Racine Common Council Meeting – February 13, 2025
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Racine Common Council Meeting – February 13, 2025
Note: The meeting minutes and transcript indicate the meeting occurred on February 4, 2025, but the provided instructions specify using the date February 13, 2025. The summary below reflects the content from the February 4 meeting.
The Racine Common Council convened on the stated date at 6:00 PM in City Hall, Room 205, with Mayor Mason presiding. Twelve aldermen were present (Coe, Turquoise-Davis, Maack, Kaprelian, Weidner, Horton, McCarthy, Peete, Land, Perez, Kelly, Sebastian), one absent (Esqueda), and two excused (Jones, Harmon). The meeting included public comments, referrals to committees, committee reports, a consent agenda, and announcements. The meeting adjourned at 7:35 PM.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of the January 21, 2025, meeting minutes (passed 12-0).
- Referrals to the Public Works and Services Committee (Communications 0108-25 and 0109-25 regarding downtown street lighting change order and final payment).
- Referrals to the Public Safety and Licensing Committee (Communications 0107-25, 0110-25 through 0114-25 covering ordinance violations, license applications, and police reports).
- Numerous items from committee reports placed on the consent agenda, including:
- Finance and Personnel Committee: sole-source agreement with Kane Communications (ultimately voted separately), developer’s agreement for Hood’s Creek, claim disallowances, RCEDC contract ($94,760), several grants and donations, firefighting PPE bid waiver, and multiple grant applications for the Lincoln King Community Center.
- Public Works and Services Committee: street closure for Thoughts for Food event, rescinding a resolution, fuel depot upgrade contract ($669,502.10), appraisal services agreement ($107,850), elevator upgrade change order, alley reconstruction, and St. Patrick’s Day Parade closure.
- Public Safety and Licensing Committee: renewal of secondhand dealer licenses, waste tire generator licenses, and a premises report.
- The consent agenda was approved on a voice vote.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Michael Schrader (topic: federal grants) warned that recent executive orders have changed grant eligibility rules, including bans on DEI initiatives, carbon reduction, and sanctuary city status. He urged the council to be cautious with grant applications and noted that retroactive withdrawal of funds is possible.
- Kevin Conrad (1436 College Ave) expressed concern about trash disposal fees for items like broken toilets and tires, compared to neighboring Kenosha. He also said property tax increases exceed inflation and urged better services for taxpayers.
- Sonali Knotek (3812 St. Clair) spoke in favor of funding for the Lincoln King Community Center and health centers, and for increased housing options. She also urged council members to resist political pressures that threaten community safety and to protect all residents.
- Jim Palmer (Executive Director, Wisconsin Professional Police Association, representing Racine Police Association) criticized the city for initiating legal action in 2021 to strip health insurance benefits from police contracts, making Racine the only city in the state to do so. He noted officers have worked without a contract for five years, harming recruitment and retention. He urged the council to end the standoff.
- Andrew Wagner (business agent, WPPA, reading a statement from Senator Van H. Weingard) argued that state law and court rulings have clarified that health care coverage is negotiable for public safety employees. He accused Mayor Mason of ignoring the law and urged the council to fulfill obligations and negotiate in good faith.
Discussion Items
- Kane Communications Contract (Communication 0027-25): A sole-source agreement for marketing and communications services for the Department of Community Safety, up to $100,000. Director Tingett explained funds would support brand development, an annual report, and partner communications. Alder Kaprelian questioned why $78,000 was spent in 2024 without visible results, calling the approach backwards. Alder Weidner criticized the use of successive no-bid contracts. Director Tingett responded that 2024 focused on learning and program setup, and the 2025 contract would share resources with partners. After discussion, the council voted 8-4 to approve.
- Lincoln King Community Center Grants (Communications 0100-25, 0101-25, 0102-25, 0103-25): The council considered applications for grants totaling $1.1 million (Racine Community Foundation $50k, Walmart $300k, Home Depot $250k, Johnson Controls $500k). City Development Director Fisher confirmed these fall within the $5.5 million grant/donation bucket of the $68 million project. Alder Kaprelian noted that even with these grants, $14 million more is needed. Alder Sebastian abstained on the Racine Community Foundation application due to his role on the grants committee. The first application (0100-25) was approved with one abstention; the other three were initially moved but later withdrawn to be placed on the consent agenda after discussion.
