Common Council - Regular Meeting

I think the banker had the word to say a lot of term on this. Morgan, can you hear us?

Yes. Can you hear me?

We can. Great. Thank you.

Great.

Dianuh Aerin- Inside stuff my here, here, no, I just really a little shelf right here to do like my desk before I need the phone. Dianuh Aerin- No. Dianuh Aerin- you're fine but now this doesn't mean. Dianuh Aerin- This is all the. HAB-Masyn Moyer- Essentially, no. HAB-Masyn Moyer- Well, yeah. HAB-Masyn Moyer- Yeah, sorry. Sorry. HAB-Masyn Moyer- Yeah.

HAB-Masyn Moyer- Oh, HAB-Masyn Moyer- No, you know, HAB-Masyn Moyer- That was that. HAB-Masyn Moyer- That's our first time. HAB-Masyn Moyer- Okay.

I will call this meeting to order.

You sure?

No, we don't have a meeting. Council meeting, June 9th, 2026, 7 p.m. Council Chambers. Can I have a roll call, please? Principal?

Here.

Hill? Here. Colley? Here. Stubby?

Here. Glowbeater? Here.

And Sorenson?

Here.

All present. Thank you. We do not have any virtual... Am I seating her along this one, or is she part of the comp plan?

I think that she'll be presenting with it often. Okay.

No, they don't either. Okay. Right? No. Okay. On to the Pledge of Allegiance, Northridge. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. We do not have any general public comments. Number four. So we'll move on to the consent agenda. The consent agenda contains items which staff consider to be routine and have already been discussed and recommended by a committee, board, or commission in every way you speak.

I'll make a motion to approve the consent agenda. Seconded by?

Moved by Victoria, seconded by Terry. Rojo?

Yes, please. Principal?

Aye.

Hill? Aye. Talley? Aye. Stelvey? Aye. Fleveter? Aye. And Sorenson? Aye. Six, aye.

Number 12 is ordinance number 06-26 to update and adopt the comprehensive plan of the city of Berlin. The recommendation is to approve adoption of ordinance 06-26. So that Berlin 2046 comprehensive plan as recommended by the plan. We are in with us. Okay.

Tim, do you want to start us off with a little brief intro and then maybe market equivalent.

Sure. Just to reiterate some of the items. I have some notes here for this. I'll do it short. So this comes after the last year plus of our process for updating this from the planning commission and the community engagement that started off with the public participation plan and then went into there was a open house event and a hearing that just happened this last month and we are here now finally after what feels like it's been quite a while and have the update in adding your approval.

Thanks, Tim. Yeah, like you said, we started this project, I think it was actually just about a year ago. And yeah, it's been a lot of hard effort on the part of the city and the Planning Commission. We've brought drafts to the Planning Commission throughout the process. I'll note we also had the survey, which you can see in the appendix, just a note in addition to the public engagement. But yeah, after a year of long work, we are really happy to present the final plan to you all. Coming to you remotely from Milwaukee, as you probably know, my firm MSA was hired to assist with the project. And so I've been coming every couple months since I started on the project.

Great, thank you. Does anyone have any questions for Tim or Morgan?

With the adoption of the plan, does that include the metrics and follow-ups that we were talking about as well regarding the adoption of the Comprehensive Plan. Oh, yes, that's where I was. That's where my brain was. Yeah, never mind.

So my comment was going to be, I'm excited to cross a plan off, I guess.

Keep them all straight. Yes.

Which was, note to self, let's not do this again.

It's a comprehensive plan, or a strategic plan, I guess. Any other questions?

Long time comment. Happy to see this one come to fruition. Thank you for all your hard work.

Much appreciated. Oh my god, it was so lovely getting to know the community and working with you all. Staff's been amazing. so many involved community members. So I've really appreciated working on this project.

If there's no other questions, we'll entertain the motion.

I make a motion to approve the adoption of ordinance number 06-26 to adopt Herland 2046, comprehensive plan as recommended by the Plant Commission.

