Finance Committee - Regular Meeting

Alright. It is 05:30. I will call the finance committee to order. First up is roll call. The entire council is president or is present with alder Schlai joining via Zoom. Next is public comment. Is there anybody from the public that wishes to address the finance committee this evening? That was this would be the time. You have to actually come up to the table, state your name and address for the record.

Hi. My name is Andre Neeb, and, you need my address too?

Yes, please.

1110 East Thomas Street. Just here to kinda see what's going on with my license bartending license. I'm not really sure what to say. Sorry. But, just trying to get a change in doing with what I'm doing and because what I was doing wasn't really realized what what I was doing wasn't really for me. So I wanted to do a change, and then it got denied, and I was just kinda here. Not really sure what to say. Sorry. But

I don't know.

Sorry. That's okay.

Okay. But yeah.

Sure. You're denied because of your your your record.

Right. Because of my record. If you wanna explain anything Oh, that way. Yes. Yes. Okay. Things like that.

So because of the

denial Okay. Yeah. Okay. To speak on that. Oh, okay. That way. Okay. I mean, during the incident, I rose my voice, and she called the cops. I put a hole in my wall. The amount of mental mental mental and physical abuse I had to deal with with that woman, that was the worst thing I've ever done. And I truly regret what I did. I know there's no taking it back. But yeah. So that's what I have for

that. Okay.

Alright. Thank you.

Alright. Thank you. Is there anybody else that wishes to address the finance committee this evening? Okay. Third and final call for public comment.

Okay. Nobody on Zoom for public comment. So I will close public comment. Then we will move on to the consent agenda. Is there any item that anyone from the committee wishes to have removed from the consent agenda?

Not hearing any, I'd move to accept the agenda as presented then.

So there's a motion to approve the consent agenda. Second. There's a second as well. There's no discussion on consent. So all those in favor? Opposed? Alright. Consent passes. We'll move on to the rest of our agenda then. We have for under discussion and action items. We have resolution 25 dash zero eight five seven, which is a resolution to hold primary election on 02/17/2026 if there are three or more candidates who file nomination papers for elections in the city of Manitowoc. Mackenzie?

This is just something we have to do every year so that we can hold that primary election in February if we have three or more candidates for a municipal office.

Alright. Any questions from the committee? Any motions from the committee? Motion to approve. Second. There's a motion to approve. And a second. Discussion? Seeing none, all those in favor? Aye. And opposed? Alright. Passes for signatures. Next up is, the resolution 25 dash zero eight five eight, resolution establishing election workers compensation for 2026.

So every few years, I reevaluate rates of pay for election workers and look and see around the state what kind of pay folks are getting. And just like with everything, they are often due for an increase. So I am recommending a slight increase for our election inspectors, a $10 daily rate for our election inspectors, plus a $10 additional bump for the chief inspectors as well. And for our special voting deputies, who are the folks who go to the nursing homes, and our Board of Campus members, they receive an hourly pay rate, a $2 an hour increase for them. It's been a few years since the election inspectors rate of pay was increased and even longer since, the special voting deputies and board of canvas members received an increase.

Okay. And I just see in your memo that these rates were reflected in the budget that was passed last last evening. Any questions on this resolution from the committee?

Yeah. No real question. Thank you, mister chairman. Just, you know, as somebody who does these elections and does that, it's a long day for everybody. Quite often, we have people there fourteen, fifteen hours.

And as we've slowly kind of seen the demographic of the people that are showing up change, You know, everyone's kinda used to the the retired, you know, ladies in the red, white, and blue jumpsuits and doing that. That's not really it anymore. There are younger people that are trying to get involved doing stuff like that, and quite often, many of them are taking days off or having to miss work or shift shifts around and do stuff like that. So making sure that we can at least compensate the people for a day of work, you know, is is, I think, important. And when you break it down hourly, it still is, you know, a a sub a sub, you know, standard hourly rate.

But, again, any anything like that is absolutely incredible, and, you know, it's something I think needed to make sure that we stay fully staffed for these elections. Because anybody that's worked one can tell you the difference of when you have all five or all six people there or when you're trying to go through a fourteen hour election with three people and someone there for half the time. And I think that's something to make sure we keep bodies at the voting locations to keep votes and elections moving smooth.

Okay. Thank you. Alder Dunbar? Alder Reckleberg?

I'd make a motion to approve if there's no

Is there a second?

Second.

Discussion? Seeing none, all those in favor? Aye. Aye. And opposed? Okay. Let me pass this for signatures. Next up, we have 25Dash0859. It's a poor leaf custodial fund twenty twenty five report and recommendation for distribution.

