Finance and Personnel 2026 08 24

Don't get laugh at me this time because I saw you ask the room that didn't have anybody from the public here. >> Uh, but there were people here at least. There were they released they were they were alsin and personnel committee is called to order. We will begin with the role. Alder Brenzer >> here. >> Alder Close >> here. >> Alder Decker >> here. >> Alder Pereella >> here. >> Mitchell's here. We have five out of five. Will you please join me in the pledgece to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible and justice for all. All right, that brings us to item four, approval of the minutes from the August 10th meeting. Is there any discussion on those minutes? If not, we'd be looking for a motion to approve. >> I make a motion to approve. >> Second. >> We have a motion, a second for approval, then seeing no discussion. All in favor? >> I. >> All oppose. Chair votes eye. The eyes have it and the motion passes. Those minutes are approved. Next up, item five, the public comment period. Do we have anybody online? going to assume there's nobody in the room for public comment seeing as I see nobody and we will move on to item six which is report number 22 of 2627 submitting the exit interview summary for the city of Shbboan for quarter 2 of 2026 >> thank you so in uh quarter 2 we saw a turnover rate of 4.01% 01%. This is in line with quarter 2 rates for 2025 and 2024. It is the lowest of the three years for that quarter. Uh we continue to see high engagement with employees and improving culture all around. Um I would welcome any questions that committee has. >> Any questions here? Comments from committee? >> Well, they're close. Thank you. I would like to say that it looks like we had a lot of really good participation with the exit interviews, which is striking because you don't often get that. Um, but one of them did point out something that I know we've talked about quite a bit is under staffing. So, I'd like to get your take on um is there any strategy or anything like that that we're employing for actively recruiting or how are we going about um reaching out to potential candidates and things like that to make sure that we're ahead of potential understaffing issues. >> So, to be I just want to clarify your question. Are you asking what the city is doing to address the underst staffing issue or what the city is doing to help employees who feel overworked? >> I guess I would be asking for both because I know that would one would address the other. So if people feel as though there is understaffing going on, um if that might contribute to somebody feeling overworked, um how are we addressing people feeling as though they have too much on their plate? Uh prioritization, things like that. And also what are we doing to make sure that we're actively recruiting to make sure that we don't get underststaffed in the future? >> So we do have an HR generalist who spends the vast majority of her time working through and supporting recruitment and onboarding efforts. uh we are as you know limited in our uh financial options to you know if we could increase our budget I think every department would appreciate at least one probably five more people right uh municipal government is doing more with less so we are continuously looking at ways that we can support our co-workers uh both with the soft skills and the hard skills are there tasks that can be automated are there uh certain some responsibilities that are particularly burdensome that maybe aren't urgent or could be, you know, lower in the priority ranking to allow a little bit more breathing room, things like that. Um, it's we're not putting anything not no option is off the table. We want our employees to feel that they have a healthy work life balance. Uh, but we do have some limitations just structurally that we can't overcome. >> Great. Thank you. Yeah. And it shows with the low rate of attrition here. So, thank you. Administrator Bradley, did you have additional comments? >> Yes, I was just going to weigh in. Um, you know, recruiting is not the issue right now. The the funding levels that we're dealing with. Um, so you had you had a study that came before you um a month or so ago with the library. you know, when you're looking at.7 FTEE supervising every 10 employees there, that that's a problem. Um, we don't have the financial wherewithal to address that as it should be addressed. Um, we have, you know, every, as Majaras pointed out, every department has a severe shortage. This is not something that, um, is is taking place. It's accumulated over a number of years, and that's why we we're seeing a backlog of work. um we're addressing policies that you know realistically should have been addressed decades ago if not longer in some some areas. So um it's it is a chronic issue. We know it is and we're trying to leverage technology wherever possible. Uh the goal is not to eliminate staff. The goal is to reduce burden on staff. So um like last last cycle we approved uh the chatbot. The intent there is just simply to hopefully better address the questions for the public improve uh performance to the public that they're