Altoona City Council Regular Meeting - December 5, 2024

The Altoona Common Council met in regular session on Thursday, December 5, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. in Council Chambers at Altoona City Hall, 1303 Lynn Avenue, Altoona, WI. Mayor Brendan Pratt presided. Roll call established a quorum with Councilmembers Dale Stewart, Timothy Lima, Matthew Beerin, Caitlin Leopold, and Susan Rowe present. Staff present included City Administrator Michael Golott, Assistant City Administrator Rory Atkinson, City Attorney Sam Bach Hansen, Police Chief Kelly Bachin, Fire Chief Mark Renderman, and City Clerk Cindy Bauer. The council heard one public comment, approved routine and administrative items, and completed its 2025 fee, union contract, technology contract, and staffing actions.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Randall Walmer of 250 Cottagewood Lane, Altoona, spoke during the citizen participation period. He said he was offering concluding remarks about the Otter Creek Landing parcel, rezoned from R1 to Planned Community Development (PCD) in August 2023. Walmer said GRIP, the developer, is now renting units rather than selling owner-occupied homes, with several units rented and none sold. He said the earlier planning and council presentations described twin homes platted for ownership, a target market of first-time homeowners, young professionals, and working families, a target sale price of $350,000, and a GRIP letterhead that mentioned owner-occupied housing 11 times and never mentioned rentals. He asked whether the council could have added a sales-only condition and whether councilmembers would have voted differently if rentals had been disclosed. He said he felt misled and that the community would have objected.
• City Administrator Michael Golott responded that state statute prohibits municipalities from prohibiting rentals of private property, so a sales-only condition would not be lawful. Staff and councilmembers acknowledged they had heard the same ownership-focused presentations. They stated the developer says he intends to sell but is renting in the meantime because of bills and the seasonal housing market; some leases include an option to buy. One councilmember said his vote would not have changed; another said the council took the proposal at face value to encourage housing development. Another councilmember noted R1 did not meet the future land use or comprehensive plan, which called for denser development there.

Consent Calendar

• Approved the minutes of the November 21, 2024 regular council meeting.
• Approved the consent agenda item: the annual application from Hillcrest Estates LLC for the 2025 Manufactured Homes/Manufactured Home Communities license for Hillcrest Estates. Staff reported no changes and the same fees and reports. A councilmember asked whether resolving the water situation could allow development of remaining lots; staff responded yes. The motion carried.

Department Head Reports

• Mayor Pratt reported recent health care developments: Spirus is building in Chippewa Falls, a health cooperative is planning to build in Lake Hallie, and UW-Eau Claire received a $20 million grant for a rural health innovation initiative involving microsites and telemedicine. He said he would share information about an upcoming informational meeting. A councilmember asked about taxpayer funding for these facilities; the Mayor said the funding picture was unclear and offered to provide details.
• Fire Chief Mark Renderman reported that November had fewer than 100 fire/EMS calls, with 1,468 calls year-to-date, and that the water tender tanker truck is ahead of schedule, with delivery expected in January.
• Police Chief Kelly Bachin reported the building project is on its final punch list, the fitness center floor is expected to be installed the following Monday, the project remains within its grant budget, and the fitness center will be available to council members with a waiver.
• Parks and administrative staff reported winter programming preparations, including the Crocodile Curl rink, Jelly Bean hill climb, and fat tire bike race. Staff also worked on an RFP for container park vinyl graphics/art funded by a WEDC grant that must be spent by year-end; proposals are expected to be brought to the next council meeting. The last batch of old city documents that met retention was removed from City Hall. The Mayor noted the Christmas tree lighting on Sunday had good turnout.

New Business

• Resolution 12A-24, adopting Wisconsin Department of Transportation Equipment Rates, was approved. Staff described it as an annual administrative item that allows the city to rent equipment to other jurisdictions or private contractors when needed. Motion carried.
• Ordinance 12A-24, amending Chapter 3.08, Addendum A, the City Fee Schedule, effective January 1, 2025, was approved. Changes remove community room rental rates, incorporate the new WisDOT equipment rates, and increase River Prairie room and outdoor venue fees following a market survey by Dave Kramer and Company. As one example, the all-day River Prairie room rate would rise from $1,250 to $2,000, with higher rate tiers rising to $3,000 and $4,000 for premium days. Staff said the city would still be significantly below other area venues. Motion carried.
• The Teamsters Union Contract for Public Works/Parks Maintenance Department and Clerical employees, for January 1, 2025 through December 31, 2025, was approved. Staff explained that Act 10 requires union contracts to expire and be reviewed annually and that the action updates the salary schedule; the only required bargaining item is starting salary for each category. Motion carried.
• A contract for file management software and back-scanning of city files was awarded to EO Johnson. Staff said the project would digitize approximately one-fifth of the city's physical files, apply uniform metadata for keyword search, integrate with the Workhorse financial software, improve FOIA document retrieval, and free up space. The staff presentation cited a quoted total of $60,808, matching the city's remaining ARPA funds, which must be obligated by the end of 2024. The motion, however, stated the amount as $60,880; the transcript does not resolve the discrepancy. The City Administrator confirmed the funding would come from ARPA funds and would exhaust the remaining balance. Motion carried.
• Job descriptions were approved for the proposed Grants and Housing Program Manager, Investigations Sergeant, and Utility and Accounting part-time positions. All three positions were previously approved through the budget process. The Personnel Committee reviewed the descriptions and changed the Grants and Housing Program Manager description so that five years of experience is preferred but not required. Motion carried.

Key Outcomes

• Minutes and consent agenda approved.
• Resolution 12A-24 and Ordinance 12A-24 adopted.
• Teamsters contract approved for calendar year 2025.
• EO Johnson contract awarded for document management and back-scanning; the amount discrepancy between $60,808 and $60,880 remains unresolved in the transcript.
• Three new job descriptions approved.
• All motions were adopted by voice vote with no audible opposition.
• No miscellaneous business was brought forward. The council adjourned at 6:38 p.m. after a motion to adjourn carried.