Independent Auditor survives, FIC gets their funding and the rest of the operating amendments are here.
This is live blogged, so it won’t be as pretty or as complete. I did some rehab so its better than the original.
You can watch along here
Part one and two are here:
GETTING STARTED
Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway reminds them they are on the operating budget, item 3 on the agenda and they will be starting with amendment 3.
Levy update
Schmiedicke says when they finished yesterday evening, they had $13,000. This afternoon they got information from the Dept of Revenue and that reduced the levy limit by $80,000. There was an oversight in the calculation, they have to adjust the levy limit, there is an amendment that will take the $80,000 from the contingent reserve and that will put them back at $13,000. He send them an email earlier in the day to explain:
Good Afternoon Mayor and Council:
Attached is an operating budget amendment, sponsored by the Mayor and Council President Bidar, that will be introduced at this evening’s Council meeting on the 2020 budget. This amendment is necessary to make a technical adjustment to the budget to address a change in the levy limit calculation.
The levy limit calculation includes an adjustment to increase the allowable levy to offset the city share of property tax refunds due to findings or decisions related to assessment of property value after property taxes have been paid. As the taxation district, the city pays the full amount of a property tax refund and charges back the non-city share to the other taxing jurisdictions. These “chargebacks” are reviewed and approved by the Wisconsin Department of Revenue (DOR).
This afternoon, the city received correspondence from DOR denying two of the chargebacks submitted by the city as not conforming to state law. The two denied charge-backs are for properties in tax increment districts (TID). Since the city retains all property tax revenues in a tax increment district (TID), there is no “chargeback” that can occur. As a result, the levy limit calculation has to be reduced for the city share of the denied chargebacks. The amount of the reduction is approximately $80,000.
This amendment reduces the Contingent Reserve by $80,000 to offset the levy limit adjustment (from $1.8 million in the executive budget to $1.72 million). The city’s policy is to appropriate a Contingent Reserve in each budget of 0.5% of budgeted expenditures. Applying that factor to the 2020 budget of $340.8 million would set a Contingent Reserve of $1.7 million. This amendment would appropriate a Contingent Reserve of $1.72 million.
After the Council’s action last night on the operating budget amendments, the remaining capacity under the levy limit was approximately $13,000. The attached amendment, if adopted, would leave the remaining levy limit capacity at approximately that amount.
Please contact me with questions.
Thanks very much.
David Schmiedicke
Finance Director
Department of Finance
Amendment 3 – Adjust Vehicle Registration Fee to Assume Feb 1st Implementation/Transfer Planning Studies to Capital
Alders Foster and Kemble
Reduce anticipated revenue from the Vehicle Registration Fee by $550,000 to reflect a February 1st start date.
Transfer $1,050,000 assumed for BRT studies (Purchased Services) to the capital budget-Bus Rapid Transit project. Transfer the remaining $600,000 of the $1,050,000 assumed for BRT to Metro’s unassigned fund balance. The increased fund balance may be used to support future BRT preparation/service expansion.
Analysis
Reduce anticipated revenue from the Vehicle Registration Fee by $550,000 to reflect a February 1st start date.
Reduce the $1,050,000 assumed for BRT studies (Purchased Services) by the $550,000 in lost revenue from the Vehicle Registration Fee resulting in $600,000 remaining. Transfer the remaining $600,000 of the $1,150,000 assumed for BRT studies to Metro’s unassigned fund balance. The increased fund balance may be used to support future BRT preparation/service expansion.
Adoption of this amendment will require approval of a corresponding amendment to the capital budget adding $500,000 to the capital budget-Bus Rapid Transit project for the BRT studies.
Motion
Grant Foster moves amendment number three.
Questions of staff
There are no questions of staff.
Discussion
Grant Foster says he sent an email that highlights the goals in this and capital budget amendment number 3. This updates the actual numbers to account for February income and that reduced the levy by $550,000 or put it in the Metro Fund. He says that they need to see this money aside for the BRT small starts grant. If the funds are unallocated and in Metro they will be in a better position with their application and they can use their current system expenses as their starting point.
Levy impact
Schmiedicke says that it would have no impact.
Vote
Passes on a voice vote – a few nos. Henak, McKinney, Carter and Skidmore vote no.
Amendment 4 – Remove Police Auditor
Skimore and Tierney sponsor
Remove $200,000 in the Direct Appropriations budget for the Police Auditor.
