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Mayor Scherck Answers Your Questions & Concerns!
Some say you can't fight City Hall, but you should never have to because we all work for you. Today it is easy to be cynical and critical of government but elected officials are your neighbors who are working together with the private sector to make Neenah a better place for all of us. The leadership to achieve that vision does not come from City Hall alone, but from all citizens who dare to care about our future. Questioning and constructive criticism are a healthy and necessary part of citizen involvement so I am initiating this effort to provide answers to the concerns and questions I have been receiving. If you have a question or concern, please contact me at 886-6104, e-mail me at gscherck@ci.neenah.wi.us or stop in my office for a visit. * Indicates new issue since last revision (for background, some prior answers continue to be listed). REVISED AUGUST 3, 2010
* August 3: Note - City Garage at Tullar will soon be manned everyday to help Neenah citizens deposit materials in correct place and to check driver's licenses to insure that only Neenah taxpayers are using this service. Your cooperation in putting only allowed materials and in the correct place will guarantee we can continue this popular service. A. Cardboard must be broken down *DROP OFF SITE IS OPEN SATURDAY’S FROM 8:30-11:30, THROUGH OCTOBER, MANNED BY YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS. * August 3: When is the Mayor's Charity Golf Outing and who will benefit from the proceeds? 8th Annual Mayor's Charity Golf Outing is August 23 at Bridgewood in Neenah. TO VOLUNTEER TO SPONSOR OR REGISTER FOR GOLF SPONSORS AND GOLFERS NEEDED TO HELP US HELP OTHERS. FORMAT: Best ball scramble, with AM & PM flites All proceeds to benefit N-M Fire and Neenah Police Benevolent funds that sponsor many local charitable and civic activities and organizations. * August 3: Why are water rates increasing again? The simple answer is that the cost of providing water has increased (especially the cost of chemicals) while the consumption of water has decreased therefore revenue has gone down. Because revenues are down and expenses are up, the Utility cannot meet the coverage requirement for their revenue bonds, which is the net income available for debt service divided by the debt service. If that continues the Utility bond rating will be reduced making future borrowing for major water projects more expensive. With the rate increase, the average utility bill will be $145 per quarter, Fond du Lac is already at $167, Appleton will be at $150, Menasha is at $162, and those that are lower are expected to increase rates in the near future. * August 3: What is the schedule for completing street construction? Nicolet should be finished by mid-August, Appleblossum and Hunt prior to the start of school, Betty and Reddin in September. Heavy rainfall in July has delayed the schedule for completion. June 14: What is the job of the complaint officer and what is the procedure for gaining compliance? Our complaint officer is a part time employee whose primary purpose is to help educate the public about city ordinances dealing with a wide range of subjects, including rummage sale signs, brush on the curb, garbage and large items on the curb, weed control, junk on property, branches overhanging the sidewalk etc. Often responding to neighborhood complaints, he first places a notice on the property as to the violation and the need to correct. Our goal is not to fine but to gain compliance so we can make our neighborhoods places we can all be proud of. If compliance is not voluntary, the next step is enforcement, which often means a City crew brings the property into compliance and bills the owner. This is a step we want to avoid whenever possible. The best enforcement is for each of us to be a good neighbor and take good care of our property, following the rules. If you get a tag, please do not take offense, but simply correct the problem. Your cooperation will be appreciated. April 28: When is the City Garage on Tullar open on Saturdays? May through October, 8:30 am - 11:30 am. For City of Neenah Citizens Only. Please have your driver's license available. No Grass. April 28: What are the City's plans for the Winneconne Green Bay Road corridor? The City Council voted to build a multi lane roundabout at Winneconne/Green Bay Road and at Winneconne/Lake Street. Work on Green Bay Road will be deferred until after the DOT completes its planned reconstruction of the Breezewood-Bell overpass, which will also be a series of roundabouts. April 28: What do we do to drive a multi-lane roundabout safely? With Winneconne Avenue scheduled for reconstruction this summer, it’s time to talk about the safe use of roundabouts. The roundabouts on the project will be multi-lane roundabouts. Part of the City’s efforts on the project will be to educate the public on how to drive a multi-lane roundabout safely. The rules for using multi-lane roundabouts safely are basically the same as the rules for single lane roundabouts with a couple of additions.
