The Wautoma Common Council met on Oct. 19 and reviewed/discussed the proposed 2021-2025 Capital Improvement Program (CIP). City Administrator/Clerk-Treasurer Tommy Bohler distributed copies of the CIP program and reviewed it with the council aldermen, stating that the 2021 budget is just the “nuts and bolts” of operating the city, with no huge capital purchases planned.
Bohler reviewed ten sections of the city’s budget, including city hall/administration, police, public works/equipment, public works/buildings, parks and recreation, street and infrastructure improvements, airport/cemetery, WWII and library buildings, water and sewer funds, and miscellaneous.
Seven of the ten sections had no requests for 2021, while three of the sections indicated necessary expenses. The police section requires equipment, radio, and computer updates, totaling a proposed $39,300 and the library building requires an expense of $4,940 for a furnace and thermostat controls.
The largest requested expenditure was from street and infrastructure for $75,001, which includes expenses for micro sealing, crack filling, and municipal well rehabilitation. It was noted that the 2020 total requested for the general fund budget was $225,750, with the 2021 total at $119,241, which is $106,509 lower than this year.
The official public hearing for the 2021 proposed budget is scheduled to take place just before the regular meeting agenda on Monday, Nov. 9 at 7:30 p.m. at city hall.
Bohler also told the council that he applied for several grants for the city and has received a $35,000 “Routes to Recovery” grant due to the COVID-19 pandemic and that the money will be used to update election equipment, including the purchase an optical scan machine for next year. He also reported that the city received a $2,000 grant from the CARES Act for COVID-19 election-related cleaning supplies and a $5,000 grant from the Center for Tech and Civic Life regarding election security and planning.
Bohler added that he also applied for and was awarded a $17,000 grant from the State of Wisconsin, adding additional funding in franchise fee payments related to Charter Communications. The aid payment grant will be awarded to the city annually, for an indefinite period of time.
Bohler reported that the city received a $6,300 health premium rebate from United Healthcare Insurance Company due to a low number of claims by city employees. Bohler praised city employees for being well and healthy.
Bohler also told the council that he has received a number of phone calls about the flower garden being removed from the front of city hall. He said that the garden was overgrown with weeds and “out of control” and needs to be re-landscaped next summer. For now, the area will be seeded with grass, but he is hoping that area Master Gardeners will volunteer to plant new perennials, at the city’s expense, to enhance the city hall lawn.
In his report to the council, Mayor Nixon told the council that he plans to have an “exit meeting” with the Open Air Market vendors on Wednesday, Oct. 28. The purpose of the meeting is to get vendor feedback and suggestions for the 2021 Open Air Market. The market began this year on July 4, but Nixon said it will be scheduled to begin earlier in 2021.
The next regular Com-mon Council meeting is scheduled for Monday, Nov. 9 at 7:30 p.m. at city hall. Representatives from the Silver Lake Sanitary District will also be attending the Nov. 9 meeting to discuss their proposed capital projects with the city.