Establish a committee in 2020 to provide oversight in developing the position description of the Police Auditor, staffed by two individuals from each of the following groups:
- MPD Command Staff
- MPPOA
- Alders
- Mayor’s Office
- Residents
Analysis
The 2020 Executive Budget includes $200,000 for a Police Auditor in the Direct Appropriations budget. It is anticipated funding will be used to hire a new permanent position. This amendment removes that funding and establishes a committee to provide oversight in developing the position description of the Police Auditor.
Motion
Paul Skidmore moves approval.
Questions for staff
Skidmore asks City Attorney Michael May about the additional powers available for the PFC in the law. May says that they could give the PFC authority to do policy as well if they wanted to. Skidmore asks if this might be an alternative to the independent auditor. May says no, they’re different functions, he says its more about who does policy – they can leave policy making with the chief and Mayor with council as oversight or give that to the PFC. Skidmore asks about the independent auditor, would it would have subpoena powers? May says he thinks that subpoena powers would likely be with the oversight committee, that is what the state law allows. Skidmore asks if he saw the details of who has subpoena powers in the committee report. May says that he looked at it briefly but they were waiting to see if this passes before they do the work. They will have to draft ordinances if it passes. He says the independent auditor is generally a good idea. Skidmore asks what the limits of the power would be – if there is a complaint would the subpoena power be to testify or could they subpoena files. May says those are details to be worked out, a subpoena would be to testify or get documents. Skidmore says that it would allow them to go fishing. May says he’s not sure that is true. Skidmore says if implemented the ordinance would be created by you and the mayor and not through committees? May says it would go through the normal committee processes. He says they have very detailed recommendations to work with to get started.
Barbara Harrington-McKinney asks the Human Resource Director Harper Donohue to explain the process for hiring and recruitment? Donohue says for comp group 21, for recruitment they would need to determine the classification, once they receive it, they will work with the mayor and work with a contact person to understand what they want. They will update the ordinance to add the positions. They would do a national search, post for 4-6 weeks, read the supplemental questions, have an oral board and the finalists will be sent to the mayor for final selection.
McKinney asks if it is normal to have an amendment to have this position before this budget. Which comes first? Donohue says its normal for the position to be created during the budget process – like Council Staff and Transportation.
McKinney asks if it comes with an allocated amount or if that gets figured out later? Donohue says he is not sure how they got to $200,000.
McKinney asks the mayor where the $200,000 came from- Mayor says it was an estimate generated in her office and that includes expenses in addition to salary, benefits, supplies, computer, desk, office, etc. They don’t anticipate an administrative position and that will need to be figured out in the long term. It is an estimate and it’s based on similar groups around the country and Comp Group 21 pay. She thinks they can get started for this amount of money.
McKinney asks when a substitute would be in order. Mayor says it would be courteous to allow collogues to ask questions and then make the motion.
Sheri Carter asks if she heard that they would confer with the committee, is that the citizen committee, and if so, what other citizen committees have been involved in creating a city job position? Donohue defers to the mayor about who would be involved, he learned a lot about this process listening in the last 24 hours. He would get the direction of the mayor.
Carter asks the mayor about which committees. Mayor says the CCEC and PSRC and invite ad hoc committee members to participate. She says there are multiple pieces, there would be an ordinance that would go to committees and they would have a position description that would need to be approved and she would be open to other referrals.
Carter asks Donohue what the normal timeline is for creating a position description and recruitment – 3 or 6 months? Generally. Donohue says that they hope to fill positions in 90 days or so, for a new department head that would be ambitious if they said 6 months. With council staff they took a whole year before they got done. There was a more aggressive timeline for Transportation, they came on in June, but they bypassed the supplemental question review. He says it generally takes 6 months to a year.
Discussion
Skidmore says that he brought this up to hit the pause button while they work out the details. Looks like it could be 6 months to a year before they hire. He wanted to free up the funding to hire more officers. He didn’t want to derail, disband or kill the auditor but just to pause the process. He has concerns about details, but they will have a chance to review and vet and make sure it’s an unbiased process and have input. He says that some of the comments were that people were concerned that no alders or officers that would be consulted in the process. He has more comfort this will be unbiased.
Christian Albouras says he is honored to hear Skidmore have a sigh of relief around the process and that he is not fully opposed to the auditor. He thanks the people who wrote this recommendation. He says they can do something impactful. We want to be methodical in how we do this and bring key stakeholders to the table and want it to be a welcome process to accomplish their goals.
McKinney says that she got the comp group 21 positions hiring steps from the HR director, its extensive, and includes timeline. She says it included references in terms of the Transportation Director and Chief of Staff. She says it could be 6 months, she will forward the information.
