Support Sustainability Budget Amendments on 11/9/21
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, three alders including myself submitted 25 amendments for consideration. We discussed amendments on 10.27, but did not vote. On November 9, we vote on the amendments, and then vote on the adopted budget as amended. You can read more background on the 2022 budget here.
SUPPORT SUSTAINABILITY AMENDMENTS
Climate change, sustainability, and environmental responsibility are among my top priorities. I’ve submitted amendments to the budget to reflect those priorities.
I choose to submit amendments for three main reasons. 1) Items I think are urgently needed in the 2022 budget. 2) Items that I’d like to see in the budget even though they are not feasible for this year. 3) Items that require further discussion by the council.
URGENT AMENDMENTS FOR 2022
The two most important amendments I’ve submitted are:
Amendment 9 Increase Urban Forester/Naturalist Position from .6 FTE to 1.0 FTE for $43,932
Our current Urban Forester/Naturalist position has been a .6 FTE appointment since 2008, with no increase in the number of employment hours in the last 13 years. During this time period, the budget has doubled from $16.5M in 2008 to $33M in 2022, our population has risen from 25,260 to 30,792, and we have seen a significant increase in parks, stormwater facilities, and developments, all of which require input from our Urban Forester, who also serves as our Naturalist. An increase in hours is long overdue and has become more urgent in recent years with the acceleration of the emerald ash bore problem, the boom in developments and near future plans to expand the urban service area. Amendment 9 will increase our Urban Forester to a full time appointment and adds $43,932 to the budget.
Amendment 10 Add Funding for Sustainability Planning for $25,000
A sustainability plan, which was proposed by the planning department but not included in the 2022 proposed budget, is essential as Fitchburg continues to grow and change. Funding will allow the planning team to define the scope of this plan and begin the process of drafting the plan. Sustainability planning will enable us to be more resilient to climate change impacts and costs. As part of the plan, we will research potential ordinance changes that will be essential as we expand the Urban Service Area. The plan will allow us to reap the full benefits of cost savings from sustainability initiatives and make the city more environmentally responsible within the city and regionally. This adds $25,000 to the budget.
These two amendments are fully paid for by Amendment 3 Remove Vehicle Use Reimbursement in Certain Departments (reduces budget by $915) and Amendment 4 Remove South Stoner Prairie Neighborhood Planning (reduces budget by $75,000) with room to spare.
Amendment 3 is a simple fix that eliminates budget items that are not needed. Amendment 4 is a needed expense that can wait. The tax levy funding should be used for core functions of the city, such as the urgent staffing need of a full-time urban forester. The south stoner prairie neighborhood plan is a one-time expense that likely can be fully funded in the middle of next year through a forthcoming Tax Increment District (TID) closure; philosophically, paying for a neighborhood plan is the perfect use of TID money since it’s intended for development of the city.
In summary, I’m asking for:
+$43,932 for a Full Time Urban Forester Position
+$25,000 for Sustainability Planning
-$915 for unneeded vehicle use reimbursements
-$75,000 for a one time expense that can wait
=
-$6,983 (NET REDUCTION in the budget)
I ask for your support in getting these amendments passed. Please consider speaking at the meeting on Tuesday night OR submitting written comment to the council.
I would also like to draw your attention to Amendments #13, #16, and #17, all of which I believe would be valuable additions to the budget. However, since these are one time costs, I think they are less urgent. I plan to bring these forward as ideas for the use of the money when the TID closes middle of next year.
Amendment 13: Add Funding for Tree Plantings (Gerhardt)
Amendment 16: Add Funding for Native Plantings in Fitchburg Parks (Gerhardt)
Amendment 17: Add Funding to Pilot Sustainable Vegetation in Street Medians (Gerhardt)
Please read more about these below with the full list of budget amendments.
ALDER ARATA-FRATTA BUDGET AMENDMENT MESSAGE
Hello Neighbors,
The 2022 budget will be another very tight budget for Alders to introduce new projects. There is only $12K room left for us, Alders to propose amendments. This is not enough. I submitted amendments to the 2022 Mayor’s budget that are focused on helping some departments that are having capacity and staffing issues. 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. With the annexation of the Town of Madison, 1,500 new residents will be part of our city and we need to be prepared to absorb that capacity.
