Geographic Information Systems has proven to be an indispensable tool for conducting City business. Initially, it was used for high level analysis of infrastructure, and for generating maps and displays illustrating various aspects of the City.
The following information (data layers) is available:
Property data - acreage, zoning, ownership, building square footage and year built
Sewer lines, sewer laterals, lift stations, and manhole covers as well as digital scans of all sewer as-built drawings
Water lines, water laterals, water valves, and curb stops as well as digital scans of all water as-built drawings
Electric lines, electric services, transformers, and poles as well as digital scans of all electric as-built drawings
Aerial photos for any property in the City of Lake Mills
Streets centerlines, street right-of-ways, storm sewers and street signs
Elevation data per USGS digital elevation model
The City acquired digital aerial ortho-photos in 2004, which are a principal component of the City's GIS. The City cooperated with Jefferson County to get digital ortho-photos with a six inch pixel resolution. The digital aerials are used to underlay the map layers and help greatly to understand the relationships between the digital map information and the actual built environment. A number of houses and buildings have been constructed since 2004, as well as numerous room additions, patio covers, etc., which are not represented by the aerial photos. Because the aerial photos are so important to the GIS, the City will again work closely with Jefferson County on ordering the next set of aerials.
The initial software acquisition (ArcView, ArcInfo and ArcIMS) was purchased in 2005 by the Utilities. Annual maintenance has been paid for by the Utilities in order to keep technical support and to receive periodic upgrades and technical fixes to existing software. However, as with all technology, GIS software is constantly evolving and changing, and ESRI has extensively redesigned their software (ArcGIS) to include more tools and more features. The City is upgrading to current software in order to keep up with latest advances in GIS technology. Staff is working with ESRI to identify the most cost effective way to keep the City's GIS software current.
The Council approved a GIS Coordinator in the 2010 Budget. City Staff decided to evaluate the option of contracting for the continued maintenance rather then hiring a new employee. After reviewing several option and contractors, staff recommends approving the contract with Strand for GIS services which is included in the packet.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
A Little Reading is Necessary
Wisconsin budget law requires the City to prepare an annual budget and hold a public hearing on it. The budget document should list anticipated revenues from all sources and the proposed appropriations for each department. The law also requires the budget to show, for comparative purposes, the actual revenues and expenditures for the preceding year and the estimated revenues and expenditures for the current year based on at least six months of actual experience. The budget document should also show any outstanding indebtedness as well as any anticipated surplus.
State budget law does not identify the content of the budget beyond that described above. Budgets for local governmental units may vary from a single page document consisting of summary listings of expenditures and revenues to a many-paged text providing detailed information on the proposed appropriation for each municipal agency. It is up to the local governing body and the citizens it represents to determine what information should be presented in the budget document.
The City of Lake Mills budget document is about 210 pages.
State budget law does not identify the content of the budget beyond that described above. Budgets for local governmental units may vary from a single page document consisting of summary listings of expenditures and revenues to a many-paged text providing detailed information on the proposed appropriation for each municipal agency. It is up to the local governing body and the citizens it represents to determine what information should be presented in the budget document.
The City of Lake Mills budget document is about 210 pages.
Friday, June 25, 2010
What's Your Story
I enjoyed reading the following characterization on this blog - http://www.criticalthinking.org/resources/k12/making-ct-intuitive.cfm. These personality types interact in government all the time. It makes for many dramatic stories within government. The question is who is paying attention to the stories.
Naive Nancy does not see much reason to think at all. She takes things as they come. She believes what she hears. She usually goes along with whatever her peers say. She intends no harm but also assumes that no one else is going to harm her. She is a ready victim for more sophisticated manipulators: adults or children. Naive Nancy will make a good student only insofar as thought is not required. She will literally, and thoughtlessly, do what she is told. She doesn’t question or try to understand her own motives. She will make mistakes because she doesn’t know how to listen closely and monitor what she hears for accuracy of interpretation.
