Ok, another “live blog” . .. . to the best of my ability. I’m not sure how well I did, this was a hard meeting to blog.
They were in closed session for the first 17 minutes, they expect to lose quorum at 5:15 or 5:30, will schedule more if they need it.
EXPLANATION OF VERSION 4
Michael May, city attorney was asked to explain it, they have a version four, it contains various things from various parts that might get 11 votes and be acceptable to 201/Overture Folks. They hand out copies.
May explains that the starting point is 201 State owning the building.
First page changes are not substantive.
Second page refers to exhibit 5, June 30 2012 is the transition date.
There is a clause about city employees about negotiating with the unions about bumping over a longer period of time. Also a provision that payments to any city employees can be made
City may loan funds for capital improvements, secured by a mortgage and repaid by reducing the subsidy.
The rest is in the exhibit and there are two contracts, one long term structural, the other is annual contract on performance.
The Exhibit includes transition date June 30, 2012, naming rights, governance model, public meeting policy, advisory board, residence company advisory board, all employees will be treated the same and offered jobs at Overture, there is language about wage increases, and a whole bunch of other things that were rattled off.
Paragraph 3 is an annual contract like community services groups get, they get an annual contract, they look at if they performed and if not why not and then that might affect if they get funded in the future.
I will post it as soon as I can scan it, after a few other meetings. Here it is!
DISCUSSION
Mark Clear says this is a result of the work group and a few other alders, there was no vote, there are issues where there is not initial agreement, he can’t guarantee that people will support it in its entirety or certain provisions.
Linda Baldwin asks about K – payment levels for employees and the whole package that they put together in term sheet number one.
May says yes with a few modifications.
Dierdre Garton asks about “benefit package”, is that beyond health care and similar to what they have now. That is confirmed.
Mike Verveer says that the recognize the issues with WRS.
A member of the public tries to ask a questions, they are told they can’t speak.
I missed a question that was asked to clarify something.
Garton asks about the capital maintenance plan and acceptance of reports on the building, does that mean the schedule would be maintained.
May says that is a starting point.
Michael Schumacher says if they borrow from the city, we are using that as a baseline.
Clear says that even if don’t own the building, we still have an interest, whether financial, emotional or community.
Missed some.
Andrew Taylor (Overture) asks about if there is precedent for these of agreements.
Clear says yes.
May says that if we loan them money and reduce payments later didn’t have any legal issues.
Garton asks if there are other cities that do things like this.
May says didn’t have time, they finished at 10:04 last night, or right before they walked in the door.
Andrew Taylor clarifies they are declining the $1 purchase and in recognition of the $2M that is where the other conditions come from, right?
May says yes, particularly in regards to the issues with the employees. Alders felt strongly about that.
Schumacher says version one had more strings attached, but all version the biggest concerns was making the employees whole.
Joe Sensenbrenner asks if anyone did a budget.
May says that the difference between the term sheet and this is the maintenance costs, the $600K per year on maintenance costs, but if you own it, but adding $600K to the grant every year that should allow them to fund it.
Satya Rhodes-Conway says that they offered to loan money, city has better ability to borrow, they thought that was a legitimate concern.
Clear says that was a significant difference in the Wolff model.
Sensenbrenner asks if the $700K is a requirement to be spent per year.
May says that number is there to explain why getting more money, they are not insisting on it, it is a strong suggestion, not a requirement.
Schumacher says they don’t want them to have a huge cost in one year, they want it spent along the way.
Tom Carto asks about the sick pay out, has any of that changed form the last version.
May says they pulled that out, this is between the city and the employees, the city is reserving the right, but they aren’t laying out a proposal, its about what the city wants to do for its own employees.
Mike Verveer says that is on page 2.
Bidar-Sielaff says they don’t need to negotiate how treat our employees with you, but it is critical for it to be in the resolution. We are not backing away from it.
Verveer wishes the city will go further.
Clear says employee issues were where they spent the bulk of their time and they tortured May with hybridized versions of the governance structure similar to what was in version three and he knocked us down on every one.
Bidar-Sielaff says that the amounts and measures in the annual contract were not set, but there is an expectation they will be in the contract.