My priorities for this 2022 budget are:
To provide staffing support to the Fire Department (facts: town of Madison annexation, and some retirements at the end of the year, in the paid-on-call staffing that works as FT employee are affecting staffing situation)
To increase and annually adjust the paid-on promise/paid-on-call firefighters starting wage to be equal and consistent with the rest of the city staff.
To increase the Urban Forester/Naturalist hours,
To add an essential amenity to the Inclusive Playground Park: a water fountain.
PUBLIC HEARING ON NOVEMBER 9
The final public hearing about the budget is THIS COMING TUESDAY November 9 at 7:30 p.m. If you feel strongly about an amendment, I encourage you to give feedback.
HOW TO GIVE FEEDBACK
Attend the 11/09 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.
PLEASE 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.
PLEASE NOTE: The council meeting will begin at 7pm to try to get the bulk of the agenda completed before the budget discussion. The public hearing will start no earlier than 7:30pm, but it may start a bit later.
Register support for an amendment. Include the budget number & name, sign with your name and Fitchburg address to Council&Mayor@fitchburgwi.gov. 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. 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.
Read the full amendment document.
Delay Hiring of Assistant Director of Public Works (Arata-Fratta)
This amendment is to delay the hiring of this new position to 2023 or future years. The tax levy funding saved with delaying this position should be used to cover the reclassification of the three firefighters to Lieutenants and the additional eight hours per week to the city’s forester (see other amendments) which have more pressing need.
Reduce Fire Fleet Vehicle Replacement Fund CIP #2299 (Arata-Fratta)
This amendment is to reduce the fire fleet vehicle replacement project number #2299 in the amount of $22,235 for 2022 and increase it to its original amount in 2023 to cover for the reclassification of the three lieutenant positions.
Remove Vehicle Use Reimbursement in Certain Departments (Gerhardt)
Remove vehicle use reimbursement for certain departments. These departments have sufficient city vehicles to eliminate the need for personal vehicle use mileage reimbursement and/or haven’t used mileage reimbursement in several years (beyond just COVID impacts).
Remove South Stoner Prairie Neighborhood Planning (Gerhardt)
Removes $75,000 city portion of neighborhood plan cost. In 2022, we can fund the plan using $75,000 in funds from the planned TID #6 closure. The $75,000 funded by development partners is also removed. This amendment frees up room in the tax levy to allow for more urgent funding needs now.
[WILL BE WITHDRAWN] Remove Officer Follow-Up Assignment in Detective Bureau Funding (Gerhardt)
Reduce Levy Limit Adjustment Strategy Earmarked for Future Capital (Arata-Fratta)
In the Mayor’s Proposed 2022 Budget, it assumes that $390,746 of the levy limit adjustments expected in 2023 will be used for capital purchases in 2023. This amendment reduces that earmark by $173,900 which is the Police Body Camera purchase in 2023 (CIP #2140). This 2023 capital purchase could be funded by the one-time TID closure funding expected in 2022 or 2023. This amendment will provide the funds needed to cover the addition of one career firefighter (see separate amendment).
Eliminate Police Small Equipment Replacement Fund and Distribute Funds to Specific Lines (Gerhardt)
This amendment is a net $0 change to the budget. It’s intended to clarify that the plans for this fund needs to be included in budget documentation in this and future years so there is full transparency to the public about what this money will be used for.
Add One Additional Daytime Career Firefighter (Arata-Fratta)
Add one of the two additional daytime career firefighters requested by the Fire Chief. As described in the new staffing proposal request, call volume is increasing (especially with the impending absorption of a portion of the Town of Madison) and recruitment for paid-on-premise/paid-on-call firefighters has stagnated. By adding daytime career positions, less overtime should be required to adequately staff the 24/7 fire service. This position will be funded with the reduction of an earmark of the levy limit adjustment towards 2023 capital, provided in another amendment.