Roundabouts are safer, less costly, reduce emissions, and save time; but they do require public education and we will make that our highest priority before concrete is laid. April 28: What are the plans for educating the public for safe use of multi-land roundabouts? Video kiosks showing actual functioning of such roundabouts will be located at key locations for viewing by motorists and moved weekly. Display boards will be set up at the YMCA, Library and City Hall. A scaled display showing the actual layout with small cars will move to key viewing locations. Information and video will be on the City website. Stuffers will be included in utility bills, diagrams will be located at the top of area gas pumps, cable access will have a video display, book marks and other materials with diagrams and instructions will be handed out. In other words, it will be an all out effort, doing everything possible to make certain that the information is convenient, easy to access and in many public locations. If everyone keeps an open mind, reviews the information that is available before and during construction this should improve traffic movement in the entire corridor. April 28: What is the schedule for completion of the Green Bay Road/Winneconne project? The project will be constructed under traffic, leaving the area open to area businesses and for through traffic, beginning May 17th with a project completion scheduled for the end of November. April 28: When is the Wisconsin Avenue project going to be finished? The road will be kept open to traffic during construction and will be finished by July 9th. February 24: What streets are in the proposed capital budget? Bituminous Overlay
General Street Resurfacing
Curb, Gutter, Bituminous Pavement
Reconstruction
February 24: Why do City projects go over budget, especially the Plexus/Glatfelter project? First, the City has a long record of completing projects under budget. While budgets are estimates and unforeseen factors can often influence the final expenditures, the process we have in place and the oversight of staff and the due diligence of the Council usually complete the project at or below the estimate. Here are just a few examples: Water plant, $2.1 million under budget, Alta Resources, $2.4 million under, Lake Street utilities, $220,000 under and recently the water main construction on Breezewood came in $128,000 under budget. Such results are typical but when costs exceed the budget, the buck stops here and it is my job to find out why it happened and look for ways to improve the process and the oversight. February 24: How do I receive emergency notifications? Want to be quickly notified of an emergency or disaster near your home or work? Winnebago County has developed an emergency telephone notification system that will call and notify you of evacuations, weather emergencies, and other serious incidents. This is a free service; all landline phones in Winnebago County are already registered. The Neenah Police Department recommends you also register your cell phone by signing up your number on the county’s website. Just go to www.co.winnebago.wi.us and click on “Emergency Management.” Only emergency and disaster-related calls will be placed. January 12: Why do residents have to buy their own recycling containers? The choice was to have everyone buy their own or have the City buy one using your tax dollars. Many people already had a container, some needed two, some needed only one small container, others one large container, so it seemed economically and practically better to let each person handle it the way that best fit their needs. January 12: Why do papers have to be placed inside a brown bag and then placed in the container? They don't - you may do it that way if more convenient, or you can just toss them in your recycling can. The newsletter summary did not make that very clear. December 1: Your tax bill at a glance. Remember, while the City sends out the tax bill, your total tax represents the taxes as determined by 4 taxing entities.
December 1: When will single stream recycling begin and how will it work? Single-Stream Recycling Starts January 4, 2010 Your recyclables will be collected weekly, the same day as your regular garbage pick-up. All recyclables, (i.e., glass, tin, aluminum, paper, cardboard) can be commingled in one container. Blue bags will no longer be allowed. CHECK THE NEWSLETTER FOR RECYCLING SIGNS TO BE PUT ON YOUR CONTAINER. NEWSLETTER ALSO CONTAINS THE RECYCLING BROCHURE. PLEASE BE SURE TO SAVE IT. December 1: How will the unpaid furlough days of Teamster employees impact citizens? Each of the Teamster departments will be closed on 6 different Mondays and all members of that department will be on unpaid furlough. Each department selected days when the demand for their services will be lower than usual, in other words Streets would not be off when the potential for snow fall exists. Below is the schedule of departments and days. It is also in the January 1 newsletter on the top of p. 6. The main inconvenience will be for residents of the First Aldermanic District who have garbage pick up on Mondays-on the selected 6 days the pick up will be on Tuesday instead. CITY OF NEENAH The following dates are scheduled Layoff Mondays. During these dates, the listed departments will be closed. If your garbage or yard waste is scheduled to be picked up on the date the Sanitation Department is closed (all Mondays), it will be picked up the next day (Tuesday).
