Nov 1 Council Meeting: Budget Amendments & Funding for Sustainability Plan
On November 1, 2022 the council will consider Resolution R-204-22 and vote on 9 alder amendments to the budget. Find out more below and consider submitting feedback!
R-204-22 Amending the 2022 General Fund Budget for Sustainability Planning Phase 2
Funding to create a Sustainability Plan (Phase 1) was passed with strong support from council and the public in 2021. This resolution continues the sustainability planning effort by utlizing $25,000 in staff vacancy budget savings in 2022 to fund Phase 2 of the plan. An additional $25,000 would allow us to expand the scope of the plan and increase community engagement around the process. A simple majority vote is required as the amendment does not alter total revenue and expenditures in any particular fund.
2023 Budget Amendments
The city is in the final phase of this year’s 2023 Operating Budget process, and the final vote will take place during the City Council Meeting on November 1, 2022. There will a public hearing at 7:30 pm. Later, the council will vote on amendments submitted by alders, followed by adoption of the amended budget.
See below for information on alder amendments. Below that is more general information on the mayor’s proposed budget.
See below for information on all amendments and consider submitting feedback!
Options for submitting feedback or participating
Attend the 11/1 council meeting at 7:30 pm and give a 3 minute testimony.. Come to city hall (5520 Lacy Road), go to council chambers (end of the hallway on the left), fill out the form (get one at the back of the room), and wait for your turn to speak for 3 minutes. Can’t attend in person? I can get you a zoom link to testify on video. Email me to ask for a link.
Send written feedback to Council&Mayor@fitchburgwi.gov . Please note that if there are more than five emails pertaining to a single issue, the mayor will not read the email content during the meeting, only list your name as registering in support or opposition.
Register in support or opposition to an amendment without including a written explanation to Council&Mayor@fitchburgwi.gov . Your name will be read at the meeting as registering in support or opposition.
Watch the council meetings in person at City Hall (5520 Lacy Road), live at the Fitchburg City website or watch the YouTube video posted the day following the meeting.
Proposed Amendments
Reduce Median Mowing and Maintenance Budget (Alder Arata-Fratta)
This amendment is to reduce the budget for the median mowing and maintenance funds in the amount of $20K in order to support the increase of hours for the City forester. This fund has a 20% contingency included for 2023.
Median mowing funds has a contingency amount added in case of any unforeseen circumstances. City should consider converting the grassy areas of the medians to a more sustainable platform like native plant or clover or low mow alternative. Reducing on-going maintenance saves the City and our residents in the long-run.
Reallocate Fitchburg Star Ad Funding to City Newsletter (Alder Gerhardt)
The 2023 budget includes $16,8000 in funding for a monthly full-page ad in the Fitchburg Star that is split between 4 accounts. These line items will be reallocated to a city newsletter to be developed internally and printed through a local vendor to send to all Fitchburg residences.
Midway through 2022, the Fitchburg Star stopped delivering to a significant number of residences in the City of Fitchburg for no clearly articulated reason. While the full list of addresses eliminated was not supplied to the city, these residences seem to be clustered on the borders of the city and overlap significantly with our Healthy Neighborhoods Initiative neighborhoods. For many residents that stopped receiving service, this was their only connection to local news because they had no access to the internet at home. Also, there is no indication that the paper service will be extended to include the new Southdale neighborhood we welcomed through the Town of Madison annexation.
For many years, the City of Fitchburg has purchased a full-page ad in each monthly issue of the Fitchburg Star to share city information with residents. Given the fact that we can no longer communicate with all residents through the paper, this proposal would reallocate that ad funding to pay for a city newsletter. This will allow the city to communicate directly with each and every resident in the city by mail, which is the only city communication some residents might see due to a lack of internet access.
Increase Urban Forester/Naturalist Position from .8 FTE to Full-Time (Alder Arata-Fratta)
This amendment will add 8 hours per week to this position to increase from .8 FTE to 1.0 FTE (full-time). This position could be funded by reducing the amount of funding for the median mowing budget for 2023 (see amendment #1).
This position was increased last year from 0.6 FTE to 0.8 FTE, (it was at 0.6 FTE since 2008) and the park system has grown from 527 acres in 2010 to 729 acres today. Fitchburg’s Urban Service Area has increased significantly with much more expected with the upcoming annexation of the Town of Madison and other new developments.