Increase Urban Forester/Naturalist Position from .6 FTE to 1.0 FTE (Gerhardt)
Increases our current Urban Forester/Naturalist from 3 days per week (.6 FTE) to 5 days per week (1.0 FTE). Our current Urban Forester/Naturalist position has been a .6 FTE appointment since 2008, with no increase in the number of employment hours in the last 13 years. During this time period, the budget has doubled from $16.5M in 2008 to $33M in 2022, our population has risen from 25,260 to 30,792, and we have seen a significant increase in parks, stormwater facilities, and developments, all of which require input from our Urban Forester, who also serves as our Naturalist. An increase in hours is long overdue and has become more urgent in recent years with the acceleration of the emerald ash bore problem, the boom in developments and near future plans to expand the urban service area.
Add Funding for Sustainability Planning (Gerhardt)
Adds $25,000 for a Sustainability Plan, as requested and outlined by Planning Department Staff. A sustainability plan is essential as Fitchburg continues to grow and change. This funding will allow the planning team to define the scope of this plan and begin the process of drafting the plan. Sustainability planning will enable us to be more resilient to climate change impacts and costs. As part of the plan, we will research potential ordinance changes that will be essential as we expand the Urban Service Area. The plan will allow us to reap the full benefits of cost savings from sustainability initiatives and make the city more environmentally responsible within the city and regionally.
Increase Urban Forester/Naturalist Position from .6 FTE to .8 FTE (Arata-Fratta)
This amendment will add 8 hours per week to this position to increase from .6 FTE to .8 FTE. This position has been 0.6 FTE since 2008 and the park system has grown from 527 acres in 2010 to 729 acres today. The funds to cover this amount will come from the amendment to delay the new Assistant Public Works Director. 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’s 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: 2020 - 430 trees planted; 2019 - 203 trees planted; 2018 - 136 trees planted; 2017 - 361 trees planted
Add Reclassification of Three Full-Time Firefighters to Lieutenants (Arata-Fratta)
This amendment will allow the Fitchburg Fire Department to proceed with the reclassification of 3 Full time firefighters to lieutenants. These promotions that were approved in 2017, but not budgeted in recent years. This proposal does not change the total number of staffed positions in the fire department. The amendment is in the amount of $22,235 and will be funded with the delay of the position: Assistant Public Works Director (see additional amendment). During 2019, the fire department adjusted its budget to cover the additional expense of personnel cost for the full time Lieutenant promotion and the Council took out it from the 2020 budget. With the Town of Madison annexation, the department structure adjustment with the promotions will be more needed. I have full confidence that the Fire Department will seek the funds needed beyond 2022 budget within its own budget to continue funding these well needed reclassifications/promotions.
Add Funding for Tree Plantings (Gerhardt)
Adds $15,000 to the budget for additional tree plantings. There is an ongoing need for planting of new trees within the city. Currently, more trees are scheduled to be removed in 2022 than can be replaced with current proposed budget.
Increase Paid-on-Premise / Paid-on-Call Firefighter Starting Wage (Arata-Fratta)
This amendment increases the starting pay of a paid-on-premise / paid-on-call firefighter (POX) from $8.50 to $8.67 (2% increase). The increases to that base rate for education and certification would remain the same. The POX pay structure was last updated in 2019. The same 2% COLA increase included in the 2022 budget for nonrepresented staff is proposed for the starting wage for POX employees. This wage adjustment should be applied each year, based on the COLA approved in each budget.
Add Two Speed Feedback Boards at Seminole Highway/Schumann Drive (Udell)
This amendment proposes the placement of two speed feedback boards for the Seminole Highway pedestrian crossing at Schumann Drive. The cost of each sign is $4,000 and, depending on where it is located and who is installing it, there may be additional costs for poles and bases up to $1,000 per sign. Total of $5,000 per sign. The location is adjacent to the Seminole Pool and Tennis Club, which has a great deal of children and family activity during the summer months. Traffic is expected to increase in volume given the development. This intersection is already the site of the second most crashes within Fitchburg according to the 2021 Bike and Pedestrian Crossing Data Collection and Prioritization Summary Data. Two speed feedback boards are the most feasible and cost-effective way to protect the safety of the public.
