOHOL SALES TO END AT 10:30 P.M. AND MUSIC TO END AT 11:00 P.M., JUNE 15 THROUGH AUGUST 31, 2017 &JULY 12 2017 (Herman; second, Palmeri) CARRIED: Ayes (6) Krause, Pech, Palmeri, Allison-Aasby, Herman, Mayor Cummings Noes (1) Panske VOTE ON AMENDED RESOLUTION: CARRIED: Ayes (6) Krause, Pech, Palmeri, Allison-Aasby, Herman, Mayor Cummings Noes (1) Panske Council Member Herman explained there had been confusion surrounding the end time of the event and the sale of alcohol. 6 PROCEEDINGS OF THE COMMON COUNCIL—APRIL 25, 2017 Kathy Snell, Special Events Coordinator, explained there had been a typo. She stated the correct information was the request for the alcohol sales and amplified music to be extended until 11:00 p.m. Council Member Herman stated in regards to his motion for amendment that concession sales could continue without alcohol, and he believed it was a dangerous precedent to set to have alcohol sales continue up until the end of an event. He explained other municipalities frequently closed the sale of alcohol prior to closing the event. Council Member Allison-Aasby stated she believed Sawdust Days would close their alcohol sales a half hour prior to the close of the event. She questioned if Council should remain consistent. Council Member Herman stated there had been some discussion about putting a policy in place, and believed that policy should be one hour. He explained if Council wished to remain consistent, he would adjust his amendment to reflect the half hour time frame. He stated if in the future, Council wished to put policy in place, they would be able to discuss half hour vs hour at that time. Council Member Panske questioned if Council Member Herman had discussed changing the end time of alcohol sales with any of the multiple groups who used Waterfest as a fundraiser. She indicated she had been a volunteer at Waterfest for years and the last hour of sales lead to more donations for the organization receiving the funds. She questioned if any of the groups had been informed that they may lose potential income this summer. Council Member Herman stated he had not talked with any of the groups and believed it was a poor decision to sell alcohol right up to the end of an event. Council Member Panske stated it was a significant fundraiser. Council Member Herman stated he understood and had worked at Waterfest himself. Council Member Panske stated she had a difficult time supporting the change in time. She explained she believed it should be discussed with the individuals running the event 7 PROCEEDINGS OF THE COMMON COUNCIL—APRIL 25, 2017 and the organizations that benefit from the event. She stated she would not support the amendment. ACTION TAKEN ON ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS Ordinance 17-222 Approve Zone Change / 460, 474 & 482 Marion Road / From UI- Urban Industrial & I-Institutional with a Planned Development Overlay to UMU-Urban Mixed Use with a Planned Development Overlay (Plan Commission Recommends Approval) MOTION: ADOPT (Pech; second, Herman) CARRIED: Ayes (7) Panske, Krause, Pech, Palmeri, Allison-Aasby, Herman, Mayor Cummings Council Member Herman questioned if the change in zoning was applicable to the listed lots or if the whole area would experience a change in zoning. Darryn Burich, Planning Services Manager, explained each of the properties listed would change from manufacturing to urban mixed use with a planned development overlay. He explained the water tower was included due to the potential land swap with the developer. He stated when the land swamp was complete in the future it would be re- zoned back to institutional to reflect the use of the property. He explained it was a temporary measure until the land swap was complete. Council Member Herman questioned if the remainder of the block or land in the area would remain zoned under what it had been. Mr. Burich stated it would be urban mixed use with the exception of the Mercury site which would remain an industrial use site for the long term. Council Member Palmeri questioned if the land swap and redistribution was related to where the prior water tower was located. Mr. Burich stated that was correct. Council Member Palmeri asked for clarification of what would happen after the land swap. 8 PROCEEDINGS OF THE COMMON COUNCIL—APRIL 25, 2017 Mr. Burich stated that after the land swap was complete the water tower land would be rezoned back to institutional. Council Member Palmeri stated the urban mixed use with a planned development would allow for a higher density in terms of number of residents, bedrooms and dwelling units. Mr. Burich stated that was correct. He explained it was similar to the former R-5 zoning level and would also allow for a commercial component to be added to the building, which was the biggest change to the previous zoning ordinance. He stated most commercial districts, with the exception of industrial districts, have become mixed use unless it was located in a single