So this is another yearly item that comes to the finance committee. The city has this poor fund is what it's called. And every year, we're able to take the interest earnings. Is that right, Sean? And divide it among five specific entities. It was a gift, gift, a donation to the city many, many years ago, and they were had very specific parameters as to what the city could and would do with that. So this is the report letting you know where those interest earnings are at and how much we would recommend to disperse to each of the five charitable entities.

Any questions from the committee? It's nice to see that there's funds again. There were some years where it was zero that we didn't able to distribute anything with all the interest earnings were.

Motion to approve.

The motion to approve. Is there a second? Second. Motion to approve with a second. Discussion?

Seeing none. All in favor? Aye. And opposed?

Okay.

There's no objection. I'll just put this on consent. Okay. Next up, we have 25Dash0860 as a resolution declaring official intent to reimburse expenditures for proceeds of the 2026 borrowing. Sean?

Yeah. This is an annual resolution we've been bringing forward for the past three to four years. Essentially safeguards us as the city because of our normal bonding borrowing that will happen in two thousand twenty six, occurs in the April time frame. This allows us to, if needed, incur expenditures for those projects that were approved last night in the budget before April and before the bondings closed and then allow those bonded funds to, off to reimburse the city for any funds we we use outside of the borrowing in lieu of it. So for example, if we have a street project that would incur any kind of a filing fee in February, we'd be able to use the funds to backfill it.

It's just, like I said, the last couple of years, we've had it we bring it every December whether we need it or not just as a safeguard. So we'll just be looking for approval of the resolution.

Okay. So so moved.

There's a motion. Is there a second?

Second.

Second. Motion and second discussion. Seeing none, all those in favor. Aye. Aye. And opposed? Alder Schlei, did you have a comment? I did not. Okay. All right, then this passes.

Pass that for signatures? Yep. Next up, we have 25Dash0861. It's a request from Ultimate Sports Weekend LLC and Mantua Hughes Bay Falls Association to rescind invoice for rental fees for renting the complex. Looks like it'll look real of $422?

Yep. I put a memo on there that kind of explained what to what occurred, and there's just a couple additional attachments. But, ultimately, this it appears just confusion and potentially just some faults in our processes, but the event organizers were under the impression that it was to be waived. There are conflicting confirmations from whether or not explained. So and plus in '23, it was applied for.

The event happened in '24, and then there were some lapse in our internal processes that it's now being brought forth or being identified as being outstanding. So it's based on all of that, plus with the connection with NYBA, which NYBA did enter an agreement into with the city and and more specifically special events that any special events that are in conjunction with NYBA because of their strong partnership and everything like that have their fees waived. It just we feel best that it would just based on, it appears, a lot of things that could have been better. And at this point, we're just asking, finance committee has the ultimate authority to waive any kind of invoice that was generated. The request is being to that we'd resend that invoice.

Okay. So move to resend.

There's a motion then.

Second.

Motion and a second. Discussion? Seeing none. All those in favor? Aye. Aye. And opposed? Aye. Okay. That passes with no objection. I'll put that on consent as well. Then we have 25Dash0863 is a report on the DORA as well as looking at, conversation on a future expansion or modification to DORA.

If you recall when DORA was approved, last year, there was language in the ordinance that basically said there would be an annual kind of report or review of the DORA to determine if any changes or modifications or resending of the DORA were necessary. So since, the district officially closed October 31, we thought it would be appropriate to bring that back and kinda give you a summary. I attempted to kinda highlight that in the memo that was attached. I guess in summary, basically, we received no concerns of the operations of the Dora, whether it was from public safety or from public infrastructure on the garbage side or Pizorsky, which is our partner in picking up the garbage. So everything seemed to go very well.

Tourism has been reaching out to the actual operators who participated or others who did not, to get feedback. Ultimately, there were three things that they kinda highlighted, overall or that staff has highlighted, and those are the potential changes that I outlined in the attached ordinance. The first one would be, the potential for going year round. Basically, that's driven by a lot of cons comments that have come in on different events that occur outside of that typical tourist season, something like the holiday parade, for example. A lot of the, establishments downtown have said they would love to have that ability to, incorporate the Dora features in that event because there are a lot of people downtown, a lot of activity.

Some of the bar crawls that occur, for example, are in early spring or over the winter months. So there's just those other things that are outside of that. So that's kinda why that recommendation is coming forward. Hours of operation. Again, just it's one of those things where we heard a little bit of feedback on another hour would be nice.

