Altoona City Council Meeting - March 27, 2025

The Altoona Common Council met at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 27, 2025, in Council Chambers at Altoona City Hall, 1303 Lynn Ave, Altoona, WI. Mayor Brendan Pratt presided; Councilmembers Dale Stuber, Matthew Beeran, Caitlin Leopold, and Susan Roll were present, and Councilmember Timothy Lima was absent. Staff present included Attorney Sam Bach Hansen, City Administrator Michael Golot, City Engineer/Assistant Director of Public Works Christian Hubert, Finance Director Tina Nelson, Planning Director Taylor Greenwell, and City Clerk Cindy Bauer. A quorum was present. The meeting was adjourned at 6:40 p.m.

Consent Calendar

• Approved the proclamation declaring April 2025 as Fair Housing Month in the City of Altoona, affirming the city's commitment to fair and equal housing opportunities for all.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public comments were made during the Citizens Participation Period.
• At the 7th Street West public hearing, an attendee asked when construction would start. The city engineer said the contractor's earliest start was the second week of June, followed by about two weeks of XL gas relocation, so city work would likely begin around early July; the project is a priority for completion before school starts. No one spoke in opposition, and the hearing was closed.
• Wes, representing the Eau Claire Community Foundation as he identified it (the agenda lists Eau Claire Area Foundation), urged the council to join a one-time shared funding effort to keep Sojourner House open year-round. He said Catholic Charities faced closing the 53-bed shelter for six months due to a funding shortfall; Catholic Charities committed $200,000, the foundation committed $100,000, and the remaining $100,000 was being sought from Eau Claire County, the City of Eau Claire, and Altoona. He framed the request as a shared challenge requiring a shared solution, and said the funding would provide time to build a more sustainable operating and funding model. He said the City of Eau Claire was on board and planned to discuss the request at its April 8 meeting. He also noted Catholic Charities had received an $80,000 shelter grant and committed to find another $120,000, and that if Catholic Charities stopped running the shelter, another agency would need to take on an $800,000-$900,000 annual operating budget. He cited estimates of $20,000-$50,000 per unhoused person per year in community costs.

Discussion Items

Whitetail Woods TID Agreement Amendment (Item 5)

• Mayor Pratt recused himself, and Councilperson Beeran presided. City Administrator Golot explained that the amendment replaces Exhibit C of the Whitetail Woods TID agreement with an updated construction timeline, related to extending utilities beneath railroad tracks to the Whitetail Woods project area. The project's estimated value is unchanged; the timeline shifts from a 2026 start to a 2027 start. The council approved the amendment.

TID 3 Resolutions (Items 1 and 2)

• Sean Lentz of LRS reported that TID 3 is ending in 2025 in a strong financial position. Resolution 3B-25 authorizes transferring up to $6,251,310 in final-year TID 3 revenues to the city's affordable housing fund. Resolution 3C-25 terminates the district. After costs are paid, roughly $4.5 million is projected to be returned to other taxing jurisdictions, including about $1.57 million to the city, about $858,000-$860,000 to Eau Claire County, about $1.886 million to the school district, and about $192,000 to Chippewa Valley Technical College. Closure also adds $392 million in equalized value to the city's 2026 general fund tax base. Lentz recommended notifying the Wisconsin Department of Revenue by April 14, 2025, and beginning early 2026 budget target discussions. The council approved both resolutions.

7th Street West Reconstruction Public Hearing and Bid Award (Items 3 and 4)

• A public hearing was held on the preliminary special assessment report for the 2025 7th Street West Reconstruction project. The report had been mailed to property owners and included plans, cost estimates, the assessment method, proposed assessments, and the preliminary resolution. The special assessment estimate was revised downward from an initial $245,000 after bids; final assessments will be determined after project completion. The hearing was closed without opposition.
• The council awarded the reconstruction contract to Haas for $589,436.46, the low bid among four bidders. The low bid was roughly $10,000-$12,000 below the estimate and about $100,000 under the capital budget.

Sojourner House Funding Request (Item 7)

• After Wes's presentation, a council member said homelessness is a major regional problem and proposed giving $15,000 rather than the requested $10,000, citing available general fund reserves of roughly $9-$10 million. Another council member seconded the motion, emphasizing long-term planning and the need to avoid added law-enforcement costs. The council authorized a $15,000 one-time contribution from the general fund reserve, with a related budget amendment. The roll call vote was unanimous: Stuber, Beeran, Leopold, and Roll all voted yes.

Annual Stormwater Report (Item 6)

• City Engineer/Assistant Director of Public Works Christian Hubert presented the required MS4 annual stormwater report. Highlights included: 13 primary outfalls will be inspected annually; stormwater mapping was substantially updated; two failing outfalls in Windsor Forest were repaired under a roughly $60,000 repair allocation; 15 of 26 ponds received maintenance last year, with all 26 planned this year; and a Hong Street Pond sediment issue was corrected by riprapping the eroded channel, allowing release of financial assurance for that portion. He also confirmed that a large outfall near the fire station is Eau Claire's responsibility, and said the report would be submitted by the March 31 deadline. No action was required.

Key Outcomes

• Approved the March 13, 2025 regular council meeting minutes.
• Approved the consent agenda proclamation for Fair Housing Month.
• Approved the Whitetail Woods TID agreement amendment; Mayor Pratt recused, and Councilperson Beeran presided.
• Approved Resolution 3B-25 (TID 3 affordable housing transfer) and Resolution 3C-25 (TID 3 termination).
• Approved a $15,000 one-time contribution from the general fund reserve to the Sojourner House collaborative funding effort and amended the budget accordingly; roll call 4-0.
• Closed the 7th Street West public hearing and awarded the 2025 7th Street West Reconstruction project to Haas for $589,436.46.
• Received the annual Stormwater Report; no action taken.
• Noted a target date of June 14, 2025, for the container park opening.
• Adjourned at 6:40 p.m.