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| 7/25/2010 4:29:00 AM | Email this article • Print this article | City officials say
landscape job is
'under a microscope'
Echo Lake Produce project is being watched
Jennifer Eisenbart
STAFF WRITER
City of Burlington officials on Tuesday assured residents of a north-side subdivision they are keeping close tabs on landscaping work being done at a neighboring factory.
The matter arose for the second straight City Council meeting as aldermen approved a new erosion control measure that will allow the city to address work at existing sites.
As occurred two weeks ago, citizens from the subdivision adjacent to Echo Lake Produce showed up to voice their concerns about the work that is being done at the plant.
City Administrator Kevin Lahner assured residents that the city is looking into complaints, and City Attorney John Bjelajac went as far as to say, "That activity is under a microscope."
Dan Wilson of Cedar Drive approved of the ordinance going into place.
"I guess we're here basically representing a few residents on Cedar Drive," he said. "We haven't seen anything in terms of erosion control."
Lahner told the residents that the new ordinance would allow the city to address those issues.
Other matters
In other action, the council approved an ordinance change that will allow the city to seamlessly enforce the new statewide smoking ban. Under the new law, violators face fines of up to $250. Business owners who don't try to stop smokers would get a warning and then a $100 fine for subsequent violations.
By adopting the language of the state law in a local ordinance, the city will be able to keep fines for violation of the ordinance rather than turning them over to the state.
In other business at the Committee of the Whole meeting that preceded the council:
• The committee recommended approval of a pair of change orders for work being done to improve sidewalks and streets. One is to repave a section of Highridge Road at a cost of $18,000 at the request of area residents. The work will be completed by Wanasek Corp. as part of the 2010 street improvement plan. The other involves the discovery by Wanasek Corp. of a 72-inch storm sewer near Nestles that had not been documented. The discovery resulted in an additional $1,194 in charges for the street work in the area.
• Financial consultant Patrick Romenesko spoke for about 30 minutes in regard to his audit of the city's books, saying the city had added to its fund balance and now carries about $42 million in debt.
Romenesko said the city could finance about $46 million more if needed in general obligation bonds.
In a management letter to the city, Romenesko also addressed the lack of cash flow in the water utility. That fund is supposed to be at about $420,000, and at the time of the audit, had merely $67 in it.
The water utility used available dollars for a number of improvements last year instead of borrowing for the projects. That practice was called into question by the aldermen, including Tom Vos.
"Maybe we should have bonded this stuff," he said.
Lahner said a water rate increase approved last year was going to resolving the issue, but that the city was also considering another water rate increase this year.
All three items will be formally considered by the Common Council at its meeting scheduled for Aug. 6.
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