family residential neighborhood. Council Member Palmeri stated she was concerned about increasing the impervious surface to a percentage above the maximum in the revised zoning code. She explained the maximum was listed at 50% and the footprint of impervious area at the site was 61%. She questioned if the storm water plan would mitigate the differential of the 11%. Mr. Burich stated he believed some of the green space would be included in the ratio. He explained there were two detention basins proposed on the site which were not included in the impervious surface ratio, just in the greenspace. Council Member Palmeri clarified that because the detention basins were not yet existing the space was currently described as greenspace. Mr. Burich stated that was correct. He explained the impervious ratio of 50%level, when compared to the suburban mixed use space, which should have more greenspace, the level set for residential was 70%. He stated when City staff did a count of the impervious ratios in the surrounding area, most of them were in the 60-70% range. He explained the one site closest to 50% was Radford Village that had a 49% ratio. He stated it felt too suburban and wanted to increase the amount of development on the site. He explained they had increased the amount of allowable impervious area although it had not yet been included in this particular section of code. He stated City staff would raise the ratio to at least 70% with the next set of proposed code changes to reflect the surrounding area. Council Member Palmeri stated she believed it had been Radford Village that had over 300 people on the rooftop during the recent pub crawl. 9 PROCEEDINGS OF THE COMMON COUNCIL—APRIL 25, 2017 Mr. Burich stated that had occurred at Morgan Crossing. Council Member Palmeri stated with the new development, a clubhouse was being discussed. She questioned if the clubhouse would provide rooftop access. Mr. Burich stated he believed the clubhouse would be on the first floor. Council Member Palmeri questioned if there would be rooftop access. Ordinance 17-223 Re-Adopt Municipal Code Book MOTION: ADOPT (Allison-Aasby; second, Herman) CARRIED: Ayes (7) Panske, Krause, Pech, Palmeri, Allison-Aasby, Herman, Mayor Cummings Ordinance 17-224 Approve Amendment to Municipal Building Code Chapter 7-34(C) to include Department of Safety&Professional Services Chapter 366 FIRST READING; LAID OVER UNDER THE RULES Resolution 17-225 Approve Specific Implementation Plan for the Planned Development of a Multi-Family Development at 460, 474 & 482 Marion Road - Lamico, Inc. / City of Oshkosh, owners / Annex 71, LLC, petitioner MOTION: ADOPT (Pech; second, Herman) CARRIED: Ayes (7) Panske, Krause, Pech, Palmeri, Allison-Aasby, Herman, Mayor Cummings Joyce Goodmore, Annex Student Living, 409 Massachusetts Avenue, Indianapolis, stated the company specialized in the development construction acquisition of student housing assets and partner with colleges/universities throughout the Midwest to develop or renovate student communities, provide supplemental housing options or assist with developing campus master plans. She explained it was their mission to provide memorable college experiences through unique housing opportunities. She stated they took pride in creating environments that promote resident life and community belonging as it impacts residents' futures and academic success. She stated their rapid growth was 10 PROCEEDINGS OF THE COMMON COUNCIL—APRIL 25, 2017 related to public/private partnerships, unique financing methods and community redevelopment efforts. She presented a slideshow of the proposed development and detailed the plans for the residential units. She explained the challenges the developers had found including soil contamination, methane emissions and asbestos. She stated they had started the voluntary site cleanup process by notifying the DNR of the contaminants and intent to remediate. She explained consultants would continue testing on the site throughout the next several months. She stated construction was scheduled to begin in summer with a completion by fall of 2018. She thanked City staff and Council for their time and support of the project. Council Member Palmeri questioned where the open yard space would be. Ms. Goodmore explained it would be located on the southwest corner near the patio area. Council Member Palmeri questioned if the space outside the patio area would be greenspace. Ms. Goodmore stated there would be greenspace located outside the patio, around the parking area and on the east side of the building. Council Member Palmeri questioned if there would be space for students to do activities such as playing Frisbee. Ms. Goodmore stated they were not dedicating that amount of greenspace on their site. She indicated there was a small amount of space to play yard games outside the patio. Council Member Palmeri stated she believed it was an excellent reduction in parking although she had hoped to see additional greenspace. Ms. Goodmore stated they had lost the ability to include additional greenspace due to right of way dedication. Council Member Herman questioned what on site management would be present. Ms. Goodmore explained there would be a full time, on site property manager and student advocates that would live on site and help with the marketing/leasing of the property. 