Wherever mindless obedience succeeds, she will get by. What is more, much of the time her innocent “helplessness” will enable her to get others to do things for her. Rather than try to think her way through a difficulty, she is learning to say “I can’t do it!” after the first or second try. She is finding out that she can usually get by without much thinking. Her innocent likeability and perpetual “incompetence” is both her strength and her (ultimate) downfall. Her only real thinking skills are in the art of being helpless, in enticing others to do her thinking for her.
Selfish Sam contrasts well with Naive Nancy. Sam values thinking. And the more he does it, the more he values it. But only in a special sense. He thinks to gain advantage, to get what he wants, to successfully put his desires above the rights and needs of others. To put it briefly, Sam is discovering the power of con-artistry. Sam is discovering that you can best get what you want by focusing clearly on your own desires, figuring out what is standing in the way of your interests, and manipulating others into acting in your interest. Selfish Sam is becoming an egocentric problem solver. He defines his problems so as to center them around getting what he wants for himself. Sometimes this means figuring out how to get out of work. But unlike Nancy, Sam is learning the power of figuring things out for himself.
He is also learning how to impress both adults and kids by what he can do. Eventually Sam will come to appreciate the power there is in groups, the advantages one gains by becoming a leader and exercising control over others. He will use his thought to win others to his side, to defeat his “enemies” (whoever he doesn’t like), and extend his power and advantage over others. It isn’t that he doesn’t care at all about others, but rather that he cares only about those who serve him, those who are members of his group. Eventually, Sam could become an effective promoter of a vested interest, an excellent sales person, a politician, or a lawyer … any job that can “successfully” be performed without a well-developed sense of fairmindedness.
Fairminded Fran contrasts well with both Nancy and Sam. Like Sam, Fran is learning the power of thought. She is learning the value of figuring things out for herself. Unlike Nancy, she is not learning the art of “helplessness” because she is experiencing the pleasure and deep satisfaction that comes from successfully figuring things out for herself. She is discovering that she has a mind and can use it to solve problems, protect herself, do difficult jobs, learn complicated things, express herself well, and get along with others. But that is not all she’s learning. She is also learning that other people have minds, other people have desires and needs, other people have rights, and other people have a different way of looking at things. She is learning how to enter into the thinking of others, how to see things from other people’s point of view, how to learn from other people’s perspective. She is beginning to notice the need to protect herself from the “Sam’s” of the world. She is learning to test for herself what people say. She is learning to protect her interests without violating the rights of others.
Fran’s thinking is beginning to develop a richness that Sam’s will never develop (as long as he thinks selfishly), for she is learning how much one can learn from others. Eventually, Fran will gain many insights from the art of thinking within the perspective of others that she is developing. Fran’s early thinking is laying the foundation for later breadth of vision. Fran’s ability to think for herself in a skilled and fairminded way will enable her to pursue any career goal that she later takes on. She will be highly valued by those who value justice and fair play. But she will also be treated with suspicion by the “true believers”, by the people whose first allegiance is to a special group, to “our side”. Those given to group think will come to recognize that you can’t depend on Fran to always support the “right” side (our side). She sometimes agrees with the enemy, the opposition, the “other guys”.
The combinations in the politician/administrator roles of Nancy, Sam and Fran make for endless interactions. The key to this situation is to understand that lack of conflict in local governments doesn’t mean things are being done right. Citizens have an obligation to pay attention to the actions taken by their governments, regardless of the amount of conflict generated or lack thereof. I’m pretty sure that Politician Sam will hunt for and find Administrator Nancy to run a conflict free organization without any attention to justice or fair play.
Naive Nancy does not see much reason to think at all. She takes things as they come. She believes what she hears. She usually goes along with whatever her peers say. She intends no harm but also assumes that no one else is going to harm her. She is a ready victim for more sophisticated manipulators: adults or children. Naive Nancy will make a good student only insofar as thought is not required. She will literally, and thoughtlessly, do what she is told. She doesn’t question or try to understand her own motives. She will make mistakes because she doesn’t know how to listen closely and monitor what she hears for accuracy of interpretation.
