Prairie du Chien common council hears proposed budget
By Correne Martin
An overview of the city of Prairie du Chien’s proposed 2016 budget was given to the common council Tuesday night, prior to the council’s scheduling of a public hearing for Tuesday, Dec. 1, at 7 p.m. in the council chambers. City Administrator Aaron Kramer said exact numbers won’t be known until next week when state tax credits are revealed, but he estimated the overall impact on tax payers in Prairie du Chien to be a $46.18 increase on a $100,000 home. This approximation includes county, school and Southwest Tech portions of the tax bill.
The city’s budget includes a 1.12 increase in the tax levy—$2,300,300 up from $2,274,723—or an $25,577 in additional levy. Key aspects, as recommended by the finance committee, include:
•a wage increase of 30 cents for employees not covered under a contract.
•a garbage fee increase to $12.50 per month for garbage, recycling and clean sweep services.
•up to $425,000, to be borrowed, for the purchase of a new or used pumper engine for the Prairie du Chien Fire Department. Fire Chief Harry Remz will explore the best option available. The engine will not happen until after Jan. 1, 2016.
•removal of funding for an additional 442 hours in cab service. One cab is slated for purchase in 2016, with plans to move the purchase of a second new cab to the 2017 budget. Funds for the SMRT bus were reduced from the requested $73,313 to $55,000.
•allocating $100,000 to the contingency fund, which has been done in each budget since 2010.
•removing the room tax and mass transit from the general fund, the last move resulting in a large drop in revenue and expenditures because requests totaling $180,827 are not recommended to be met in full. The move will more accurately show the revenue to the general fund from the room tax and the impact of operating the mass transit program on the general fund, according to Kramer.
Also during Tuesday night’s meeting, the council approved utilizing a portion of the unspent 2014-2016 capital account ($132,734) toward some of the unfunded requests. Some $51,600 would come from current unallocated funds, and the remainder from unspent and completed projects: Aquatic park building’s new roof ($25,880), St. Feriole Island electrical upgrade ($160), Marquette Road 2014 design work ($14,147) North Main Street mill and overlay ($30,947), and the 22nd Street tree project ($1,000).
The council also voted to add the following items to the 2014-2016 capital account: Haydn Street storm sewer ($35,000), city hall computer server ($11,000), outdoor pool water steps ($2,000), three in-car camera systems for the police department ($14,060), and resurfacing portions of the Hoffman Hall north wall ($10,000). Recent finance committee minutes provided some insight into the top three priorities.
The Haydn Street storm sewer has collapsed and is in need of repair, which will require redirection of the storm water to Marquette Road instead of under the BNSF rail corridor. This would benefit the adjacent True Value development and other neighboring properties by minimizing flood threats. Two computer servers at city hall are scheduled for replacement in 2016 and 2017. Plus, the outdoor pool water steps are 25 years old and need to be upgraded or the city could face state-imposed financial penalties.
The proposed budget has $5,361,889.49 in projected revenues and $5,210,691.34 in projected expenses, leaving a structural surplus of $151,198.15. Once final audit results of the 2015 budget are completed, if any surplus funds are available, there are a number of requests from community partners that could be funded.
Bridgeport incorporation
City Attorney Lara Czajkowski Higgins informed the council that the Bridgeport Township attorney, James Hammes, has recommended a meeting between representatives from both entities on Dec. 10, at which he plans to be in attendance personally. He would like it to be an open meeting and is interested in hearing background information about the city’s and township’s goals for expansion, water and sewer issues, and the upcoming expiration of the water/sewer contract.
A letter in the council packet from Hammes, dated Oct. 20, said it was the town board’s preference at that time to have the entire town board meet in closed session.
Other business
The council rejected bids for consulting work on the St. Feriole Island riverwall repair and re-enforcement because the bids exceeded the projected funds available for consulting. The low bid from Batterman, of Milwaukee, was $96,200 but the city has only budgeted $76,000 for consulting. Now, the plan is to move in the direction of a design and build concept on possible repairs to the wall.
The council accepted the resignation of Municipal City Attorney Chelsey Ritter, effective Dec. 31, as she has accepted a position in Minnesota. The position will be reposted.
