LA CROSSE COUNTY BOARD PROCEEDINGS

PLANNING MEETING

MONDAY OCTOBER 6, 2008

The La Crosse County Board of Supervisors Planning Meeting was held on October 6, 2008 in the Administrative Center, Room B410.  Chair Steve Doyle called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m.  The County Clerk, Marion I. Naegle, took attendance.  All supervisors were present except as noted:

County Board Chair Steve Doyle

o         Called the meeting to order.

County Administrator Steve O’Malley

• Proclamation – SOLID WASTE AND RECYCLING MONTH

WHEREAS, dedicated nationally recognized County professionals help to minimize our county’s impact on the environment by effectively managing waste through award winning programs; and,  WHEREAS, the County solid waste programs in part include waste-to-energy, permanent household hazardous materials collection, asphalt shingle recycling, treatment of petroleum impacted soils, and trailer home recycling; and,  WHEREAS, in addition to these programs, the County facilitates local and regional collaborative efforts in managing waste through shared recycling newsletters, mobile collection of household hazardous materials, access to the waste-to-energy program, and solid waste planning; and,  WHEREAS, the County has shown its commitment to further enhancing solid waste and recycling  efforts through sustainability practices which will be coordinated by the County’s new sustainability coordinator; and,  WHEREAS, all residents have an on-going responsibility to participate in sustainability through decreasing the amount of garbage that is produced in our homes, schools, communities, and work place by practicing waste reduction, recycling, and buying recycled products.

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the La Crosse County Board does hereby proclaim the month of October 2008 as La Crosse County Solid Waste and Recycling Month and urges all residents to join in recognizing the valuable contribution of persons dedicated to the welfare of La Crosse County residents.

Motion to approve by L. Pfaff and Wood/Meyer passed unanimously with 5 excused – Erickson, Brockmiller, B. Pfaff, Berns and Bilskemper and 2 absent – Kader and Medinger. 

o        Reminded and encouraged supervisors to donate to United Way.

o        Good news – Tuesday, October 7 at 4 p.m. the LEC Construction Committee is meeting.  Bids are coming in close to the adopted budget for the project.  All supervisors are welcome to attend the meeting. 

o        Power Point Presentation  -  2009 Budget

Doyle and O’Malley gave supervisors an open invitation to ask questions of staff on the budget tonight and in the next weeks before the adoption.

·         2009 Challenges Updated

1.       2% Levy Limit, no new State/Fed revenue for mandates

2.       Avg. Investment rates down from 5.3% to 2.8%

3.       Sales Tax revenue steady, but flat

4.       Wage settlement pattern set at 2% / 1% split

5.       Asphalt, Gas and Utilities up, Register of Deeds, Courts and other revenue down.  Attorney costs up

6.       Five New Jailers, to start in 2009

7.       Jus. Sanctions loss of Drug Court grant & incr. EM /Scram

8.       CIP needs to Lakeview

9.       Home Health CMO revenue down

10.   Slowing Tax Base Growth, 1.79% County-wide

11.   Bond market less stable, interest rates less attractive

·         Major Issues

1.       Position Requests and Changes

2.       Fees and Charges

·         Aging Meals

·         Land Conservation

·         Health Department and Other

3.       Humane Society costs & Dog License increase

4.       Prevention Programs in Human Services

5.       Coulee Mediation services request

6.       Home Health costs w/CMO becoming WWC (regional)

7.       Library Levy, expansion for Mindoro

8.       MVHS revenue & Lakeview Capital plan

9.       Fund Balance levels and usage

10.   Overall Levy and % Increase

·         Top Levy Increase by Department

1.      Highway w/o using debt or wheel tax

2.       New Jailers starting mid 2009

3.       Courts attorney costs & revenue loss

4.       Human Services Levy increase less than the wage & benefit

5.      Loss of CMO Indirect revenue

6.      Sheriff patrol, gas up $45K

7.      Justice Sanctions:  loss of grant revenue

8.      Register of Deeds: less activity due to economy

·         Summary Overview 2009 County Administrator Budget

Overall Changes from 2008

§          CMO transition deletes $51.3 million  and 129.75 FTE

§          Gross Expenditures up 1.31%

§          Gross Revenues down [.50%]

