Monona Council Preview

The Monona City Council's agenda looks like the groaning sideboard at Thanksgiving dinner. Perhaps the spacetime continuum (Spacetime 101) collapsed again, but it seems we are supposed to act on everything at once.

Remember you can always review the council's agenda and packet: City Council 12/1/08.


Up first is Consideration of Resolution 08-11-1590 2009 Operating Budget and Tax Levy - how much are we going to spend and how do we pay for it? More to come in a separate post.

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Also on for a second reading is Resolution 08-11-1594 Replacement of 911 and Emergency Dispatch Equipment. Last year the city council budgeted money to study whether the city of Monona should continue to do its own 911 dispatch, but the study was eliminated mid-year so I guess we need to replace the failing equipment, eh?

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Several items of new business are proposed for action at the first reading (we normally consider matters at two meetings before acting). The first one is Consideration of Resolution 08-12-1597 Approving the Coalition for an Underground Alternative Fundraising Request.

The coalition is a public-private group that is fighting to put the ATC transmission line underground. They are seeking $25,000 from each of the public partners (Monona, Fitchburg, Middleton, and Verona) to put in a case before the state Public Service Commission. (No word on how much the private partners have put in.) After reading the DEIS chapter 11 on the underground option perhaps they should be appealing to Saint Jude, the Patron of Lost Causes. See my earlier post Line Over Monona?

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Also on for immediate action are Consideration of Resolution 08-12-1599 Approving the Development of a Sustainability Initiative with Sustain Dane and Consideration of Resolution 08-12-1600 Authorizing a Grant Application to the Office of Energy Independence (OEI) to Conduct an Energy Assessment both from the Sustainability Committee.

The Sustainability Initiative would contract with Sustain Dane for up to $15,000 to do sustainability training, a baseline assessment of city facilities and low-cost improvements, compile the city's current good practices, and assist and facilitate city staff to implement sustainability strategies.

The Grant Application is a joint effort with the Village of Cottage Grove and the Monona Grove School District for an energy evaluation of public facilities and development of an 'energy Independence action plan'. Sounds boffo!

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And finally, Consideration of Ordinance 12-08-589 Increasing Dog and Cat License Fees. The city collects the fee for Dane County. The county increased their fee by $2.50 and the proposal would pass the increase on to pet owners.

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Several non-routine matters are also on for a first reading, but not proposed for action. Of course, these items are not going to get a lot of consideration on Monday because we have so many items to review and act on.

Consideration of Resolution 08-12-1595 Application for a Low Power Frequency Modulation (LPFM) Radio License

Consideration of Resolution 08-12-1596 Community Center and Outdoor Pool Fee Changes for 2009

Consideration of Ordinance 12-08-588 Amending Section 13 Chapter 2 Floodplain and Shoreland-Wetland Zoning Ordinance to Adopt the DNR Model Ordinance and the New FEMA Floodplain Maps.

The over-under is 1 a.m.