Common Council - Regular Meeting

Good evening everybody. We will call the March 24th meeting of the common council to order. I will ask the clerk to call the role to determine a quorum. Alder person Nolan present. Ro here. Turner here. Wigel here. Gisham here. Gro here. Hus here. Hson here. Keane here. Novak here. 10 present.

We have a quorum. Please rise if you are able and join us in the pledge of allegiance which will be led this evening by Alderwoman Noling to the flag of the United States of America and to the stand indivisible and justice for all. Thank you. We will move on to part D of our agendas. Uh we have one public hearing this evening and I will ask the clerk to uh introduce that item.

Final resolution authorizing public improvement by replacement of private side lead water service laterals in various locations and levying special assessments against benefited properties. Thank you very much. I'll turn it over to staff.

Thank you, mayor. Um good evening. My name is Melinda DKI and I'm the city engineer for the city of West Dallas. With me tonight, Rob Hutter, the assistant city engineer, and we are going to uh um talk about private side lead service water lateral replacements. Um there are several streets uh involved in this project. Uh these are streets where we have partial service laterals or um that need to be replaced. Uh this is just a slide showing our contact information. We'll also have this information uh on the last slide of the presentation. Uh so for the public hearing uh we have a outline of the procedure. Uh we'll discuss the project scope and the cost. Uh we'll talk about the assessment rates and the different payment methods. Then we'll take comments and questions from the common council and citizens that are affected. The public hearing then uh is closed once all the questions and comments are completed. Uh that project is then uh on the public works committee for discussion and vote. the public works committee makes a recommendation back to the common council and then the common council um makes a final decision. Um we would note that if you have uh questions uh specific to your property that maybe um we could talk about that after the meeting or make an appointment after the common council meeting to meet uh at a later time uh to discuss those. We're trying to it's hard to uh talk about specific properties. We don't have the plans here in front of us. Um, so it'd be easier to talk about anything specific one-on-one, but global questions, questions about the assessment, we certainly can try to address those tonight. Uh, so uh to just start with, we want to talk a little bit about what is a water service lateral and what uh the replacements involve. So um on the

screen here you can see uh the house uh on the on the one side and the street on the other. The water man is uh in the street and that carries all the drinking water that's brought to everybody's home and then there's what's called the water lateral that goes from the main into the house in between there kind of in the middle by the property line. Sometimes it's by the property line, sometimes it's behind the curb. Um is what we call the curb stop or uh the shut off valve. It's a lot of people a lot of different names, but um it's somewhere between the back of the curb and the property line. Um it's what the water department uses to turn off the water if repairs are needed. Um and that's the delineation between what the public side is. So from that property line or that curb stop to the main in the street is public. it though. That's the part that when uh we do a road project, we um or a water mane replacement, we come and we replace the main in the street and then that part up to the curb stop and the curb stop and then from when you we come uh later the from the curb stop to the ho house is the private side and that is uh the responsibility of the property owner and so um this project is involving all the p the private side. We've done the public side in these areas. So now we're coming to do the private side in these areas. Um so here's some just general information about the program and kind of why we uh are moving forward with these programs. Um water manes in West Alice uh involved in this project are from the 1910s to the 1950s and uh a lot of the water manes were replaced in the 2000s um due to the age and the brakes. Um and that means the main and the street and the public side of the

lateral up to that curb stop were replaced. Um we replaced uh those with uh co the lateral portion with copper or HDPE. Um the private side again is still so in October of 2024 uh the EPA mandated that all private side laterals well and actually all lead laterals have to be replaced by 2037. So the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources came up with some regulations to implement the EPA's mandate. Um the city has to follow these mandates. We the city does not have a choice. So um the city has gone forward and made the replacement of private side uh lead water service laterals mandatory if funding is available and um this year we have funding. So, um we have a little chart here that shows the um comparison if you do a participate in um our the city's program, the lead service lateral replacement program. Um what the cost is uh for the lead service under our program. Uh the city assesses $2,000. We allow a 10-year payback period. Um the city hires a a contractor. Um the city contractor gets all the permits and then there is a one-year warranty period. Um if and property owners can replace their lead service laterals on their own but typically we see uh a larger cost uh to the property owner. Um often uh they require payment upon completion of the work and it is either the property owner or the contractor on behalf of the property owner has to get the permits and um that warranty period is really uh company dependent.

