Item 2 (Anesis Center funding for mental health case management and community programming for Southeast Asision elders and individuals with mental health needs) was referred to the next meeting, more time was spent getting the mayor a pen (he had his tire gauge instead) than anything else.
You can watch it here
Here’s the agenda.
Mike Verveer separated item 3 (selling 14 S. Patterson St.) and 4 (Water Utility budget adjustments). 1 (Monona Terrace marketing contract with Hiebing Group), 5, 6, & 7 (5, 6 and 7 are about merging the City Treasurer and Finance Offices) were passed without discussion.
14 S. Patterson
Mike Verveer asked about the appraisal of $380,000. Who ordered the appraisal? He thinks the amount is very modest for downtown property. The staff (Matt Wachter (housing czar) and Matt Miklejewsky (Economic Development) say it was a recent appraisal, and that the buyer reached out to the city. They buyer is the only adjacent property owner and its a small piece of property so it has less value than one might think.
Verveer also asks about the property being exempt. Matt Wachter says that utility properties don’t have to follow the surplus property rules, but they use them for guidelines. Verveer asks what wasn’t followed in this case. Wachter says that they ask other city agencies first, then tenants or adjacent property owners. Verveer says then they did follow the ordinance, they agree.
Passes. Mayor asks Matt Mikolajewski to stay after the meeting because he has a question.
Financial Plan for Water Utility
Verveer asks what the next steps are for the PFC response.
Tom Heikkinen says they filed their plan on December 28th and 3 weeks later they got the letter from the PFC saying that they found it inadequate and they are incorporating those comments into a revised plan that is being worked on now. A woman whom I don’t recognize says that it has gone through several revisions and will go to Tom tomorrow and then the PFC on the 31st. Basically its like in the last rate case, where they give them what we think they want and then they say that’s not what they want and they give them something else. What they want the numbers behind our calculations. They are giving them a lot of supporting documentation behind the numbers.
Verveer says that last time they were before the Finance Committee there was a question about if this was politically motivated. Has the PFC changed administrators and do you think that the tone of the staff will be changing. Tom Heikkinen says that it is changing, the position is vacant. They will have to see. The assistant administrator is the one that does all the work, but they will have to wait and see. He says in the division for water, most of the staff is very new. There is not a lot of experience and they don’t come from the water industry so there is a learning curve there. Verveer asks if the final plan goes to the commission or does it go to staff. Heikkinen says that it goes to staff, it wasn’t specifically spelled out but the plan needed to be submitted and finalized after another 30 days. The woman says they will have to give quarterly updates until the next rate order but that is already in process so there may be no updates needed. Verveer asks if it will be a normal rate case. Heikkinen says that they haven’t done a simple one in 10 years.
Verveer asks about an update on the CFO search. Heikkinen says that he was hoping to introduce him tonight but he didn’t make it in. Jeffrey Stanek is on board and has been with them since December 28th, he was with Baker Tilly and was the senior person on the sewer and water audits. He has audited 20 water utilities so he is familiar with the PFC.
Motion passes.
Move to adjourn.
Less than 12 minutes . . . .