11 PROCEEDINGS OF THE COMMON COUNCIL—APRIL 25, 2017 Council Member Herman questioned if there would be rules regarding noise, similar to those of a dormitory. He stated he was concerned that the property would be right across the street from senior living. Ms. Goodmore stated they would follow all applicable City ordinances that related to noise. Council Member Palmeri questioned if the water would create an echo. Ms. Goodmore stated she was not certain. She explained they had positioned the clubhouse to create pedestrian interaction. Council Member Panske questioned if there was a baseline rent for a bed or if the needs of the community were assessed to calculate that rent. Ms. Goodmore indicated they performed a market study. Council Member Panske questioned if that had been completed yet. Ms. Goodmore stated that it had. Council Member Panske questioned if she was comfortable sharing the data. Ms. Goodmore stated she did not have exact numbers. Council Member Panske questioned if it was comparable to the average rent in the community. Ms. Goodmore stated yes. Council Member Panske questioned if the rent would be strictly out of pocket or if there would be collaboration with the university in regards to student housing. Ms. Goodmore indicated it would be out of pocket and there was no agreement in place with the university. 12 PROCEEDINGS OF THE COMMON COUNCIL—APRIL 25, 2017 Council Member Herman stated he believed the project was an excellent example of reuse of a piece of property that had previously been an eyesore and fit well with what the City would like to see develop in the area. He explained it was a great opportunity for the university as it was in close walking/biking distance and fit in well with the City's outdoor recreation plan. He stated he hoped that the students would be kind neighbors to the senior citizens across the street and would take advantage of the parks and river walk. COUNCIL DISCUSSION, DIRECTION TO CITY MANAGER &FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS Mr. Rohloff explained the university was having a legislator day on May 1, 2017, which had been the City's tentatively scheduled day to meet with legislators, therefore the meeting would need to be rescheduled. He stated there were alternative dates, however, the timeframe would be afternoon. He questioned if Council had any preference. Mayor Cummings stated he believed it was important to stick to a schedule due to the various hot topics currently in Madison. Mr. Rohloff stated he agreed and would have his assistant begin polling Council members for available dates. Ms. Ubrig stated she had included communications regarding status from each location with an inactive liquor license in the agenda. She questioned if Council would like to discuss each inactive license. Council Member Herman stated he believed they should discuss each license. Ms. Ubrig indicated The Granary, located at 50 W. 61h Avenue, stated they had an agreement with a tenant for the location. Council Member Palmeri stated she believed she had read an item in the newsletter indicating that there would be office space at the location. Mr. Rohloff indicated it was a mixed used property. 13 PROCEEDINGS OF THE COMMON COUNCIL—APRIL 25, 2017 Mayor Cummings stated the former bar area would remain a bar and the former restaurant portion would become office space. He explained apartments would not have suited the location. Ms. Ubrig stated the Morgan District, located at 228 W. 61h Avenue, requested an extension to review the proposed height of the bridge. She explained until the height was determined they did not wish to proceed with further development. Council Member Pech stated it was noted in their letter that the City of Oshkosh was considering the bridge for replacement. He explained it was the state, not the City, considering the bridge for replacement. Mayor Cummings explained Council's recommendation may not be the option the Wisconsin Department of Transportation ultimately chooses. Council Member Herman stated he did believe it was important to consider that the property would be difficult to develop without a liquor license. He explained he believed they have shown that they were moving forward and had tentative plans. He stated he supported giving them an additional year as it was uncertain what the bridge would look like and how that would impact their future development. He explained he believed if Council were to remove their liquor license now it would inhibit the developers from making decisions on the property. Council Member Palmeri stated it was noted in the letter that the group had been 'diligently redeveloping' the site. She explained she had several different conversations with the developer regarding progress delays and was not certain they should be granted an additional year. She stated she believed an extension of six months may be appropriate although she was not certain they were diligently redeveloping the site. She explained she did understand that the development would be difficult without a liquor license. Council Member Panske stated she was comfortable giving the developer an additional year. Mr. Rohloff stated the liquor license renewals would be brought before Council in the near future. 