Uh for this project you can see that uh we have two funding sources. We have a safe drinking water fund loan um which is uh 1.2 two $7 million and then we are collecting $480,000 in special assessments, but the safe drinking water is definitely paying the majority of the project. Some general information about special assessment. Uh Wisconsin statutes allow municipalities to use special assessments to pay for infrastructure improvements. Uh West Alice for over 110 years has uh used this uh method to help pay for uh infrastructure improvements. In the past, West Alice did have property owners uh pay 100%. They property owners do not pay 100% currently. Um the special assessments are um helpful because all property owners have to pay a special assessment including tax exempt properties such as schools, parks, state fair park, churches, hospitals. Um and West Alice has approximately 400 tax exempt properties that don't pay into the general tax levy, but they have to pay their special assessment when we come through and do an infrastructure project that is specially assessed. So, special assessments try to treat everyone equitably and fairly. Um, so for this project again, um, we're collecting about $480,000 in special assessments or 28% of the total project costs. Um, and then we have a a note on the slide just explaining that the rates for the special assessments are set on an annual basis based on projected construction cost increases. And that rate is set independently of the bid prices for the projects. Um just a kind of an example of uh what

a payment plan could look like for the special assessment. Um in the lead service lateral program, all uh lead service laterals are $2,000 per unit. There's no front foot cost. It is or lineal foot cost of the lateral. It is a unit cost. Um this project would be is would be constructed in 2026. So the final cost would be mailed out in um after March of 2027. Um you can pay it in a lump sum when you get that final invoice or you can choose to have a five or a 10-year installment plan. The installment plans do have a 4% interest because um the city borrows money to pay for these projects typically the and we do because we have the safe drinking water fund loan. Um and then uh the 4% covers our cost to uh pay interest payments on those bonds or the safe drinking water loan fund in this case. Um so that is why we charge the 4% interest. Um, and so a payment plan on a $2,000 special assessment uh would start in 2027 at $31147 and then in the 10th year it would be $28 and that would that those totals include the interest. Um, so for construction, if the project moves forward, uh, the construction would start in spring of 2026 after we bid the project out and award, uh, the contract, um, the common council awards the contract. And then, uh, shortly after that, um, somewhere we estimate around May 1st, uh, we would, um, have the contractor start and then they would work their way through all the streets at the beginning of, you know, we're shown on the slide. Um, and then the work, all the work, all the restoration of all the properties would be done in November, towards the end of November of 2026.

Um, for this project, uh, we don't anticipate trash uh, collection being impacted, but um, there it may be, uh, where one or two properties might be impacted just by the contractor parking in front of a property. If there is an issue, uh the um we'll provide a door hanger with directions on how to get your garbage collected and your recycle collected. Um there will probably be some uh impact to parking, but not anticipated to be overnight impact. But um if there is an impact overnight, you can always get a um you anybody in the project area is allowed to park within a threeb block radius without obtaining a parking permit. Um we work with the police to get that all straightened out. Um we for construction, we send out an initial information letter. We mail that out to all the properties affected. And then for this project, the contractor will call each individual property owner, set up a time to meet, uh go in and inspect the property because this replacement goes from the curb stop to the water meter. In some cases, includes the water meter. So, um they do need to get into the home and inspect the basement um and make sure the area is clear and work with you and explain that. So, um they'll set up that time with you and go over the project and get everybody on the same page and then um figure out when they can get back and get the work done. Uh the city will also have an inspector overseeing all the construction uh when it happens at the individual properties. Again, if you have individual questions um about something um you have a bar in the corner of the basement by your water meter and you want to talk about that, we can do that, but we would prefer that we do that either after this meeting or at a different date where we can discuss those specifics.

We do have a um uh construction in progress report. Uh we have you can sign up for it on our website. Um, and uh, that's something that we update uh, once a week, sometimes more. Um, and it's a great way to keep up on just where is the contractor, you know, what's going on, how, excuse me, how this pro, uh, project is progressing. And with that, uh, I conclude our presentation. Thanks for the presentation and the public hearing. Are there any questions from the members of the common council? I see Alderman Wiggle's got his mic on.

Thank you, Mayor Divine. Um Melinda, what is the nature of this construction? Is it trenching? Is it is it are they going in the basement and and like boring driving driving the line out? So, what is it going to look like in someone's front yard while the work's going on? So, well, I'm I'll let Rob address that a little more.

