Budget amendment final vote on 11/10/20
Budget season is wrapping up THIS TUESDAY with a public hearing and final votes.
The mayor’s proposed budget was released in September. In October, the alders submitted 29 amendments along with 6 omnibus amendments drafted by the finance director. We discussed amendments on 10.28, but did not vote. On November 10, we vote on the amendments, and then vote on the adopted budget as amended. You can read more background on the 2021 budget here.
This post is meant to help you navigate the budget amendments so you can submit feedback on or before November 10.
To make navigating the amendments a bit easier, I included the full list of 29 alder amendments below with a direct link to the text of the amendment, along with a direct video link to the discussion. I encourage you to read through the list of amendments, and learn more about those that are important to you. Below that is an opportunity to hear direct from the alders about why they proposed their amendments; not all the alders elected to participate with a blog post.
Public hearing on November 10
The final public hearing about the budget is THIS COMING TUESDAY November 10 at 7:30 p.m. If you feel strongly about an amendment, I encourage you to give feedback.
HOW TO GIVE FEEDBACK
Attend the 11/10 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? You can attend on video. Email me to get a zoom link.
SPECIAL NOTE: Written feedback will NO LONGER be read aloud at council meetings, but you can register in support or opposition to an amendment (see below). If you want to share a message aloud during the meeting, you MUST ATTEND in person or on video.
Register support for an amendment. Include the budget number & name, sign with your name and Fitchburg address to Council&Mayor@fitchburgwi.gov. This will be read aloud at the meeting. You may include a message to the council about why you support or oppose, but that statement won’t be read aloud at the meeting.
Contact your alders by phone or email. Find their contact information here. Don’t know which district you live in? Check here. Lobbying your alders makes a difference!
HOW TO WATCH THE MEETING
Watch the YouTube video posted the day following the meeting
Full List of Alder Amendments
Amendments are identified by both their number and title. I’ve also included the sponsor of each amendment at the end of the title. You’ll also find links below to hear directly from the alders* about the amendments they sponsored.
*Please note all alders that authored amendments were offered the opportunity to write a guest post, but not all elected to participate.
Reduce Unleaded and Diesel Gasoline Price Assumptions (Gerhardt)— Read & Watch
Remove Building Inspection Vehicle Use Reimbursement (Gerhardt)— Read & Watch
Reduce Public Works Equipment Replacement (Maldonado)— Read & Watch
Reduce Plow Fleet Replacement Fund (Maldonado)— Read & Watch
Reduce Bike Roundabout Repair Project (Maldonado)— Read & Watch
Reduce City Campus Building Systems Replacement (Maldonado)— Read & Watch
Reduce Police Fleet Vehicle Replacement Fund (Maldonado)— Read & Watch
Reduce Fire Fleet Vehicle Replacement Fund (Arata-Fratta)— Read & Watch
Reinstate Hybrid and Electric Vehicle Fund (Gerhardt)—Read & Watch
Increase Stormwater Vegetation Management (Gerhardt)— Read & Watch
Add Swan Creek Monitoring Station Installation and First Year Monitoring (Gerhardt)— Read & Watch
[WITHDRAWN] Delay Design for Intersection at Lacy Road/ Seminole Highway CIP #3495 (Gerhardt)
[WITHDRAWN] Delay Design for Storm Ponds at Lacy Rd/ Seminole Hwy IP #4724 (Gerhardt)
Reinstate Purchase of Building for Fitchburg Teen Center (Maldonado)— Read & Watch
Add Community Engagement Study for Teen Center Year 1 of 2 (Maldonado)— Read & Watch
[WITHDRAWN] Add Part-Time Code Enforcement Inspector (Clauder)
Add Reclassification of Three Full-Time Firefighters to Lieutenants (Arata-Fratta)— Read & Watch
Add Pedestrian Activated Crossing Caution Lights at Seminole Highway (Udell)— Read & Watch
[WITHDRAWN] Reinstate Half of the Removed Out-of-State Training and Travel Budget— (Clauder)
Add Assessing Administrative Intern (Arata-Fratta)— Read & Watch
Reinstate Cable Service at Fire Stations and City Hall/ Senior Center (Udell)— Read & Watch
Reinstate Mayor and Council Training and Travel (Arata-Fratta)— Read & Watch
Increase Tree Advisory Committee Meetings from 4 to 6 (Gerhardt)— Read & Watch
Restore Portion of Council Training Budget (Gerhardt)— Read & Watch
Increase Resource Conservation Committee (RCC) Meetings from 8 to 10 (Gerhardt)— Read & Watch
Hear directly from the alders
I’ve invited all the alders* that submitted amendments that will be up for a vote on 11.10 to write something to be shared here. Check out their posts below, followed by information from me on my amendments.