14 PROCEEDINGS OF THE COMMON COUNCIL—APRIL 25, 2017 Ms. Lorenson explained after reviewing the inactive licenses Council would be able to decide if there were any that they believed should not be renewed. She stated City staff would then prepare a notice of non-renewal and ask the license holder to come before Council. She explained if Council did not provide City staff that direction ahead of time, the City Clerk would bring the inactive licenses to Council for renewal for the year and to revoke a license during the subsequent year would require a revocation hearing. Council Member Allison-Aasby stated she believed there were several Council Members who had received conflicting information related to the development of the Morgan District site. She explained she would be interested to hear about the plans for the site, pending the bridge decision being a workable solution for the developers. She stated her direction to City staff would be to request a plan update from the developers. Ms. Lorenson stated City staff would be able to list the inactive license on the following Council agenda and ask the developers to be present. Council Member Allison-Aasby stated she believed that would be beneficial as it was difficult to make a decision without hearing from the developers. Council Member Herman stated the developers had been present to discuss the TIF for the district that Council subsequently approved. He explained he believed they had a specific timeline in which to develop the site otherwise the TIF would be brought back to Council. Mr. Rohloff explained that although Council had approved a TIF, they had not approved a development agreement. Council Member Herman stated he understood that although he believed the TIF would still allow for some control if there was not progress in development. Mr. Rohloff explained the value of the TIF gets diminished after every year of inactivity. Council Member Herman stated after a period of inactivity, regardless of whether or not the developers had a liquor license, Council would be able to pull the TIF. Mr. Rohloff stated that was correct. 15 PROCEEDINGS OF THE COMMON COUNCIL—APRIL 25, 2017 Council Member Palmeri stated Council had not provided the developers a deadline for the development agreement. Ms. Lorenson indicated that was correct; there was not a specific deadline to submit the development agreement. Mr. Rohloff stated when the TIF had been approved the developers had indicated that the development agreement would be completed in the spring of 2017. He explained he had heard multiple versions of the development plan and agreed it made sense to have the developers explain their intentions to Council. He stated he had a discussion with the grocery company the developers had approached and they remained interested in the site. Ms. Lorenson stated the next Council meeting was May 9, 2017 which would allow City staff enough time to take direction from Council and create a notice of non-renewal if necessary. Mayor Cummings stated he doubted any construction would take place this spring as the building season was already in full swing. Mr. Rohloff explained each of the inactive liquor licenses had a unique set of circumstances. He stated the Morgan District would take more time to develop than an establishment that was being renovated such as The Granary. Ms. Lorenson stated City staff would send a notice to the Morgan District and invite them to speak at the Council meeting on May 9, 2017. Ms. Ubrig indicated Packers Pub, 1603 W. 201h Avenue, stated that they had talked with an interested couple on March 15, 2017, although there was not anything concrete included in their letter. Council Member Herman stated it had been over a month since they had contact with the couple and if the lease was moving forward something should have been decided already. Ms. Lorenson questioned if Packers Pub should come to the May 9, 2017 meeting as well. Council Member Herman stated yes. 16 PROCEEDINGS OF THE COMMON COUNCIL—APRIL 25, 2017 Ms. Ubrig explained she had communicated with Matt Vienola from Post 1908, 129 W. 171h Avenue, and he had indicated via email that they were going to surrender their license back to the City. Council Member Herman questioned if the liquor license could be reserved. He stated