getting answers quicker. um potentially getting answers in a native language that is more familiar with them so they can interact with city resources better and also the uh audio chat chatbot that is a part of that uh for the call-in feature in all of in the hopes to reduce the 55,000 minutes of inbound calls that city staff are dealing with. So uh there's a number of unique ways of addressing that and hiring uh really isn't the top part of that just because the financing is not there to support the number of staff that realistically are needed to balance the workload appropriately. >> Great. Thank you. Any other questions or comments? If not, this one's a report, so we would just be looking to file. >> Make a motion to file. >> Second. >> We have a motion by Alder Prella, second by Alder Decker. See no further discussion. All in favor? >> I. All oppose. Chair votes eye. The eyes have it and the motion passes. That one is filed. Next up is item seven, report number 23 of 2627, submitting the city attorney's office monthly report for quarter 2 of 2026. >> Thank you. My apologies in in the delayed submission. We had some other items coming through the agenda we felt were more uh more timesensitive. Uh metrics are here self-explanatory. The only update that I want to highlight for the committee today is that our staffing has changed. We now have an assistant city attorney, Matt Murray, who is sitting um behind Director Kger. Uh we are very excited for him to be joining our office and um other than that uh I would welcome any questions. >> Prella >> will the first of all welcome. Uh I have not met you before so I'm very pleased that you started. I was wondering is that is um um part of the new the role the HR um tasks responsibilities. No, the um the Matt's primary role is prosecutions, code enforcement efforts. As he develops a more robust understanding of the very many things that a municipal lawyer touches on, uh he'll be uh stretching out into the areas that most interest him. >> The HR matters will remain with the city attorney until an a director is appointed. Uh at that point the city attorney will work in collaboration with the director on HR matters. >> Thank you. >> Any other questions, comments from committee. >> All right. If not, I will also extend a welcome to Matt. >> Thank you. >> And with that, we'd be looking for a motion to file. >> Make a motion to file. >> Motion by Alder Prella, second by Alder Brenzer. See no further discussion. All in favor? I >> all oppose. Chair votes eye. The eyes have it and the motion passes. The report is filed. >> Uh next up is item number eight, report number 24 of 2627 submitting the quarterly claims report. >> Welcome. Any questions? >> Any discussion from committee? >> This one again is for information only. So if there's no discussion, we would be looking for a motion to file. >> Make a motion to file. Second. We have a motion by Elder Prella, second by Alder close. You guys are making me pay attention. >> All in favor? I. >> All oppose. Chair votes I. The eyes have it. And the motion passes. That one is filed as well. >> Elder Mitchell, before you proceed, I would encourage you to uh handle the next few items in bulk. If director Krier hasn't already talked with you about that, it would be items 9, 10, 11, 13, and 14. >> Thank you. And yes, spiring objection from committee, we will take all these on at once given they all relate back to agreements that we've already approved. I should have been listening closer items 9, 10, 11, 13, and 14. Is there any objection from committee? >> No. >> Right. Seeing none, >> Dger. >> Good evening. Uh these items are brought to you um to authorize myself to issue the tax increment um municipal revenue obligations or MRO's that are described in the development agreements. Uh these are coming forward it seems all in bulk um because we have done a change in the process. So now when you um actually approve development agreements we have it that I can um proceed with uh issuing these MROs um without a a second approval. So those are happening concurrently now um for just helping us with efficiency and best practice. When we went back to review these five had not gone through with that approval on the initial resolution. So for transparency purposes and to make sure that we are um authorizing as appropriately we are bringing forward these five today just to make sure um that the council um and this body do approve them. >> Questions or comments from committee? Yeah, just yes chair >> just for the record there is nothing in these MRO that changes in any way they reflect exactly what the agreements were uh there is no substantive change anything we need to be aware of >> that is correct these are going to be issued with the development agreements as they were already approved by common council >> thank you >> any other discussion All right. If not, for some light housekeeping, we uh would be looking for a motion to approve. >> I make a motion to approve the items 9, 10, 11, 13, 14. >> Second. >> We have a motion by Alder Pela, second by Alder Deckery. No further discussion. All in favor? >> I. >> All oppose. Chair votes