Middleton finance committee approves road, pool, EMS study, public-art and moth-suppression contracts

At its March 5 meeting, the Middleton finance committee approved a package of agreements, bids and a research study intended to support infrastructure, parks operations and public safety planning.

The committee approved amendment No. 4 with Strand Associates for construction-phase services on Pleasant View Road. It also approved a two-year water-management agreement with Carico Aquatics Resources Inc. to support operations at the Walter Baumann Aquatic Center; staff said the Carico agreement is $20,000 per year plus $400 annually for delivery and the contract is subject to city attorney review for standard procurement clauses.

The committee approved a letter of agreement with the Wisconsin Policy Forum to conduct a Middleton–Waunakee EMS shared-services study, with the contract amended to name the Waunakee Area EMS District as the partner. The study will begin mid-July and is not to exceed $10,000, staff said. "That will be a five-month timeline initiating on or around July 15, so you should see something this year," a staff member told the committee.

On procurement, the committee awarded a bid to BMD Concrete Innovations for $87,861.85 for the city’s annual concrete repair project. The committee also approved a quote to AlphaGraphics for $9,980.08 plus licensing payments to artists totaling $6,000 for a bus-shelter public-art project; staff and the arts committee described placement priorities along the Parmenter Street art corridor and said back panels (not side panels) will carry the images so bus drivers have sight lines.

The committee approved a professional-services agreement to Hendrickson Flying Service for aerial spraying to suppress spongy moths. "We had a change to the acreage and the dollar per acre — it is now $103 per acre, so it would max at $21,897.80," Kylie said during the discussion. Staff added that egg-mass counts guide the treated areas and that the DNR provides guidance on frequency and monitoring.

Several approvals were recorded as subject to city attorney review. The committee also discussed but deferred any immediate action on TIF policy changes related to stormwater management, asking staff to return with more detailed financing information at the next meeting.

Next steps: items requiring contract review will be finalized with the city attorney and staff will return with requested budget adjustments and a timetable for the Wisconsin Policy Forum study.