Committee of the Whole Agenda & Packet (PDF)

CITY OF PLYMOUTH, WISCONSIN TUESDAY, MAY 26, 2026 COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MEETING, 6:00 PM COUNCIL CHAMBERS, ROOM 302 CITY HALL, 128 SMITH STREET AGENDA 1. Call to Order and Roll Call 2. Approve the Minutes from May 12, 2026 3. Police Department Staffing Update Presentation 4. Ehlers Referendum Financing Presentation 5. Adjourn It is likely a quorum of members of other governmental bodies of the municipality may be in attendance at the above stated me eting to gather information. No action will be taken by any governmental body at the above stated meeting other than the governmental body specifically referred to above in this notice. Please note that, upon reasonable notice, efforts will be made to accommodate the needs of disabled individuals through appro priate aids and services. For additional information or to request this service, please contact the City of Plymouth ADA Coordinator Leah Fe derwisch, located in the Plymouth Utilities office at 900 County Road PP, Plymouth, WI or call 920-893-3853. CITY OF PLYMOUTH, WISCONSIN TUESDAY, MAY 12, 2026 COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MEETING, COUNCIL CHAMBERS, ROOM 302 CITY HALL, 128 SMITH STREET UNOFFICIAL MINUTES 1. Call to Order and Roll Call: Mayor Pohlman called the meeting to order. On the call of the roll, the following were present: Angie Matzdorf, Diane Gilson, Mike Penkwitz, John Binder, Jeff Tauscheck, Dave Herrmann, Dana Haucke and Kevin Sande. Also present: City Administrator/Utilities Manager Tim Blakeslee, Director of Public Works Cathy Austin, Police Chief Ken Ruggles, and City Clerk/Deputy Treasurer Anna Voigt. 2. Approve the Minutes from April 28, 2026: Motion was made by Tauscheck/Matzdorf to approve the minutes from April 28. A unanimous aye vote was cast. Motion carried. 3. Presentation and Discussion on City Park Concept Plan: Director Austin explained that the City retained Parkitecture + Planning in 2025 to prepare conceptual layouts and assist with public engagement and project planning. There have been open houses and meeting with the Park Committee and at Committee of the Whole. Blake Theisen from Parkitecture did a walk through of the final conceptual layout. Blakeslee went over the updated budgetary cost allocations. The city has $3,000,000 budgeted to complete the project. $1,000,000 is from capital fund from the TID #4 closure and $2,000,000 is via debt issuance. Blakeslee explained the budget number for the project can be scaled either up or down to accommodate the upgrades requested. A determination will need to happen in the next month as the City’s debt sale process will begin on May 26 with estimated finalization in July or August. Mayor commented that the new design looks modernized and flow a little bit better. The Mayor asked if the skate park corner is large enough for the improvements that want to be done. Theisen stated that the size appropriate for the local community when talking with the local skate community. Binder asked how many people currently use the skate park, and if it was new if more people would use it. Blakeslee stated that he did meet with Mr. Burnet who is an advocate for the skate park and he did mention that the Plymouth skate park is older in comparison to others and an improved park would likely draw many more skaters. Binder asked what kind of material the playground equipment was going to be sitting on. Theisen stated that at the open house most people like the pour in place rubber or artificial turf. Binder also asked what the equipment would be made out of. Theisen stated that it would be all steel or combination of wood and steel. Penkwitz asked if there was going to be lighting at the skate park. Theisen stated that could be an option if Council is interested, but there will be a cost to it. Blakeslee added the debt issuance is upcoming and will likely be at the next meeting. Staff’s recommendation is to provide council flexibility to go with the higher number of $4,000,000 related to the debt issuance presented at the next council meeting. The reason being it gives the flexibility to do everything Council wants at the park and if its not all used it can be reallocated to a different project. Tauscheck asked if the $4,000,000 would include the skate park? Blakeslee confirmed it that number would. 