7/26 Council Meeting: CIP Amendments & Resolution In Support of Democracy
R-165-22 In Support of Democracy and Nonpartisan Election Administration
Free and fair access to elections and the right to vote are cornerstones of our democracy. Fitchburg has been well served by our city staff that administer elections and our neighbors that serve as poll workers at the polling places in Fitchburg. The past two years we have seen unprecedented attacks on election officials and the administration of elections to undermine this fundamental right.
R-165-22 declares our support of democracy, nonpartisan election administration and all Fitchburg staff and residents that work on elections. Many communities around Wisconsin are passing similar legislation.
Capital Improvement Plan Amendments
The city is in the final phase of this year’s Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) process, and the final vote will take place during the City Council Meeting on July 26, 2022. There will a public hearing at 7:30 p.m, and later the council will vote on amendments submitted by alders, followed by adoption of the amended plan.
I have submitted 2 amendments related to renewable energy and electric vehicles. If you’re passionate about combatting climate change, I ask for your support to get these amendments passed.
See below for information on all amendments.
What is the CIP?
The CIP is a document that lays out a 10 year plan for major capital projects that will be undertaken by the city, which helps with long term budget planning. By capital, we mean physical buildings, vehicles, road repairs, equipment and the like, which are significant expenses to the city. It does not represent everything encompassed by the city budget. The projects in the first five years of the document are more solid, the last five years are more theoretical. You can find the full CIP document and the document that lays out the amendments here. Please note that this will be amended at the meeting on 7/26.
Options for submitting feedback or participating
Attend the 7/26 council meeting at 7:30 pm and give a 3 minute testimony telling the council where you stand. 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.
Amendments
CIP #1038 Solar Investment - Add solar canopies over parking lots on City property (Alder Gerhardt)
Renewable energy production with solar panels benefits the city in two ways: cost savings and helping us achieve our climate change goals through reducing greenhouse gas emissions. All of the city building roof space that can accommodate solar panels has been used, so ground mounted panels are the next best option for expanding solar in Fitchburg. We have already planned for ground mounted panels at the lift station and discussed the possibility of solar park shelters. This amendment proposes solar canopies over parking lots on city property. Parking lots adjacent to the civic campus are the best options since they are close to our highest electricity needs and will shade city and visitor vehicles.
CIP Project #6262 Parking Lot Resurfacing has the civic campus parking lots slated for reconstruction in 2026 and 2028. Installing a solar canopy would be most efficient in conjunction with parking lot reconstruction, so the funding for this amendment is proposed for 2026 and 2028. This also gives time for research into actual cost and potential grant funding or cost-sharing arrangements.
CIP #1042 Hybrid and Electric Vehicles - Update project title and add operating costs for equipment (Alder Gerhardt)
The council recently approved two electric vehicle purchases (R-139-22 and R-140-22), which are hopefully the first of many in our fleet. The acquisition of electric vehicles requires infrastructure improvements so that the cars can be charged efficiently. By updating the project title from “Hybrid Vehicles Cost Premium” to “Hybrid and Electric Vehicles”, this amendment serves to clarify that this project can be used for electric vehicle capital infrastructure improvements that cannot be absorbed into the budgets of the departments buying the vehicles. This amendment also adds $5,000 to the operating costs in 2024 specifically for electric vehicle non-capital infrastructure.
CIP #3508 Irish Lane (FHR to S. Syene) - Remove bike lanes (Alder Arata-Fratta)
This amendment is to remove the bike lanes from the project for $2,800,000 and instead build a multi-use path parallel to the road or not build them at all. This corridor will be part of the Moraine Edge Park (South of the McGaw Park) according to the Park and Open Space plan (see additional information) and this project will obstruct with the purpose of the Moraine Edge Park on Irish Lane area. This stretch of the road has plenty of mature trees (Heritage Oaks) that will be removed if the bike lanes are built.
In addition, to construct these bike lanes on a rural road, the city needs to conduct a traffic study to determine how many bikers ride on this stretch of the road. Is this a city priority? The city has other needs that it should allocate $2.8M to instead of building costly bike lanes.
