Altoona City Council Meeting Summary – October 9, 2025

The City of Altoona, Wisconsin, Common Council held its regular meeting on Thursday, October 9, 2025, at 5:00 P.M. in Council Chambers at Altoona City Hall, 1303 Lynn Avenue. Mayor Brendan Pratt presided; council members Dale Stuber, Timothy Lima, Bruce Thielen, Matthew Buren, Susie Zilmer, and Susan Rowl were present, along with city staff and the city attorney. The council approved the prior meeting minutes, received the quarterly tourism report, approved Resolution 10A-25 authorizing the sale of $6,115,000 in general obligation promissory notes, and met in closed session before unanimously denying a claim filed by Michelle Sanchez. No members of the public spoke during the citizens participation period.

Approvals and Routine Business

• The minutes of the September 25, 2025, regular council meeting were approved unanimously.
• The citizens participation period was closed with no speakers.

Quarterly Tourism Report – Visit Eau Claire

• The Visit Eau Claire representative reported strong Altoona-related digital engagement: River Prairie pages had just over 10,000 active users since January; event pages, including the River Prairie Giant Pumpkin Festival and Rockin' on the River, had over 8,000 active users.
• Overall Visit Eau Claire website traffic was up 35% year over year and surpassed 1.5 million users at the end of September, reaching the annual goal; traffic was 250,000 users in 2019.
• Paid advertising specific to Altoona generated over 1 million impressions and nearly 22,000 clicks during the quarter.
• The Altoona Yard microsite had more than 27,000 active users and more than 58,000 page views since July 1; Nene Tacos had 643 website referrals.
• Recent events included the Open Air Classic, with more than 150 convertibles visiting River Prairie, and a gathering of over 100 outdoor writers from the Association of Great Lakes Outdoor Writers.
• The city received a year-three Travel Wisconsin grant to promote winter tourism, and fall promotions include Scary Prairie and a new mural behind the post office.
• Regarding the River Prairie Giant Pumpkin Festival, the presenter said roughly 5,000–10,000 people attended, sponsorships raised over $28,000, the event keeps growing, and organizers are working on safety changes for the pumpkin drop and more sustainable revenue.
• Council members voiced strong support for the Visit Eau Claire partnership, citing professional communication, growing room revenues, and social media impressions.

Resolution 10A-25 – General Obligation Promissory Notes

• The city's financial adviser presented an updated plan for one combined financing of 2025 and 2026 capital projects, with four repayment sources: tax levy, sewer, stormwater, and water utility.
• The $6,115,000 note issue would be repaid over 10 years; interest rate assumptions were conservative, about 50 basis points above current market rates, with a city prepayment/call option beginning in 2031.
• Existing and proposed debt would total about $19 million, well below the state maximum of about $70 million.
• The projected 2025 equalized mill rate was $5.40 per $1,000; 2026 is projected at just above $5.00, in part because the tax base grows from about $890 million to $1.34 billion after the TID closes.
• Note: The agenda and the motion state the amount as $6,115,000, but the transcript's early narration says "six point one five five million"; the approved resolution amount was $6,115,000.
• The council approved Resolution 10A-25 unanimously.

Closed Session and Claim

• The council voted unanimously to enter closed session under Wis. Stats. 19.85(1)(g) to confer with legal counsel about litigation involving a Notice of Claim filed by Michelle Sanchez.
• After returning to open session, the city attorney reported that the claim was a formal complaint demanding referral to the DOJ regarding police misconduct and neglect of duty.
• The city's insurer assigned Carolyn Jacobs of Bello Nichols & Hall to represent the city; counsel recommended denying the claim based on the facts.
• The council voted unanimously to disallow the claim.

Miscellaneous and Communications

• Council discussed the city brush site schedule and whether to offer key/code access for residents. The city administrator was asked to explore options, including a sign-in system and game camera, while maintaining safeguards against illegal dumping.
• A council member reported that about 10 volunteers completed trail work at Centennial Park, adding to roughly three miles of bike and hiking trail.

Key Outcomes

• Approved the September 25, 2025, regular council meeting minutes.
• Approved Resolution 10A-25 for the $6,115,000 general obligation promissory note sale.
• Entered closed session and later denied the claim filed by Michelle Sanchez.
• Directed city staff to explore brush site access improvements.