You’ll get what you get . . . a slightly less detailed version, unedited. You get what you pay for. (i.e. not a proofreader!)
GETTING STARTED/HONORING RESOLUTIONS
Roll Call:
Barbara Harrington-McKinney and Matt Phair absent and excused. Chris Schmidt’s seat is vacant.
Suspension of the Rules:
Done to take items out of order on the agenda and introduce items at the end of the meeting.
Honoring Chris Schmidt:
Alder Shiva Bidar reads the resolution, Chris Schmidt spoke, traditional thank yous and advice – and jokes about the weather. He thanks Mark Clear first for his work on the council, then Tim Bruer (his mentor and friend), then Shiva Bidar for being his friend and the work she has done. Advice is to pay attention to the largest construction project, he says they need to expand the bus barn, where the buses are now. He tells them to think about how they speak to each other and how it impacts the civic debate, he doesn’t think it has been an issue during his time, being nice pays off.
Steve King says Schmidt or Bidar was pro tem or council president the majority of his time on the body. Say he was confused with Chris Schmidt many times, in hindsight he should have used that. Thanks him.
Marsha Rummel thanks him. There was a nice toast at the holiday party. She is glad that he mentioned the metro garage, she shares his prospective. He has made the city a better place, she talks about the snow committee he was on, we started cleaning out bus stops, also worked on TIF policy and landmarks.
Bidar thanks him for Target. He’s a special person, can build professional and personal relations on the council, he can talk to everyone and calm them down. Never understood his t-shirts. Thanks him for his leadership, glad her path crossed with him.
Clear thanks him for being a friend, a fellow nerd, and the way he handles stressful situations. He admires his political savvy, but he curses him to a ground hog day reliving of his 7 years on the council.
Shari Carter says it was an honor and joy and she will miss him, stay in touch.
Mike Verveer jokes about his meteorology skills, says he can’t fathom how hard this decision was, he says he ranks high with all the people that come and gone in his dedication and skills facilitating difficult issues. His successor will have a tough time filling his spot.
Amanda Hall says he was her mentor when she got elected, thanks him for showing her what it takes and what it means to be an alder.
Denise DeMarb says she knew a few days earlier that he was going to resign, she wasn’t really listening because she was proofreading the agenda, he told her, but she didn’t hear him. He though she took it pretty well, then the email came out, and she picked up the phone immediately. She was shocked, but not surprised. She says he has made tough decisions and the personal sacrifice he has decided to make, it is really difficult to do the job and have a full time career. He put the council and the city first, and that is a lot of personal sacrifice, we are better off for it. With him goes a lot of institutional knowledge that they rely upon. She talks about the council skit and points out she was switching hats because of the many hats he has worn. She will miss serving with him.
Mo Cheeks talks about Schmidt bringing the issue of integrity into their service in serving constituents, doing their jobs and doing their day job. That is what he admires about him and his work.
Clear asks Attorney May if the council president did not hear the resignation . . . . laughter.
Mayor Soglin also says he wrote down one word, “integrity”. There have been items peculiar to his district, and it has been challenging with his constituents and he always chose the best thing for the city or district, regardless of the consequences to himself, and he was rewarded for that by his constituents. There is a legacy in the city and district.
Motion passes with a second standing ovation.
Mayor says one more thing, invites him to a ribbon cutting invitation.
Lowell Elementary 100 year anniversary:
Rummel reads the resolution. The principal accepts the proclamation. They are very proud of this, there is alot of people stopping by to share their stories. Many things that began at Lowell, hot lunch, PTAs, federal lunch programs, dental climics are now at other schools. Come out for a tour, they will give them to anyone. He talks about someone who has been invited back to tell stories. May 21st there will be a carnival and they will focus on past traditions (butter churning, the may pole)
Petition (Item 3) – moves referral on the appeal of the conditional use.
CONSENT AGENDA
^ That . . . plus item 20 we recommended at CCOC. No one is registered to speak. 4 – 14 public hearings, 27 is pulled off the agenda for discussion by Alder Aherns, Zellers has a substitute.
PUBLIC HEARINGS
#4 – re-referred to ALRC (Starbucks)
#5 – one registration in support (the developer), adopted with conditions
#6 – one registration in support, adopted with conditions
#7 – #8, #10 – no registrations, granted
#9 – one registration in support, one available to answer questions, granted
#11 – re-referred to ALRC
#12 – one registration in support, 2 available to answer questions, passes
#13 – re-referred
#14 – place on file without prejudice
PARKING RAMP
Ledell Zellers introduces the changes that were recommended by Transit and Parking Commission as well as Board of Estimates. That passes as the substitute.
David Ahrens moves to refer to March 1st. He asks questions of staff (Matt Mikolajewski from Economic Development Division) about items still being negotiated. Did they come to agreement on the new structure would have the capacity to pay a PILOT fee. Mikolajewski says it is not final, but at this point, it would likely not especially in the first few years. The ordinance would need to be changed to provide a mechanism for the parking utility to pay a smaller PILOT than on the downtown structures. Ahrens asks what % of PILOT would be feasible. He says over time it would change. Mayor says that at some point they might be able to pay the PILOT and the city could loan money for the first several years, so we don’t have to fail to collect the PILOT.