4. Presentation and Discussion on Police Department Staffing Survey Results from Community Perceptions: Blakeslee introduced Scott Girard from Community Perceptions. He went through the results of the survey regarding staffing needs at the Police Department. There were 1,359 respondents. That is a 32.4% response rate and the average response rate is 16-18%. Girard noted that is probably the second highest response rate he has seen. Given the number of responds there is a +/- 2.71% statistical margin of error. Girard also shared the age range, district, and how people liked to receive information. He presented varies graphs on the results of the survey including how important it is to increase the number of police officers if it wasn’t tied to a tax increase: 35% very important, 34% somewhat important, 22% not important and 9% not sure. This was than showed broken out by district and age. The next question was would you support a $1.1 million referendum to for additional police officers? 47% said definitely yes or probably yes, 38% said definitely or probably no, with the remaining 15% undecided. He added a common theme from the responses was why five officers. He ended his presentation with how likely would you to recommend the City of Plymouth to a friend or family member on a scale of 0 tot 10. The overall score was an 8.04. Girard explained eights, nines, and tens are people excited to talk about the city and happy to live here. He added that seeing it in that range is rare and often not something that is seen often. Sande asked how many of the respondents didn’t live in the City of Plymouth? Girard stated that 99% of the respondents live in the City and all of the results presented were filtered to just include City of Plymouth residents. Mayor stated it’s nice to see how many people support the police and community. Binder suggested phasing in officers and not doing it all at once. Tauscheck states he thinks a few officers are needed, although the people, he’s talked to think 5 is high. Blakeslee added that Ehlers is running numbers for different scenarios and it will be presented at an upcoming Council meeting. The Police Chief will also be doing his annual update and present some data. Binder asked if there will be a referendum in the other taxing jurisdictions. Blakeslee noted that the school district is not planning a referendum this year. Sande suggested having service officers to take the load off non- emergency calls. Tauscheck stated that service officers don’t have arresting powers and if you’re paying a decent wage and for a vehicle is it money well spent without having a sworn officer. 5. Adjourn: Motion was made by Herrmann/Tauscheck to adjourn the meeting. A unanimous aye vote was cast. Motion carried. City of Plymouth 128 Smith St. - P.O. Box 107 Plymouth, WI 53073-0107 Telephone: (920) 893-3745 Facsimile: (920) 893-0183 Web Site: plymouthgov.com DATE: May 21, 2026 TO: Committee of the Whole FROM: Tim Blakeslee, City Administrator/Utilities Manager RE: Police Department Data/Staffing Presentation Background: The 2026 Budget includes funding for Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the Public Safety Staffing Options Assessment and Community Survey. The purpose of this effort is to support public education, community dialogue, and the development of available options to address the City’s ongoing challenges in funding additional Police Department staffing. An agreement with Mueller Communications was approved on December 9, 2025. An options assessment was presented to the Common Council in March 2026, with the next step being a community survey regarding staffing needs. The community survey was conducted in April 2026, and the survey results were shared with the Common Council on May 12, 2026. A copy of the survey results have also been placed online. Following the presentation last week, staff noted that additional data related to department needs and statistics would be provided to the Committee of the Whole at an upcoming meeting. Chief Ruggles will present that additional information tonight. Recommendation: Discuss the presentation and provide feedback City of Plymouth 128 Smith St. - P.O. Box 107 Plymouth, WI 53073-0107 