Council OKs director of city services

PLYMOUTH — There’s a new box at the top of the Plymouth city government table of organization.

The City Council Tuesday unanimously approved an ordinance creating a director of city services position.

The position, described in the ordinance as “the senior manager serving the city of Plymouth … as it relates to the administration, policies, programs and services of the city of Plymouth,” was recommended by Ad-Hoc City Administrator Study Committee last fall.

The new director will supervise the city clerk, director of public works, utilities manager and senior center director, with indirect performance evaluation of the library director. The director would be appointed by and serve under the direction of the council.

The ordinance provides for an initial six-month probationary period for the initial appointment, with the director to “serve at the pleasure of the council” after that.

The study committee presented a proposed job description and duties for the new position with its report to the council.

The ordinance adopted Tuesday simply creates the new position. The process for filling the post, and further details about salary, benefits and such, has yet to be established.

The council established salaries for non-union city employees for 2010, but only after an addition to the ordinance to win a necessary vote from Alderman Ronald Lade.

Lade objected that the ordinance did not show the percentage of increase in pay for the various positions, contending, “There should be percentages in this for the citizens to see.”

Since Tuesday’s was the last council meeting of the year, and most of the salaries were to go in effect Jan. 1, 2010, Council President Charles Hansen moved to waive the second reading of the ordinance and adopt it immediately.

City Attorney Ronald Damp then advised that such a motion required a unanimous vote. To win Lade’s vote, Alderman Jim Sedlacek amended the ordinance to have City Clerk/Treasurer Patty Huberty add the increase percentage figures before publishing the ordinance.

Alderman Douglas Dobratz pointed out that the mayor, aldermen, city attorney and municipal judge would not receive a pay increase under the ordinance.

The city severed yet another tie with the former Plymouth Hospital as the council adopted a resolution formally releasing the city’s option to purchase the Valley View Medical Center property.

Damp explained that the city had retained the right to repurchase the former Plymouth Hospital property when it formally conveyed the property to Valley View (part of Aurora Health Care) in 1991.

The city had agreed to give up that right several years ago, after Aurora closed the hospital. Damp said Aurora appears to be pursuing either a sale or refinancing of the property and the title insurance company was requesting the resolution to formalize that release.

Dobratz was the only alderman to vote against the resolution.

The council directed Public Works Director William Immich not to pursue creation of a storm water utility for the city.

The idea had been brought forward during budget discussions as a means of generating additional revenue for the city to pay for storm sewer services, but aldermen expressed reluctance to add more fees or charges.

“I’m against it for the simple reason that it’s a killer for the commercial districts in the city,” Lade said of the storm water utility. “They had this in the city of Sheboygan a couple of years ago and then pulled it. I just think it’s going to deter businesses from coming into the city.”

“I believe it puts a strain on non-profits, like churches and organizations, that are already operating on tight budgets,” added Alderman Donn Davis.

The council voted 7-1, with Harold Meyer the lone vote in favor, against having Immich obtain proposals to create the storm water utility.

The liquor license for Antonio’s/Antoinette’s was expanded to include the area the will open as the Amore banquet hall, just to the west of the bar and restaurant, by the council. The change was made contingent on an occupancy permit being issued for the Amore hall, which is still under construction.

Mayor Donald Pohlman’s appointment of Bryan Franzen and Wendell Strutz to the Downtown Revitalization Committee was approved by the council.