Ahrens asks if the gargage might not be profitable in the first years. Mikolajewski says they want to make sure it breaks even in the first few years, but looking at the models, it could be at a break even point in the first few years, with little profit. Mayor says they never have had a parking ramp that is profitably until all the debt is paid off. Mikolajewski says this will come back to the TPC and council. Ahrens says this is for one employer or client, the GEbhardt tenants. Mikolajewski says that they would be the primary users in the day and others would use it weekends andnights. They would use the whole structure during the day. 650? Mikolajewski says 650 is a placeholder and they may reduce that. Ahrens asks the monthly rental for a space. Mikolajewski says $70 per stall per month. Ahrens asks if that is substantially lower. Yes, the others are in the heart of downtown and targeted to transient parkers and charged on a hourly basis.
Ahrens asks if there are other outstanding issues the council should know about. Mikolajewski says they are still working out several things, this will come back to council, TPC and BOE with the financial arrangement in March.
Ahrens asks about MG&E owning the land, would the city or parking utility purchase that? Or lease? He says that they are discussing both.
Marsha Rummel asks about the uncommon model, she says it is new, they looked at how to grow the employment district with these heights and masses and they think not every building will have structured parking – but this option is that we will use TIF if the city doesn’t build and own it. Mikolajewski says TIF has financed two private structures at the Constellation and Galaxie. He says there may be advantages to the city to own the structure for evening and weekend usage – for Breese Stevens, Central Park and new restaurants. We could help an employer to locate there and also support other events and activities on evenings and weekends. Its a good transitional use from power plant to the district. This site would not be a good site for an apartment building, it frees up other properties for development.
Ahrens says there are several major issues outstanding, the financials, can it pay for PILOT, loan from the city, costs, size and who owns the land it is built on. These are major issues and what we have before us now is $750,000 for engineering and design. In terms of the negotiation the city is putting in a stake before the negotiation is completed. It’s not time to put this kind of money yet – its a sunk cost and puts us at a disadvantage by virtue of having made the payments and obligations. It would be wise to hold off and see where we are at. The basic idea of location and city owning it instead of TIF is a good one and perhaps we should use it more, but in terms of the process it is moving too fast and the city is not in an advantageous position. He asks them to vote to refer.
Rummel asks what they would see if they delayed for a month, what would change. Mikolajweski says that the resolution is only for the RFP, it is not the spending. The process for public works takes a substantial amount of time, they wouldn’t be able to hire til April if they issue the RFP in February. Another resolution would come back in April. There are still outstanding questions. They would present the arrangement later so that they have that info by April when they hire someone.
Rummel says they would get more info, TPC would have major input in the RFP. With the firms help, would we determine the size? Mikolajewski says that they would hire the firm and by the time they hire the firm in April, they will know the size of the structure so when they do the contract with the firm, they will know. They don’t need to know the exact number of spaces before the RFP because they will be qualified.
Rebecca Kemble says that TPC supported the substitute amendment, next week when TPC meets will they see it? Mikolajewski says they want to do that in February and issue the RFP in February, they want it under construction at the end of the year, to keep on schedule, they want to issue it in February. She asks what happens if they push it back a month. Mikolajewski says it would push back the start of construction and thereby delay the private construction.
Mo Cheeks says that he was inclined to support the motion, but what will we learn in the next month. Ahrens says that he is concerned that we are giving a $750,000 commitment in the negotiations, and making the commitment means we don’t have a financial model, but expectations about the project. We should have a higher level of certainty about PILOT and financial models and who owns the land and for how long. Those are big basic elements of the proposal and we know very little about it. We need to be further down the road for some levels of certainty. If it can’t break even or if there are negotiating problems, we have to be able to say no, but that will be difficult if we issue the RFP.
Mayor Soglin says his first inclination was to go into a history of private partnerships with development, but he doesn’t think its necessary and no one would enjoy it. He says recommends a book (sorry, missed it, was fixing something) Mayor says if we don’t get the answers to the questions, we won’t know what we will build and what it will cost, it is important to have that information. He says when he makes a purchase he wants to know what he is buying and sometimes you have to invest money to find out what you will be purchasing. He says there are many unknowns and they can only be answered after the RFP. Will it change the value of the land, he doesn’t think so. He says this is reminiscent of when Congress decided the Center for Disease Control should no longer collect information about firearms, or when the state said we couldn’t do research on global warming. At some point you have to spend money to make a decision. He has been involved in negotiations for 30 years and we will be in a better position going forth and getting the information to help us answer the questions.
Cheeks thanks the mayor for being brief and thanks Ahrens for raising the issues. He says staff id capable of moving us forward, we still have a check point. He says he has less than 20 years of negotiating experience, that is what he does, but he thinks it is misunderstood. Sunk costs is a valid term, there might be some momentum we have to check, but it doesn’t change our position about if this is in the best interest of the city.
Samba Baldeh asks a clarifying question.
Referral fails. Voice Vote.
Substitute is the main motion, passes unanimously.
CLOSING/RECONSIDERATION
Skidmore introduces item from the floor.
Rummel asks who is doing Alder Schmidts work until the seat is filled. Bidar moves reconsideration of item 20. Rummel says she was supposed to remind Alder DeMarb that she was supposed to share information. DeMarb starts. Bidar moves adoption. DeMarb says there is a press release tomorrow, the 22nd there will be a special meeting to interview candidates. Clear has graciously (and foolishly) offered to do constituent correspondence. He used to represent part of the area. Other items that come up will be handled by DeMarb, Clear and other people, depending upon what it is, Cheeks, Bidar or Eskrich. Clear asks the due date, no one knows. Its the 17th of February. Ok, now the motion passes again.
They move to adjourn.
