Committee of the Whole — Minutes

Committee of the Whole Minutes The Committee of the Whole met at the City of Nekoosa Office Location: Council Chambers, 951 Market St. Nekoosa, WI 54457 Time: Tuesday, May 26th, 2026, at 6:00 P .M. Call to Order The meeting was called to order at 6:00pm by Mayor Daniel J. Carlson. The roll call was conducted by Clerk Kallee Ferk. Roll Call Aldermen Present: Alan Marcoux, Larry Krubsack, Adam Buehring, Mike Kumm, Anthony Carlson, Dan Downing, Garett Kuhn, and Brad Hamilton - (via Zoom) Also in attendance was Mike Hartje – Fire Chief, Shawn Woods – Police Chief, Rick Schmidt – Public Works Director, Dennis Fenske, Scott Gustin, Daniel Hofmeister, Eric Shymanski, and Bill Kaberle Jr. Attendance via Zoom: Darla Allen – Library Director Discussion and possible action on a Board of Appeals appointment – Charles Turner. Recommend Charles Turner to join the Board of Appeals. There was a vacancy in membership for Board of Appeals, and Charles Turner expressed his interest in joining. Presentation of municipal efficiency reports. Police Chief Shawn Woods presented statistical data from a survey he conducted with cities of similar size comparing departments and structures of other local governments. A presentation was provided to assist the Council in developing a framework for evaluating potential budget reductions for the 2026 and 2027 budgets. The survey data was intended to compare the city with other local governments of similar size and operational scope. Areas reviewed included positions per capita, equalized value, net new construction, and other relevant metrics. (See presentation for additional details.) Daniel Hofmeister suggested exploring opportunities for collaboration with the Village of Port Edwards and examining its operational practices. Scott Gustin recommended considering higher-deductible health insurance plans as a potential means of reducing costs to the City. Clerk Kallee Ferk reported that she is reviewing insurance options that may help address the 2027 budget. Dennis Fenske noted that potential staffing reductions should be evaluated considering possible impacts on employee workload, burnout, workplace injuries, and sick leave usage. It was asked of the committee members/council to provide questions to the department heads to address next meeting. Discussion on Public Works and Police budget presentations for their departments. This item was conjoined with the discussion on the municipal efficiency reports above. Adjournment A motion was made to adjourn the meeting. Motion by: Brad Hamilton Seconded by: Mike Kumm Motion carried unanimously. Meeting adjourned at 7:08pm