Monday's Common Council meeting agenda has a pretty long Consent Agenda which includes Clink's contract and the asbestos abatement for the buildings on the PSC land. Also on that consent agenda is the rezoning of a parcel on Watertown road and the approval of a Conditional Use Permit for and storage space on the parcel. What concerns me is that there are 2 parcels of about 3/4 acre each that will be completely surrounded by developed industrial, this new development on the west and north sides and WE Energies to the east. Even if both owners sold together, I don't think that 1.5 acres is enough to build anything on. In an area that is planned to become industrial, this seems to make a pocket of residential that will not be large enough to redevelop as an industrial parcel.

But of major importance on the agenda is the 2008 budget approval. We have hashed the budget over in three workshops and a public hearing. As you may have already heard, the money that had be eliminated from the library's budget was put back in. It was a very long discussion and several citizens spoke in support of the library. In the end, the Council was split and the Mayor cast the deciding vote on the matter. There was also a long discussion on whether to add another full time firefighter in 2008. In the end the second fire fighter did not make the cut.

As it sits right now, the budget is at a levy of $6,794,655 at a rate of $2.494/$1,000. It is now time to vote on it. Well, that is after we amend Ch 2.01 of City Code. It appears that there was a part of the ordinance that was left over from when we were a town. Towns differ from cities in how they adopt a budget, in a town the electorate votes on the budget, in a city the Common Council does.