I. The eyes have it. The motion passes. Those items are approved. Next up then, sandwiched in the middle, item number 12, resolution 92 of 2627, authorizing the appropriate city officials to enter into an agreement with PP path Consulting LLC for an uptown social staffing and organizational review. >> Hi. Uh, so you might recall that um analyzing our staffing levels was one of our goals for this year. Sorry, Dean, I feel like I can't see you over the D. >> Eventually, we'll remember to move the podium before we start the meeting. Hi. Anyway, so this is one of our goals. Um, and so the resolution is to reallocate some funding and enter into the agreement with Bold Path Consulting. You might recall that Patrick Glenn has worked with the city of Shboen a number of times uh with a number of other departments and did the um overall compensation review back in 2022. Uh is still working I think with the me public library. very familiar with the work that we're doing um throughout the city and basically to give us a better understanding of what our staffing needs for the senior services department moving forward are based on this overwhelming uh increase in service that we've been offering since we opened. Um, this doesn't mean that a year from now I'm going to come to you asking for $500,000 for more staff, but is to give us an idea of where we might better serve our population. And then my job would be to come up with some creative ways to get there. No, we're on 12. >> Uh, discussion from committee then, Elder Brezer. >> Oh, yeah. Thank you. Um, I just wanted to make a comment. So, I just had in on the review that Bold Path presented to the me public library board last week. Um, and I found it to be really helpful for the leadership of the library and the consulting firm was able to give them real feedback. Um, and I think they discovered some important information such as the need for more head staff over there. Um, and then the library's HR committee was then able to really dig deep into those results and make needed changes and predict more about what the library's future might look like. So, I think if Uptown Social is able to gain similar input and knowledge um as the library did, then I definitely support this resolution. >> Thank you, Elder Decker. >> Yes. Uh I I I concur with Alter BMSer on her comments on that. I also think that this might I'm just going to ask cuz this would be uh helpful in in obtaining grants and such like that for for for the future and that's that's basically a good this is a good starting point to get on to onto that uh that path. >> Yes, very much so. So if the results come back, you know, with a recommendation that we need x number more staff, then that's not just me, director Rendel Rojo, saying, "Hey, we're all, you know, we need more staff." There's outside experts agreeing with that assessment. Or it's entirely possible that he might just come back and say, "Hey, we think you're doing a great job of serving your 2300 members the way it is. Keep doing what you're doing." Um, I'm curious to see where this goes. I don't think that will be the result, but I'm um interested to have an expert opinion taking a look that doesn't have um strong personal feelings about it the same way that staff that are in the nitty-gritty do. That didn't really answer your question though. I'm sorry. But yes, the idea is that then we'll work with especially the friends of Uptown Social to come up with some creative funding solutions. Also, also there is there possibilities for like um possibly federal dollars or something like this for something. Is there they really work with like senior services at all or not? Really? >> Anything's possible. What's nice about our setup um so I have had in my five and a half years we have gotten a federal grant that had to go through a municipality. So I applied on behalf of the city. Um other potential funders will only give to a 501c3. So, kind of based on the opportunity, um it's nice that we have both the friends and the city that there's more opportunities. And so, I'll I just will kind of pursue whatever makes sense along whichever avenue makes the most sense. >> But it gives us that blueprint that we can, you know, as to what what our needs are so that we know what we're requesting. So, you have something to >> fall back on when you're when you're asking for things. >> Exactly. And I will share Uptown Social is a bit of a unicorn. I'm assuming that most of you don't visit a lot of other senior centers. Um, but what we have going on here in Shbboan is really special. Um, and a lot of other communities not only don't have the level of engagement and positivity as we do, but we're also getting a lot of visits from other communities that are trying to replicate what we're doing here because they see how beneficial it is to the people that we're serving in the community at whole. And what they really want to do is copy paste. So, it's hard for me to even tell them like, "Yeah, we're we're doing all of this with the equivalent of four FTEEs. Um, but we've been lucky to maintain everyone on our team since before we opened Uptown Social. So, the fear is that