That to me of the three changes is probably the least of the ones that staff is really pushing for, but, again, we wanted to bring that consideration forward. And then the third one is the extension of the district. There's basically two areas. One, which was brought up, never really occurred to us when we were initially establishing it, but a lot of people like to come downtown and go greet the badger or they're going on the badger, and maybe are going to the wharf for lunch before they're headed there and the ability to just kinda wander with that drink. So that's why the extension out towards the badger is recommended.

And then the second one, there's just a couple of, bars up in that area off of 10th Street with, linebacker and Tower. Tower. Thank you. Tower. And then also, vans up in that area, and they have a tendency to participate in some of the events. So they have, made some noises where it would be nice to include those. So, again, those are the recommendations. Again, overall, no concerns. So we think it was a success. We're continuing to hope to market this as a tourism, unique unique aspect of the downtown. So just bring it for your consideration and happy to answer any questions.

Okay. Thank you, Adam. I'll open it up to the committee for questions or comments. Alder Reckleberg?

Yeah. A question. You said extending it towards the Carr Ferry. I'm looking at the map, and it kind of ends at 6th Street. Is that going to be extended past 6th Street, and it just didn't show up like that on the map or what?

Green area. So it kind of

Yep. Oh, the green area is the part that's extended.

Yeah. It would be the proposed

I misunderstood that. Okay. That makes sense now. Thank you.

And even that, it's probably we have modified a little bit to be able to get right to the ticket booth. Sure. Yeah. I I think I may have ended it a little early, but, yep, that's the intent.

Okay.

Alder Dunbar?

Yeah. As kind of stated, I I haven't received any calls. I haven't really received any issues with this. Honestly, it it was way smoother than I was anticipating. I definitely expected a few more phone calls or a few more complaints about not even anything people had seen, just more of the idea. And it seemed to go over very well. It was handled very well. And this would be something I think is right.

You. One more. Yeah. Alder Brentford. Were there any notable or arrests made that were because of the situation as opposed to something else? Mean, because I didn't hear of anything, see of anything. And I don't I mean, I tried to look at all the data in which you provided. I'm going, I didn't see anything, but that doesn't mean I didn't see the green and understand it. So, you know, I'm

No. Perfectly understandable. We reached out to the PD directly, and their response response was was they they saw no noticeable uptick in calls, responses, and nothing that was directly attributed to the district. So they basically said there was no impact

as a result. No increased revenue.

Sorry. Yeah. No increased revenue.

The finance committee. Okay. Well, looking at the three changes, I don't see anything that's completely out of bounds there. I think the 10:00 hour is appropriate. You're not we're not pushing to bar close, so I think it's it's 10:00 is is not too late. And the expansion is purely driven by people wanting to be part of it. So I think that's a great thing. And then the seasonal, I mean, if it's minus 13 degrees and you wanna stand out there and walk around, god bless you. Vacation. Yeah.

I think I think the the seasonal temperature will control some of it as well in this time of the year. So Packer's record as well. So for action wise, I think we could just accept this and place it on file, and you'll bring forward a new resolution probably shortly. Shortly?

Correct. Yeah. We would draft the formal ordinance and bring it to council for a review and approval.

Okay. I would move accordingly then.

Okay. So motion or a motion to place on file? Yep.

Second.

The motion and a second. Discussion? Seeing none, all in favor. Aye. Aye. And opposed? Okay. I'll put that on consent as well. Okay. Then the one last item that we have is our closed session.

So notice is hereby given that the above governmental body may adjourn in a closed session during this meeting as authorized by section 19 dot eight five one a of Wisconsin statute, which authorizes the governmental body to convene in a closed session for the purpose of deliberating concerning a case in which the subject of any judicial or quasi judicial trial or hearing before that governmental body, the subject the specific subject matter that may be considered in closed session is twenty five dash zero eight two six two year operator license for a neb. The motion to convene in a closed session was made by alder person. So moved Reckleberg. And second by Second. Dunbar.

And I. Reckleberg. Aye. Schlei. Dunbar? Aye. And Bray? Aye. Alright. We are in closed session.

You're all set. Alright. We are back from closed session. The only item we do have in front of us is twenty five dash zero eight six two which is the two year operator license for a neb. Is there a recommendation from the committee?

Mr. Chairman I move to uphold the denial.

Okay there's a motion to uphold the denial. Is there a second? Second. There's a second. Discussion? Okay. No discussion. All those in favor? Aye. And opposed? Okay. That passes to uphold the denial. I'll pass that for signatures. That does exhaust our agenda this evening. But before we go, I'd like to wish alder Rethleberg a very happy birthday.

Thank

you. And spending his birthday with us is probably something he's always wanted to do.

You're darn right.

So with nothing further this evening, I would look for a motion to adjourn. So moved. Second. Alright. We are adjourned. Thank you.

One more. One more.