Our goal was to reduce employee compensation with a minimal disruption of public services.
August 26: Did Neenah benefit from the federal stimulus/recovery funding? Thanks to the perseverance and due diligence of Neenah department heads, the City has received significant federal assistance through the stimulus program. The benefits received include:
Our Park and Recreation Dept. also received $107,000 Wisconsin Waterways grant for the Rec Park boat landing and the PD received $20,000 drunk driving enforcement grant. August 26: What should I do if I see a street light on during the day? If you see a street light that is on during daylight hours or blinking or completely off at night, call WE Energies at 1-800-714-7777, report on-line at www.we-energies.com/night_aura or call the Neenah Public Works Department at 886-6240. August 26: How do we know what to recycle? Top 5 Recycling Questions Why only #2 narrow neck bottles? Do I need to rinse the containers before recycling them? Do I need to take the labels off jars and cans? Should caps be removed before recycling? May 26: Why was the smokestack only partially demolished at the Glatfelter site? A private group of citizens attempted to preserve the smokestack as a tribute to papermaking and the generations of employees who worked at the mill. A structural analysis proved that was not possible but they did agree to provide the funding to preserve the bottom 30 feet, and construct a small park around the site as a fitting tribute to our papermaking legacy. January 28: What is the status of Fox Valley Energy and their request to burn shredded tires as a source of fuel? The DNR granted a 3 month permit which expired in mid-February. The Company is current on their payment plan for their water bill after making a payment of $320,000, so their water has been turned back on.. If the test meets all DNR requirements, the company will have to apply for a new permit from the DNR. In the future, they plan to build a new steam line to provide steam to Neenah Paper and the Kimberly Clark X-Mill. December 22: Why are both the sanitary and storm sewer rates increasing by such a large percentage? A recent letter to the editor referred to the increase in Neenah's storm and sanitary sewer rates as "unconscionable", and while I respect the right of citizens to form their opinions on every action taken by the City, I thought I would provide the actual facts and let everyone arrive at their own opinion. The author of the letter bases his criticism on a basic misunderstanding. The City has not created a series of quasi-governmental districts for the purpose of "unaccountable revenue streams". Our storm water, sanitary sewer and parking utilities are simply segregated funds that record all expenditures for that specific purpose and all revenue derived from that specific purpose. When we created the storm water utility in 2003, we took dollar for dollar off of the general property tax and transferred it to the storm water fee that appears on your water bill. While the writer believes this was"smoke and mirrors" the result was that tax exempt properties and large facilities like Walmart started to pay their fair share of the cost of treating storm water, taking a greater burden off the backs of residential property taxpayers. The tax rate that year for municipal purposes would have been $10.26 per thousand, but by moving $1 million off the property tax levy, the rate became $9.43 per thousand. The simple answer is that residential property tax payers paid less property taxes for this purpose than they paid in storm water fees. We have not increased that fee since 2003 (try to think of anything else that has not gone up in cost during that time period). Now the DNR has mandated that by 2008 we remove 20% of sediment from storm water discharged and that by 2013 we remove 40%. Again, to simplify, the rate you pay has stayed the same, the state mandates have drastically increased our projected costs, thus the new rate. The sanitary rate followed the same course and the rate has not increased since 1991, and in that year the rate was decreased. A recent survey of 312 communities found Neenah's rates to rank 312th, the lowest in the State. After the increase we will rank 287th and we will be the lowest in the Valley. To keep the rates that low, we have been spending down a surplus that accumulated in the late 1980's and since it came from the rate payers, this was the fairest way to get it back to them. Obviously, since 1991, operational costs of maintaining the sanitary sewer system have increased. During heavy storms, to prevent basement flooding, the City has by-passed which the DNR has ordered us to eliminate. All of this costs money and it either gets paid for by rate payers or tax payers and there are more rate payers so once again it keeps the cost to the residential property tax payer down. The letter to the editor also criticized the increase in the water bill when the water is the same. That is exactly the point. We now are able to provide a supply of water adequate to the demand that is safe and not subject to cryptosporidium and other contaminants. The $26 