I'll second that. Motion by Missy, second by Sherry. Can I have a roll call, please? Aye.

Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye.

Aye.

Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye.

Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Yes. This is being recorded on Zoom, so it's not live on YouTube tonight. So once the meeting is finished, I will upload it to YouTube so that it's still on YouTube. Once all our technology is in place, we won't have this issue. Okay, 13, alcohol beverage license request of Honda Square LLC, Class B beer license and Class B liquor license at 116 North Cape Run Street, which was... Just on the squares, you can see it's presented. They have new owners who are excited to see this transition. Reminds me of this. I will personally mess with that. But so I'm proud to have the transition of that license. Does anybody want to take a stab or have questions or want to read that one?

That's a long one. I will make a motion to grant a Class B beer license and a Class B liquor license to Honest Blair LLC for the premises identified in their application dated 4-10-26, provided that the city clerk shall not issue the license unless and until the city clerk receives all of the following. One, full and unconditional surrender of the license currently in effect for the premises. Two, prove that the city clerk's satisfaction that the applicant either owns the premise or has approval from the owner for the issuance of the license. Three, all of the approval fees and costs are paid along with any delinquencies owed to the city. And if any, four, prove that the seller's permit has been issued to the applicant by the state of Wisconsin. And five, all conditions must be satisfied within 30 days of disapproval or disapproval is void. I'll second.

Okay, most of that Victoria seconds by Jamie on paper, say hi hi any of both motion carries. Number 14 the street cruisers, especially that permit application for August 9 2026 the recommendation of approval, especially about some streets, highways and municipal parking lot front of the street cruisers. Car show. Remember this is a car show only. This has nothing to do with the parade or cruise or anything else like that. So this is just a car show. 39th annual car show. Yes.

I'll make a motion to approve the special events on Streets, Highways, and Municipal parking lot permanent for Street Cruisers Inc. for a one car show at Riverside Park on August 9th, 2026. Second.

Motion by Terry, second by Misty. All in favor say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Motion carries. Number 15 is the fire department's request to sell beer, fermented malt beverages at the card show in Riverside Park, also on August 9th, 2026. The recommendation is to approve the fire department's request to sell beer. Are there any questions for our fire chief? He looks very excited to be here.

I'll make a motion to approve the fire department's request to sell beer, fermented and all beverages at the 2026 car show as permitted under state statute 125.06 parenthesis 6 and resolution number 13-21.

Motion by Sam, second by Terry. All in favor say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Motion carries. Thanks for being here, Chief. Thank you. expect special outfits yeah okay number 16 is the open cemetery request to purchase new lighting for the archway bell tower and chapel a cost not to exceed five thousand one hundred and forty dollars so it looks like um so We already approved the request for $10,000, and so they're asking for the extra.

Yes. They did the previous project that you approved. They stayed under budget, and now they'd like to do a second project for the green gondolier, where usually a Tesla will be a good place for the request.

Yeah, there was additional lighting they wanted for some of the dark spots that weren't lit yet, and then the gate.

Can you speak into the mic closer? So give to Celia to share what's here.

They wanted additional funding for, well, it's their own funding, but they wanted to add more lighting to the dark spots on the chapel and then to the entrance gate. So that's what they're asking for.

So you say, so they have already budgeted This is our funds or their funds? Their funds. Their funds.

We're responsible for any maintenance in the future as well as a lot of which we reached out and it's fairly knowledgeable, the difference in their. Thank you. But this would be the cost of the state would incur going with this.

Any other questions? I'm going to go through the rest of the over some of her order for us to install a couple of our and our way and our way that cost of no more than $5,140.

A second that most of my theories that have been phrasing on there that I I think most of the various. There was a scene of the race in the removal order for one of the force of Wisconsin streets. Um, personal number as presented, the recommendation is issued a raise and removal order for 191st office in the process, including potential litigation.