Levy Update
Schmiedicke says if this passes would increase the available capacity under the levy to $213,000 if amendment 10 is adopted
Vote
There is a roll call vote.
No: Moreland, Rohrer, Rummel, Verveer, Albouras, Baldeh, Bidar, Carter passes but then votes no, Evers, Foster, Furman, Harrington McKinney, Heck, Henak, Kemble, Lemmer, Martin.
Yes: Skidmore, Tierney, Abbas
3 ayes 17 nos and it fails
Amendment 5 – Peer Support Funding
Alders Bidar, Evers, Carter
Increase funding for Peer Support contracts funded in CDD’s Community Support Services by $25,000. Decrease funding for the newly created Early Childhood Mental Health Specialist position by $25,000 to assume a May 1st start date. The increased funding will increase the purchase of service contract with Nehemiah/Focused Interruption Coalition for Peer Support services.
Analysis
The 2020 Executive Budget includes $400,000 for Peer Support contracts in the Community Development Division’s budget (Service: Community Support Services). Funding for these contracts was increased by $200,000 in the 2019 Adopted Budget; the 2020 Executive Budget eliminated this increase. Two organizations currently receive funding through this contract: Nehemiah/Focused Interruption and Madison Area-Urban Ministry. As proposed here, the increased funding will be awarded to Nehemiah/ Focused Interruption.
The amendment proposes funding the increase by reducing the budget for the newly-created Early Childhood Mental Health Specialist. The Executive Budget assumed a full year of funding for the position. As proposed here the position would have an assumed start date of May 2020. The savings would be one-time and would require an increase to CDD’s 2021 budget.
Motion
Bidar moves adoption. She points out that at the bottom of the page it should say this funding is one-time and not ongoing.
Questions of staff
Bidar asks MPD about FIC and how helpful or not that process is. Vic Wahl the interim police chief says it’s been a positive relationship they have staff who are liaisons they have regular meetings, they have been responsive in homicides, shootings and violent crimes. They are at arm’s length to protect the validity of the group, they are not keeping data. There have been bumps and it hasn’t been perfect but the impression they have it that it has been beneficial.
Bidar asks Schmiedicke to clarify the salary savings and the one-time situation. Schmiedicke says they are reallocating money on a one-time basis for a one-time grant for the perr support program, in 2021 the money would not be paid but they would fund the position for a full year.
Discussion
Carter urging support. She is going to be for real about this, none of us are going to be out there at midnight navigating a situation we are not familiar with, the fact the FIC will be at the hospital, follow up with the family and be the ones that are there. This is an organization many cities are trying to cultivate and support. In 2016 there was a murder a block away from her house, she got a call that she should go home and check on her mother. When she did, one of the neighbors who walks their dog was an EMT and was headed to work and said he did everything he could to save this person. Unfortunately, that after that incident he had to move out of the neighborhood. She knew that was a volatile situation, it was a group of groups and FIC came in and there could have been more violence. She couldn’t have negotiated with them; they didn’t want to hear my background or these words. The second incident was the 711 shooting and that was in the middle of the night, the folks were followed from another bar and shot right in the doorway of 711. Early in the norming Alder McKinney went down there, she was coming in from Minneapolis, it shook her neighborhood, and FIC was there. They need ongoing support and they need community engagement, and this is more important than community engagement.
Zach Henak says he won’t be supporting this. The infant child mental health was something the department found their own resources and he doesn’t think they should take that away.
Question of Staff
Bidar asks about Jim O’Keefe from the Community Development Division about the reallocation, are you ok with this for the salary savings in 2020. O’Keefe says that it will take time to write the description, do a recruitment and this takes advantage of the salary saving that would naturally occur.
Discussion
Bidar encourages support, the mayor’s budget has $200,000 already, this adds 25,000 and the county added 25,000 recognizing that many of their responses include other municipalities – she hopes that the county will support the work at a higher level in the future. She thinks that shouldn’t decrease the money, it was $400,000 in other years, this is a smaller decrease to give them an opportunity to get other funding. This is a volunteer group that has received training, added people, there are two women, and it is starting to become a more organized group. Given the work that they do they deserve to be compensated for the large amount of work that the group does. This is a small amount, but it goes a long way and the big quote from her from yesterday is that the people closest to the situation can solve the problems best.
Albouras urges support, violence has a ripple effect and FIC tries to break that link, he knows people in the group, he appreciates their work and you can’t put a price tag on their work. He encourages support, he asks to be added as a co-sponsor.