he believed they had reserved one for the Marion Road development. Mr. Rohloff stated one was reserved for the Marion Road development. Council Member Herman questioned if it would be appropriate to consider reserving the license for the Sawdust District. Ms. Lorenson stated City staff was in the process of establishing a meeting regarding liquor licenses and would prepare a report for Council detailing the open licenses and what options were available. Mr. Rohloff stated he believed it was important to review the liquor licenses from a strategic standpoint; if the Sawdust District were to have an entertainment area the City needed to have a reserve of liquor licenses to allow for opportunity in the district. Council Member Herman stated Council would also be able to consider other applicants that had a valid project. Mr. Rohloff stated he regularly challenged City staff to use the law to the City's advantage to maximize the number of available liquor licenses. He explained although there were several inactive licenses there may be more applicants than available licenses and the City would need to be selective in terms of development goals. He stated within the entertainment district restaurants would likely want a liquor license. Ms. Ubrig stated Robbins, 1810 Omro Road, indicated that they were in negotiations with a group from Oak Creek, Wisconsin. Council Member Palmeri stated she understood that Robbins had been inactive for a year. She questioned the license would be renewed for a year if it was not addressed at the May 91h Council meeting. Ms. Ubrig stated yes. 17 PROCEEDINGS OF THE COMMON COUNCIL—APRIL 25, 2017 Mr. Rohloff stated he did not believe they had been inactive for a full year yet. Ms. Ubrig stated they would be inactive for a year beginning in July. Council Member Herman stated it was his understanding that if everything went according to plan they would be able to open June 1 and if Council pulled the license it would impact the deal. Mr. Rohloff stated it was a similar situation to The Granary. Council Member Pech questioned what Council's options would be if the timeframe was not met after the license was renewed for a year. Ms. Lorenson stated Council would need to hold a revocation hearing. Council Member Pech stated that if there was no further development Council would be able to take action in the future. Mayor Cummings stated it was mentioned in the letter that the owner was working with a realtor. He explained he believed he had seen the realtor sign change outside the establishment. Council Member Pech stated the letter indicated that the owners would be outside of the area until May 11th, although they would be able to be reached by phone and would be able to have legal counsel available for questions. He requested City staff reach out to the owners and have their legal counsel attend the meeting on May 91h Ms. Ubrig stated Tower Associates, 2010 W. 91h Avenue, was the former location of Hot Rod Willy's. She explained in conversation with Attorney Chuck Hertel she had been informed they were listing the property although she did not believe there was any progress. Mayor Cummings stated it had been Mr. Cinders prior to Hot Rod Willy's. Ms. Ubrig indicated that First Weber Realty had provided a letter indicating that the property was listed. 18 PROCEEDINGS OF THE COMMON COUNCIL—APRIL 25, 2017 Council Member Pech stated the letter indicated that 25 potential buyers had shown interest although there had yet to be an offer. He explained they indicated they were in serious negotiations with a qualified potential tenant. He stated he believed the owner should attend the May 91h Council meeting to provide an update. Mayor Cummings stated it was common for Council to hear that an establishment was in serious negotiations only to have nothing come of it. Ms. Ubrig stated she would contact the applicable individuals to request their presence at the next Council meeting. Mayor Cummings questioned if it would be appropriate to gather additional information about who the potential buyers might be. He stated he understood how confidentiality would need to be maintained, however, he would like more concrete information than a vague 'potential buyer'. He questioned what legal options the City had to request such information. Ms. Lorenson stated Council could ask questions about the potential buyer, however, the owners may choose not to divulge the information. Mayor Cummings stated he would prefer additional information. Mr. Rohloff stated if Council decided to issue a notice of non-renewal, the license holder would have an opportunity to state their case and Council would make a determination. He explained the City Attorney would recommend that Council reach some findings prior to non-renewal and he believed bringing the inactive license holders to the next meeting was a good way to begin the process. He stated Council would be able to determine if the license holders were realistic