Yeah, there'll be a excavation about where the sidewalk is. So maybe a a sidewalks 5T x 5T an excavation there. And then in the basement, it's maybe a 4T 4 foot by twoft um excavation in the basement where the water meter is. And then they they bore a line from the basement to the sidewalk, reconnect it, and then back fill. They pour concrete in the basement and then pour a new sidewalk. And that's all included? Yes. Okay. So there's no mess in a garden, no trees being cut down typically. Right. Correct. Okay. Typically typ typically Yeah.

But but if but if you have a finished basement where your water meter is specifically, what's that going to look like? And that that is something that uh we don't encounter very often. um when we have the the the contractor works with the homeowner um to restore it as as best they can. Thank you.

Thank you, Alderman Michael, Alderman House. Thank you, Verine. And so what's the status um in regard to street construction projects? this is being done completely independent of street construction uh was or was street construction done before and that's what you had said before about how the lead in the street and up to the private area had already been replaced explain that for us please

sure so for this project we are going back to areas where we've either done street construction or the water man has already been replaced so these are what we consider to be partial um laterals where the city side is already not led and the and the private side remains led. Um so these are like uh in 2025 and uh we did 91st Street uh from Rogers to the dead end. Um so we're going back to 91st Street and doing and we did the water main on the public side and so we're going back uh to do the private side. Uh couple years ago, the whole program was always do the road first and then come back the year after and do the private side. Um when the EPA man made this mandate, they changed the time that you can have between a public side replacement and a private side replacement. We used to be able to go for a year between those. Now we can only go is it I think it's n 90 days. Yeah, it's 90 days. So we have to um start to piggy back together. So we have to get these done uh all our partials that are outstanding. And then this year with all our road projects we have uh that have water main being replaced we have a separate lead service lateral contract that is also being led and it but it will piggy back all the road projects. So we have a lot of lead service laterals being done this year. I would say between this project and our road project maybe 300

300 300 lead service laterals. I hope that made sense. Yeah, it does. Thank you. But then is it fair to say that folks that are getting a $2,000 special assessment for their lateral um just got a recent special assessment for their road maybe a year or two ago? Yes. Yeah. Okay. Then the road projects this year we included both costs uh at under the road when we did the road public hearing. Okay.

Yeah. So, so like uh we had the public hearing for 72nd Street in Mitchell. Anybody on there that had a lead service at all was given that $2,000 special assessment on that bill. There was this is the transition year be for that. Unfortunately, thank you. Thank you, Alderoman Keane. Um that was part of my question because I had noticed that some of the streets were done. So, at the time of the street project, was it offered for them to do the laterals at that time or was not was that not a consideration in 2025? It was not offered at that time. We didn't have a contract that we could pair up to offer it, right?

And that's why it's coming after and and that's why these were picked because it's partially done. So, let's finish it and Okay. Right. Thank you. Thank you. Any other questions from the council? Alman Noling, not a question. Just um offering an experience. Um, I went through this process at the end of last year and found it to be incredibly easy to work with the contractors. It was very neat. Um, very minimal impact to my home. So, if you're hearing this and going, "Ah, this sounds like a lot." Um, they left my basement better than they found it and even circled back earlier this week and putting down new grass seed and straw um and made our property whole. So, hope that helps for anybody anxious.

Thank you. Any other questions from the members of the common council? If not, are there any questions on the public hearing from members of the audience? If so, please come up to the podium and turn on the microphone and please give us your name and address for our official record. There we go. Uh Cliff Hail, uh live on 91st Street. Love the job you did with the road and all that. One of my concerns was you did the lateral going up to the cutoff. Is this going to infect affect the integrity of the new sidewalk? Is it going to get ripped up again and then have to be redone? I

if the curb depending on where the curb stop is, they may have to take a sidewalk square out, but that's factored into the cost and it will not hurt the integrity of uh what was already done. Okay. It just seems like I'm not trying to sound argumentative. I I I agree. I understand. Yeah. It's We were already paying once for the road and the sidewalk. I'm just concerned that we're going to have to pay again for the new sidewalk. You will not. Okay. The other thing is you said it' have to go back to the full council and all that. What would preclude this project from going forward?

I don't speak for the council. It's really up to the council to make that decision. We just present the best project that we can and it's really they hear your comments and they take everybody's comments into consideration as well as uh you know what's uh they feel is in the best interest of the city as a whole. Now and one last question is uh I saw in one of my flyers this is probably a one-day project.

