Monona city council report

Here's are the outcomes from the Monona City Council Preview - February 1, 2010

Resolution Approving Participation in a County-Wide Radio System with Conditions. Tabled. Did not really understand why we tabled it. The resolution supports the county-wide system, but call on the county to pay the operating and maintenance costs.

Contract Building Inspection Services with the Village of McFarland. Replaces Independent Inspections. Passed after yet more discusssion

Authorization to Proceed with a Water Rate Increase and Authorization to Change Public Fire Protection Ranges. Both passed with referral back to the Public Works Committee. We also directed staff to evaluate instituting an inclining rate structure for residential users that use price incentives to reward the conservation of water.   

An Ordinance 2-10-612, Updating Section 6-1-4 of the Code of Ordinances Regarding Sidewalks was briefly discussed and referred to Public Works Committee (where it received narrow 4-3 approval). 

 

The committee expressed some frustration that the city council did not follow its previous recommendation on this and other items. I have heard this refrain from the Public Safety Commission among others. The thought seems to be that if the council does not follow a committee recommendation that we did not listen to their advice. Not true. The council values and does listen - I know I do - to recommendations of of volunteer committees. Sometimes we simply do not agree. Sometimes there is simply a difference of views on policy grounds, at other times the council may be taking the broader picture into account, but I don't think we ever ignore the committee recommendation.