Present: Chairman Barr, Ald. Rackow, Phillips, and Nealis

Also Present: Comptroller-Treasurer Schlice; Mayor Wescott; City Clerk Zdroik; Admin. Assistant Molepske; Directors Gardner, Schrader, Disher; Assessor Kuehn;
Capt. Dowling; Deputy Comptroller-Treasurer Freeberg; Ald. Walther, Sevenich, Seiser, Moore, Filipiak; Gene Kemmeter (Portage County Gazette); Barb Martin (Stevens Point Journal); Matt Mattano (WIZD); Reid Rocheleau

Index of these Minutes:

1. Assessor's Report.
2. 1st Quarter Room Tax Report.
3. Consideration of claim - Sharlene Falkavage.
4. Request to hire Architect for TIF IV.
5. Update on State Budget.
6. Adjourn into closed session (approximately 7:00 p.m.) pursuant to Wisconsin State Statute 19.85 (1)(e) for the purpose of negotiating the sale of city owned property.
7. Reconvene into open session (approximately 5 minutes after adjourning into closed session) for action on above.
8. Approval of payment of claims.
9. Adjournment.

1 - ASSESSOR'S REPORT

Motion made by Ald. Rackow, seconded by Ald. Phillips to accept the assessor's report and place it on file.

Assessor Kuehn commented that this revaluation has been planned for some time and the last time the City did a revaluation was in 1995. There are state laws that require us to do this periodically and we are looking into the future and starting the work for the revaluation for 2003. This is something that is a big project and we seek the committees approval to move forward. There is money put in the budget every year towards this so there is not such a big hit when the time comes, so we do have the resources in place now to proceed.

Ayes: All Nays: None Motion carried.

Motion made by Ald. Rackow, seconded by Chairman Barr to proceed with the revaluation process.

Ald. Phillips questioned whether or not we would need additional staff to do this, if everything is in place as stated.

Assessor Kuehn replied yes, that would be part of the additional resources that we will need. It took a dozen people a year in a half to do the job last time. We are hoping to do it with less people for less money this time. This will be the third revaluation under her direction and every year it is less. We are working towards having reevaluations more often and for less money. We will need more people because we have more than 7,600 real estate parcels and 1,400 personal property parcels.

Ald. Phillips questioned how much this is going to cost.

Assessor Kuehn replied that in 1995 we had a dozen people, for a year in a half and the expenditures were $297,000. Right now, by budgeting continuously for this project, we have $181,000 available to do the revaluation. She hope that will be enough resources, as she is looking at doing it for half of what was done last time but she is not certain she can do that.

Ald. Nealis stated that he believes this should be a separate agenda item. It is under the Assessor's report and it is not in the meeting notices or on cable access and states whether or not we are in a legal realm.

Mayor Wescott agreed and stated that he believes that you cannot authorize the Assessor to proceed with this because there is not an agenda item. He questioned Administrative Assistant Molepske as to his legal opinion.

Administrative Assistant Molepske stated that since it was not on the agenda, it did not have proper notice.

Assessor Kuehn stated that it was not pressing and could wait a month or so.

Chairman Barr stated that we would make it an agenda item next month.

Motion withdrew by Ald. Rackow and Chairman Barr.

2 - 1ST QUARTER ROOM TAX REPORT

C/T Schlice explained that expenditures are going as planned, but collections are down from previous quarters and that needs to be kept in mind for unscheduled or unplanned projects that you may want to take out of room tax. The first quarter is down about 14% from last year and about 23% from two years ago.

Motion made by Ald. Phillips, seconded by Ald. Rackow to accept the 1st quarter room tax report and place it on file.

Ayes: All Nays: None Motion carried.

3 - CONSIDERATION OF CLAIM - SHARLENE FALKAVAGE

C/T Schlice stated that she is asking for recovery of cost for cleaning out the sewer pipes and Sentry is requesting that we deny the claim. As far as the City policy that was passed, it would not be eligible for this because there was not any actual damage paid out of pocket due to a backup. It is a pipe clean out rather than a backup.

Motion made by Ald. Molski, seconded by Ald. Phillips to deny the claim by Sharlene Falkavage.