in their goals. He explained if Council chose to pursue non-renewal it would result in open licenses, however, he understood that Councils in general were reluctant to issue non-renewals as it had an impact on the potential future business of the license holders. He stated in his experience in Grand Chute there were always moving parts in respect to liquor licenses and businesses would cycle through a list of available licenses. He explained he believed a similar system would allow for Council to be able to issue more licenses to parties who would take action instead of having multiple licenses in limbo not being utilized. Mr. Rohloff stated he had worked for several other municipalities and Oshkosh was the only one he was aware of that did not have a sign-up sheet for citizen participation. He 19 PROCEEDINGS OF THE COMMON COUNCIL—APRIL 25, 2017 explained Ms. Lorenson and Ms. Ubrig had collected examples from other municipalities and he believed the sign-up sheet would be used for citizen statements and agenda items. He stated by current Council rules the public would be able to speak to each amendment and he believed Council would like to continue that practice. He explained City staff had identified forms that could be used and the general practice was turning the form into the City Clerk therefore City staff seating in Council chambers may need to be adjusted. He explained he had a discussion with Tony Neumann, Information Technology Manager, who indicated there may be a technological solution to the sign-up sheet. Council Member Palmeri stated the technological solution may address the sign-up sheet although it would not resolve handouts that need to physically be handed to the City Clerk. Mr. Rohloff explained it may be beneficial to have a small sub-committee to discuss the logistical components such as signing up for the meeting ahead of time. Council Member Palmeri questioned if there would be an interactive component on the page where the agenda and minutes are located. Mr. Rohloff stated yes. He explained there were other logistics to consider, such as how to maximize the capabilities of the TV screen and how to make the consent agenda move faster. He welcomed the Council Members to participate in the sub-committee. He explained there were additional topics such as queuing of Council Members when they wished to speak. He stated the different options would be explored and reported back to Council as a whole. Mayor Cummings, Council Member Herman and Council Member Palmeri volunteered for the sub-committee. Mr. Rohloff stated he believed improving the efficiency of the meeting would allow Council to focus on important issues. Council Member Herman stated it was important to make sure citizens felt as though they were welcome to speak at Council meetings. He explained there had been instances in which citizens would watch the meeting via television and come down to City Hall to speak in the second half of the meeting. He stated he believed it was important to keep some spontaneity; a Council Member may make a comment that a citizen would like a 20 PROCEEDINGS OF THE COMMON COUNCIL—APRIL 25, 2017 better explanation of, and he did not believe citizens should be stifled from commenting at Council meetings. He explained he did believe the system could be improved to create a better flow for the meeting. Council Member Palmeri stated it would improve record keeping. Council Member Pech stated it would also improve follow-up. Council Member Panske questioned if it would be mandatory for citizens to sign up and provide their information. Ms. Lorenson explained that would be a decision for Council to make, however, at present time Council rules stated that any citizen speaking would need to state their name and address. Council Member Panske stated citizens needed to state their name and address,not write it down. Mr. Rohloff stated it was frequently difficult for the City Clerk to decipher what the citizen's name and address were. Council Member Panske questioned if it was related to a law or if it needed to remain consistent with the way things were completed presently. Ms. Lorenson stated it was not a law; she explained it was good practice for record keeping and minutes. She stated City staff made their best efforts to correctly interpret the spelling of a citizen's name although it was often challenging which made accuracy difficult. Council Member Herman stated if the practice was adopted, the sign-up would become part of the Council rules. Ms. Lorenson stated that would be correct. Council Member Allison-Aasby stated one of the reasons she would support the sign-up sheet was it would allow for easier follow up with citizens. 