*Please note all alders that authored amendments were offered the opportunity to write a guest post, but not all elected to participate.
Alder Gerhardt Budget Amendment Message
To see this message as a separate blog post, click here.
My amendments reflect some of my top priorities:
Preparing for climate change (#10, #11, #29)
Protecting the environment and our urban forest (#12, #21, #27, #1)
Improving community wellbeing (#23)
This is a tight budget, so I proposed several monetary offsets (#1 and #2) and unique funding structures to minimize the impact to property taxes, provided everything passes.
Preparing for climate change
Climate change impacts are here and are already affecting the city, especially through serious, frequent flooding events. We must begin dealing with these impacts immediately.
#10 will allow us to reduce future emissions and save us money in the long run, with no impact on property taxes. #11 will allow more funding to plant native vegetation as a stormwater management technique; it takes time for plants to root and we have to start immediately. #29 will allow for more committee discussions on climate change issues and testimony from neighbors regarding stormwater issues.
#10 Reinstate Hybrid and Electric Vehicle Fund (Gerhardt)—Read & Watch
#11 Increase Stormwater Vegetation Management (Gerhardt)— Read & Watch
#29 Increase Resource Conservation Committee (RCC) Meetings from 8 to 10 (Gerhardt)— Read & Watch
Protecting the environment and our urban forest
#12 will fund the Swan Creek Monitoring Station, a USGS station that will track Fitchburg’s impact on this waterway, which leads directly to the Waubesa Wetlands; many organizations have signed on to financially support the station with us, but it needs to be in the budget to move forward. Right now, as we grow rapidly, we have no idea what impact we’re having on our environment; this data is essential to making responsible decisions about how we grow.
#21, #27 and #1 are all related. The Tree Advisory Committee is developing a much needed tree protection ordinance in 2021. In order to make this happen, we need a part time position (#21) to support to our forester, who only works part time and is responsible for more than 3,100 trees in parks, more than 5,000 trees along streets, and numerous wood lots like Mickelson Woods. In order to fund this position, I’ve provided an eq1uivalent offset (#27) which will allow us to apply gas savings towards protecting our trees; based on the last four years of gas data, we have overbudgeted for gas in the coming year, and this will reduce that slightly (there will be much room left for gas prices to grow) to free up funding in the budget.
#12 Add Swan Creek Monitoring Station Installation and First Year Monitoring (Gerhardt)— Read & Watch
#27 Increase Tree Advisory Committee Meetings from 4 to 6 (Gerhardt)— Read & Watch
#1 Reduce Unleaded and Diesel Gasoline Price Assumptions (Gerhardt)— Read & Watch
Improving community wellbeing
#23 is a new concept that involves directing a portion of the fines and forfeitures revenue stream (parking tickets, court fines, etc.) into a fund for community wellbeing. Investing the money paid as fines and forfeits back into the community is an acknowledgement that investment is the best way to address societal problems. This is meant to be the beginning of a long-term effort to direct this revenue stream back into the community. As the city continues to provide more community support over the years, hopefully the fines and forfeitures revenue stream will begin to fall as a reflection of a healthier community. This proposal starts the contribution at 5% with the hope that it will increase over the years.
Alder Arata-Fratta Budget Amendment Message
Below is a guest post on budget amendments by District 2 Alder Julia Arata-Fratta. To see this message as a separate blog post, click here.
The 2021 budget will be a very tight budget for Alders to introduce new projects. There is only 50K left for us, Alders to propose amendments. This is not enough. I submitted amendments to the 2021 Mayor’s budget that are focused on people. Our City is growing at a rapid pace and the City’s service demands are increasing so fast that it is affecting staff’s capacity to new levels. I particularly believe that the Mayor proposed budget is focused too much on investing in infrastructure and equipment and not on investing in human capital nor services that provide better opportunities to our most vulnerable citizens.