Ayes: All Nays: None Motion carried.

4 - REQUEST TO HIRE ARCHITECT FOR TIF IV

C/T Schlice explained we need to be proactive in looking at another TIF district because the current ones are due to expire somewhere between 2004 and 2005. The recommended funding for the study is from the special planning account. Prior to any expenditure, from this account being made, the Finance Committee must concur with the project. The estimated cost of this study is within the budgeted amount of $15,000. Basically, the downtown area is one area that the staff has been looking at for a number of years and as we get closer to dissolving TIF 1 and 3, we want to get some studies made to see what would be feasible, if anything, and how it would impact the neighborhood and traffic pattern, what could be built, what kind of parking would be available and impacts on the downtown area. This may not be the only study that we would do, but this area has been under construction for a number of years. We would like authorization for staff to interview and contract with an architectural firm and report back the results of the study. When a TIF district is set up, there are a lot of studies and a lot of plans that have to be put in place, it is not something that can be done overnight. Once that district is created, you are locked into what the plan says so we want to make sure that we have all the information possible out there.

Chairman Barr questioned if this was Jerry's Auto and Belke Lumber area.

C/T agreed and stated it is that whole area and the Lullabye site.

Ald. Rackow questioned what locked in meant and how long these run for.

C/T Schlice stated about 27 years and what is put in the plan is the only thing you can spend the money on so we need to have all these different things in place. This is not the creation of a TIF, this is only going out to do a study to see what is out there and we would not be looking at creating another TIF until such point that we would have some guaranteed contracts and we know what the return is going to be. This is going to be in the $10,000-$15,000 range which is in special planning right now.

Motion made by Ald. Molski, seconded by Ald. Rackow to authorize staff to interview and contract with an architectural firm to do the study.

Ald. Phillips questioned if these were local firms.

C/T stated no, they are firms that specialize in this type of review.

Director Gardner stated they are firms from Madison and Milwaukee area.

Ayes: All Nays: None Motion carried.

5 - STATE BUDGET UPDATE

C/T stated there is no update.

6 - ADJOURN INTO CLOSED SESSION (APPROXIMATELY 7:00 PM) PURSUANT TO WISCONSIN STATE STATUTE 19.85(1)(E) FOR THE PURPOSE OF NEGOTIATING THE SALE OF CITY OWNED PROPERTY

Motion made by Ald. Phillips, seconded by Ald. Rackow to adjourn into closed session at 8:09 p.m.

Roll Call: Ayes: Chairman Barr, Ald. Rackow, Phillips, Nealis and Molski
Nays: None Motion carried.

7 - RECONVENE INTO OPEN SESSION (APPROXIMATELY 5 MINUTES AFTER ADJOURNING INTO CLOSED SESSION) FOR ACTION ON ABOVE

Motion made by Ald. Phillips, seconded by Ald. Rackow to reconvene into open session at 8:18 p.m.

Roll Call: Ayes: Chairman Barr, Ald. Rackow, Phillips, Nealis and Molski
Nays: None Motion carried.

Motion made by Ald. Rackow, seconded by Ald. Phillips to authorize staff to negotiate sale of vacant land next to 1536 W. Pearl Street.

Ayes: All Nays: None Motion carried.

8 - APPROVAL OF PAYMENT OF CLAIMS

Motion made by Ald. Rackow, seconded by Ald. Nealis to approve the payment of claims in the amount of $1,195,641.08.

The claims were discussed.

Ayes: All Nays: None Motion carried.

Adjournment at 8:22 p.m.

The meeting minutes reproduced on this website are derived from the computer files used to produce the official minutes for the City of Stevens Point, but are unofficial. The minutes on this web site cannot be certified under s. 889.08, Wis. Stats., and cannot be considered prima facie evidence under s. 889.04, Wis. Stats. Certain tables, maps, and other documents that are a part of the official minutes are not included in the files reproduced on this website. Please consult the printed minutes, available in the City Clerk's Office, for the official text. The decisions made by City of Stevens Point boards, committees, and commissions (other than the Police & Fire Commission) are advisory only and are not binding on the city until affirmed at a meeting of the Common Council. Some of the minutes on this web site might not be approved by the Common Council as of today.