21 PROCEEDINGS OF THE COMMON COUNCIL—APRIL 25, 2017 Mr. Rohloff stated he believed it was an important conversation to have. Council Member Palmeri stated she believed Oshkosh was generous compared to other cities in terms of allowing citizens to speak. She explained at past meetings, although she had written down names to the best of her ability, she did not have a way to reach out and determine if the citizen felt satisfied with the response they received from City staff. Council Member Herman stated he noted that Wauwatosa and La Crosse did not allow for public comment at Council meetings, only during subcommittee meetings. Mr. Rohloff stated that was not the route the City would like to take. Council Member Herman agreed. Mr. Rohloff stated there were several options to discuss. Mayor Cummings stated it would help City staff be prepared to answer questions and keep the meeting moving along efficiently. Mr. Rohloff stated it also sent a message to the public that citizens were encouraged to be involved. Council Member Palmeri stated she would like to add a reminder that permission was required to approach the dais. She explained she believed the five minute time limit was a generous amount of time. Council Member Pech stated that Council rules would allow for an extension on the five minutes. Mayor Cummings suggested it may make sense to review the meeting process for the school board to keep continuity between the two meetings. CITIZEN STATEMENTS TO COUNCIL There were not citizen statements to Council. 22 PROCEEDINGS OF THE COMMON COUNCIL—APRIL 25, 2017 CO UNCIL MEMBER ANNO UNCEMENTS & STATEMENTS Council Member Panske stated there would be an event in downtown Oshkosh on Saturday, April 291h and Sunday, April 301h12017 with approximately 70 artists, including 20 local high school students, exhibiting their artwork. She explained on Sunday, April 301h at 2:00 p.m. in the Grand Opera House Square, there would be a meeting to join hands in a chain of solidarity to come together to let creative minds speak and be heard. She encouraged the public to attend. She stated there was a Facebook page dedicated to the event and questions could be directed to an email address, Christian@matchbookstudios.com. CITY MANAGER ANNO UNCEMENT AND STATEMENTS Mr. Rohloff stated there were no significant updates to the Arena project. He explained the project was progressing and there were no serious delays. He stated City staff had yet to receive the requested renderings of the alternatives for the Jackson/Oregon Street Bridge from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WDOT). Mr. Rabe stated he received an email from the WDOT explaining they had received the latest renderings from their consultant and would provide comments to their consultant after review. He explained the WDOT believed they should be able to provide the City with a final version of the latest renderings in the near future. He stated the panoramic photographs the WDOT were using had been taken at ground level by City staff. Mayor Cummings explained this was an important decision for the City; annual maintenance costs, development concerns and other contributing factors needed to be considered. He stated it was a significant financial decision although the state would pay for the initial bridge. Council Member Pech stated the City would incur the cost of the bridge after it was built. Mayor Cummings stated if the existing bridge was rehabilitated there may be a lessor cost for the next 25 years. Mr. Rabe stated based on a discussion with Mr. Rohloff he would be working on an analysis based on the cost information from the WDOT related to the construction as well 23 PROCEEDINGS OF THE COMMON COUNCIL—APRIL 25, 2017 as an estimation of long term costs attributed to bridge maintenance. He explained he would work with Trena Larson, Director of Finance, if necessary. Council Member Palmeri stated if Council were to choose to rehabilitate the bridge, she had concerns about the bicycle/pedestrian crossing and the river walk continuance. She questioned if City staff would be able to look at potential complimentary crossing enhancements that may mitigate some of the bicycle/pedestrian concerns. Mr. Rohloff stated he had asked Mr. Rabe to include those items with the rehabilitation option. Council Member Allison-Aasby stated if the City were to choose a new bridge, City staff would need to consider the implications of repairs as there presently were not any City staff members assigned to such a duty. She explained if they made the decision to rehabilitate the bridge, the state would be able to change ownership at any point and the City may end up inheriting the bridge anyway. She stated they would need to consider if repair work would be contracted out or completed in house with new City staff. Mr. Rabe stated the City currently contracted with the Winnebago County Highway Department to complete annual inspections on bridges owned by the City therefore there may be an opportunity to continue and expand the partnership. He explained it was an area that would require additional review. MOTION: ADJOURN (Panske; second, Allison-Aasby) CARRIED: VOICE VOTE The meeting recessed at 7:32 p.m. PAMELA R. UBRIG CITY CLERK 24 25