03-05-12 Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

said that 11 years ago, he had a sign in his yard that encouraged people to vote no on the casino project referendum, but that this is a worthwhile project for the community. President Leavy said that the same two issues have been on the minds of citizens for 10 years:jobs and the casino. He said that now he can see both coming our way. He thanked staff and his fellow Councilors for the hard work to ensure that the IGA is right for the City of Beloit. President Leavy called for a roll call vote, and the motion passed 6-1 with Councilors De Forest, Haynes, Van De Bogart, Leavy, Luebke, and Newnham voting in favor and Councilor Spreitzer voting in opposition. File 8525 b. Mr. Arft presented a resolution of the Beloit City Council in Support of Beloit Class Ill Gaming Facility and the Ho-Chunk Nation's Federal Trust Application. Mr. Arft explained that the application requires that the Council take an affirmative vote supporting the application. Councilor Newnham made a motion to adopt the resolution, and Councilor Van De Bogart seconded. The motion passed 6-1 through a roll call vote with Councilors De Forest, Haynes, Van De Bogart, • Leavy, Luebke, and Newnham voting in favor and Councilor Spreitzer voting in opposition. File 8525 c. Finance and Administrative Service Director Paul York presented a resolution declaring Official Intent to Reimburse Expenditures from Proceeds of Borrowing. Councilor Van De Bogart made a motion to adopt the resolution, and Councilor Luebke seconded. The motion carried 7-0. File 8514 d. Fire Chief Brad Liggett presented a resolution authorizing the City Manager to apply for the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response(SAFER) Grant Program. He said that receiving the grant would allow the Fire Department to restore staffing to 2011 levels. He indicated that this is consistent with the Council's desire to bring back the positions lost as financial purposes allow and that the grant provides funding for 2.5 years. Councilor Luebke made a motion to adopt the resolution, and Councilor Newnham seconded. Councilor Van De Bogart asked about the likelihood that we would receive the grant, and Chief Liggett indicated that the scoring is based on compliance and restoring positions lost through layoffs and attrition. Councilors Luebke, Spreitzer, and Newnham thanked the Chief for making the restoration of these positions a priority. The motion carried 7-0. File 8529 e. Chief Liggett presented a resolution amending the 2012 General Operating Budget and Appropriating Funds to restore two positions in the Fire Department Inspection Bureau. He said that the savings in unemployment would cover the cost of bringing back these two positions. Councilor De Forest made a motion to adopt the resolution, and Councilor Spreitzer seconded. Councilor De Forest asked what happened to the third inspector position cut during the 2012 budget cycle, and Chief Liggett indicated that individual did not have interest in returning. The motion carried 7-0. File 8514 f. Mr. Arft presented a resolution adopting a Collective Bargaining Agreement between the City of Beloit and the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF) Local#583. Mr. Arft indicated that the union ratified the document the morning of March 5th, and he summarized the agreement. Councilor Newnham made a motion to adopt the resolution, and Councilor Luebke seconded. Councilor De Forest indicated that she is ecstatic that the agreement will allow the department to put an ambulance back on the west side. Councilor Spreitzer thanked everyone involved in the negotiation and said that this is a win-win for everyone. Councilor Newnham said that this was a challenging negotiation, and he is glad that everyone came together to agree on a contract. Councilor Haynes reminded the public that the contract is essentially budget-neutral and that no fund balance was used. Councilor Van De Bogart said that he is glad we reached an agreement and raised the point that separate treatment of public employees is not sustainable in the long term. Councilor Leavy thanked everyone for their sacrifices. He said that the Council takes the safety of Beloit's residents very seriously and that both sides gave a little to make this agreement happen. The motion carried 7-0. File 6205 12. At 9:35 p.m., Councilor De Forest moved to adjourn the meeting, and Councilor Spreitzer seconded. The motion carried 7-0. tz Z, www.ci.beloit.wi.us Rebec•a S. Housema , City Clerk Date approved by Council: 03-19-12