Rhodes-Conway says that would be a future negotiation, we don’t negotiate with our community services agencies, but we would have a conversation at that point. The contract would not be the same every year.
Bidar-Sielaff says there was discussion about the endowment and that was an absolute necessity for some of them.
Sensenbrenner asks if they will pull this all together in one document.
May says yes, they just didn’t have time. Alders note they had a unreasonable expectation.
Baldwin asks if endowment is for capital costs.
They say yes.
Tom Carto says most people are moving to reserves instead of endowments due to the market.
They all agree that is ok, they just want money set aside.
Rhodes-Conway says that if they have questions they should ask, they could take this and go away, they could respond, they could meet in a separate room if necessary. They have found time every day this week to be available and they will notice things appropriately. They plan to meet Thursday at 7:00, to find out who is available, they have quorum of the council. They may meet, but there will be no votes. It will either be a discussion by council members.
Schumacher says it might be this committee that meets and invite alders.
Bidar-Sielaff says they heard they might have a proposal as well.
Baldwin says there are financial implications that need to be run and they need to do that before they meet again. And they will have to run it by others, including the lawyer. They also have to get the exact language.
Garton asks how quickly that will happen.
May says that they can get it tomorrow, Garton says that their lawyer is waiting to see it.
May says that he can email this document and they can cut and paste themselves.
Verveer asks if Thursday is enough time.
Baldwin says that their board meeting was moved from Wednesday to Friday. They need to take it to their boards and get their feedback.
Verveer says that might mean weekend meetings.
Rhodes-Conway says they are available to make the meeting on Friday afternoon.
Baldwin says they will want to talk, with you or not, she says it will be separate meetings.
Garton says that is in flux. They are trying to figure it out.
Schumacher reminds them this is a legislative body, we don’t represent the whole council, they tried to find something that they thought alders could get behind.
Baldwin asks if they will vote on this.
They haven’t gotten that far yet . . .
Verveer says level of excitement for level four varies.
Bidar-Sielaff says this is where we unveiled it, and now we will hear from our constituents, it was important to get it out so we can hear from the public, like you need to hear from your boards.
Missed some.
They ask if they will vote on the 14th.
Verveer says that unless you give us more time.
Paul Skidmore asks if there will be public input again.
There is a question about a recessed meeting. They decide not to hash out the logistics of all that.
May says this is a new proposal, so we would hear new testimony.
Schumacher says that all meetings with you will be in public, the only time is if the ad hoc meeting needs to meet. You can meet privately, but we can’t.
Baldwin says their intent for Friday is to be in open sessions.
Clear asks if they want to caucus and come back, but it looks like they need to hear form their board.
Garton says they need to run numbers.
Rhodes-Conway suggests they notice Thursday and Friday and come up with times for Saturday and Sunday.
Thursday at 7:00, Friday at ?
Baldwin says MCAD is 3:00 and 201 State is 4:00, some of their quorum is only available by phone.
Clear asks about Thursday, you would not have further input for us?
Baldwin says potential questions from advisors. She says they will send it out when it has the rest of the stuff, but they need meetings.
Rhodes-Conway says questions should to to Mark as chair and Mike (May) as attorney, only. They have to be concerned about quorum.
Baldwin says imagine where are 5 of them.
They all say they understand.
They say that they can meet generally 9 – 1 on Saturday, Cnare might not make it. Clear says to plan on 9:00 Saturday. They want two hours, they decide on 10 – 12. Sunday they say 12:30 they can meet. That seems to work for the Overture folks as well.
Football discussion.
Clear asks about Monday and Tuesday.
Monday afternoon, they discuss when people can meet, they decide 5 – 6:30.
They discuss if they can meet at Tuesday . . . they decide not to meet.
Summary: Nothing tomorrow, Thursday at 7:00 (for sure) for council discussion at Overture Rotunda Studio, Bidar-Sielaff says they have to figure out employee issues. Friday at 3:00 they will go to MCAD/201 meeting at Overture. Baldwin asks if they want to speak. They say it is up to them. Saturday at 10:00 will have to be in room 201. 12:30 Sunday. 5:00 Monday. They discuss when everyone has to leave and show up on Monday. They may meet at the Overture on the weekend since 201 is not good to have a discussion.
And done . . . off to the library.
