Shorewood board reviews $150,000 organizational study, staffing and capital priorities ahead of 2027 budget

The Village of Shorewood board discussed major budget planning items and capital priorities during an Oct. meeting, focusing on a proposed $150,000 organizational study that officials said is intended to inform decisions for the 2027 budget cycle.

Trustees and staff said the study — described in the packet as an organizational or government-operations review — is expected to be completed in 2026 so its findings can be used in 2027 budget deliberations. Trustee comments repeatedly raised the point that purchases that could be affected by the study’s recommendations (for example, changes to service levels or organizational structure) should be considered for delay until the review is complete.

The board discussed filling an assistant village manager position included in the draft budget. Trustees heard the position is budgeted at about $133,000 including salary and benefits; the presenter said the village hopes to select a candidate this month with a likely November start, so part of the salary would appear in the 2025 budget. Some trustees said they opposed a blanket hiring freeze; others said targeted hiring pauses could be discussed as part of overall cost management.

Finance items and transparency initiatives drew attention. A trustee proposed adding a simplified public accounting/finance report (PAFR) to explain the village’s finances to residents; staff estimated the cost at $10,000–$15,000. Trustees also flagged the village website as an area for improvement and discussed treating website upgrades as 2027 initiatives rather than 2026 operating additions.

Technology and licensing costs were reviewed. Staff explained the Microsoft licensing line now includes multifactor authentication (MFA) and that the licensing cost is expected to be about $23,000 annually; an incremental MFA licensing cost in a prior year was shown as about $11,000. Trustees asked staff to examine alternatives and to treat larger platform changes (for example, replacing Microsoft/Outlook) as a 2027 initiative.

Capital projects drew extensive discussion. Trustee questions and staff answers included: - Barricades: the Department of Public Works provided two cost references. Staff noted a $40,000 estimate for ‘‘class 3’’ traditional barricades and traffic-control supplies discussed earlier; they also shared a vendor quote for modular barricades and a trailer around $259,650. Trustees asked whether a hybrid approach (some modular barricades plus use of village vehicles) could lower costs and whether the quote covered only Oakland Avenue closures or additional crossings. Staff said the modular estimate was for closures of Oakland Avenue only and did not include other crossings. - Parking-enforcement vehicle: Police staff outlined a request to replace the village’s parking-enforcement Jeep. Key figures discussed: an anticipated vehicle price in the mid-$40,000s (manufacturer Stellantis had not finalized pricing), a camera/license-plate-read system about $28,000, and typical upfitting costs of $10,000–$20,000; staff said some total estimates previously shown were $75,000 before adding the camera system. The existing vehicle is a 2017 Jeep (JK model) with about 86,000 miles and “substantial” idling hours; when that vehicle is out of service for repairs, parking enforcement capacity drops and the village loses parking revenue. Police staff said the parking system aboard the Jeep controls permits and enforcement (the Jeep’s system integrates plate reading and the village’s AIM parking system), so having a reliable vehicle is important to operations. Trustees asked to place the request on a follow-up list for more information rather than approving it immediately. - Public Works vehicles and equipment: staff described a proposed dump/plow truck replacement (rough estimate $290,000 for a new chassis and body and associated outfitting), a pickup replacement (about $70,000), and a spare 11-foot plow blade estimated at $13,000. Trustees discussed the age and condition of existing trucks, emergency-repair histories (one truck required about $30,000 for emissions work in the recent past), and the operational role of those vehicles (snow removal, salting, and emergency response).

Other operational items discussed in the packet included clarifications to refuse/recycling lines (special-collection wages and Saturday recycling) and a request to annotate miscellaneous revenue lines (for example, credit-card-fee reimbursement) so readers can see why particular revenue lines jump.

Timing and next steps: staff said the draft packet will be updated before a final vote and that the board will reconvene for a follow-up meeting at 6 p.m. on Oct. 13 to finish remaining decisions and prioritize initiatives for 2027. Trustees listed items to revisit: website/PAFR, the assistant village manager hiring question, the parking-enforcement vehicle, modular barricade options, Public Works capital (truck replacements), emerald ash borer funding, and alternatives to Microsoft licensing.