Committee forwards capital and operating budgets; amends 2027 to add accessible parking funding and requests sidewalk policy follow‑up

The committee voted Aug. 10 to recommend the 2027–2031 Public Works capital improvement plan to finance and personnel and the common council, and forwarded the 2027 operating budget and personnel requests for further review.

Ben reviewed capital highlights including a request for a painting machine to perform centerline and crosswalk painting in‑house, placeholder funding for Old Creek and Pheasant Branch traffic calming, updates to TIA guidelines contingent on DOT grant outcomes, and the city's share of the Century Avenue/County Highway M bridge project funded in part by TIF. On the operating side, staff emphasized personnel priorities: an assistant city engineer (PE) to provide engineering review and stamps, a fleet manager to reduce outsourced repairs and realize savings (Ben noted about $70,000 spent outsourcing repairs in 2026), and two reclassifications for construction inspector and training specialist roles.

During capital discussion, member Charles (Oliver Myers) moved — and the committee amended — to direct staff to include up to $22,500 in the 2027 budget for on‑street accessible parking stalls and to reprioritize Elmwood Avenue traffic calming to priority nine; the amendment and amended main motion passed unanimously. Committee members also asked staff to prepare an amendment and options on sidewalk repair policy for the next public works meeting so that the committee could consider policy changes before the finance deadline.

The committee supported personnel requests as important for retaining staff and improving project oversight and directed staff to submit the operating budget to finance and personnel and common council, with the sidewalk policy item returned for detailed options at the committee’s next meeting.