PRESENT: Chairman Barr, Ald. Rackow, Molski, Walther, Moore

ALSO PRESENT: C/T Schlice; Mayor Wescott; City Attorney Molepske; Admin. Assistant Gebert; Directors Euclide, Schrader, Halverson; Supt. of Maint. Laidlaw; Fire Chief Barnes; Police Chief Morris; Ald. Sowieja; Markham, Stroik, Wiza, Barber; Kate Garsombke (Stevens Point Journal); Gene Kemmeter (Portage County Gazette); Mike Phillips; Reid Rocheleau

Index of these Minutes:

1. Assessor's Report.
2. 4th Quarter Room Tax Report for 2003.
3. 2003 Wisconsin Act 317 - Annexation costs.
4. Approval of payment of claims.
5. Adjournment.

1 - ASSESSOR'S REPORT

Motion made by Ald. Rackow, seconded by Ald. Walther to approve the report of the Assessor and place it on file.

Ayes: All Nays: None Motion carried.

2 - 4TH QUARTER ROOM TAX REPORT FOR 2003

C/T Schlice stated we are tracking where we should be. The negative balance of $279,000 in the major projects area is basically a part of the overall projects that were approved but not scheduled at this point. We are not technically in the hole, but we are when using the approvals that the Council previously made.

Motion made by Chairman Barr, seconded by Ald. Rackow to accept the 4th quarter room tax report for 2003 and place it on file.

Ald. Sowieja questioned the projects being approved, but not scheduled, he wanted to know how long the projects hang on for scheduling.

C/T Schlice stated that some projects may never be done and then again they might. The schedule is on the last page of the report. They will probably (if not completed by that time) be reviewed by the next room tax committee. The new scheduled projects include: Green Circle land easements of $150,000, Moses Creek Water Shed $40,000, Plover River Shed $100,000, totaling $290,000.

Mike Phillips questioned when the next room tax committee meets.

Mayor Wescott stated it would be some time later this fall.

Ayes: All Nays: None Motion carried.

3 - 2003 WISCONSIN ACT 317 - ANNEXATION COSTS

C/T Schlice stated Act 317 payment requirements were activated with an emergency annexation on Green Avenue when their sewer system collapsed. Basically what it means is that if we annex any land we need to pay the township their portion of the tax bill for five consecutive years. There is a cost involved which is a major problem because it affects our ERP (Expenditure Restraint Program) maximum, which is something that needs to be fixed. When the legislation was passed, no one thought about the ERP.

Chairman Barr questioned if we could charge to annex property.

City Attorney Molepske replied some places have a type of annexation fee.

C/T Schlice stated one other thing in regards to this is that the municipality has to agree to pay that amount to the township each time or the annexation does not happen. He stated that you can thank the governor for signing this. The League of Municipalities and the Alliance of Cities thought that the Governor was going to veto it but something must have happened between the time they talked to him and the time the bill came for the signature.

Ald. Stroik questioned whether or not this was costing the City money because they are still paying taxes, we just have to turn over part of it. The sewer hook up is billed directly to the homeowner, so he was questioning the cost to the City.

Mayor Wescott stated that he agrees with C/T Schlice, the real thing that needs to fixed here is that this is now charged against our Expenditure Restraint Program and that is going to be a problem. We are going to get the tax money and for example, in the Comptrollers example, if Town of Hull were to receive a $300 payment and once it is in the City, it would be $1000, so there is a $700 net payment to the City. Where it becomes a problem is when there is a large annexation there will be large sum of money that has to be charged to the Expenditure Restraint line. That is what needs to be corrected.

C/T Schlice stated that revenues do not count against the expenditure restraint.

4 - APPROVAL OF PAYMENT OF CLAIMS

Motion made by Ald. Rackow, seconded by Chairman Barr to approve the payment of claims in the amount of $325,839.62.

Ayes: All Nays: None Motion carried.

Adjournment at 7:09 p.m.

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