Wherever mindless obedience succeeds, she will get by. What is more, much of the time her innocent “helplessness” will enable her to get others to do things for her. Rather than try to think her way through a difficulty, she is learning to say “I can’t do it!” after the first or second try. She is finding out that she can usually get by without much thinking. Her innocent likeability and perpetual “incompetence” is both her strength and her (ultimate) downfall. Her only real thinking skills are in the art of being helpless, in enticing others to do her thinking for her.
Selfish Sam contrasts well with Naive Nancy. Sam values thinking. And the more he does it, the more he values it. But only in a special sense. He thinks to gain advantage, to get what he wants, to successfully put his desires above the rights and needs of others. To put it briefly, Sam is discovering the power of con-artistry. Sam is discovering that you can best get what you want by focusing clearly on your own desires, figuring out what is standing in the way of your interests, and manipulating others into acting in your interest. Selfish Sam is becoming an egocentric problem solver. He defines his problems so as to center them around getting what he wants for himself. Sometimes this means figuring out how to get out of work. But unlike Nancy, Sam is learning the power of figuring things out for himself.
He is also learning how to impress both adults and kids by what he can do. Eventually Sam will come to appreciate the power there is in groups, the advantages one gains by becoming a leader and exercising control over others. He will use his thought to win others to his side, to defeat his “enemies” (whoever he doesn’t like), and extend his power and advantage over others. It isn’t that he doesn’t care at all about others, but rather that he cares only about those who serve him, those who are members of his group. Eventually, Sam could become an effective promoter of a vested interest, an excellent sales person, a politician, or a lawyer … any job that can “successfully” be performed without a well-developed sense of fairmindedness.
Fairminded Fran contrasts well with both Nancy and Sam. Like Sam, Fran is learning the power of thought. She is learning the value of figuring things out for herself. Unlike Nancy, she is not learning the art of “helplessness” because she is experiencing the pleasure and deep satisfaction that comes from successfully figuring things out for herself. She is discovering that she has a mind and can use it to solve problems, protect herself, do difficult jobs, learn complicated things, express herself well, and get along with others. But that is not all she’s learning. She is also learning that other people have minds, other people have desires and needs, other people have rights, and other people have a different way of looking at things. She is learning how to enter into the thinking of others, how to see things from other people’s point of view, how to learn from other people’s perspective. She is beginning to notice the need to protect herself from the “Sam’s” of the world. She is learning to test for herself what people say. She is learning to protect her interests without violating the rights of others.
Fran’s thinking is beginning to develop a richness that Sam’s will never develop (as long as he thinks selfishly), for she is learning how much one can learn from others. Eventually, Fran will gain many insights from the art of thinking within the perspective of others that she is developing. Fran’s early thinking is laying the foundation for later breadth of vision. Fran’s ability to think for herself in a skilled and fairminded way will enable her to pursue any career goal that she later takes on. She will be highly valued by those who value justice and fair play. But she will also be treated with suspicion by the “true believers”, by the people whose first allegiance is to a special group, to “our side”. Those given to group think will come to recognize that you can’t depend on Fran to always support the “right” side (our side). She sometimes agrees with the enemy, the opposition, the “other guys”.
The combinations in the politician/administrator roles of Nancy, Sam and Fran make for endless interactions. The key to this situation is to understand that lack of conflict in local governments doesn’t mean things are being done right. Citizens have an obligation to pay attention to the actions taken by their governments, regardless of the amount of conflict generated or lack thereof. I’m pretty sure that Politician Sam will hunt for and find Administrator Nancy to run a conflict free organization without any attention to justice or fair play.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
RLF
The Lake Mills Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) provides low-cost financial assistance for new and established businesses in the City. The RLF is an accessible source of financing for projects that will create and retain private sector jobs, increase incomes, expand local tax base, and leverage bank financing.
The RLF seeks to minimize its financial participation in all projects. The RLF is not intended to compete with other public or private lenders. The RLF will collaborate with other lenders to provide the financial package necessary to help realize the project.
The RLF seeks to minimize its financial participation in all projects. The RLF is not intended to compete with other public or private lenders. The RLF will collaborate with other lenders to provide the financial package necessary to help realize the project.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Public Safety
The Public Safety area covers the Fire Department, Police Department, Ambulance Service and Building Inspection. The city has direct provision of police and fire services and contracts for ambulance services and building inspection. The city provides fire services to four surrounding townships by contract.