if one person left, we would be losing a wealth of knowledge and it would be nearly impossible to replace one full-time employee with only one full-time employee. Thank you >> other Pella. >> Yeah, that's I just wanted to add Thank you, Chair. I just wanted to add that also and this type of um service can provide you with alternative ways to look maybe even at the restructuring of the current roles and how they can be taken advantage. So there are other perspective. It's not just adding one FTE or half FTE. I know but also what is that can be changed in the structure as it is right now. I mean there are other options out there that that someone with the experience and uh um the the skill set can provide perhaps I hope that uh you would take advantage of it as much as possible also for that. That's absolutely correct and it's entirely possible that when Patrick is doing his research, he might identify some tasks that we're doing and this is kind of aligns with the work that we're doing with the Arbinger Institute, but there might be some things through this process that are identified that are a duplication of services that might make more sense to be, you know, to outsource some things to the finance department, for example, which we've already done. Um, but there's always there's always room for continued improvement. >> Thank you. Any other discussion from committee? >> If not, we would be looking for a motion to approve on this one. >> Make a motion to approve. >> We have a motion by Alder Prella, second by Alder Brener. Seeing no further discussion. All in favor? >> I. >> All oppose. Chair votes eye. The eyes have it. The motion passes. That one is approved. brings us to item number 15, which is resolution number 96 of 2627, authorizing the appropriate city officials to submit a grant application to Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources voting infrastructure grant tier one related to the marina infrastructure project. >> All right, good evening. Uh this is one of many many grants that will be coming before council over the next uh year or two in regards to the marina project. Uh this the application is coming up I believe September 1st um is the deadline for this one. Um so we wanted to make sure that we got this in in this cycle. Uh this is a I believe uh about a $250,000 grant to help defay some of the costs associated with uh designing and constructing the marina. Um this is directly for boating infrastructure. Um I believe that is the intended application criteria. So essentially what we're asking for now is u by authorizing this resolution this this would then be submitted as part of the application that were committed to um this grant process if it were received um we would use that for this intended purpose. >> Other close. Thank you. So, I know it's for boating infrastructure in particular. Um, can you just list off a couple of the items that would be subject to this grant funding from the design that we saw earlier? >> Um, so this one, like I said, is boating infrastructure. So, this would be um essentially it could go the marina building, u anything on water, the pier, uh the docks. So uh depending on the overall strategy of the different areas um so we're kind of strategizing out which grant specifically. So um once the grant is known if it's awarded then we know where where we have gaps that we need to go after other funding. So, um the like the pier for instance has it obviously would qualify for everything related uh to boating because obviously it's to do with the harbor and the marina area, but um at the same time there's other funding sources that we potentially could go after for that. So, um those are more aligned with a pier versus you know the docks. So, um it'll be something more than likely on water um that we would associate with this or overall project design that we could associate these costs to. So, that depending where it falls in the strategy, but obviously infrastructure related to the marine is the primary intent of this grant. >> Great. Thank you. And uh one followup. That's right. Um so, it's listed as a cost share grant. Um, do we have a percentage of what the cost share for the city would be? >> I think that'll usually they're about a 50% uh cost share. Um, so that ultimately sometimes the state or the federal government when you apply um there's oftent times we'll apply for a program where it's a 75% share but they've got too many applications so all of a sudden it becomes a 50% cost share so they can give out more grants. So, um I believe the intended application of this is for a 50/50. Um so it would either be local funding or if we can get private grants that would be able to be offset. So that's all part of our funding strategy of putting that all together. So at this point I would I would say the intended 50% would be our funding. Um but if we're able to skewer other grants that could offset that, then um that those private use, you can't offset state dollars with state dollars or federal dollars with federal dollars. So um finding the appropriate mix on how we would offset that to make sure we're not violating any of the any of the