I'm here just to ask for approval for the next steps that are outlined in the letter from the attorney regarding the unsafe building at 194 South South Street. Property is already black guarded as unsafe for habitation, occupancy and use. Our building inspectors have witnessed, for a while, as you can see in the timeline, sensitive structural issues. There are also now significant sanitation issues confirmed by the County Health Department. Despite the prior outreach inspections and some unpermitted work, the building is still unfit for human occupancy. And without, I'd say, the most specific numbers, the guesstimate from the building inspector, just based on their understanding of what costs tend to be is that the repairs would be prohibitively costly exceeding the property's value. The staff does not expect the ownership to change its tone in response to our notices, but this is a last attempt to get some sort of response that would be either acknowledgement of the need to raise this property and steps to see that happen or some miraculous that are alternative on their, for their behalf. So following the health department's record, which you can see is a major step for this, we would ask that, we would recommend the, the issuing of the formal raise and remove order by the inspectors and initiating this process.

So can you give us a reminder, Lane in terms of what we're going to work. We're going to order the race. Not recently for a recent removal. And we are. So we asked them, I mean, we're assuming they're not going to pay for that. Right. I mean, obviously they haven't done anything. I'm just wondering what this is going to cost to the city or how this is going to play out. Yeah.

So there's not really an assumption. At this point, it's still doing a bit of grace of that 30-day period of time. And at the end of that is when we would come back to have that discussion. Sure. And when that would be essentially a certainty at that point.

I just wanted to point one thing out that I noticed. And only because I talked to the county health one of the officers today that they're being unsafe for human habitation, but they did not deem the structural issues. That is the ability of inspectors.

Yeah, that was the ability of inspectors. Yeah, I've had the same sort of conversation with them. Yeah, that is hopefully an interpretation that, yeah, we're really making here. I'd say that was never realizing any report there, but yes, that's the case of their talk about sanitation inspector, the talk about the structure. I gather those... building those, yes.

Do we have the building inspector reporting for that?

No, we have not done anything about an exterior inspection.

So there has been no interior inspection?

Presumably that would be something that should take place in the next 30 days to move everything. That would be logical and they've seen the inside to some degree. I think at least in other buildings, but yeah, that's something that I'm not sure it would be nice to have them see every single room thoroughly.

And this one over, was there a residence or was this a rental property deal?

It was a residence before it was, well, it was, yeah, it was a residence of the owner. The owner lived there?

Previously, nobody lives there now. But it was owner-occupied. It was never run by them.

So there's never been an internal?

I see. They said there's a hole in the roof.

Again, my question is, We'll see. So May 13, 2026, the county health department placed prior to the building as unsafe for human habitation. They confirmed significant structural issues and added this to the existing concerns. It is not the health department's place to define those structural issues. And that's why I'm asking where the building inspector was coming in on what his findings were if he was not inside.

Yeah, they already made their judgment just from the outside and what they could see from the outside in

Yes, I'm going to go down soon. Just building inspectors believe it is unreasonable to repair the building. We're going to look at the repair, razor repair procedure. It looks like first we would issue this notice and then the inspector would complete a contract. That's a requirement. My understanding is practice and all that goes. Yeah.

Okay, so we're just looking forward to move forward with this so that they can continue their process. I mean, and we all, not that we want to see this happen, but this is not helping our community a little bit.

Procedure zero is kind of drawn out on the second page of the letter from the attorney. And then it goes sunrise, then does this borough report? And this owner, they've been given all the programs and information that we have to help them.

Yes.

And they just refuse to even try.

No response. Judging by their response, yeah, they've not really taken any of that information. This would likely, I would imagine, qualify for some of those programs. has been communicated to them and that's those programs have not been executed in any fashion.

So what is your communication on that? What is the communication you've had? Like have you talked on the phone with them at all?

The inspectors have talked. I'd say that there was a period of time that they were talking pretty regularly. I'd urge them to not have this be the outcome.

Okay. And they're the ones that gave them information about the programs?

I believe that So the information was given when we did the site visit last year.

Is it appropriate for me to ask if law enforcement was recently called to this place? I don't know.