McKinney says decreasing the infant mental health position put her in a difficult position, she has been close to the ground when mothers are seeing their son on the sidewalk and they have been killed, she knows the individuals that are boots on the ground with FIC. She did some research in 2017 there were 11 victims, she wrote the names and ages of the victims and race – many were African American males, under 18. There is a need for individuals that would put themselves in the middle of where we don’t go. She respects the work they do.
Questions of staff
McKinney says we often put money forward and don’t look at the underlying outcomes of the work. She asks O’Keefe about how many staff FIC has and what the underlying organizational structure is, where they started, where they are now and what would this funding do
O’Keefe says the organization when it began was a group of people committed to the work they were doing, they didn’t have an organizational structure, there were 5-7 members of the organization that did the work. When they offered the financial support, they devoted a fair amount of attention to make it a sustainable organization and program and it entailed building an organization from the ground up. They talked about staffing levels, training and certifications. In the two years there has been turnover, they went from having no staff that were state certified to having 3 certified peer support specialist and they have more staff that want to get that certification. He’s not sure there is a precise number on staffing levels, but they have 5-8, most of the work they are billing for are 3-4 staff. It’s an organization that is evolving year to year and month to month a will continue to do that. The goal is to invest the resources and time and energy so this is not person dependent but more sustainable.
McKinney asks how much of the original amount allocated has been billed. O’Keefe says that to date $409,500 is the contract and they paid out $300,000, there may be other reimbursement claims pending.
McKinney asks how the reporting cycles look. O’Keefe says that they have quarterly reports, work with the organization to have measurable outcomes and report on those outcomes. This is a program and contract that is in the process of evolving, they are focused on understanding the number of individuals they come in contact with and making assessments of those clients in terms of vulnerability to being affected by future violence as victims or perpetrators. They identify the needs and determine if they avail themselves of resources.
Discussion
McKinney says she has the highest respect for Anthony Cooper and his team in terms of the work he has done to transform himself. She won’t support this, because its coming from the mental health specialist, she says that the trauma young kids suffer in early years – she thinks they should be focusing on this. She isn’t comfortable moving that money. When we spend time with our children, we are creating the men and women who will being our community.
Question of Staff
Tag Evers was one of the original co-sponsor and asks O’Keefe about the early childhood mental health specialist – the start date is May 2020, does that mean you are cutting the position. O’Keefe says the funding to support the position is from the tuition assistance program and they have struggled to utilize the money in the last few years because families that qualify for state aid aren’t eligible and they have a dwindling number of families that qualify for and take advantage of city assistance. They think that serving providers that work with people in trauma is a good use of the funds, they turned to creating a position to provide support to the providers. This amendment isn’t taking funding from it, they are going in the direction of providing a service that is not there today.
Vote
Foster moves to call the question (force them to vote), that motion passes on a voice vote.
The amendment passes on a voice vote with a couple not.
Amendment 6 – Transit Graphic Technician
Mayor Rhodes-Conway, Alder Bidar sponsor
Split an existing full-time Transit Graphic Technician (1.0 FTE) into two part-time Transit Graphic Technicians (0.6 FTE). The amendment will increase the overall authorized position count in Metro by 0.2 FTE.
Analysis
The proposed amendment splits an existing full-time position into two part-time positions. The split will allow Metro to recruit for two different skillsets for the position: one focused on technical projects and one focused on design projects. The part-time positions will be authorized at 0.6 FTE allowing the incumbents to qualify for employment benefits including health insurance and WRS. Costs associated with this change will be absorbed with Metro’s existing personnel budget.
Motion
Bidar moves adoption.
Questions of Staff
Henak asks if splitting the position will have an impact on hiring someone qualified. Staff says they They think it will assist in finding someone with the different sets of skills, graphic design and photos. Staff say this should help
Carter asks if the two positions are independent of each other. Staff say yes.
Levy Impact
Schmiedicke says that the amendment has no impact on the levy
Vote
Passes on a voice vote
Amendment 7 – Warner Park Community Rec Center Programming
Abbas, Bidar and Kemble sponsor
Appropriate $37,000 in the Parks Division Operating Budget for Kids Need Opportunities at Warner programming and increase contributions from the Madison Parks Foundation for this program by $37,000 to $45,000.
Analysis
The Kids Need Opportunities at Warner (KNOW) program provides opportunities for youth to gather, including programs such as Teen Night, Family Fun Night, the 3ON3 Basketball Tournament Series, and daily open gyms. The proposed amendment will provide support for this program that has been provided for by the Safe and Thriving Grant over the past two years. This includes $10,000 for hourly staffing and may include food, entertainment, and prizes. The Madison Parks Foundation currently supports the KNOW program with $8,000 and has committed to increase their support by $37,000 for a total of $45,000. There is no levy impact with this amendment.