million water plant insured that Neenah residents will not face a DNR boil order or a mandated reduction in the use of water. As one simple example, the Water Commission approved the chemical order for next year, and the costs had increased 24% over this year. That will not make your water better, just the cost of providing it more costly. No one wants to see taxes or fees increase, and Neenah has clearly held the line on sanitary and storm water fees so that they were the lowest in the State. As the costs of sewers, storm ponds, and meeting new mandates increases, rate increases become the only option, unless we put these charges back on the property tax, where the burden rests heaviest on the residential property taxpayer. I encourage citizens to read the facts, form your own opinion and if you have questions, don't hesitate to contact me at gscherck@ci.neenah.wi.us or call me at 886-6104. December 23: Why did Neenah invest over $9 million in the Glatfelter site? When Glatfelter announced it was closing its downtown mill after 132 years of operation, it was a stunning blow to many of our families and to our community, leaving us with an abandoned mill on a site in need of remediation. But there is an old saying, "when life serves you lemons, make lemonade". City staff, our Community Development Authority and your elected officials took the initiative to complete the complex negotiations to acquire the property and support the remediation of the site to prepare it for a major redevelopment initiative. The Plexus Corporation had the vision and willingness to lead this effort, announcing the construction of an $16 million national headquarters, eventually bringing 450 employees into the downtown, keeping a valued and growing company in Neenah and extending our downtown to the waterfront, opening up yet another recreational opportunity for Neenah citizens. It is projected that the entire Glatfelter site will generate a tax increment of $42 million. Taxes on the new increment will finance Neenah's investment, downtown businesses will flourish and the community will continue its' incredible growth and redevelopment. August 21: Why does the city build new buildings when there are so many vacant buildings in the City? First, this is a decision made by the private sector not the City. Often the old building is in need of so much remediation that it is no longer cost effective to redevelop. At other times it no longer meets the needs of the business because of size or physical lay out. Clearly, once a business decides it needs a new location, our goal is to make certain the new location is in Neenah and not elsewhere. But let's also remember the large number of buildings that have been redeveloped providing enhanced tax base, new jobs and new shopping opportunities. The Jersild Building, Family Video, Papa John's, Mighty Auto, Choices Restaurant, Directions Inc. and Dollar General are just a few examples of vacant buildings that have been renovated for new uses. Many other locations have been razed to make room for a new Neenah business such as the Taco Bell on Green Bay Road, many locations on S. Commercial St. and a new medical facility on N. Commercial. The best example of this will be the replacing of the Glatfelter Mill with an $18 million Plexus National headquarters. Attracting new development and backfilling vacant buildings is a major challenge of every community, one Neenah has met with great success. June 10: When are City Council meetings televised? If you turn to Cable Channel 2, on the first and third Thursdays at 6 pm, you will get a replay of that Wednesday's council meeting. If you can't make the meetings, this is a good way to stay informed. Speeds seem to be constantly increasing, putting all of us, but especially our children at risk. The NPD is going to target specific areas for enforcement but our goal is not to issue tickets but to gain voluntary reduction. A special concern exists for traffic going west on the Cecil St. overpass since there is a school crossing at the toe of the overpass. Give our kids a brake, slow it down! April 28: Why did Neenah hire a part time Ordinance Enforcement Officer? The vast majority of citizens take pride in their property, respect others and make an honest effort to follow the rules relative to property and lawn maintenance, refuse on the curb, parking and other quality of life issues. One of the first tasks of the new employee will be to assist in educating people about the rules to avoid violations based on misunderstanding. However, some people seem to consistently disregard their responsibility as a good neighbor and create negative impacts on our neighborhoods. Uncut grass, refuse and other large items on the curb illegally, cars parked on lawns, deteriorated property conditions-all those issues you may have a complaint about. The Ordinance Enforcement Officer will be tasked with assisting all departments in helping us provide better enforcement of these issues. November 22: What was the purpose of the recently completed solar electric site assessment report? Funded by the Focus on Energy, Mayor Scherck directed staff to begin