Finance Committee Meeting - April 28, 2026
Finance Committee Meeting - April 28, 2026
The Finance Committee met on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, at 6:00 PM in Council Chambers at Waukesha City Hall. Members present: Joe Pieper, Mike Anderson, and Rick Lemke. Members absent: Dale Matthews and Doreen Wigderson. The meeting was called to order, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. No public comments were made. The minutes of the March 10, 2026 meeting were approved without objection. The committee considered four business items, all of which were approved by a 3-0 vote (with two members absent).
Public Comments & Testimony
- No members of the public spoke during the public comment period.
Discussion Items
Item 5A: Use of Library Impact Fees for HVAC Change Order ($30,965) Library Director Bruce presented a change order for the Library HVAC project, including replacement of air damper controls, kitchen hood damper control, capping a kitchen heater for Cutler Park bathroom heating, and adding ceiling temperature monitors. The cost is $30,965, matching the amount approved by the Board of Public Works on April 23, 2026. Alderman Lemke inquired about the balance of library impact fees; Facilities Director Joe Walter reported a balance of approximately $144,000 before this expenditure. Lemke requested semi-annual updates on impact fee balances for the Common Council. The item was approved unanimously.
Item 5B: Budget Amendment for Library Revolving Door Replacement ($50,000) Library Director Bruce explained that the revolving door, installed in 2005, had a panel split in November 2025. After inspection, replacement of the entire door was deemed most cost-effective. Alderman Anderson asked about the rationale for a revolving door; Bruce noted it was an architectural decision from the 2000 renovation and that converting to standard doors would be a larger, more expensive project. Staff clarified that the $50,000 would come from accumulated interest earnings on borrowed funds in the Capital Projects Fund, not from impact fees. After discussion about whether a formal budget amendment is required, the committee determined the item would go to the Common Council for simple affirmation. Alderman Lemke asked why impact fees could not be used; staff explained that impact fees are intended for expansion or major upgrades, not replacements. The item was approved unanimously.
Item 5C: General Fund Carryovers ($119,454 from 2025 to 2026) Finance Director Joe Shuro presented the standard carryover request for unspent general fund items. Major differences from the prior year include $42,000 for senior management recruitment (unspent; the 2026 budget did not allocate new funds for this line item, relying on carryover) and $13,000 for a zoning code update (remaining contract commitment). Alderman Lemke noted $7,000 in building and grounds carryover due to committee deferrals. The carryover was approved unanimously.
Item 5D: Report on Capital Carryovers (2025 to 2026) Mr. Shuro reported that capital projects carryovers total $8.1 million in governmental funds and $13.3 million in enterprise funds. The governmental total is the lowest in seven years. Key items include $3.7 million in Public Works (flood mitigation, storm pond upgrades), $1.5 million for the CAD RMS project in IT, and fleet equipment across departments (most already on order). Enterprise funds include $12 million for Clean Water Plant phase 3 improvements (being cash-funded) and pump station upgrades. Alderman Anderson asked about risk of cost escalation for unbidded projects; Mr. Shuro noted that most items are under contract or orders placed, providing cost certainty. Alderman Lemke praised the reduction and centralized fleet management. No action was required on this report.
Key Outcomes
- Item 5A: Approved (3-0) to use library impact fees to fund the $30,965 HVAC change order.
- Item 5B: Approved (3-0) to amend the capital budget with $50,000 from interest earnings for the library revolving door replacement.
- Item 5C: Approved (3-0) to carry over $119,454 from 2025 to 2026 in the General Fund.
- Item 5D: Received as a matter of report; no vote required.
- The meeting adjourned at 6:31 PM.
Meeting Transcript
All right, good evening, everyone. We'll call the Tuesday, April 28th, 2026 meeting of the Finance Committee to order. Um Alderman Matthews is traveling for work. Alder Person Wigderson had a commitment this evening, but we do have a quorum. And I'd like to welcome Alderperson Mike Anderson to the finance committee. Mike, welcome aboard. That'd be bigger. Um next item on our agenda is Pledge of Allegiance. Please stand. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. And to the Republic for which it stands. One nation under God. Indisible with liberty and justice for all. All right. Next item on our agenda is public comment. I do not see any members of the public here this evening, short of our library director. So we'll move on to item number four A, which is approval of minutes for the 10th of March. Any changes to those minutes from the committee? None noted. All right. Seeing none, the minutes are approved through unanimous consent. That'll bring us to our business items tonight. Um item number five A is review and possible action for use of library impact fees on hand to fund a $30,965 change order related to the library HVAC project. Bruce, you wouldn't mind coming up and introducing yourself to the folks at home. And the floor is yours. I'm the library director here in Walkershaw, and happy to be in front of the finance committee tonight to talk about the HVAC upgrades uh project that we are hoping to finish. Um we have a series of minor excuse me, uh minor uh change orders. Uh what we found was several of the air damper controls in the boiler room needed to be replaced in order to meet the war actuator warranty. The damper control for the library's kitchen hood needed to be added to meet the ventilation and pressure requirements. There's a heater in the kitchen, which needs to be capped in order for the Cutler Park bathroom heating unit to operate as planned. If you know the library kitchen right behind it to the north of it is the parks new Cutler Park bathroom. And so we have heat going in there from the library, and the um parks heater has not been used, it hasn't not been working. And we want to add ceiling temperature monitors in the Carnegie Room maker space and IT space on the second floor to allow excuse me, local temperature monitoring, and the estimated cost from Lee Construction, who was awarded the contract is uh 31 30,965 questions for Bruce? Alder Person Lumpke. What is the balance of the library impact fees fund and how close does it come remaining? How much will be remaining after this? Um there's quite a bit more, but I know Joe will give you an exact answer. Give me a second. Let me look. Let me look at this quick. I guess is there will be 150%. I just happen to be doing uh just happen to be doing financial statements for year end audit. And it would appear that we have um a hundred and forty-four dollars, 144,000 in the fund right now. Is that before I'm sorry, Rick? Is that would that be before or after this $30,000? That would be before. Okay. Sorry, Rick. Go ahead. Uh that that answers my question to uh for for funding it, but uh, I think Joe uh I think I've mentioned many times that I would like to see the common council get an uh semi-annual update on the balances in the impact fees, if at all possible.
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