Motion
Syed Abbas moves adoption
Questions of staff
None
Discussion
Abbas says this amendment – growing up as a teen in Pakistan, the opportunities you have in youth stick with you, its important to provide mentorship and be engaged there as written in the amendment. When he moved to the US – he was trained not to let his guard down, but now he feels safe, these programs help as an adult – he thinks they should support the amendment and that resources are available for vulnerable children who use the park. He lists the programs, teen night gives an opportunity for financial training, jobs and mentorship, he encourages them to come watch the basketball tournament. He makes a lot of friends through sports, those friendship go far, this is important to support teens.
Carter supports it, she asks to be added as a cosponsor. When her grandmother was a kid, she remembers her saying that she would go out in the rural area of Georgia, they would go about and be gone all day. Those cornfields are now a city. There is no place for adults to go that they can go and talk to adults, but they are happy the kids have places. Family fun night is a place to go and she’d like to have that in every neighborhood.
Levy Impact
Schmiedicke says that it has no impact on the levy.
Vote
Passes on a voice vote
Amendment 8 – Snow Removal at Police Stations
Mayor Rhodes-Conway and Bidar sponsor
Transfer $65,000 from the Police Department (purchased services) to the Streets Division to create a new Street Maintenance Operator II, allowing the Streets Division to provide snow removal services at all police district stations.
The proposed amendment would transfer $65,000 from the Police Department purchased services budget to the Streets Division to create an additional Street Maintenance Operator II position (1 FTE increase). The newly created position will allow the Streets Division to assume responsibility for snow plowing at all Police District Stations. This service was previously provided by Engineering. The 2020 Executive Budget added $65,000 to the Police Department’s operating budget to contract out the service. An initial RFI for proposals indicated contracted snow removal would exceed the amount projected in the budget.
During the non-snow season, the newly created position will be incorporated into the staffing model for other services within the Street Division.
Motion
Bidar moves adoption
Questions of staff
None
Discussion
Bidar is just so glad that streets are going to do this, so the police stations are plowed consistently and appropriately
Vote
Passes on a voice vote
Amendment 9 – Urban Forestry Special Charge (Technical Adjustment)
Increase inter-departmental charges from the Water Utility within the Streets Division budget by $66,000 to fund the administrative costs associated with implementing the Municipal Services bill. This increase will be funded by the Urban Forestry Special Charge.
Analysis
The proposed amendment would increase the 2020 projected Urban Forestry Special Charge by $66,000. This funding would be used to support charges from the Water Utility to administer the Urban Forestry Special Charge as a part of the Municipal Services Bill.
The Urban Forestry Special Charge in the 2020 Executive Budget is $5.16 million, an increase of 17.0% over 2019. This amendment will increase the 2020 rate to $5.22 million, an increase of 18.5% over 2019.
Motion, Questions of Staff, Discussion, Vote
Bidar moves adoption, no questions of staff, no discussion. Motion passes on a voice vote.
AMENDMENT 10 – TECHNICAL ADJUSTMENT
Sponsors Mayor and Bidar
Reduce the Contingent Reserve under the 2020 Executive Operating Budget by $80,000 (from $1,800,000 to $1,720,000).
Analysis
The levy limit calculation includes an adjustment to increase the allowable levy to offset the city share of property tax refunds. As the taxation district, the city pays the full amount of a property tax refund and charges back the non-city share to the other taxing jurisdictions. These “chargebacks” are reviewed and approved by the Wisconsin Department of Revenue (DOR). On November 13, 2019, DOR denied two of the chargebacks submitted by the city as not conforming to state law. As a result, the levy limit calculation has to be reduced for the city share of the denied chargebacks. The amount of the reduction is approximately $80,000. This amendment reduces the Contingent Reserve by $80,000 to offset the levy limit adjustment.
The city’s policy is to appropriate a Contingent Reserve in each budget of 0.5% of total General Fund appropriations. Applying that factor to the 2020 budget of $340.8 million would set a Contingent Reserve of $1.7 million. This amendment would appropriate a Contingent Reserve of $1.72 million.
Motion, Questions of Staff, Discussion, Vote
Bidar moves adoption, no questions or discussion. Motion passes on a voice vote.
OPERATING BUDGET VOTE
Budget passes on a voice vote with no further discussion.
CAPITAL BUDGET
Will be in a second post that will be linked here when completed.
MORE
All 5 posts in this series are here:
