Speaker numbers apply only to this recording.
The Altoona City Council met on Thursday, November 21, 2024 at 6:00 P.M. in City Hall. The meeting included a public hearing on the 2025 city budget, approval of the budget, consideration of a utility connection waiver, and awarding of an engineering design contract. Citizens raised concerns about a housing development and a nuisance property.
I had call the regular council meeting of Thursday, November 21st, 2024 to order. I pledge allegiance to the United States of America. And to the Republic for which it stands one nation on individual delivery justice. Roll call for councilpersons roll call for departments. Mayor Brendan Pratt. Here. Councilperson Tim Blyma. Here. Councilperson Matthew Behrendt? Here. Councilperson Susan Rowe. Here. Absent our councilperson Dale Stewart and Councilperson Kane Leopold. Department heads, uh staff that's here, attorney Sam Barcanson, City Administrator Mike Golat, Assistant City Administrator Roy Atkinson, Police Chief Kelly Bachin, Director of Public Works, Scott Quick, City Engineer slash assistant director of public works, Christian Hupert, Finance Director Tina Nelson, Planning Director, Taylor Greenwell, Fire Chief Mark Renderman, Parks and Rec Director Chad Durkop. And myself, Deputy City Clerk Ann Lee. All right. Citizen participation period, no more than 20 minutes unless extended by two-thirds vote. So if there's anybody that would like to speak on something that's not on the agenda, this is your time. And I was here a couple of weeks ago to discuss or show how I had lost $35,000 in assessed value to my house as a result of the Otter Creek landing development. And I'd kind of gone through a little bit of a conversation I had with the assessor at that time. And my mindset at that time is totally different than what it is now. But at the time, I had told you that I got nowhere with him until I showed him photos of that development in relation to ship to my house. I said, No, these are twin homes. And he said, but they're gonna be rental units. I said, no, and explained to him what the city um led us to believe was that twin homes are owner-occupied, duplexes are rentals. And he said, but if they can't sell them, they will be rentals. And so at that point, um we ended things, and I found out then that he dropped uh the assessed value that he was gonna increase by 46 instead, it went up by 10. So I lost $35,000 as far as the value, or if you want to look at it, I saved some tax uh dollars. But so then uh at the end of that uh conversation, too. I'd just found out a couple days prior that what I thought were three or four of those units had sold and were owner-occupied. Um I had heard a rumor that no, they were long-term rentals, not sold. And so I mentioned I was gonna look further into that, and I did. I went to the Eau Claire County Register of Deeds and also stopped by City Hall here, found out that all of the lots are still owned by Haas Brothers LLC, which is a Jason Gribbentrog company. The registered agent is actually Riverbend Rentals and Property Management, which is another grip company. Uh interesting that the registered agent is his rental company, and now these are becoming rental units. Uh citizens at the time of the vote of rezoning and the preliminary plat can express concerns to the council before the vote of the concern about this becoming an apartment development. And Dale Roble, who you've seen here before, had sent me uh a copy of what he read prior with his concerns, and one caption is owning versus renting, looking for clarification on whether these will be all owner-occupied or rentals. If developer states they will be all owner-occupied, can he change that plan after approvals are given? Will the HOA have any restriction to not allowing rentals once purchased? Renters have less care for condition and upkeep of properties compared to owners.