See my amendments below:
#9 Reduce Fire Fleet Vehicle Replacement Fund (Arata-Fratta)— Read & Watch
#18 Add Reclassification of Three Full-Time Firefighters to Lieutenants (Arata-Fratta)— Read & Watch
#22 Add Assessing Administrative Intern (Arata-Fratta)— Read & Watch
#25 Add LTE Election Assistance (Arata-Fratta)— Read & Watch
#26 Reinstate Mayor and Council Training and Travel (Arata-Fratta)— Read & Watch
Alder Maldonado Budget Amendment Message
Below is a guest post on budget amendments by District 1 Alder Joe Maldonado. To see this message as a separate blog post, click here.
Hello all,
I hope you are all hanging in there and sure many of you are keeping an eye on the election results!
I wanted to thank you all for your constant engagement on city issues and advocacy for a better community. You energize and motivate me consistently!
I am writing to ask for your support in passing budget amendments 3-8, 15, and 16 to the 2021 Budget. This summer the Council voted to include funding to a) purchase the former Roughing It In Style building and b) conduct a community engagement study; in the establishment of a Teen Center in Fitchburg.
WHY IS THIS ISSUE CRITICAL
Local Data
Jamestown is one of three areas identified within Fitchburg's Healthy Neighborhood Initiative.
The HNI Strategic Plan (adopted in 2019) recommends neighborhoods in which residents have an "adequate and foundational education", includes "out of school educational based activities, programs, and services per priority neighborhood" as an indicator.
In the Anton Drive Study (adopted in 2017), the City of Fitchburg supports the use of a future public space for a community center in this neighborhood.
Regional/County Studies
Several regional studies, including the Dane County Youth Assessment and the Roadmap to Equity, stress the need for out of school spaces for older youth to prevent risk factors (mental health, substance abuse, crime) and provide protective factors (academic achievement.
Public Support
There was overwhelming support from residents to include this as a part of the Capital Improvement Plan. Click here to view the over 60 public comments from residents and community leaders alike stating the need for this project. We must honor this commitment to our young people
COVID
The Pandemic has widened the opportunity gap, particularly around mental health, academic achievement, and social emotional development, and that gap affects our most vulnerable families the hardest. Positive Youth Development is critical to addressing these needs. Socially distanced programming will serve our highest need youth.
WHAT CAN YOU DO
Most ideal option: Speak at the Common Council Meeting 11/10 at 7:30 pm in support of Budget Amendments 3-8, 15, and 16
In person: Go to City Hall Council Chambers, sign up to speak (3 minute limit)
Virtual: Email scott.yarbrough@fitchburgwi.gov and request a link to attend and leave public comment (3 minute limit)
Second option: Email council&mayor@fitchburgwi.gov and urge them to support Amendments 3-8, 15, 16. While your comments will not be read in full, you will be named as supportive.
Talking Points:
Name and address
Your role as a stakeholder (parent, teacher, resident, mentor, professional, person with resources, potential volunteer)
Why these amendments are important (in your own words)
Teen Center Building - A space that we can use now, close to a large number of youth, many organizations willing to serve youth
Community Engagement Study - will allow us to understand the best/most relevant use and design of the space, hear what teens and families want, what programming and organizations should be available
Why now is the time and why we should not wait
Reiterate your support for the amendments
Thank you again for your support. Please reach out with any questions.
Joe Maldonado
City of Fitchburg
Alder District 1
(414) 339-4574
Alder Maldonado’s Amendments
#3 Reduce Public Works Equipment Replacement (Maldonado)— Read & Watch
#4 Reduce Plow Fleet Replacement Fund (Maldonado)— Read & Watch
#5 Reduce Bike Roundabout Repair Project (Maldonado)— Read & Watch
#7 Reduce City Campus Building Systems Replacement (Maldonado)— Read & Watch
#8 Reduce Police Fleet Vehicle Replacement Fund (Maldonado)— Read & Watch
#15 Reinstate Purchase of Building for Fitchburg Teen Center (Maldonado)— Read & Watch
#16 Add Community Engagement Study for Teen Center Year 1 of 2 (Maldonado)— Read & Watch