Thursday, March 28, 2013
A new computer system allows judicial clerks to intercept tax payments for delinquent defendants in Muskego court, and the council approves extending staff time to keep up with the workload.
Muskego judicial clerks have been working on a nearly 30-year backlog of unpaid citations using a system that the city recently approved, and so far they've recaptured $40,000, representing only about one-quarter to one-third of the outstanding fines. However, they've told the finance committee, and Tuesday night the Common Council, that the work needed to keep up is more than they can handle at present staffing levels, and requested a part-time position become full time to keep up. The council approved the request. Clerk Susan Hutcheson's task has been to delve into cases where court fines had gone unpaid and uncollected by the city, and the newer program called TIPS allows the courts to employ tax intercept to garner fines from the …
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Some council members wanted more oversight of expenses, but others saw the move as micromanaging and less efficient. The Committee of the Whole voted against making any changes to the city policy.
The city's purchasing policy will remain as it has been, but not after some debate on how much can be spent before the Common Council has to review it. The discussion occurred Tuesday night at the Committee of the Whole meeting. Generally expenses that were included in the council's approved budget do not need another look, unless they exceed the expected amount. Department heads can approve expenses up to $25,000, with the Mayor's approval also needed for those higher than that. However, Alderman Dan Soltysiak challenged the policy stating that the Common Council was charged with the oversight of finances, not the mayor, and said they should be the ones signing off on expenses over $25,000. "This would provide another layer of checks and…
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Some confusion over the vertical drivers license led to minors being allowed to purchase alcohol, but business owners remain adamant that they will do what they can to train employees to keep booze out of minors' hands
The Wisconsin drivers license is the primary form of ID that most retailers see used to prove someone's age, but apparently not all local retailers and their employees knew that a vertically oriented license indicates a person is likely under age 21. Three businesses were summoned to the Finance Committee Tuesday evening to discuss why an underage customer sent in by police and using a valid ID that showed that he was only 18 or 19 would be served alcohol. While all three instances had the employee requesting an ID, none prevented the purchase of over the counter liquor or carry out sales. "There's no excuse, really," said Jim Sneesby of Sneesby's Denoon Saloon, who attended with his bartender. She admitted to the committee that it had …
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
While city-owned facilities are not in a state of disrepair as those reviewed in the school district, aldermen approved hiring a firm to determine needs and efficiencies, despite some feeling it's an expense that can wait.
A proposal to spend $40,000 to hire a consultant to review all city-owned buildings came under fire from some Common Council members Tuesday night, but was ultimately approved after an extended debate. Jeff Muenkel, the city's director of development, recommended hiring Zimmerman Architectural Studios to conduct a study of the library, City Hall, and departmental buildings, like parks and public works. The firm would survey staff and others who those buildings to determine needs, and how best each space could be utilized. Potential recommendations may include construction of new facilities, but could also point out more efficient use of the spaces, which would save the city money in the long run. The 2012 budget estimated the cost of the …
Friday, October 26, 2012
Finance committee decides to forward the issue without a recommendation to council, but former employees who worked during 2012 may end up not getting retro pay after council's August decision for 2 percent increase
While the Common Council hadn't made a decision on a 2012 pay increase for city employees until August of this year, it may turn out that employees who worked during that time and have now left may be out of luck to receive back pay for the increase. The Finance Committee met on Tuesday to discuss a request to provide the employees no longer with the city, but who had worked in 2012, with retro paychecks. The practice had been done in the past due to contractural agreements with union employees, but a memo to the committee from Mayor Kathy Chiaverotti admitted that these agreements no longer exist, with the exception of police employees. In addition the memo stated "the labor attorney has been consulted and informs us that we are not …
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Opposition to continuing permits doesn't materialize, but public safety committee will beef up language in ordinance and permits to spell out insurance requirements, prevention and safety
At least for the next year, it would appear that no major changes will take place for residents hoping to get a permit to use fireworks. Despite indications that police and fire officials would voice their opposition to continuing the issuance of permits for class C fireworks by the city, none materialized Wednesday at the Public Safety Committee meeting. Committee member Jim Mayer confirmed that the city was compliant with state codes, specifically in allowing individuals to hold a permit. Earlier concerns that state statutes did not include individuals were based on older statutes, he said. However, changes will be made to the ordinance, including: Mayer also asked whether the city was opening itself up to liability in the future by …
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
The Parks Board tours Idle Isle Park, with possible additions for the Common Council to consider for the 2013 budget
Idle Isle Park has a lot on its shoulders, and some Common Council members feel it could use some help with the heavy lifting. It functions as a prime access for boaters wishing to launch and park on Little Muskego lake, snowmobilers and ice fishermen in winter, green space for picnickers, and the only beach front for public swimming on the lake. So, after requests came in from Parks director Craig Anderson during the budget process, Alderman Neil Borgman felt the lake park was left out in comparison to its younger but bigger brother, Park Arthur. The only improvement originally requested for Idle Isle Park was replacing the ADA accessible pier at a cost of $63,000 versus more than $1 million in requests for Park Arthur in 2013. Anderson …
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Muskego's newest park as been in development for years, but boost in spending may finally make the park ready for users if $1.1 million request is granted; some aldermen say its about time, others say it's too much.
Progress on Park Arthur, which is situated along Muskego's northern border between College Avenue and Martin Drive, has been steady, but after hearing complaints from residents that projects like the park never seem to get finished, it may now be on a fast track, courtesy of $1.1 million in funding. Discussion of the park expenditures for 2013 were a part of the city's ongoing budget talks Wednesday night, and initially totaled $881,000, with that amount using the landfill funds. The parks department has historically used those funds along with other sources to develop and maintain the parks, however, dwindling resources may result in the city taking on more of the burden. The costs would include $245,000 to design and construct an …
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
A claim that Alderman Neil Borgman filed against the city fails to establish a link between a clogged pond and basement backups that cost residents thousands, and is dismissed in Waukesha County Court
A claim that was filed by Alderman Neil Borgman against the City of Muskego back in June of 2011 has been dismissed in Waukesha County Court. Borgman filed a small claims case in Waukesha County Circuit Court "to compel the City of Muskego to begin proper maintenance and repair of the existing Sanitary and stormwater sewer systems immediately," according to a release from the alderman in 2011. "Since being elected Alderman for this District in 2004, I have repeatedly attempted to get the City of Muskego to honor its obligation to the homeowners in this area regarding drainage and storm water management issues," stated Borgman. "In July, 2010, as a result of the City’s repeated refusals to maintain the stormwater ponds, watercourse and a …
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
The city hopes to help motorists - residents and visitors alike - find their way to parks, schools and other resources, without making the signage itself too confusing.
In one way, it's nice to know Muskego has so many places people would want to go: parks, schools and city services to name a few. However, when driving past a sign pointing to each at 35 to 45 miles per hour, it may get just as frustrating as not having any directions at all. That is the happy medium the Common Council was hoping to reach as it reviewed the proposed signage plan, which will literally point motorists in the right direction. "The feedback we got during the Lake Park debate was that people, even many residents, can't find our parks, so we're hoping to make it easier to get to these places," said Jeff Muenkel, city planner during the Committee of the Whole meeting Tuesday night. However, there was concern about having too much…
Less Government
8:33 pm on Wednesday, April 24, 2013
I think technically a common council as well as the mayor are charged with oversight of finances. In our system of government a council approves the budget and the mayor has day to day oversight of the operations of the city government. This sounds like a power grab by some members of the council. more ›