Council members override mayor's veto

From The Journal Times.com:

Holly Gilvary

RACINE — The City of Racine Common Council on Wednesday voted to override Mayor Cory Mason's veto of an ordinance changing the council's structure.

The vote was 10-4, with Alders Terry McCarthy, Henry Perez, Renee Kelly, Jeff Coe, Olivia Turquoise-Davis, David Maack, Melissa Kaprelian, Sandy Weidner, Cinthia Esqueda and newly-appointed District 2 Alder Tyler Townsend supporting the override.

Alders Samuel Peete, Mary Land, Marlo Harmon and Maurice Horton voted against the motion.

Alder Cory Sebastian abstained, saying she did not want to make the decision for the members of the new Common Council, which will have its first meeting April 15.

Four districts will have new alders in the next council, as Sebastian, Kaprelian and Coe lost their districts' races, and McCarthy did not run for reelection. 

"I'm finding it very challenging for me to make a decision for those who are going to be operating in these seats moving forward," Sebastian said.

Prior to the vote, Sebastian offered a motion to defer action until the next meeting, which failed.

"We can say all we want, but we're gone in two weeks, so I think that we should allow them to make this decision," Sebastian said.

With the mayor's veto overridden, the following ordinance changes, approved by the Common Council on March 4, will go into effect:

• The council president, rather than the mayor, will appoint members to standing committees.

• Standing committee members will elect that committee's chair, and the committee chair will appoint a vice-chair.

• All alders will become ex-officio members of the standing committees.

• The role of council vice president will be created and will be elected by alders at the council's annual organizational meeting.

• The council president and vice-president will have a term length of two years.

• The vice-president can preside over Common Council meetings if neither the president nor the mayor are present.

• The Committee of the Whole will be added as a standing committee.

• Alders will no longer be able to serve more than two years as a chair or vice-chair of a standing committee.

The council also approved the appointment of Tyler Townsend as District 2 alder, filling the vacancy left by Alder Mollie Jones' death. Townsend was immediately sworn into office following the council's approval.

In other business, the council:

• Approved a development incentive agreement between the city and Dominion 12, Dominion 14 and AOA Racine for the Dominion Downtown Phase 2 project, for which the city will give developers a $9.7 million loan to redevelop multiple storefronts and buildings in Downtown Racine as part of the Hotel Verdant project in Tax Increment District No. 26.

• Approved an amendment to the project plan for Tax Increment District No. 9 allowing for excess revenue to be transferred to TID No. 26, including the transfer of $5.7 million for the loan for the Dominion Downtown Phase 2 project.

• Approved an amendment to the project plan and boundaries of Tax Increment District No. 26.

• Approved a major amendment to the Planned Development for Regency Mall to allow for a new use for a multi-family residential development at 5326 Durand Ave.

• Awarded a $14 million contract to KGI Construction Group for the construction of 33 townhomes for the Lincoln King Development Project.

• Approved a state/municipal agreement for a design and construction project on State Street Bridge over Root River. The city’s share of the project cost will be $640,000 and the state’s will be $14,375,000.

• Approved a three-party consulting engineering services agreement between the city, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation and EMCS Inc., for a road construction project on Spring Street from Fairway Drive to State Trunk Highway 38, not-to-exceed amount of $391,862. The city will pay $78,372 and WisDOT will pay $313,490.

• Referred back to the Public Safety and Licensing Committee an application from Adream Social Lounge, 1518 Washington Ave., for a "Class B" Intoxicating Beverage and Fermented Malt Beverage license.

• Granted permission for the City Development Department to apply for the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation’s $250,000 Community Development Investment grant for Hop Heads Hospitality & Events to build a restaurant and taproom at the Legion building at Belle City Square, 1907 St. Patrick St.

• Approved and ratified the formation of the Lincoln King Community Center and Clinic QALICB Inc., for the purposes of the New Market Tax Credit transaction associated with the construction of the King Center and allowed the city to execute all necessary documents associated with the project.