the process of examining how we can reduce energy costs, save tax dollars and move the City another step closer to a sustainable future. The purpose of the assessment was to provide site-specific information on how a solar electric system could perform at the City Services Building. November 1: What action did the City recently take relative to moving toward a Sustainable Community? * Note: Mayor Scherck has appointed a 15 member panel that was confirmed by the Council and is meeting monthly. The Mayor recently proposed a resolution, which was adopted by the Council that commits the City, when economically feasible, to move toward the goal of becoming an eco-municipality, a community that aspires to develop an ecologically, economically and socially healthy community. The goal is to create a more sustainable community, building on the actions the city has already taken, to reduce reliance on fossil fuels, reduce energy consumption, seek out alternative energy sources, and reduce reliance on chemicals and other substances that can accumulate in nature. The city is exploring solar energy as an alternative for municipal facilities, for example. The Resolution also challenges the private sector and individual citizens to take steps to further the basic principles of sustainability. The four guidelines adopted by the resolution and developed by the American Planning Association are:
Neenah joins 6 other Wisconsin communities who have committed to this principle and challenges all citizens to find ways that they can develop a personal philosophy and action of stewardship. Things to consider include:
As more ideas and recommendations are developed, we will continue to keep you informed of our progress and of what you can do to help us accomplish our shared vision of passing on a better community to the next generation. November 1: What has Neenah already done to move toward a sustainable community? The following represents those actions Neenah has already completed or is exploring relative to becoming an eco-municipality.
June 4: What is the city doing about the lead problem in city drinking water? Unfortunately, the reporting led to the conclusion that Neenah had lead in its' water. There is no lead in the water that leaves the treatment plant. However, some homes have lead service and pipes inside their home. The City is required to conduct bi annual tests of 60 homes to determine if there is lead in that homes water. Several homes had been discovered to have higher than acceptable levels of lead. Although most homes have very low levels of lead in their drinking water, some homes in the community have lead levels above the EPA action level of 15 parts per billion or 0.015 milligrams per liter of water. Under federal law we are required to have a program in place to minimize lead in drinking water by July 2007. We are carrying out that program and if anyone has any questions they should call 886-6182 for details. Homes that have lead pipes or copper pipes with lead solder should be certain that they let the water run for at least 15-30 seconds before drinking and longer if the water has been sitting in the pipes for more than 6 hours. To find out whether a home needs to take action relative to their water, it is essential that the water be tested. There are two state approved laboratories in our area, Badger Labs (729-1100) and Clean Water Testing (733-7590) The Neenah Water Utility has a pamphlet called Information on Lead in Drinking Water which can be obtained by calling the utility at 886-6182. What is the talk about "Pair Up"? The City Services Task Force recommended an all out effort to get neighbors to pair up and place there garbage on the curb in one location rather than two. Every eliminated stop saves time, gas, and wear and tear on very expensive vehicles. As the City expands we need to find ways to continue high levels of public service without adding additional personnel. This is a simple and effort less way for you to help us accomplish that objective. SO LET'S ALL PAIR UP RIGHT NOW. If you are cooperating, thank you, if not, why not? Why do Neenah taxpayers pay for the costs of the County Sheriff's patrol and our own Neenah Police Department? Neenah pays 17.1% of the County budget. Our share of the County Sheriff's net levy is $2,274,945. The fact that we pay for sheriff's patrols and our own police department is called a "double whammy" or simply put, double taxation. We get the bill for sheriff's patrol costs but no service. I have written a letter to Senator Ellis and Representative Kaufert, asking them to support legislation that would address this unfairness. The cost of the sheriff's patrol and detectives should be paid for by those citizens who receive the service, which means the residents of the towns not by the taxpayers in municipalities that have their own police departments. How are city expenditures determined? A recent "It's Your Call" a Town of Menasha resident, inquired if money would be spent "foolishly" in Neenah. This is the process followed in making decisions on capital expenditures.
* This year for example, I deleted over $700,000 in capital projects.