CIP #3511 Bike Lane Additions - Accelerate project (Alder Udell)
The City has several resurfacing projects scheduled for 2023. We can use these projects to negotiate the best price for CIP 3511 if we move the project up a year to 2023. Doing this will also ensure we are leveraging the ARPA dollars, which will pay for the entire project, before they expire. Not accelerating the project risks ARPA not covering the cost, and the
cost being higher.
CIP #6259 Recurring Park System Improvements - Remove park signs from project (overall funding remains) (Alder Herbst)
CIP projects #6259 (Recurring Park System Improvements) and #6266 (New Park Developments) include provisions to install signs in small city parks at a cost of $5,000 each. This amendment requests that these new signs be removed from the project list since these signs are not necessary. The total funding available in the project remains the same and can be redirected to other higher priority park improvement projects. The $5,000 identified in this CIP Amendment would be used to offset the cost of the removal of the ball field fence at Huegel-Jamestown Park included in CIP Amendment #6.
CIP #6259 Recurring Park System Improvements - Remove ball field fence from Huegel-Jamestown Park (Alder Herbst)
The parks department recently installed a fence that encircles the Huegel-Jamestown Park. Previously the fence extended down each baseline and ended. The next section of the fence was installed without notifying any neighbors or neighborhood associations. The fence destroys the open concept of the park and greatly diminishes its usability. The ball field has been in use at this park for over 40 years with no outfield fence being needed. Now nearly 25% of the open space is dedicated only to baseball. This fence ruins the beauty of the park and adds maintenance costs to the city. In addition, the parks dept has been spraying herbicide at the base of this fence where children and dogs are constantly in the vicinity. In addition, this herbicide was sprayed on the community garden’s hoses and is also sprayed within 10 feet of
the gardens themselves.
Neighbors have circulated petitions that call for the fence removal and restoration of our park. The petitions are signed by 85 people and are included with this amendment. Neighbors have volunteers to remove and roll up the chain link fencing. This amendment includes an operating cost of $2,000 in city parks labor to remove the posts and sell the material at surplus since there are no other sites that would use the same type of fence. A separate proposed CIP amendment #5 asks to remove a park sign from the same project to pay for the additional cost. The proceeds from the sale of the fence would go back into this CIP project #6259.
CIP #6266 New Park Developments - Remove park signs from project (Alder Herbst)
CIP projects #6259 (Recurring Park System Improvements) and #6266 (New Park Developments) include provisions to install signs in small city parks at a cost of $5,000 each. This amendment requests that these new signs be removed from the project list since these signs are not necessary. This project is funded by park fees, which can be redirected to other higher priority park development projects.
CIP #6266 New Park Developments - Add two additional shade structures at Splash Pad (Alder Arata-Fratta)
This amendment is to add two shade structures in the Splash Pad for the Summer of 2023 in the amount of $20,000 each. The East section of the Splash Pad does not have any shade area nor any other covered structures like umbrellas nor trees to protect users from the sun. Friends of the Splash Pad does not have the funds to cover these features. Since this project is for a new amenity at a community park that will draw visitors from across the City, park improvement fees and/or park fees in lieu of land dedication can be used to fund the project.
CIP #6266 New Park Developments - Add open air shelter near Inclusive Playground (Alder Arata-Fratta)
This amendment is to add a shade structure: open air shelter adjacent to the inclusive playground for Summer of 2023/24. The projected cost $170,000 (estimated taken for the EOR calculation for similar open shelter for the Stoner Prairie Park). This amenity can be funded with park dedication fees or borrowing. Dimensions of the open air shelter = 36X36, steel covered space, picnic area The northwest section of McKee Park does not have too much shadow and the Splash Pad and Inclusive Playground are two areas that are used a lot by families.
CIP #6307 City Hall Remodel - Change funding source from fund balance to borrowing (Alder Arata-Fratta)
I recommend funding this project in the amount of $650,000 with debt instead of fund balance. The City should allocate the money from the fund balance to unexpected expenses generated by the annexation of the Town of Madison or other unforeseen expenditures.
I hope to hear your opinion on these important projects.