Um the time at your property it's about one day. Yes. Okay. But the project itself, you know, we have 250 240 properties on this job in this contract. So that's why when we talk about the construction schedule, it seems like it's long. So, um, they may be at your property to do that work, but they may have to circle back later and do some restoration and that kind of thing. So, okay. I'm just worried about the water being shut off. I mean, it's just the one day. Oh, okay. That's all I want to know. Thank you. Sure. Thank you, Mr. Hill. Any other questions from the members of the audience?

Hi, Amy Rose Murphy. Uh, 1520 South 76 Street. So, when you say that they're going to be excavating in your in our basement, is it the floor? Is it the wall? What exactly does that look like? And then my next question is after the repair, say a couple months down the road it rains, there's a leak, there's something from what they did. I'm assuming there's like insurance to cover anything that they do in my home.

So, the contractor has to have insurance uh to be a a viable bidder. They have to provide us insurance and we have uh those stipulations within our contract. So if there is something that happens that would rise to a a claim level, they have insurance and you work with their insurance to do that, right? The insurance covers the job. So it would cover extending should something come up. Anything that's part of that job is to be covered by that insurance.

Okay. And then is it the wall because you said the meter or is it the floor? It it depends on where that where the water surface comes in. If it comes in through the wall, I don't they're generally going through the floor, right? Even if it comes in the wall, they're generally going to go the new one will come through the floor and up and then they would cap whatever was in the wall. Okay. I'm just concerned about brick walls. The houses that have brick walls, I don't even know how they did the pipes in the first place. But when you're saying they're going to cut out a 2 by3, it's generally in the floor. The new will be in the floor and then they'll cap whatever if it comes in the wall, they'll cap that off.

Sure. Any other questions from the audience on public our public hearing this evening? Mayor Divine, just to add to that, I I had this done and it is in mine was coming through the wall and I have a 1920 house and they diverted it from then the ground. So, it was about a twoft hole and then they brought it up and ran it and put all new piping in also. Um, which was good because my pipes were really old. And then they put in the new water meter. So, um, it didn't impact any integrity of my walls at all. You should be safe. Thank you. Any other questions from the audience?

The button. No, it's already on. All right. 192191. Um, the only question I have is there any kind of like a long-term study on on the plastic versus the copper? I mean copper does corrode eventually but plastic comes with its own problems. Is there any kind of like a both both have been approved by the state as uh materials that can be used. So we are using state approved materials. Okay. So it's just a random luck of the draw what you get based on the contractor's preference. The contractor gets to um you we would give them the option of copper or HDP. So,

I mean, long term the cop it seemed that plastic would make the more sense, but everyone's got issues with plastics and the chemicals they release and everything else, but you gota you got to get water in your house somehow. So, that that's our goal. So, so thank you. Thanks, Mr. Kersner. Any other questions from the audience?

All right, we will close our public hearing. Thank you everybody and we will move on to part D which is public participation. This is where the council may receive information from members of the public during this 30-minut period. We ask again that each speaker give their name and address to the council standing at the podium and limit your comments to one statement of no more than five minutes. We cannot take action on the topics raised by the speakers nor discuss. Uh does anybody wish to address the council under public participation this evening? All right, seeing none, we will move on to parts F. Our standing uh committees will be meeting during recess. Please note on the top of page two of the agendas that due to the early voting taking place in room 128 that um public safety and public works will be meeting in this room instead of room 128, which some of you might be used to. And if you are here for a specific um item, whether it be a license or a permit or something with business with the city and you're not sure which room to go to when we break for recess, please uh approach one of us and we will make sure to get you into the right room. Uh item G, I do not have a mayor's report this evening, so we will go right to part H. Are there any reports from the older persons?

Mayor Divine. Alderwoman Keane. Um, I just wanted to announce that on Saturday, April 4th, Friends of Lafallet Park are going to be doing a egg hunt and breakfast, uh, pancake breakfast. Uh, the egg hunt is free to all kids 11 years or younger. It starts at 11:00 a.m. sharp. Don't be late. Uh, the kids go nuts. The can pancake breakfast will be held in the pavilion. Um, it's served from 8:30 to 10:30. Adults are 10 bucks. kids are five. Um, so if you don't have anything going on on Saturday and you got little ones, bring them out to hunt some eggs and eat some pancakes.

