Jefferson Common Council approves 2025 fees, hires assistant, awards shared-taxi contract and OKs $1 offer for former Tyson site

The Jefferson Common Council met Dec. 3, 2024, in City Hall Council Chambers and, by unanimous votes, adopted a set of measures including the 2025 Schedule of Fees, a non-union wage adjustment, a shared-taxi contract award and a $1 offer to acquire the former Tyson Manufacturing property.

Mayor Oppermann called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. and opened with a moment of silence for Raughn Ferrell, a long-serving city committee volunteer. City Administrator Freitag gave a brief update on the plat for the new Junction Heights subdivision.

The council approved the consent agenda under Resolution No. 81, which included vouchers payable of $816,703.28, payroll for Nov. 15, 2024 of $214,676.81 and November manuals of $50,625.00, Nov. 19 council minutes and operator licenses. Ald. Teeter introduced the consent agenda and the motion passed on a unanimous roll call.

Under Resolution No. 82, the council affirmed the Shared Taxi Ride Program Evaluation Committee's recommendation and awarded the Shared Taxi Ride Program contract to Brown Cab Service, Inc., effective Jan. 1, 2025. The contract sets the contractor's hourly service rate at $38.42 for the base period (contract years 1 and 2) with option-year rates increasing to $39.57 by contract year 5. The council authorized the City Administrator and City Clerk/Deputy Treasurer to execute contract documents subject to City Attorney review and approvals from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.

Ald. Mattke introduced and the council adopted Resolution No. 83, the city's 2025 Schedule of Fees. The schedule enumerates fees across municipal departments, including animal and liquor licenses, building permit fee formulas, park rentals, water and sewer connection charges and emergency medical services billing (for example, ALS1 resident billing listed as $2,150). The resolution also notes the council may revise the schedule by future resolution.

Ald. Beyer introduced Resolution No. 84, which the council approved to authorize a 3% across-the-board adjustment to the Compensation Plan steps for non-represented employees effective Jan. 1, 2025 (with merit provisions and evaluations applying as described in the resolution). The resolution also sets seasonal, part-time and position-specific pay schedules, and records the Fire Chief annual compensation at $16,000.

Following a closed session under Section 19.85(1)(c) of the Wisconsin Statutes to consider personnel matters, the council returned to open session and approved an offer to purchase under Resolution No. 85 for two parcels of the former Tyson Manufacturing Facility, authorizing staff to prepare an offer with a purchase price of $1, a 120-day closing period and a seller acceptance date of Dec. 16, 2024.

The council also authorized the hire of Haylee Schaeffer as a full-time administrative assistant under Resolution No. 86, placing her at Step 3, Grade 3 of the compensation plan with two years' PTO credit and a start date no later than Dec. 23, 2024. (The minutes contain a typographical inconsistency that repeats the earlier resolution number in the motion line; the hire is listed under Resolution No. 86 in the record.)

The meeting concluded with a motion to adjourn at 7:35 p.m.

Votes at a glance

- Resolution No. 81 (Consent Agenda): Approved unanimously (yes: 8; no: 0; abstain: 0). Included vouchers payable of $816,703.28, payroll $214,676.81 and November manuals $50,625.00. - Resolution No. 82 (Shared Taxi Ride contract to Brown Cab Service, Inc.): Approved unanimously (yes: 8; no: 0; abstain: 0). Contract hourly rates: base $38.42; option years escalate to $39.57. - Resolution No. 83 (2025 Schedule of Fees): Approved unanimously (yes: 8; no: 0; abstain: 0). Comprehensive fee schedule across city departments and utilities. - Resolution No. 84 (2025 non-union wage resolution): Approved unanimously (yes: 8; no: 0; abstain: 0). 3% compensation adjustment for non-represented employees; position-specific wage tables included. - Resolution No. 85 (Offer to purchase former Tyson Manufacturing property): Approved unanimously (yes: 8; no: 0; abstain: 0). Purchase price $1; 120-day closing; seller acceptance date Dec. 16, 2024. - Resolution No. 86 (Hire of full-time administrative assistant, Haylee Schaeffer): Approved unanimously (yes: 8; no: 0; abstain: 0). Start by Dec. 23, 2024; placed at Step 3, Grade 3.

What this means

The actions set the city's fees and pay structure for 2025, secured a multi-year shared-taxi vendor pending DOT approvals, and advanced a low-dollar acquisition of a former industrial site that could be used for redevelopment. Staffing and wage decisions formalize compensation and a council-authorized hire. The council recorded all votes as unanimous at the Dec. 3 meeting.

Next steps and outstanding items

- City staff to finalize and execute the Brown Cab Service contract subject to legal and DOT approvals. - City Administrator and City Attorney to prepare the $1 offer to purchase the former Tyson parcels and track seller response by the Dec. 16, 2024 acceptance date. - Implementation of the adopted fee schedule and wage adjustments beginning Jan. 1, 2025, with any future changes requiring council action.