City is growing and with the Town of Madison annexation (one park 6.5 acres), this increase in hours will allow the City’s forester to allocate more professional time to take care of the city growing urban forest needs, coordinate the volunteer activities, better support the neighbors, and dedicate more time to the management of the City’s natural areas. Also, Town of Madison has a lot of ash trees that the City will need to deal with. The City of Fitchburg Urban Forester & Naturalist job was designed to plant about 100 trees a year (among other tasks). Here are the actual numbers of trees planted since our current forester has been working with the City: 2021 – 220 trees; 2020 - 430 trees; 2019 - 203 trees; 2018 - 136 trees; 2017 - 361 trees. Another point of consideration could also be the fact that the more trees we plant, the more tree maintenance we need to do in order to keep these trees healthy.
Increase Tree Advisory Committee Meetings from 6 to 8 Annually (Alder Arata-Fratta)
This amendment is to increase the number of meetings by 2 more per year (from 6 to 8). This will result in $386 per year. The Tree Advisory Committee (TAC) has six members. The funding for this amendment will come from the $2,621 capacity left in the 2023 proposed budget.
If the role of TAC is to include a standard practice to review land development proposals, then additional meeting dates will be required. This practice would be consistent with the City of Fitchburg goal to maintain a canopy cover of 30% in the urban service area, and with the city’s forestry and related conservancy goals. The age, species, and number of stabilized trees has a major impact on long-term plans for well-managed storm water, outdoors recreation, and energy costs. The TAC is an adjunct to our city forester who has expertise to determine what may be most cost effective for both the private developer and the city in considering both long and short-term goals when investing in projects that impact urban tree structure.
Add HNI Grant Funding for Southdale Neighborhood in Wellbeing Fund (Alder Arata-Fratta)
This amendment is to increase by $15,000 the funds in the HNI grant program to be allocated to the new Southdale Neighborhood that will be the fourth area under the HNI umbrella to cover under the grant. The funding for this increase will come from the Wellbeing fund established in the 2021 budget (amendment #23) and is projected to have balance of $18,612 in 2023. The mission of the funds aligns with the purpose of this amendment that it is to use for HNI initiative among others.
In the proposed 2023 budget there is only $63,000 allocated to this initiative. The city is adding a fourth neighborhood in the new Southdale area that it is part of the Town of Madison which qualifies into the HNI definition (1,500 new residents that live in an underserved area and will need additional City’s services.)
Adjust Funding for Sustainability Plan Phase 2 (Alder Gerhardt)
Resolution R-204-22 will be considered by the council on November 1, 2022 to allocate additional funding for the Sustainability Plan process. Assuming the resolution passes, this amendment serves to clean up the 2023 budget and remove $10,000 in redundant TID closure funding that was allocated to this project in 2023.
Funding to create a Sustainability Plan (Phase 1) was passed with strong support from council and the public in 2021. Resolution R-204-22 will be considered before the budget amendment votes on November 1, 2022; if passed, it would allocate $25,000 in staff vacancy funding in the current year budget to provide funding for Phase 2 of the Sustainability Plan. An additional $25,000 would allow us to expand the scope of the plan and increase community engagement around the process.
If R-204-22 passes, the $10,000 currently allocated in the 2023 budget for the Sustainability Plan will be redundant. This amendment is a formality to clean up the budget and free up $10,000 in TID closure funding for one-time projects in 2023.
Reinstate Funding for Part 3 of Teen Center Study (Alder Maldonado)
The 2023-2032 Adopted Capital Improvement Plan identifies funding in the operating section of the project detail for the final part of a three-part study for a Teen Center in Verona Road West area of northwest Fitchburg. Part 1 began in 2021 and was recently completed. Part 2 was budgeted for 2022 and is set to begin by the end of the year. This amendment would include $40,000 for the third part of the study. This proposed amendment will be funded from the closure of Tax Incremental District 4.
The recent completion of Part 1 of the Teen Center Study showed an overwhelming level of support for a dedicated space for older youth in the City of Fitchburg across age and demographic groups, along with recommendations for the structure, amenities, and values of the space. http://www.fitchburgwi.gov/2807/Verona-Road-West-Teen-Center This study was supported by staffing from healthcare systems, the University, and teen interns and centered youth voice throughout the process. This year we will prepare for Part 2, which will include draft designs and location of the space and also include youth voice. Part 3 will outline the structure of a teen center study, including: recommendations for organizations to operate in the space, a tenant/rental structure for those organizations, proposed cost/size for a space, and mechanisms for subsidizing those costs through grant funding. This three-part process, approved in 2020 and 2021 by the Common Council, is in progress and has moved forward successfully and has received both financial and in-kind support from local businesses, public entities, and individuals. It is important to keep this project on track in order to not lose momentum or the investment that has occurred thus far.
Add Funding to Pilot Sustainable Vegetation in Street Medians (Alder Gerhardt)
Reallocates $10,000 in TID #6 Closure Funding to pilot sustainable vegetation in street medians in Spring 2023.
