COUNCIL REVIEW - February 23

* The Council unanimously approved joining the Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS). This is an intergovernmental cooperation agreement, which provides rapid deployment of emergency assistance to those in immediate need of more resources.
* Plan Commission - The Council approved a request from John Duchatschek, owner of Cliff's Tire and Battery, to rezone part of a lot in the Rolling Hills Subdivision from R-1 Residential to B-2 Highway Business to allow for the expansion of the business. The Plan Commission unanimously approve the change at its last meeting
* Stormwater management issues - Luther Hills - At the last Council meeting, Gary Will requested that the council explore options for improving the drainage in the Luther Hills area. City Engineer Travis Drake has compiled a preliminary report. The Council did not take any formal action to move forward on this issue at this time.
* Blackburg Street Parking Lot - The Council received an update on the land issues which have been preventing us from moving forward with the project. It is our hope we will see a plan for the lot in April or May, with construction set to begin in late summer
* Reconsider motion approved February 10th - The Council approved a motion authorizing payment of the City’s share of a fire district shortfall in the amount of $25,002.39, using monies from the “Welcome to Ripon” sign project. The City wouldn’t make payment until the towns submitted payments, and the city would designate up to $15,000 in the 2009 contingency budget for possible overruns in 2009.” Councilmember Brockman, who voted for this motion, had asked that it be brought back before the Council for reconsideration, due to concerns about whether the amount was sufficient, given the fire camera donations fund issue. He did not, though, make a formal motion to reconsider the motion, and no other council member did, so the issue was not discussed.
* Agenda item for future meetings (March 10) - I asked the Council to reconsider an earlier motion to spend up to $9,000 on a study into the feasibility of moving the railroad to outside the city. Preliminary discussions with the railroad indicate the costs to do so could be in the neighborhood of $5 million, which makes the project economically unrealistic. Therefore, let's not spend the money to study it and put the money back into the reserve fund. Alderwoman Schueler asked the City Attorney to explore the mechanics of putting the question of doubling the mayor's term from two to four years on the ballot. It would not be on the April ballot, as that deadline has passed. The Council will hold a LISTENING SESSION to receive feedback from the public on expanding the length of the term. This is not a public hearing, and I will not chair the listening session, so as to avoid the appearance of impropriety in this issue. A request to place the question on the ballot has not been formally made at this time.