I respect the fact that if we personally disagree with the purpose of an expenditure, we may regard it as "foolish". If I don't own a boat, money to improve the boat ramps could be perceived as foolish, or if I don't play tennis, I may question why the City is spending money on tennis courts. My goal as your Mayor is to spend your money as if it were my own, after full consideration, based on established priorities. Citizen input is always the top priority, which is why I have held a "town meeting" each of the last two years, prior to making my budget recommendations. If you have topics you would like to discuss or projects you are concerned about, don't hesitate to call me at 886-6104, e mail me at gscherck@ci.neenah.wi.us or stop in my office for a visit. Why are some traffic signals not better coordinated or timed? Signal coordination is a constant objective but it is also complicated, not a one size fits all solution. If you have concerns about a specific situation, please call the Mayor's office at 886-6104 so we can check it out. Why did the city create a community development authority? Cities have 3 primary tools to assist in spurring development and redevelopment projects designed to increase the tax base, retain existing jobs and create new jobs. We have successfully utilized Tax Incremental Financing and Industrial Revenue Bonds for that purpose. The third tool is the creation of an Community Development Authority (CDA). Some have criticized this as a "gimmick to shift and hide Neenah's spending". To the contrary, all proposals and projects of the CDA must be approved by a 2/3 vote of the Common Council on a project-by-project basis. The City's Director of Community Development is the Executive Director of the CDA and he reports directly to the Mayor and the City Council. The membership of the CDA includes citizens' members with expertise in finance, real estate, construction, development, the law and two alderpersons as elected representatives of all citizens. The purpose is not to spend more but rather to provide more thorough oversight and accountability over development projects that have been previously approved by the Council. The CDA provides flexibility, helps simplify the process of creating public/private partnerships and improves the City's ability to attract capital because the bonds issued by a CDA are double tax-exempt. The debt incurred by the CDA does not count against the City's 5% legal borrowing capacity. This in turn allows the City to carry out previously approved projects without jeopardizing its' bond rating. That means lower interest costs to the City. Because City officials have a wide range of responsibilities, a CDA allows for a more focused collaborative effort in completing successful, tax-producing projects. Since a CDA is one of the tools available to a municipality, why would a City not want this tool in its' toolbox? The purpose of every action Neenahtakes is to control taxes, improve our quality of life by doing what is best for this community and our future. The CDA is another step in that direction. A recent editorial said, "Authorizing a CDA is a leap of faith". The simplest thing in government is to do nothing, uphold the status quoand hope good things will happen. The leap of faith we need is in elected officials withvision and the courage to propose responsible change. The leap of faith we need is in our citizens' ability to remove elected officials who disregard the public interest and act irresponsibly. How would the CDA work on a specific project? When the City has an opportunity to participate in a high value, job producing or job retention project, like the Alta Resources office center, it would need to devise a Tax Increment Financing and project feasibility plan.
How exactly does Tax Incremental Financing (TIF) work? Let's look at a hypothetical example. A large open property is assessed at $100,000. The City invests $1 million in roads, sewers and development assistance so a commercial development can be built with an assessed value of $10 million. All of the property taxes paid on that $10 million new increment goes to pay off the City's $1 million investment. After the City collects sufficient tax revenues to pay off all the borrowing costs, the taxes generated will be shared with the school district, county and technical college forever, holding down future taxes. In addition, the City helps to create new jobs, new shopping opportunities and brings new homeowners into the community. What has been Neenah's track record with TIF? Does it really work? Since 1982, Neenah has invested $57 million in TIF districts, creating $455 million in new tax base. If not for TIF investments, the average taxpayer would be paying an additional $390 in property taxes each year. In addition, we have helped create 4550 new jobs, bringing 155 new businesses to the community. In Tax Increment District #4 in the South Commercial Street Corridor, the City's $4.0 investment, spurred the creation of $28 million in new tax base, paying off all of the City costs and creating a surplus of over $2.0 million. Taxes will continue to be paid on that increment forever. The old Butterfly Bar, Lakeroad Lanes and Bricco's Video Vault are gone and in their place is a new housing complex, mini mall and auto repair shop. At the south end of the business corridor, Copp's and the Shops at Mahler Farms adds shopping opportunities to the east side that would not otherwise exist. You bet TIF works in Neenah. |
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