• Granted permission to the Racine Human Resources Department to apply for a workforce development fast forward grant at the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development in relation to the public safety cadet and youth employment program. If awarded, the Fire Cadet Program would receive up to $176,000, and the Commercial Driver's License Program would receive up to $225,000.

• Approved the creation of a new part-time position to implement the outreach/education component of the DNR/IRA Urban Forestry grant that was awarded to the city's Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Department in 2024.

• Approved the application and acceptance of a $500,000 from the Daybreak Fund for energy efficiency and/or nature-based solutions to stormwater retention.

• Approved a request from Katherine Rayner of Crew Carwash for a major amendment to the Planned Development for Regency Mall to add a new use of a carwash at 2521 S. Green Bay Road

• Approved a request from the Wisconsin Humane Society to host a large-scale pet vaccination event for cats and dogs that reside in the 53404 ZIP code, at Lincoln Park from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 3.

• Authorized the Racine Public Health Department to enter into an agreement with the Wisconsin Department of Health Services and accept funding of $227,357 for syphilis case management and partner services within Racine County.

• Approved the proposed settlement of $50,000 in the case of Shannon Hollimon, et al., v. City of Racine, et al, Racine County Circuit Court Case No. 23CV1428.

• Authorized a change order to a contract for downtown street lighting, increasing the amount by $297 to $98,415, and authorized the final payment to contractor WIL-Surge Electric Inc.

• Awarded a contract to A.W. Oakes & Son Inc. of $1,159,020 for concrete street construction.

• Approved a change order to a contract with Musson Bros for sanitary sewer repairs, increasing the contract by $247,699 to $1.6 million.

• Authorized a final payment of $1.6 million to Musson Bros Inc., for sanitary sewer repairs.

• Authorized the city to enter into a consent and novation agreement with Coach USA Wisconsin for the assigning rights and obligations under the existing Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee commuter bus purchased transportation agreement, because of a change in ownership. No interruption in purchased transportation services is anticipated, as two option years are included in the existing contract.

• Approved closing the following streets from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, June 14 for the Third Annual Racine Juneteenth Day Parade: Lake Avenue from Fourth Street to Sixth Street; Fourth Street from Lake Avenue to Main Street; Main Street from Fourth Street to 14th Street; 14th Street from Main Street to Grand Avenue; and Grand Avenue from 14th Street to Caron Butler Drive.

• Submitted the alley from 20th Street to Dekoven Avenue and Case Avenue to Jay Eye See Avenue, running east to west, to be included in the 2025 public hearing for 2026 construction.

• Awarded a contract for a tree purchase to Chestnut Ridge Nursery for $36,182, and to Schichtel's Nursery for $64,526.

• Awarded a contract for tree and stump removal to Busch Tree Expert for $46,500 and to Homer Tree Service for $32,780.

From: https://journaltimes.com/news/local/government-politics/article_331ea2e2-cc92-4066-932a-5c88fa0dd9a8.html#tracking-source=home-top-story

Racine Common Council fails to reach quorum Tuesday

From The Journal Times.com:

Holly Gilvary

RACINE — The Common Council could not proceed with its meeting Tuesday because it did not have a quorum.

Only six alders, along with Mayor Cory Mason, were present Tuesday: Marlo Harmon, Maurice Horton, Melissa Kaprelian, Mary Land, David Maack and Samuel Peete. State law requires that two-thirds of the council (10 alders) must be present for a quorum.

Alders Jeff Coe, Olivia Turquoise Davis, Sandy Weidner, Cinthia Esqueda, Terry McCarthy, Henry Perez, Renee Kelly and Cory Sebastian were absent.

It was not immediately clear Tuesday whose absences were excused or what alders’ reasons were for missing the meeting.

The council was scheduled to take action Tuesday on Mason’s veto of an ordinance that would change the structure of council proceedings, including removing the mayor’s ability to appoint committee members. Alders on March 4 approved the final ordinance with a 10-0 vote.

