Minutes

1 COMMON COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2025 AT 7PM COUNCIL CHAMBERS, BERLIN CITY HALL, 2ND FLOOR 1. Call to order by Mayor Burgess at 7:00pm. Roll Call: Alderpersons Przybyl, Hill, Sorenson, Nigbor and Stobbe were present. Alderperson Boeck was excused. Also present were Jessi Balcom, City Administrator; Scott Zabel, City of Berlin Street Superintendent; Brittani Majeskie, Deputy Clerk-Treasurer. 2. Seat Virtual Attendees (if necessary) - None 3. General Public Comments – Joshua Wendt of 164 E Waushara St spoke in favor of the pool. He asked the council to remember all those who were at the special pool meeting, and stated that there were many great ideas about how to keep the pool open shared at the recent Friends of the Berlin Aquatic Center meeting. CONSENT AGENDA: The Consent Agenda contains items which staff considers to be routine and have already been discussed and recommended by a committee, board or commission at a previous meeting. Staff recommends that Council act on all of these items on a single roll call vote. If any member of Council wishes to have any item removed from the Consent Agenda and discussed, the Council member may request that item be removed from the Consent Agenda prior to the adoption. 4. Waive the reading of ordinances and resolutions. 5. Accept and place on file reports from the City Clerk, Treasurer, and Building Inspector. 6. Approve payment of bills. 7. Approve minutes from the 8.12.2025 Common Council Meeting. 8. Email conversion to cloud-based system versus in house server. RECOMMENDTION: Approve recommendation of the Committee of the Whole to approval of quote from Corporate Network Solutions to implement Microsoft 365 email services. 9. Approval of City of Berlin EMS Policies & Procedures. RECOMMENDATION: Approve recommendation of Committee of the Whole to adopt the City of Berlin EMS Policies and Procedures. END OF CONSENT AGENDA Alderperson Nigbor made a motion to approve the consent agenda, with a second by Alderperson Przybyl. Roll call vote carried (5 ayes: Przybyl, Hill, Sorenson, Nigbor, Stobbe; 0 nay; 1 absent: Boeck). 10. October 1, 2025 – September 30, 2026 Employee Health Insurance and Employee Dental Insurance provider determination and plan selection. RECOMMENDATION: Approve recommendation of the Committee of the Whole to approve the proposal of Robin Health Partners for employee health insurance (employer, City of Berlin, provided), to include the Broad and Focused Medical Plan Groups with the Plan Design of PPO $3500/$7000 / 100%. Employer cost share of 92.5% and employee cost share of 7.5%. Also, select employee 2 funded dental insurance plan. City administrator explained that if the City elects a Health Partners dental plan, there will be a 2% savings for both the City and employees. Robin Health Partners offers six different dental plans with costs savings for the employee when compared to the current Delta plan, except for the employee + spouse option. Discussion about dental plan coverage and few options being offered within 20 miles of Berlin, but more options within 20 miles of Oshkosh. Renewing Delta has a cost increase of about 8% for employees with a broader network. Health Partners has a 6 and 12 month waiting period for employees not currently on a City dental plan, but offers approximately $18,000 in savings for the City if bundled with the Health Partners health plan. Discussion on how many employees take City dental coverage and employee comments about the plans. Alderperson Hill made a motion to move forward with Robin Health Partners proposal for employee health insurance for the October 1, 2025 to September 30, 2026 plan year, including an option for both the Broad network plan and Focused network plan with a $3500/$7000 and 100% deductible. Total plan costs to be shared by the employer at 92.5% and employee at 7.5% of the employee chosen plan (employee to select Broad or Focused network and single, employee + spouse, employee + children or family plan), with a second by Alderperson Sorenson. Roll call vote carried (4 ayes: Hill, Przybyl, Sorenson, and Nigbor; 0 nay; 1 absent: Boeck; 1 abstain: Stobbe). There was discussion to clarify that with the Health Partners Broad Network plan, employees would be paying about twice their current rate and that HSA contributions and deductibles were staying the same. City administrator suggested if the council were to choose a Health Partners dental plan, to choose the plan with a $1,500 coverage because it is 1.5 times greater coverage for a comparable price to the current Delta rate being paid. Alderperson Hill made a motion to move forward with the dental insurance proposal for the employee dental insurance to be paid entirely by the employee at the $1,500 benefit with the orthodontics from Health Partners annual max, with a second by Alderperson Przybyl. Roll call vote carried (4 ayes: Hill, Przybyl, Sorenson, and Nigbor; 0 nay; 1 absent: Boeck; 1 abstain: Stobbe). 11. Discussion of the future of the Berlin Aquatic Center: a. Update from Friends of the Berlin Aquatic Center b. Update from Staff RECOMMENDATION: Listen to presentations, discussion and action as appropriate. Alderperson Hill requested to recuse herself from the council at 7:27pm. Victoria Hill of 142 N Wisconsin St and current president of the Friends of the Berlin Aquatic Center updated the Council on the standing of the Friends of the Berlin Aquatic Center. The past president and vice president have stepped down, and Hill was elected as president. She is invested in seeing the pool saved and is invested in seeing the Friends of the Berlin Aquatic Center continue as a fundraising committee. The Friends of the Berlin Aquatic Center see a strong desire from the community to give to the pool financially and through services in kind. They also see strong hesitation by the community to give to something the City does not want to save. The Friends of the Berlin Aquatic Center want to partner with the City to help save the pool, but that requires the City to give a positive statement that they will save the pool. The Friends of the Berlin Aquatic Center regrets that they could not take the pool over, but they still want to support the pool by raising funds. Mayor Burgess discussed that the Council has large and difficult financial decisions to make, with the burden of not having a completed audit, not knowing what funds are in reserve, and it is not in anyone’s best interest to commit to the pool. Alderperson Stobbe discussed that the decision was too big for only the Council members to make and that the decision should go to referendum. Discussion on referendum timelines. The county needs the referendum question 70 days 3 prior to an election. Discussion on the audit, the HWY 49 & 91 projects, CIP, budget, and what the City can afford to borrow. Staff update that the pool title search came back clear and it could be gifted, but easements would need to be made and the lot would need to be divided as there is a water facility on that lot. Discussion on completion of the CIP and audit numbers and to table the pool decision until January when a better decision can be made on if and what to borrow for and whether to take the decision to referendum for the April 2026 election. Mayor Burgess thanked the Friends of the Berlin Aquatic Center for their efforts. Motion by Alderperson Stobbe to reseat Alderperson Hill, with a second by Alderperson Przybyl at 7:43 pm. Voice vote passed unanimously. 12. Tax Increment District #17 vacant lot development incentive program. RECOMMENDATION: Discussion and action as appropriate. City Administrator Balcom discussed the Council’s interest in an incentive program for single family and duplex lots within TID 17 that allows property owners to recoup some tax money generated over three years to a maximum of $10,000 per unit or 50% of the increased value created, whichever was less. Balcom drafted a development agreement that could be utilized with property owners that meet the requirements. The draft has not been reviewed by the City Attorney, as Balcom wanted Council direction first. Discussion that the draft was in alignment with what was discussed by the Council. Balcom will send the draft to the attorney. 13. Old Business – None. 14. New Business – None. 15. Adjourn. Alderperson Hill made a motion to adjourn at 7:47pm with a second by Alderperson Nigbor. Voice vote passed unanimously. Meeting adjourned. Respectfully submitted by Brittani Majeskie, Deputy Clerk-Treasurer