Closed Session regarding Village Administrator Employment Agreement, and discussion and possible updates for Village's Strategic Plan.
VILLAGE OF PEWAUKEE
SPECIAL VILLAGE BOARD MINUTES
July 23, 2024 – 4:00 p.m.
1. Call to Order, Pledge of Allegiance, Moment of Silence, and Roll Call
President Knutson called the meeting to order at approximately 4:00 p.m. The Pledge of Allegiance was recited, followed by a moment of silence.
Roll Call was taken with the following Village Board members present: Trustee Heather Gergen; Trustee Bob Rohde; Trustee Kelli Belt; Trustee Chris Krasovich; Trustee Kristen Kreuser; Trustee Jim Grabowksi; and President Jeff Knutson.
Also Present: Craig Roberts, Village Attorney, Matt Gralinski; Village Clerk Jenna Peter.
2. Closed Session. –
The Village Board of the Village of Pewaukee will enter into closed session pursuant to Wis. Statute Section 19.85(1)(c) to consider employment, promotion, compensation or performance evaluation data of any public employee over which the governmental body has jurisdiction or exercises responsibility, specifically regarding Village Administrator Employment Agreement.
Trustee Gergen moved, seconded by Trustee Krasovich to move into Closed Session at approximately 4:02 p.m.
Motion carried on a Roll Call Vote 7-0.
3. Reconvene Into Open Session.
Trustee Krasovich moved, seconded by Trustee Rohde to reconvene into open session at approximately 4:11 p.m.
Motion carried on a Roll Call Vote 7-0.
a. Possible Action on Village Administrator Employment Agreement
Trustee Gergen moved, seconded by Trustee Rohde to approve Matt Heiser for Village Administrator with the condition discussed in President Knutson’s closed session comments.
Motion carried 7-0.
4. Discussion, Review, and Possible Updates to Goals, Strategies and Objectives Described in the Village’s Strategic Plan
Objective A: Development
The Village of Pewaukee should enact a planned, purposeful approach to development and redevelopment
Strategy 1: Focus on the re-development of the B-2 “Downtown” district which includes the lakefront business district, Oakton Avenue, Wisconsin Avenue and Main Street
Tactics:
1. Allocate Village resources to provide focused and proactive development activities
2. Meet with downtown business owners for input on redevelopment vision
3. Review / evaluate the processes and costs of the Village Planner’s role with initial consultations with prospective developers and provide direction to make the process more user-friendly
4. Work with Plan Commission to review/revise downtown architectural guidelines and prepare a vision document of the downtown/B2 business district related to development of mixed-use housing, retail business and parking
5. Utilize Waukesha Center for Growth to promote re-development to the development community
6. Pursue “quiet zone” status of railroad crossings
7. Evaluate parking needs and develop proposal for alternative/additional parking in the downtown district
8. Evaluate viability and develop plans to create pedestrian-friendly walking and biking areas
Trustee Gergen suggested a “flow chart” might be helpful to residents. Trustee Rohde mentioned figuring out how to bring people over to the Capitol Drive area as well.
Strategy 2: Evaluate Village-owned property space & use to determine the best future use of those lands
Tactics:
1. Develop a summary of Village-owned property currently not actively used that includes:
a. Location & access
b. Size
c. Current zoning
d. Utility access
e. Itemize any assets on those properties and their current uses
2. Develop recommendations for Board consideration on potential sale, development or usage of those properties
Trustee Rohde would like to see, in the future, information on what private land is available, what is actively being sold, and what is in place for an investment property.
Objective B: Communications
The Village of Pewaukee should enact planned, purposeful communication and outreach initiatives to inform and engage the community of activities, events and public actions
Strategy 1: Develop and implement plans to enhance proactive, on-going communications to Village residents and businesses
Tactics:
1. Allocate Village resources to plan and implement an on-going communication program
2. Evaluate the Village website and make recommendations on changes to enhance user experience
3. Build and implement an on-going, pro-active, multi-channel communication program
Trustee Krasovich believes this strategy should be a high priority.
Strategy 2: Create a framework to enhance the relationship between the Village, businesses and community organizations
Tactics:
1. Meet with City of Pewaukee officials to determine the level of interest in creating a joint effort to enhance business/government relations
2. Evaluate options to create a framework or structure to support these efforts, and how this effort could be funded
3. Build and implement an on-going program to communicate and engage with local businesses
No changes from the Board
Strategy 3: Develop and implement plans to develop ongoing communications and relationships with State and County officials and community organizations
Tactics:
1. Develop pro-active outreach plans to targeted County and State officials on issues directly impacting the Village of Pewaukee
2. Develop an ongoing working relationship with community-based organizations, such as the Waukesha County Center for Growth, to leverage those resources
No changes from the Board
Objective C: Risk Mitigation
The Village of Pewaukee should identify potential risks to the Village; develop and implement plans to reduce or minimize those risks
Strategy 1: Review and update the Village’s Emergency Response plan in situations such as train derailment, weather events, or acts of terror
Tactics:
1. The Village Board should annually review the Village’s Emergency Response plan and recommend modifications
Consensus of the Board to take out tactic #1 from the Strategic Plan. Trustee Gergen and Trustee Krasovich are in agreement this should be regularly updated but is not necessary in the Strategic Plan.