agreements of received money. >> Great. Thank you, >> Elder Decker. >> Yes. Uh just a quick question for uh Mr. Bradley. Um, uh, this basically is is like a a puzzle piece that goes into there and how you use this puzzle piece is going to be determined by other grants that we have. So that's that that's basically how this is going to work. Is it but that's what I get from your explanation. Is that correct? >> Um, yes, that's correct. We have we have a list of um federal funding sources, state funding sources, and uh various private groups that you know whether it's like the the um Great Lakes Fund groups like that that uh do projects all over the Great Lakes, they all have different interest areas, whether it's uh facilities uh storm water runoff, uh water management, um green tier projects or onwater projects. So, we're we're trying to piece together what all of the potential funding sources may look like. Um, and then as they become available, start applying for them. Um, so there may be some shifts around if we're able to get more than we anticipated or, you know, we don't get a grant that we anticipated. So, um, it'll be relatively fluid as we kind of put the finance what the potential finance package could look like. Um, but we have to go through the grant application process to better understand that. So, yeah. >> Thank you. Any followup? >> Nope. That's it. >> Oh, they're close. >> Thank you. And just related to how the bulk of the grant writing coming forward, I mean, this is looks like the tip of the iceberg for a lot of our funding strategy going forward with the marina, will we be working with any third-party grant writing services or consultants to be able to track and follow these grants as they are submitted? >> Yes. So all of these grants we're working with Edgewater um and we'll be working with um you know the various agencies directly. So each each one's different but um we'll be working with Edgewater as a part of our contract with them grant application and assistance through that. So obviously you know you see the names of administering the grant going forward. Obviously, a lot of that will fall on to uh city engineer jump for the reporting purposes and then uh the overall responding back will be the finance department because that compliance um audit compliance will fall to the finance department with our uh grants accountant but uh the initial application and working through that. So, we're all involved with the application process. So we city staff are not um going to be committed to something that we know that we're not able to fulfill. So um that partnership will be there throughout the entire process with Edgewater. >> Great. Thank you. Any other discussion from committee? Okay. If not, just one question from my end. The uh now therefore be it resolved clause begins with that the city of Shboan will meet the financial obligations necessary to fully and satisfactorily complete the project and so on. Would anybody be able to give a little more detail as to exactly which financial obligations and what scope of project that is committing to complete? I have administ Oh, director Kger about half a second before administrator Bradley let you guys duke it up. >> Sure. This is a requirement. This resolution from the committee is the requirement um in order for us to even apply and we're using their template and as administrator Bradley mentioned if there is a match in order to um approve that contract will come back and approve by the committee and we'd have the exact uh funding and requirement. There is no obligation at this point in time to commit city funds, but we would bring that forward um when we have more information um with a contract to get those uh services completed at that point in time. But as uh administrator Bradley mentioned, it looks like this grant would be a 50% match up to the $300,000 uh amount. So it would could be up to the 155 $150,000 mark um in order to um do the match. >> Thank you. All right, one more call for any discussion from committee. Otherwise, we'll be looking for a motion to approve on this one. Make >> a motion to approve. >> Second. We have a motion by Alder Palab, second by Alder Close. Seeing no further discussion. All in favor? >> I. >> All oppose. Chair votes eye. The eyes have it. The motion passes. That one is approved. Next up is item number 16, resolution number 97 of 2627, authorizing the appropriate city officials to execute a joint agreement with Ellison Brunette Consulting and CP2 Consulting. Yes. Uh this one is a continuation of our discussion about uh creating the strategic plan with the goal of having the plan developed and implemented in 2028. So um as we've kind of indicated in our work plan that we would be bringing forward um a proposed contract to do a portion of the uh strategic planning process. So right now department heads are working through the organizational assessment. Um, our plan is to have that done around December and then having a consultant come in and then they would uh move forward with uh the mission, vision, values portion of it that then would then flow into the input portion where they would be working