Mowing costs for grass in and around our streets continues to grow. The price for a contractor to mow increased from $72,500 in 2022 to $94,250 in 2023 and is anticipated to continue growing in future years. Mowing in street medians is also dangerous for the workers. This funding would pilot an alternative to turf grass in medians that eliminates the need for regular mowing. This alternative vegetation will be determined at a later date, but my hope is that we include low-profile plants that do not require regular burns in the pilot. We can also use native prairie grasses (which require burns) or wildflowers; the best choice might be different for different roads. Our city forester and naturalist is researching potential options.
It is my hope that a successful implementation of this pilot will be a model for replacing additional tuff grass medians with more sustainable plants and ensure the vegetation installed in medians going forward does not require mowing. Given the forthcoming road reconstructions on West Lacy Road and Syene Road, developing an option or options in early 2023 will make it possible to incorporate this into new road projects.
Increase Funding for the Swan Creek Monitoring Station (Alder Gerhardt)
Increase funding of the Swan Creek Monitoring station to a total operating cost of $27,000. This will be a net cost of $18,250 for the City of Fitchburg because USGS provides 25% of the total cost ($6,750) and we have an MOU with the Town of Dunn to contribute $2,000 annually in support of the monitoring station. This increase in funding will allow for the continuation of ortho-phosphates (orthoP) sampling and the addition of nitrate sampling.
Part of the mission of the stormwater utility is to control pollutants and suspended solids. Water monitoring stations are operated through a collaboration between municipalities, USGS and local volunteer organizations; the stations collect data essential to understanding local water quality. The Swan Creek monitoring station, installed in 2021, was the first to assess Fitchburg’s waterways. Long-term data collection will help guide management of the watershed to preserve our natural resources and ensure our infrastructure and policies are effective.
Last year, local advocacy groups provided a grant to add orthoP sampling but are unable to continue that into 2023. The addition of nitrate sampling would be new for 2023. Fitchburg is the only outlier; every other water monitoring station in Dane County already collects data on nitrates and orthoP. Please click for addendum for scientific information about the value of orthoP and nitrate sampling.
I hope to hear your opinion on these important projects.
Summary of 2023 City of Fitchburg Operating Budget
The city budget is the most important activity your elected officials participate in every year. Why? Because budget = priorities. The budget demonstrates what is important to the city. I will be bringing forward amendments that reflect the values I hold for the city. I encourage you to speak up about what you care about as well.
Please take a look below for how to download and look at the budget yourself, key highlights to help you understand how Fitchburg spends money, and links to department presentations from recent Finance Committee meetings.
NAVIGATING THE CITY BUDGET
The full budget document is long and detailed, but if you download it and open it in Adobe Reader, on the left side there is a bookmark icon that will show a clickable index of everything included in the budget. For those viewing online or a downloaded copy on your computer, Ctrl + F on your computer keys will allow you to search the document for key words.
INTERESTING HIGHLIGHTS
I wanted to highlight a few interesting sections, charts and visuals that show what the city spends money on to serve residents.
CITY TAX IMPACT ANALYSIS
Page 13 is a chart that shows you where precisely property tax income is being spent. I highlighted the sections you should notice in yellow. The average assessed home value in Fitchburg going into 2023 is $378,500 which will yield a property tax bill of $2,563.43 (remember, this is only the city portion of your taxes, you also pay county, school, etc.). Out of that property tax payment, you can see precisely how much of your tax money goes to each Fitchburg department.
Do your property taxes go where you would like them to go?
CITY REVENUES FOR GENERAL FUND
Looking to page 19, you’ll notice that the property tax impact analysis is crucial to understanding the city budget, because property taxes make up 68.38% of the general fund revenue. The fact that property taxes are the main source of revenue is a fact that’s true for all cities, towns and villages in Wisconsin, as we cannot levy income taxes or sales tax at this level of government, which is different than in other states.
CITY EXPENDITURES FOR GENERAL FUND
Looking to page 18 and going back to how the city spends the revenue it receives (including property taxes), these charts visually show that in two ways. The first by category (Public Works, Conservation, Public Safety, etc.). Take a look.
The second chart shows the breakdown by class. You will notice that almost 3/4 of the city’s expenditures pay for city staff (personnel), which includes the engineers, librarians, snow plow drivers, building inspectors, police officers and other staff that serve residents.
FULL BUDGET DOCUMENT
And there is much, much more to see. Did one part of the budget strike you as particularly interesting? I encourage you to take a look at that department’s part of the budget. Each department has a great 2-4 page summary that lists accomplishments for this year, plans for next year and significant changes to their budget in the coming year.
As always, feel free to ask me questions; if I don’t know the answer, I can help you find it.