Strategy 2: Prepare plans to address State Regulations related to water quality and wastewater discharge
Tactics:
1. Review pending Fox River discharge regulations and prepare plans to address new potential regulations
2. Address plans and funding to mitigate PFAS contamination in municipal water sources
3. Address plans and funding to mitigate Radium levels in municipal water sources
4. Develop and implement plans to replace well #2
Trustee Gergen wanted to add “Prepare plans to address State and Federal Regulations…”
Strategy 3: Prepare a cyber security response plan to identify potential threats to the Village’s digital infrastructure, and prepare actions to strengthen the Village’s digital security
Tactics:
1. Review the status of the Village’s current physical IT infrastructure and practices
2. Review the status of the Village’s current Software protection systems
3. Review the status of the Village’s current insurance protection coverage for cyber attacks
4. Prepare a plan to address any deficiencies and strengthen the Villages cyber security
No changes from the Board
Strategy 4: Evaluate public safety risks and develop proactive plans to reduce those risks
Tactics:
1. Evaluate and identify methods or processes to enhance public safety on Lakefront Beach & Park during the summer season
2. Evaluate traffic safety issues and develop plans to reduce traffic violations
3. Evaluate way-finding traffic signage and prepare recommendations to improve vehicle and pedestrian safety
Trustee Krasovich wanted to ass to tactic #3 “way-finding and other traffic signage…”
Objective D: Village Facilities & Infrastructure
The Village should develop and implement a long-term plan to support the ongoing maintenance of Village-owned assets and infrastructure including Village Utilities, buildings, roads and parks
Strategy 1: Identify existing facility and infrastructure maintenance needs for the next ten years
Tactics:
1. Review the recent Village-owned Building Assessment study to evaluate and itemize facility maintenance needs of Village-owned buildings. This review should incorporate the Village Hall & Police Department, Village Park buildings, DPW buildings, the Public Library, the Village Water and Sanitary Sewer systems and Village roads
2. Update the ten-year capital equipment, road maintenance and facility maintenance schedule to determine projected costs
a. Determine how to prioritize the identified maintenance needs
b. Evaluate best methods to fund these needs
3. Take measures to meet State regulations for safe drinking water and sewer processing
Trustee Krasovich mentioned being prepared for the eventuality that unowned structures like the bell tower and WWI Memorial will come under the Village’s care. Roberts stated that will be encompassed under “Village Owned Property” Objective.
Strategy 2: Assess potential facility needs not currently being met and develop plans for possible future development
Tactics:
1. Assess the feasibility of developing a four-season, multi-purpose facility as part of the Park & Recreation Department offerings
a. Determine the viability of a joint facility with the City of Pewaukee
b. Evaluate possible locations for such a facility either through re-purposing an existing facility or building a new one
c. Determine methods to fund the facility and services
Trustee Belt mentioned the Village needs to make sure we are not duplicating purposes. For example, if a YMCA facility is being built, the Village does not necessarily need to look into a rec center.
Objective E: Village Management
The Village should identify opportunities to enhance service levels for Village residents and business owners and the means to fund these services
Strategy 1: Identify, evaluate and streamline Village services and consider methods to make these services more user-friendly.
Tactics:
1. Evaluate the organization and functionality of the Village Website
a. Determine changes in format to make access to information easier for users
b. Determine information or functionality that should be added to the current site
c. Determine how to leverage current technology to streamline services that interface with the public, such as payment of fees or submitting applications
2. Evaluate business processes that currently require Board approval and amend ordinances to empower staff with greater authority
No changes from the Board
Strategy 2:Identify, evaluate and consider methods to increase revenue or reduce costs to properly fund essential Village services on an ongoing basis
Tactics:
1. Evaluate alternative funding methods to enhance revenue to the Village
a. Evaluate the plausibility of street parking fees in the downtown business district
b. Evaluate the plausibility of public beach user fees
c. Review the plausibility of using project-specific special assessment fees that many other municipalities currently employ
d. Consider the viability and requirements of instituting a tax levy referendum
e. Review and update user fees, such as the Recycling Center annual fee
2. Evaluate methods to reduce the growth of costs
a.Consider refinancing of debt when borrowing rates decline
b. Implement cost-benefit process to evaluate the replacement of capital equipment
Trustee Krasovich wants to add to the tactic to include “implement a process for identifying grant opportunities”.
Objective F: Lake Management
The Village should develop a comprehensive plan for Pewaukee Lake management that enhances lake water quality, public safety and capitalizes on this key, unique Village resource
Strategy 1: Review, evaluate and pursue opportunities to control and reduce the impact of lake weeds in Pewaukee Lake
Tactics:
1. Evaluate current weed harvesting practices and develop plans to optimize results within reasonable financial parameters
Trustee Krasovich wanted to add language to mitigate any factors that might negatively impact the lake.
Strategy 2: Identify areas of collaboration with other municipal entities that also surround Pewaukee Lake, and build partnerships to achieve common goals
Tactics:
1. Assess viability of creating or participating in a “Pewaukee Lake Management District” with neighboring municipalities
No changes from the Board
Strategy 3: Assess risk factors of lake use and develop proactive plans to reduce those risks
Tactics:
1. Evaluate the physical condition of the dam and develop plans related to structural failures
2. Evaluate boat safety issues and prepare plans for enforcement of boating regulations
3. Outline best practices for reducing the incidence of e-coli along the beach at Lakefront Park
Board members were in agreement to move tactic #3 into Strategy #1 tactics.
5. Adjournment
Trustee Grabowski moved, seconded by Trustee Krasovich to adjourn the July 23, 2024, Special Village Board meeting at approximately 5:31 p.m.
Motion carried, 7-0.
Respectfully Submitted,
Jenna Peter
Village Clerk