Tuesday’s agenda items will be rescheduled for the next Common Council meeting at 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 2.

Fr0m: https://journaltimes.com/news/local/government-politics/article_1da383e0-043a-11f0-a2b4-3f0dc62bad82.html#tracking-source=home-top-story

City to borrow $17M for Lincoln King center and clinic

From The Journal Times.com:

Holly Gilvary

City of Racine Common Council voted March 4 to approve borrowing $17 million in the form of a short-term bond that the city will cover with grant funding in order to fund the new Lincoln King Community Center and Health Clinic.

SUBMITTED

RACINE — The City of Racine will borrow $17 million for the construction of the Lincoln King Community Center and Health Clinic.

The Racine Common Council at its March 4 meeting approved promissory notes for the bridge loan with an 8-4 vote. Alders Jeff Coe, Melissa Kaprelian, Renee Kelly and Sandy Weidner voted against the motion.

City of Racine Finance Director Kathleen Fischer said the $17 million will be a short-term bond the city intends to cover with grant funding over the next two years.

Baird Managing Director Bradley Viegut said the final interest rate, locked in by the council’s vote to approve the borrowing, is 3.89%.

The city will refinance the bond in 2027 to pay the money back, with the option of prepaying the bond in 2026, if some grants come in early, as a way to reduce interest costs, Fischer said.

The city will put the grant funds into a separate bank account earning a high rate of interest in order to offset the interest costs associated with the bond.

Fischer added that tax credits also will help offset interest.

Kaprelian said she was concerned what might happen if “even one” of the major grants pending for the city fails to materialize, and asked Fischer what the city’s contingency plan is to meet the 2027 repayment obligation.

According to Fischer, if any of the grants fall through and the city is unable to meet the 2027 repayment obligation, the $17 million would be amortized over a 20-year period and the principal and interest would be paid from debt service tax levy.

Prior to the vote, Weidner said she’d be voting against the motion because the payback is coming from grants, and if the grants fail to materialize, property taxpayers should not have to fund the project.

“I’m afraid that, should these grants not come through, which is a very big possibility, that property taxpayers are going to be paying for perpetuity for a health clinic that they did not ask for,” Weidner said.

She also said that for most of the years she’s served on Common Council, the city’s public safety building has been in need of upgrades.

“If we commit ourselves to almost $20 million in loans for a community center/health clinic, we will have no room to replace a building that’s been needing to be replaced for the last two decades,” Weidner said.

Common Council approved the development and construction of the Lincoln King Community Center and Health Clinic project in August with a 12-3 vote. Alders Coe, Kaprelian and Weidner voted against the motion.

More than 20 people spoke in support of the Lincoln King Center during the Aug. 20 meeting’s public comment period.

The city broke ground on the project in November, and completion is estimated for 2026.

From: https://journaltimes.com/news/local/government-politics/article_065eb30e-fde0-11ef-9518-5fa8434ebc08.html#tracking-source=home-top-story

Mason vetoes Racine Common Council structure changes

From The Journal Times.com:

Holly Gilvary 

RACINE — Mayor Cory Mason has vetoed an ordinance that would change the structure of Common Council proceedings, including stripping the mayor's ability to appoint members to standing committees.

Mason on March 7 vetoed Ordinance 0001-25, which Common Council approved on March 4. Mason was not present for the March 4 Common Council meeting.

Alders Melissa Kaprelian and Sandy Weidner introduced the ordinance. With amendments added by council members March 4, the ordinance would: give authority to the Common Council president, rather than the mayor, to appoint members to standing committees; establish a council vice president and give them the authority to preside over Common Council meetings when neither the president nor the mayor are present; allow committee members to elect their committee's chair, and the chair to select a vice-chair; establish term limits for committee chairs and vice-chairs; appoint all alders as ex-officio members of all standing committees; and establish the Committee of the Whole as a standing committee.