with council, the public uh department heads uh getting more specific feedback related to uh goals and targets that each uh stakeholder group would like to see. and then ultimately over the next uh year to year and a half building that out into an actual workable plan um and then adopting it. So um I know the city's done this a couple different times. Um back in 2021 the city entered into a contract with Baker Tilly. Um that particular contract went from 2021 and I believe ended in 2023. Um the original contract was for $131,000 and a total of $146,000 was expended and the city never adopted the plan. Um you'll see that this proposal is much different. Um I believe it's about $54,000. Um, part of this was, uh, we're we're kind of in a unique situation where, um, going out for RFP and looking for, uh, kind of that broad boilerplate, uh, process is not the situation we're currently in. That would be something that we'd be looking at probably uh, one or two plans from now. This plan is basically integrating Arbinger in as a core. So that's going to be the basis for uh the mission, vision, and values is going to be rooting that in the outward mindset that we're currently um sending all our staff through the training. Um we're we're doing that organizational assessment which really hasn't been done. Um so in talking with all of our department heads, that is an exercise that they've never been through. Um so we're working through that and it it's a very heavy lift. So, um, really kind of starting over on everything and not really including things that were in past drafts that have never, uh, come forward in the last, uh, five years that it was under process. So, um, working through that and coming up with something that matches the direction that obviously we're heading now, um, um, as far as overall management and the changes that we've been incorporating. So, um, we we interviewed some different companies and, uh, felt this, uh, Ellison Brunette and, uh, CP2 Consulting, um, were going to be a good fit for what we needed, more specific rather than just kind of that boilerplate, uh, strategic plan and process. Questions, comments from committee? Close. >> Yeah, I just want to comment that I think a strategic plan is a really great base to form a lot of the different policies and things that we were discussing earlier. Uh the policy regimen that the city needs to move forward on and make sure that we're moving all in the right direction. We're all moving with the same kind of vision and strategy. It's super important. So, I'm glad to see that the third party professionals being able to come in here, coordinate everybody, work with everybody, and make sure that we get a good strategic plan that's workable. >> Brezer, >> thank you. Um, so I just want to clarify. So, you're proposing the plan without any of the add-ons that were listed. So, it would just be the $42,000 spread out over the three years. uh we're recommending the 54 with the add-ons and then if we don't need them, we won't incur them, but then we don't have to come back uh through the process. But um right now I our our goal is to get as much engagement as possible. Um so we want to have the add-ons in there. If for some reason it's felt it's not needed, then we would we would just not uh execute that. So we wouldn't be build for it. >> Thank you. And then I just wanted to comment that it is a three women it's three womenowned businesses. So I give two thumbs up for that. I think that's cool. >> Yeah, they've uh all of them in their own right have uh they're in WCMA. They do a lot of work. Um you know Corey Pelish I believe is how you pronounce her name. Uh Corey Corey's well known. She's she's done uh some very impressive work on a nationwide basis. Uh she's done a lot of really positive statistical analysis through PCO. So um some really really uh significant things and Allison Bernett has done a number of these to include rebranding. Uh so a lot of lot of the things that she's done um other consultants necessarily haven't had that experience. um and then actually understanding where we're where we're going with the whole new management structure um and things like that. So, a lot of really relevant experience. So, we were able to have a good conversation with all of them to understand what we're expecting and kind of what the transition phase that the city is going through um and helping working that into an actual plan. >> Thanks. >> Any other discussion from committee? If not, I will ask for a motion to approve on this one. >> Make a motion to approve. >> Second. >> We have a motion by Alder Pella, second by Alder Decker. See no further. Seeing no further discussion. All in favor? >> I. >> All oppose. Chair votes. I. The eyes have it. The motion passes. That one is approved. Next tenative date for this committee will be on September 14th. And with that we have exhausted our agenda and are looking for a motion to adjurnn. >> Make a motion to adjurnn. >> Second. >> We have a motion by Alder Prella, second by Alder close. All in favor of adjournment. >> I. >> All oppose. Chai. The staff and the motion passes. We are journed. Thank you everybody.