Add Funding for Native Plantings in Fitchburg Parks (Gerhardt)
Adds $10,000 to the budget to allow for a native plant project in the Fitchburg Park System. This will fund a project to select an unused area of a park that is currently turf grass and replant it using native plants. This can include a path around the new native planting area (ideally using low profile plantings that don’t require mowing) and amenities (like benches) that allow for residents to enjoy the new native plant area. The Fitchburg Park system is vast and the staff time needed to maintain the system grows yearly. The benefits of the project would be to eliminate the need for regular park maintenance in that area, increase groundwater infiltration, foster pollinators, allow for educational opportunities, and create a beautiful area for the enjoyment of residents. It is my hope that a successful project will be a model for future projects of this nature.
Add Funding to Pilot Sustainable Vegetation in Street Medians (Gerhardt)
Adds $10,000 to the budget to pilot sustainable vegetation in street medians. Many medians and islands throughout the Fitchburg road system have turf grass that needs to be mowed regularly. Mowing these medians is an ongoing expense and is dangerous for the workers mowing the grass. 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 may include native prairie grasses, wildflowers, or low-profile plants that do not require mowing. These plants will likely need to be salt resistant due to their proximity to the roads. 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 create a model for medians constructed during future road projects.
Add Hearing Conservation Program (Arata-Fratta)
This amendment adds funding to establish a hearing conservation program for employees that are exposed to vehicles, equipment, tools, etc. in the departments of Public Works, Utility, Parks, Streets, Police, and Fire. Hearing exams would be provided annually, upon hire, and at termination. In the last 10 years there have been multiple Hearing Loss/Noise Exposure claims at municipalities (not specifically City of Fitchburg). Including all of Public Works, Utility, Parks, Streets, Police and Fire employees in the Hearing Conservation program will reduce the City of Fitchburg’s Worker’s Compensation exposure by providing documentation for the employees’ hearing ability for each year of employment.
Add Water Fountain at McKee Farms Park Inclusive Playground (Arata-Fratta)
This amendment is to install a water fountain at the new Mckee Farms Park Inclusive Playground in the amount of $19,500. The funds to cover this new amenity at a community park should come from the park fees in lieu of land dedication from the Quarry Ridge retirement community. The Inclusive Playground at Mckee Farms Park will need a drinking water fountain installed close to the playground area since we need to consider that some kids will have some mobility issues (walkers, wheelchairs). It will be hard or impossible to access the other drinking water fountain located in the park beside the Kid’s Crossing playground. This drinking water fountain should follow the ADA guidelines, for example free standing or built in units shall have a clear floor space of 30” by 48”. Drinking fountains primarily used by children ages 12 and younger should have a maximum spout height being 30”. The spout needs to provide a water flow of at least 4” high to allow the insertion of a cup or glass. (See additional information with examples of accessible water fountain)
[PLAN TO WITHDRAW] Delay Stormwater Pond Dredging and Retrofitting Project CIP #4702 (Gerhardt)
All the following stormwater amendments were propose because of an anticipated inability for the public works department to handle the stormwater projects workload. During budget discussions, it became clear the public works director believed the department has the capacity in 2022 to handle these, therefore I plan to withdraw these on the day.
[PLAN TO WITHDRAW] Delay Drainage and Flooding Improvements Project CIP #4714 (Gerhardt)
[PLAN TO WITHDRAW] Delay Curry Court Flooding Project CIP #4717 (Gerhardt)
[PLAN TO WITHDRAW] Delay Flooding North of Dunn's Marsh Project CIP #4725 (Gerhardt)
[PLAN TO WITHDRAW] Delay Seminole Glen Stormwater Study Project CIP #4730 (Gerhardt)
[PLAN TO WITHDRAW] Remove Part-Time Stormwater Project Engineer Position (Gerhardt)