In a statement from Mason on Monday, he said he has "serious concerns about the impact these changes would have on the effective governance of our city."

"I have urged the members of the Common Council to sustain this veto. I remain fully committed to working collaboratively with the Council on meaningful reforms that will improve our processes and serve the best interests of Racine’s residents," he said.

Mason said that as the only elected official chosen by the entire city, the mayor plays a crucial role in ensuring that committee assignments are "balanced, representative, and functional."

"Stripping this authority diminishes the role of the mayor in shaping an effective legislative process," he said.

Establishing the Committee of the Whole as a standing committee would further complicate committees' structure and jurisdiction, according to Mason.

"Given the recent adjustments to our committee system, adding further layers of complexity at this time could hinder — not improve — our ability to govern efficiently," he said.

Kaprelian also released a statement Monday, in which she said Mason's veto "represents nothing less than an assault on the democratic principles upon which our government was founded."

"When the mayor controls both who serves on committees and what items those committees can consider, our citizens lose their ability to have their concerns meaningfully addressed," Kaprelian said. "This level of control means that community priorities can be sidelined or ignored, effectively silencing the voices of Racine residents who expect their local government to be responsive and accountable."

Common Council will vote on whether to override Mason's veto at its next meeting, scheduled for 6 p.m. March 18, in Room 205 of Racine City Hall, 730 Washington Ave.

Mason

Kaprelian

From: https://journaltimes.com/news/local/government-politics/article_0bba7f44-fdf5-11ef-ba58-33c9c75b6ae8.html#tracking-source=home-top-story

Racine alders return to common council, hear reactions from residents

Executive Committee considers ordinances connected to alder boycott

From The Journal Times.com:

Holly Gilvary

RACINE — The Racine Executive Committee on Thursday considered three ordinances connected to the ongoing alder boycott, approving two and rejecting one.

The three ordinances were previously approved by the Committee of the Whole on Aug. 8.

Mayor Cory Mason and alders Terry McCarthy, Sam Peete, Mollie Jones, Maurice Horton and Mary Land make up the Executive Committee.

The committee approved an ordinance changing the procedure for communications brought to the council and an ordinance requiring the Common Council to establish a budget calendar in June of each year.

An ordinance prohibiting city employees from being appointed to or serving on any city authority, board or commission failed.

At the meeting, Mason said city employees can bring expertise to certain city authorities, boards and commissions that may be lost if they are prohibited from joining.

"I think if (alders) want to oppose an appointee to a board, committee or commission, they have the ability to vote it down," Mason said. "But I think this is a backdoor way to try to get at some appointees that some of the alders don't like."

Alder Melissa Kaprelian, who attended the meeting as an audience member, said city employees serving on boards, commissions and authorities is a conflict of interest because they work under the city's executive branch and because the mayor appoints people to boards, commissions and authorities.

All three ordinances will move forward to the next Common Council meeting for consideration, regardless of if they were approved by the Executive Committee.

The next Common Council meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 15 in Room 205 of City Hall, 730 Washington Ave. 

From: https://journaltimes.com/news/local/government-politics/racine-executive-committee-alder-boycott-results/article_e2d47172-874b-11ef-b953-671793fad990.html#tracking-source=home-top-story

Racine Executive Committee set to consider ordinances connected to alder boycott

From The Journal Times.com:

Holly Gilvary

RACINE — The Racine Executive Committee will meet Thursday to discuss multiple ordinances connected to six alders’ recent boycott of Common Council meetings.

This comes after the Oct. 1 council meeting failed to reach a two-thirds quorum as a result of six alders boycotting and two excused absences.

Items on the Executive Committee’s agenda include:

• An ordinance changing the procedure for communications brought to the council so that all communications would first go to the Common Council, which would then refer it to appropriate standing committees.
• An ordinance prohibiting city employees from being appointed to or serving on any city authority, board or commission.
• An ordinance requiring the Common Council to establish a calendar in June of each year for the proposal, consideration and passage of a budget for the ensuing year.