§          Tax Levy increase of 5.45% *

§          Tax Rate up from 3.60 to 3.75 (about 4.16%)

*LEC Debt Service options to reduce this % further

Cuts / Reductions from Initial Budget Requests

§         Cuts in Capital Equipment, delete 2.0 FTE positions ad other costs                  [$959,000]

§         New Position Requests denied (6.3 FTE)                                                      [$419,000]

§         Eliminate General Fund Salary Contingency                                                  [$380,000]

§         Lakeview Levy reduction (MVHS & other revenue)                                     [$250,000]

§         Reducing Health Insurance increase from 15% to 5%                                   [$1,041,000]

Increased Levy Investments

§          Wage & Benefit increase, consistent w/ internal pattern of 2% / 1% split

§          New Position requests (Net 8.8FTE: 5 Jailers, Lakeview, Land Con & IT)

§          Highway expenditures, due to increasing fuel & asphalt costs

§          Gas & Utilities $145,000

§          Provides for beginning of Mindoro Library expansion $50,000

Increased other Revenue or Savings 

§          Health, Parks, Land Conservation and Aging fees

§          Debt Refunding saves about $200,000 over six years, about $35,000 in 2009

Note: * Final Decisions about LEC project and debt service will give options to reduce Tax Levy percentage below this projection.

Questions and discussion ensued throughout the presentation.

o        Handout with budget book (yellow)

Total Gross Expenditures Comparison

2008 $129,544,214 2009 $131,235,081 – Amount of Increase $1,690,867 – 1.31%  

Comparison of 2008 and 2009 budgets by departments (explained items in the following departments)

·         Highway Department

·         Jail (just operations)

·         Courts

·         Human Services

·         Sheriff’s Patrol

·         Justice Sanctions

·         Register of Deeds

County Administrator Steve O’Malley and Audit/Finance Director Gary Ingvalson

o        O’Malley and Ingvalson answered questions from the following handout sheets

·         2009 Budget – Fund Balances Applied to Offset Levy

§         The most significant change is from Interest Reserve Fund to offset fluctuation of Interest Revenue  - $797,810

·         Audited 2007 Undesignated Fund Balances and Cash Flow Requirements

·         Excess Sales Tax Budgeted, Generated, Available and Applied to Budget’s by Year

County Administrator Steve O’Malley

o        Briefly spoke on the section in the back of the budget book “Long Range Capital Improvements” and highlighted some of the departments and specific line items.

o         Percent Levy Increase 2000 thru Est. 2010 (graph)  

o         Next Steps of 2009 Budget consideration

·         LED Bids to LEC Committee                       Oct 7 and Oct. 15

·         Committee Budget Reviews

§         Committees  Oct 6 & 7

§         Executive Oct 8 & Additional review week of Oct 20 or Oct 27

·         County Board Consider & Award                 Oct 16 & Oct 20

·         Full Board Budget Discussion                       Nov 3 

·         Public Hearing                                            Nov 10

·         Annual Mtg. & Budget Adoption                  Nov 12

      Additional meetings as directed by County Board

      Also:  Individual Meetings  Q&A with any/all supervisors

ADJOURN

Motion by Keil/Sebranek to adjourn at 7:36 p.m. passed on a unanimous voice vote with 5 excused – Erickson, Brockmiller, B. Pfaff, Berns and Bilskemper. 

The above minutes may be approved, amended, or corrected at the next Board meeting.

I, Marion I. Naegle, La Crosse County Clerk, in and for the County of La Crosse, Wisconsin, do hereby certify that the foregoing is a true and correct copy of the Journal of Proceedings of the La Crosse County Board of Supervisors at the Planning Meeting held Monday, October 6, 2008 and that it is the whole thereof IN WITNESS THEREOF, I HAVE HEREUNTO SET MY HAND AND AFFIXED THE OFFICIAL SEAL THIS 7^th DAY OF OCTOBER, 2008.