The activities of the Fire Department include:
- fire suppression
- fire prevention programs
- open burning control and rescue
- auto extraction
- first responder
- training
- communications
- fire station maintenance
- equipment maintenance
- code compliance
- investigations
The Police Department performs policing activities including:
- patrol
- investigations
- traffic accidents
- first responder
- school liaison
- community engagement
- training
Both engage in mutual aid.
Analysis
Lake Mills is the median in comparison to the other cities for police services and the costs appear to be lower in the larger cities on a per capita basis. We provide police coverage twenty-four hours, seven days a week. This is may not be the case for all the cities in this comparison.
Data from "MunicipalFacts" by Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance
Police Expenses Per Capita
Year 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002
Municipality
Columbus $158.87 $167.20 $178.40 $201.86 $262.07
Edgerton $162.41 $170.12 $164.47 $172.00 $181.72
Lake Mills $136.31 $147.92 $151.76 $156.61 $157.70
Milton $113.51 $137.43 $129.07 $129.50 $129.35
Mount Horeb $103.61 $109.60 $115.31 $129.03 $145.86
The City contracts or has access to many of the specialized activities with other larger organizations to achieve the most efficient economies of scale available to a city of our size.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
This May Answer Some Questions
Local governments have two distinct activities. The first is "governance", which includes determining what to provide, how to provide it and how to finance it. Second is the actual production and delivery of services and the implementation and enforcement of regulations.
The cost of governance in Lake Mills is generally less than 5 percent of the local government budget. Of this the costs of council constitute about 1 percent, with the remainder devoted to a variety of participatory activities and policy making by administrative staff. The other 95 percent of local government spending is devoted to the production and delivery of services and the implementation and enforcement of regulations.
The cost of governance in Lake Mills is generally less than 5 percent of the local government budget. Of this the costs of council constitute about 1 percent, with the remainder devoted to a variety of participatory activities and policy making by administrative staff. The other 95 percent of local government spending is devoted to the production and delivery of services and the implementation and enforcement of regulations.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
The Little Brother
Municipal finance always needs to be viewed in the context of the overall state and local government relationship. That is because the two wings of government are closely tied in theory and practice. Municipalities are creatures of the state, it does not seem to matter how much home rule authority a city has in some states nor how vocal the intergovernmental squabbles. Not only that, sorting out which level of the government is supposed to do what is often not easy, nor is where one level of responsibility leaves off and the others starts up. For example, many local government expenditures are nothing more than pass through of activities mandated by and frequently financed in part by the states. Also, certain local taxes may be nothing more than local add-ons to state-collected revenues.
The City of Lake Mills’ second largest source of revenue is from the state. The economic factors influencing state politics and the nature of the state/city relationship always makes this a tentative revenue source. Many state aids originally replaced local revenues to allow for special exemptions or to install state mandated programs. Local policy makers need to understand the changing political landscape at the state level. The warning trend is designed to inform policy makers about over dependence on state revenues and encourage them to diversify their own revenues rather than become over reliant on the state. The state revenue sources that make up the city’s intergovernmental revenues are primarily sales, gas and income taxes. These revenue sources would generally be considered more elastic than property taxes, but because they are distributed by formula and the state caps the total amount distributed, they cannot be considered elastic to a Wisconsin municipality.
The City of Lake Mills’ second largest source of revenue is from the state. The economic factors influencing state politics and the nature of the state/city relationship always makes this a tentative revenue source. Many state aids originally replaced local revenues to allow for special exemptions or to install state mandated programs. Local policy makers need to understand the changing political landscape at the state level. The warning trend is designed to inform policy makers about over dependence on state revenues and encourage them to diversify their own revenues rather than become over reliant on the state. The state revenue sources that make up the city’s intergovernmental revenues are primarily sales, gas and income taxes. These revenue sources would generally be considered more elastic than property taxes, but because they are distributed by formula and the state caps the total amount distributed, they cannot be considered elastic to a Wisconsin municipality.
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