The ordinances were initially approved by the Committee of the Whole on Aug. 8.

Alders who boycotted the Oct. 1 Common Council meeting said the city’s failure to put these ordinances on the subsequent Common Council agenda for consideration was part of their reason for protesting.

Alders involved in the boycott include Melissa Kaprelian, Sandy Weidner, Renee Kelly, Henry Perez, Jeff Coe and Olivia Turquoise Davis.

In an interview with The Journal Times on Sept. 30, Committee of the Whole Chair Alder Terry McCarthy, who is not a member of the boycott, said communications approved by the Committee of the Whole usually go to the Common Council for final approval.

“The mayor has indicated this needs to go to a standing committee before it goes to (Common Council) … which has not been our practice in the past,” McCarthy said.

Kaprelian and Weidner said in a news release Wednesday that it is unusual that the ordinances are on the Executive Committee’s agenda.

The statement said that by protocol, the ordinances on Thursday’s Executive Committee agenda should be on the next Common Council agenda on Oct. 15.

They encouraged members of the public to attend both Thursday’s Executive Committee meeting and the Oct. 15 Common Council meeting.

“Your presence and engagement are vital in maintaining transparency and accountability in our local government,” the release said.

Mayor Cory Mason’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday.

Mason and alders McCarthy, Sam Peete, Mollie Jones, Maurice Horton and Mary Land make up the Executive Committee.

The Executive Committee meeting is scheduled for 5 p.m. Thursday in Room 303 of City Hall, 730 Washington Ave. The meeting does not allow public comment but is open for the public to attend.

From: https://journaltimes.com/news/local/government-politics/racine-executive-committee-alder-boycott/article_11089f94-866d-11ef-bc7f-93ca4ad1572e.html#tracking-source=home-top-story

Six Racine Common Council members boycott meeting over 'governance concerns'

Six Racine Common Council members begin boycotting meetings

From The Journal Times.com:

Holly Gilvary

RACINE — Six alders are boycotting Common Council meetings, citing issues in the governing process that they say has created a lack of transparency.

Alders Jeff Coe, Olivia Turquoise Davis, Melissa Kaprelian, Sandy Weidner, Henry Perez and Renee Kelly announced the boycott in a news release Sept. 27.

The action comes in response to what the alders said is Mayor Cory Mason’s “persistent refusal” to place ordinances on the Common Council agenda, particularly an ordinance passed at the Aug. 8 Committee of the Whole meeting that would restore the council process to the way it was prior to changes made in 2019.

Mason

The alders have demanded a review and revision of recent ordinance changes that they said have altered the balance of power between the executive and legislative branches of city government, and a reinstatement of Common Council’s “rightful authority” to set its own agenda and “bring matters of public concern before the body for discussion and vote,” the release said.

Alders allege improper separation of powers

In the statement, the six alders said the mayor’s office has exerted “undue control” over the council’s agenda and is therefore violating a state statute that gives city councils the authority to establish their own meeting rules.

They said changes made in 2019 to city ordinances involving council authority “improperly delegate agenda control power to the mayor and city clerk.”

Currently, city ordinance does not require agenda items to go to Common Council first before being referred to related committees, as it did prior to May 2019, according to council members.

Weidner

Some alders argue that this causes a lack of transparency and clarity in the process and allows agenda items to get “lost in the queue,” according to Weidner.

Before the 2019 changes, all agenda items were submitted to the clerk’s office and to Common Council, rather than to the clerk’s office and to the mayor, according to Weidner. Common Council would then refer the agenda items to appropriate committees for action and discussion, such as the finance committee or the public works committee.

“Now, communications get submitted, and we don’t know what communications have been submitted,” Weidner said. “It’s in some mystical queue that I can’t find.”

She also said she believes the previous system was more time efficient, saying that most agenda items that came to the city for consideration would be resolved within a month.