Thanks very much. Any other reports from the older persons? Okay, Mayor Divine, Alderman Hus, I move for approval of the March 10, 2026 common council minutes. Second. There's a motion. There's a second. Were there any changes, corrections, adjustments to the minutes? If not, all in favor, please say I. I. Any opposed? The eyes have it. The minutes are approved. We will move to item J, our standing committee reports, which are none. So, we will go right to item K, our consent agenda. Mayor Divine House.

Um, do any older persons wish for separate action on any items in item K, our consent agenda? And seeing none, I move for approval of item K, our consent agenda. Second. There is a motion and a second. If there is no other discussion, I will ask the clerk to call the role. Other person. Noling. I. Bro, I Turner. I Wel, I. Gisham. I. Gro. I. Hos. I. Halverson. Hi. Keane. Hi. Novak. I ten in favor. Zero opposed. Motion carries. Mayor Divine. Alderman Hos. I move that the council stand in recess until the conclusion of our committee meetings. Second.

There's a motion. There is a second. All in favor? I. Any opposed? We are in recess.

Right. Good evening. We'll call the council back to order and I will ask the clerk to call the role. Elder person Nolin present. Ro here. Turner here. Wigel here. Gisham here. Gro here. Hos here. Halverson here. Ke Novak here. 10 present. We have a full house. Let's do the administration committee. All right. I will read out item 16 separately. So, um the administration committee recommends adoption of item 17. No, sir. Okay. Item 17. Uh Mayor Deine, I move u approval of item 17. Thank you very much. Is there any discussion? If not, I will

call We're taking separate action. So item 17 has been moved and seconded or moved and not seconded because we don't need a second. Is there any discussion? If not, I'll ask the clerk to call the role on item 17. Alder person Nolan I wrote no or I I screwed up. Turner I Wel, I Hi. Hi. Keane. Hi Novak. Hi. 10 in favor, zero opposed. You sure it was 10, not nine? We're good. Okay. And then the administration committee recommends adoption of item 16. Mayor Divine, I approve I I move we adopt item number 16.

Thank you, Alderman Wagel. Any discussion on item 16? If not, I will ask the clerk to call the role. Alder person Noling. Enthusiastic. I wrote no. Turner. I Wel, I. Gisham I I Grobe I Hos I Hverson I Keane I Novak I nine in favor one opposed. Motion carries and there's I'm assuming nothing on item 18. Oh no action item on item 18. Lovely. And we'll move to public works. The public works committee recommends adoption of items 19 and 20.

Mayor Divine I move in accordance of the committee report. Thank you. Thank you. Alderman wrote any discussion if not I will ask the clerk to call the role on public works. Older person Nolin I wrote I Turner I Welsham Hi Gro I Hosi I Herson Keane I Novak I 10 in favor zero opposed. Motion carries and we will move on to the economic development committee.

I will read out item 25 separately. The economic development committee recommends granting of item 21, denial of item 22, granting of item 23, and holding of item 24 until the April 14th meeting. Mayor Divine, I move in accordance with the committee report. Thank you. All right. So on items 21 through 24, we have a motion. Is there any discussion? If not, all in favor? Any opposed? The eyes have it. Um, not for licenses.

So, but current current council rules say that if it's just license applications, no roll call is necessary. Boom. I'm out. Okay. All right. Now we have item 25. The Economic Development Committee recommends adoption of item 25. Did we vote? I'm sorry. Did we vote on the voice vote? Yes. Confirm. Sorry, I'm on my own ego right now. I can't think. He got a mic drop and is ready. Okay. Item 25. Sorry, madam. Mayor Divine, I move in accordance with the committee report. Thank you. Any discussion? If not, I will now ask the clerk to call the role. Alder person. Noling. Hi. Roach. No. Turner. Hi. Wiggle. Hi. Brisham. Hi. Gro.

Hi. Hos. Hi. Halverson. Hi. Keane. Hi. Novak. I. Nine in favor. One opposed. Motion carries. Thank you. And we'll go to public safety. The public safety committee recommends granting of item 26 with updated contact information from new agent and granting of item 27. Mayor Divine. I move for the approval of the public safety committee report. Thank you very much. Any discussion? If not, all in favor? Any opposed? Eyes have it. Motion carries. Mayor Divine. Alderman Hos. I move that the council stand adjourned until our next scheduled meeting, Tuesday, April 14th, 2026. Second.

There's a motion. There's a second. All in favor? I. And you put