- Pub 41 Liquor License (0744-24): A Class B license for Pub 41 Banquet Hall at 3701 Durand Ave, with conditions that the banquet hall open only for private events. Discussion covered operating hours (Friday until 2:30 AM, which may conflict with statutory hours), whether the license could effectively become a liquor store, and deferral of cigarette, dance hall, and amusement device applications. Alder Land (11th district) supported it, noting no resident concerns. The license was approved 11-1 (Alder Kelly opposed).
- Taylor Food Mart License Transfer (1105-24): Change of ownership for a Class A fermented malt beverage license at 2056 Taylor Ave. Alder Perez raised concerns that the new owners were already operating under the old owner's license, but Alder Coe explained that is legal until council approval. The transfer was approved 9-3 (Alders Perez, Kelly, Sebastian opposed).
Key Outcomes
- Kane Communications contract approved (8-4), with $100,000 for marketing and communications for the Department of Community Safety.
- Grant applications for Lincoln King Community Center approved: Racine Community Foundation ($50k, with one abstention), and Walmart ($300k), Home Depot ($250k), and Johnson Controls ($500k) placed on and passed as part of the consent agenda.
- Pub 41 Class B liquor license approved (11-1) with conditions; cigarette, dance hall, and amusement device applications deferred.
- Taylor Food Mart Class A license transfer approved (9-3).
- All referrals and consent calendar items approved.
- Council members made announcements regarding birthdays, community events, and a police incident at Wisconsin Lutheran School (apprehended suspect, no injuries).
- The meeting adjourned at 7:35 PM.
Meeting Transcript
If members of the public and alders could please take their seats, we will begin momentarily. Good evening, everyone. The hour of six o'clock now having arrived on this fourth of February 2025. It is my honor to call to order. The city of Racine Common Council. The first order of business after we come to order is the Pledge of Allegiance. If you could please rise as you are able and join me in the Pledge of Allegiance. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Okay, the first order of business is uh before we begin is to record any excused absences. Uh President McCarthy, do we have excused absences for this evening? Uh yes, Mr. Mayor. Alder Jones is asked to be excused, and Alder Harmon was uncertain about her status. Okay. Do we note it? Uh and then we'll move on to the approval of the general council proceedings or minutes from January 21st. Uh Alder Courton, would you like to make a motion regarding the minutes? Uh move to approve. There's a motion and a second to approve the minutes of January 21st. Any discussion on said minutes. Seeing none, all those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Opposed? That motion carries. We'll now move on to public comments. I'll ask the clerk to please uh read the rules and the commentary of public comments. And just so people know people get three minutes to speak when your three minutes are up. Uh the microphone is turned off. It's not a commentary on or response on the commentary that you're giving, but just treating everybody equally. City clerk. The public comment segment is an opportunity for citizens to speak directly to the common council. Speakers will limit their remarks to three minutes. There shall be no dialogue or interaction between the speaker and elected officials or staff. This time is not intended to be a debate or discussion. The common council shall not hear personal complaints or attacks against any city employee or elected official or any matter related to an individual claim, citation, appeal, or lawsuit. Profane, disruptive, threatening, or conduct that other otherwise impedes the safe, orderly, and effective conduct of the common council meeting is equally unacceptable during the public comment period as it is during all other portions of city meetings. When a group of people representing one viewpoint wishes to address the council, one person should be appointed, should be appointed. The designated speaker for the group. Topic federal grants. And before you proceed, you need to put everything on pause because all the rules have changed. So anything that you knew two weeks ago is no longer valid due to the EOs that have been dropped. So if you don't know about these, I'll go through them real quick because this impacts all of us and it impacts the city. So we did a whole series of EOs that repealed everything that was done during the Biden years. So any guidance during the Biden years is automatically thrown out. But there's also other things. The DEI, for example, they won't give federal funds to any place that supports DEI. Under their definitions, banned words include female, pregnant, indigenous Americans, Hispanics, people of color. These are all banned words. They are now cleaning out the federal databases, removing all references to that. Climate change, environmental justice, social justice.
openpublica.com