City ordinance says the clerk and the mayor have 14 days from when an item is submitted for consideration to put the item on the most appropriate committee. However, more than 90 days must pass from the submittal of the item before an alder can request to refer the item if the clerk and mayor have not already assigned it to a committee.

“So nobody knows that those communications are waiting to be heard,” Weidner said.

If a submitted communication has not gone to a committee after 90 days, alders can make a direct referral to the council about the item. The council then must vote with a two-thirds majority to refer the item to a committee, according to Weidner

Council members voted 13-2 to approve the changes at the May 2019 meeting, according to meeting records. Of the alders on the board today, only Weidner voted against the ordinance changes; alders Mollie Jones, Maurice Horton, Q.A. Shakoor II, Mary Land, Coe and Perez voted in favor.

Agenda items delayed or blocked

Additionally, some boycotting alders said they believe the mayor has purposely withheld agenda items from going to council.

This includes the three agenda items that were approved at the Aug. 8 Committee of the Whole meeting, which should have been placed on the subsequent Common Council meeting’s agenda, according to Committee of the Whole Chair Alder Terry McCarthy.

McCarthy said Mason requested that the items passed at the Aug. 8 meeting go to the Executive Committee before going to Common Council, which McCarthy said has not been the practice historically.

McCarthy told council members that he has tried twice to get the agenda items placed on an Executive Committee agenda, but to no avail.

“That was what kind of … in my opinion, pushed the group of folks to boycott meetings,” McCarthy said. “I’ve been working with the mayor to get this onto an agenda — either the Executive Committee, where he wants it to happen, or back to the Common Council — so they can actually vote on it.”

Kaprelian

Kaprelian said on Monday that if the Common Council agenda was amended, she and the other boycotting alders would attend Tuesday’s Common Council meeting.

A release sent Tuesday confirmed the six members’ boycott would take effect for the Oct. 1 meeting.

Weidner said they will not end the boycott until the items approved at the Aug. 8 Committee of the Whole meeting are put on a Common Council agenda for consideration.

Still, Weidner said she is concerned about the boycott because of its timing —the mayor is scheduled to present the city’s 2025 budget at the end of October, and the council has until around mid-November to pass the budget.

“I’m very concerned,” Weidner said. “This is an extreme measure to take, but … we literally are hogtied.”

Alternate views on the boycott

McCarthy said he’s not interested in joining the boycott and believes negotiation between council members and the mayor is a better action to take.

McCarthy

“While I share the goals of getting those ordinance changes in place, I don’t support their method of going about it,” McCarthy said.

Mason said in a statement Tuesday that he welcomes partnership and collaboration from fellow elected leaders, but said he also knows there will be times when people “who all care about our community” might disagree.

He added that the way they resolve those differences matters.

“Instead of trying to find solutions, several members of the Common Council have decided they won’t show up and do their jobs, even if it puts the city at risk,” Mason said. “That’s disrespectful to our community and also to their colleagues who are prepared to do the jobs they were elected to do. I hope they’ll set aside the political stunts and join the rest of us in conducting the people’s business.”

Restoring balance

Kaprelian said that the boycott ultimately is about restoring a balance in government.

“This is government. This is checks and balances, why we’re getting elected to do this job,” she said. “We need to align our practices with the state law on council authority, and the current (city) system blocks important issues from reaching the full council.”

In the meantime, Kaprelian said she and other alders are continuing to communicate with their constituents, many of whom she said support the boycott.

“I would say 99% of the communications that have come my and other alders who have come aboard’s way have all been in support,” Kaprelian said. “That makes you just know that you are doing the right thing, and it lets me know that (constituents) understand the magnitude of the problem.

“Without this balance of government, we have lost our ability to legislate, which means we have lost the voice of our constituents, and that just feels fundamentally wrong to me.”

From: https://journaltimes.com/news/local/government-politics/racine-common-council-members-boycott/article_68e8bfb0-7e9c-11ef-abed-ebe6220b8179.html#tracking-source=home-top-story