Telephone: (920) 893-3745 Facsimile: (920) 893-0183 Web Site: plymouthgov.com DATE: May 8, 2026 TO: Mayor and Common Council FROM: Tim Blakeslee, City Administrator/Utilities Manager RE: Ehlers Referendum Financing Presentation Background: Following the Police Department staffing discussion and community survey, staff asked Ehlers to prepare information related to the potential tax impact of a referendum. Based on the discussion at the May 12 meeting, staff understood that if the City proceeds with consideration of a referendum, the staffing request would likely be for fewer than the five officers included in the community survey. As a result, Ehlers prepared an analysis of two potential referendum options: 1. $455,000 option: 2 officers, 1 vehicle, and support for Police Department wages 2. $680,000 option: 3 officers, 2 vehicles, and support for Police Department wages Ehlers will present this information at the meeting tonight. After the meeting, staff will further refine the numbers and present the Committee of the Whole with a set of potential options at an upcoming meeting. Recommendation: Discuss and provide feedback on the presentation Attachment: Presentation City of Plymouth, WI Overview of Levy Limit Referendum Impact May 26, 2026 2 Going to referendum is a policy decision & should be thoughtfully planned • What services/departments need increased funding? • What positions will be maintained or added with funding? • What programs or services will be funded? • What is the temperature of the community regarding these programs, services and positions? • What is the right dollar amount? • What is the impact? • How long will we need increased funding? Policy Decisions 3 • Though growing, the City has not added additional police officers to the department in over 20 years. • City currently does not have levy capacity to add officers under current levy limits. • Plymouth Community Survey completed by Mueller Communications shows support for a referendum to add additional officers to the Plymouth. ➢ $455,000 would add 2 new officers (including equipment and squad) ➢ $680,000 would add 3 new officers (include equipment and squad) Community Survey 4 • Wis. Stats 66.0602(4) allows municipality to exceed its allowable levy limit by referendum ✓ Governing body must adopt a resolution. Resolution must include ➢ Amount of the levy increase ➢ % increase over allowable levy ➢ Whether the increase is for the next fiscal year only, for a set number of years, or ongoing • The language of the ballot question is dictated by statute and must be contained in the resolution Levy Limit Referendum 5 • 1.046% Net New Construction for 2026 Levy for 2027 Budget ✓ Equal to 2025/2026 NNC for planning purposes ✓ Final calculation will use 2026 actual NNC release by the DOR in August. • Assumed Debt Service Levy to be equal to 2025/2026 Line E. ✓ This is for an “all things equal” demonstration. Better estimates for actual debt service levy adjustment will be known in August. Levy Limit Referendum: Assumptions Used 6 Table 1 Actual and Projected Levy Limit Calculations City of Plymouth, WI No Scenario 1 Scenario 2 Referendum $455,000 $680,000 Estimated Proposed Proposed Actual Actual Budget w/Ref. Inc. w/Ref. Inc. Levy Year 2024 2025 2026 2026 2026 Budget Year 2025 2026 2027 2027 2027 Line 1 Prior Year Actual Levy Plus Prior Year Personal Prop. Aid 4,781,557 4,876,559 5,780,181 5,780,181 5,780,181 Line 2 Prior Year Levy for Unreimbursed Emergency Expenditures 0 0 0 0 0 Line 3 Prior Year Levy for Post July 1, 2005 G.O. Debt 452,371 541,424 1,043,814 1,043,814 1,043,814 Line 4 Prior Year Adjusted Levy 4,329,186 4,335,135 4,736,367 4,736,367 4,736,367 Line 5 Closed TID 0.000% 4,329,186 8.821% 4,717,537 0.000% 4,736,367 0.000% 4,736,367 0.000% 4,736,367 Line 6 Net New Construction Applied to Line 4 1 0.763% 4,362,218 1.064% 4,763,663 1.064% 4,786,762 1.064% 4,786,762 1.064% 4,786,762 Line 7 Greater of Line 5 or 6 4,362,218 4,763,663 4,786,762 4,786,762 4,786,762 Line 8 Levy Limit Before Adjustments, Less Personal Property Aid (134,622) 4,227,596 (134,662) 4,629,001 (134,662) 4,652,100 (134,662) 4,652,100 (134,662) 4,652,100 Line 9 Total Adjustments 514,341 1,016,518 1,043,814 1,498,814 1,723,814 Detail of Adjustments: E Post July 1, 2005 G.O. Debt 541,424 1,043,814 