Yeah, they were. I mean, I have it on the timeline. They were in May at this house.

In the last few weeks? Because I think an organization I belong to helped. go in, so I'm not sure if I should make a decision on this. So I'm going to be on the Thursday.

If there are any other questions, there's quite a bit of material here I haven't thrown at you at once.

I'll make a motion to direct staff to continue with the raise and remove order proceedings, as noted in the opinion letter for March 625. And this would include having the building inspectors complete an inspection and draft a notice to elicit some kind of voluntary.

I'll second. Motion by Victoria, second by Sam. All in favor say aye. Aye. Any opposed?

Abstain.

Sorry. Let me look back at our poster, we'll vote for that. Criswell?

Aye. Hill, aye. Cawley, aye. Stubbe, aye. Cloveeder, aye. And Sorensen, abstain.

One, two, three, four.

Four passes. Motion carries. Yes, ma'am.

Number 18 is utilities compliance maintenance annual report CMAR and resolution number 26-05. The recommendation is to approve the resolution and place it on file. It sounds like you, Josie.

Yes, so in the lead, the wastewater treatment plan has to prepare this report and submit that. And it's also a requirement that you guys are made aware and approve of the report. So there's a resolution saying that that has happened, as well as the actual report card there. As you can see, we did amazing on all but the first category. The first category is that point that is brought into the plant. So that's what people are sending food bags to us. So they don't get in trouble on that. Not really. I mean, they have to pay for what they send to us without getting treated at it, by the way. But that was a difficult one too.

So is that saying, if I'm understanding what you're saying correctly, people are putting things down the drain essentially that they shouldn't be?

Well, that Or it doesn't necessarily have to be like different businesses and things can use chemicals and things that are difficult to increase.

So what is the city? The city has a grade on that. What is the city's responsibility on that portion? How do we fix it? How do we bring it up?

I can ask our utility director to come in and speak more.

I mean, an update in our email is past time. Okay. I don't think this needs to come back for anything. It doesn't need to come back. It was just an isolation of how we fix a letter, right, of a D. Is there a way for us to improve, or is that just... Oh, I'm reading in the thing, there is a comment.

I'm sorry. I was going to say, Brian may read into this industrial loading. Some industries in Brooklyn are discharging very high DOD waste. But it's surcharging for that.

But there's no way to increase our grade without, you would think, without putting some stipulations or something in place to not allow. I mean, we can't fix it, right? I think that's not just a question.

I have to ask you, my understanding would be that you would have to restrict what your businesses and send businesses from them. I don't know that they can tell who is dumping it, so you can't actually... charge anybody for it or you can't discipline, for lack of a better term, anybody.

That was my question.

Are we just stuck with that deal? Like we can't fix it? We might be. It says that we're surcharging all industries.

Okay.

So you need to approve the resolution.

I'll make a motion to approve resolution 26. 6-05. Approving the 2025 Compliance Maintenance Annual Report from the Berlin Wastewater Treatment Facility.

Second. Motion by Sam, second by Victoria. All in favor say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Motion carries. Number 19 is Proposal for Real Estate Services for Wisconsin 91, Wisconsin 49 South to Berlin. Project ID 6540-01-03. The recommendation is to approve the proposal and authorize a contract for real estate services.

We received 10 proposals for the real estate services regarding the 8.91 product. The goal was to try to have that to you guys because we put that would be approximately 9.91. We are still doing our due diligence on those to make sure that we get a hold of references and all that kind of stuff. And so, Right, right. So I will bring it back. But we didn't have 10 proposals come in, which I was afraid I was gonna say what we expected was that I was just Do we need a motion to put this on the next agenda?

Okay.

Okay, well, I was never funny old business. I mean, we have anything for old business. When you want new business, anything at the event of bringing business? If not, number 22.

I'll make it a month.

Second. Second, I'm going to say all in favor, say aye. Aye. Any opposed? I want two carries, and we adjourn. Oh, good.