1,043,814 1,043,814 1,043,814 F Levy Increase Approved by Referendum 0 0 0 455,000 680,000 Q Covered Services Fee (27,083) (27,296) 0 0 0 R Carryforward 0 0 0 0 0 Line 10 Allowable Levy 4,741,937 5,645,519 5,695,914 6,150,914 6,375,914 Actual Levy 4,741,937 5,645,519 Change from Prior Year (30,099) 903,582 50,395 505,395 730,395 Levy Limit Increase Under State Law 1.064% Notes: 1) Based on the most recent Net New Construction per DOR. Estimated 2026/27 Levy Limit With Section D Adjustments (A) 5,695,914 5,695,914 Proposed Referendum Increase (B) 455,000 680,000 Projected 2026/27 Levy w/Referendum Increase 6,150,914 6,375,914 Percent Increase (B÷A) 7.988% 11.938% Referendum Scenarios • Throughout the planning process, discuss level of detail will be included in the question to explain what increase will be used for • Weigh need for transparency the length of the actual question • Community education is critical…voters should know what the referendum is for & impact on taxes before election day • Share question content & calculations with DOR prior to adoption 7 Levy Limit Referendum: The Question • Question language is dictated by statutes and is not necessarily reader friendly. ✓ Municipality can add the financial figures, and determine the level of detail explaining the referendum, but the structure of the question must remain unchanged. 8 Levy Limit Referendum: The Question Under state law, the increase in the levy of the City of Plymouth, for the tax to be imposed for the next fiscal year, 2027, is limited to 1.064%, which results in a levy of $5,695,914 . Shall the City of Plymouth be allowed to exceed this limit and increase the levy for the next fiscal year, 2027, for the purpose of funding 3 of Police Officers and related equipment, by a total of 11.938%, which results in a levy of $6,375,914 and on an ongoing basis, include the increase of $680,000 for each fiscal year going forward ? 9 Levy Limit Referendum: Tax Impact Summary Annual Monthly Annual Monthly Annual Change vs. No Ref. Monthly Change vs. No Ref. $100,000 Assessed Value Property No Referendum $612 $51 $617 $51 $5 $0 $455,000 Referendum $612 $51 $667 $56 $55 $49 $5 $4 $680,000 Referendum $612 $51 $691 $58 $79 $74 $7 $6 $150,000 Assessed Value Property No Referendum $918 $76 $926 $77 $8 $1 $455,000 Referendum $918 $76 $1,000 $83 $82 $74 $7 $6 $680,000 Referendum $918 $76 $1,037 $86 $119 $111 $10 $9 $200,000 Assessed Value Property No Referendum $1,224 $102 $1,235 $103 $11 $1 $455,000 Referendum $1,224 $102 $1,333 $111 $110 $99 $9 $8 $680,000 Referendum $1,224 $102 $1,382 $115 $158 $147 $13 $12 $215,000 Assessed Value Property¹ No Referendum $1,316 $110 $1,327 $111 $12 $1 $455,000 Referendum $1,316 $110 $1,433 $119 $118 $106 $10 $9 $680,000 Referendum $1,316 $110 $1,486 $124 $170 $158 $14 $13 Annual Monthly Projected Tax Bill Change per $1,000 of Value from $455,000 Referendum $0.49 $0.04 Projected Tax Bill Change per $1,000 of Value from $680,000 Referendum $0.74 $0.06 Taxes 2026 Actual 2027 Projected $ Change from 2026 10 Levy Limit Referendum: The Impact 1) Median Home value is $215,000 per the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey - 5-Year Estimates. 11 Referendum Timeline Task List Date Task Not later than August 25, 2026 Governing body passes resolution for levy limit referendum.* 8/25/2026 Referendum Question Due to County Clerk 70 days before election. 10/6/2026 Type A Notice of Referendum published on the 4th Tuesday proceeding the election. 10/6/2026 Type E Notice (Absentee Voting) published on the 4th Tuesday proceeding the election. 11/2/2026 Type B Notice of Referendum published the day before the referendum election. 11/2/2026 Type C Notice of Referendum published the day before the referendum election. 11/2/2026 Type D Notice (hours, location, polling place) published the day before the referendum election. 11/3/2026 Election 11/17/2026 Deadline to submit the following documents to DOR; (i) copy of signed resolution proposing the levy increase, (ii) copy of the published notice of the meeting, including where and when it was posted, and (iii)copy of the signed electors’ resolution to exceed the levy limit (with voting results). *If Fall referendum, action must be after January 1, 2026 values are released (August 15, 2026). 12 A Q &