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Record of Proceedings

Altoona City Council Meeting – January 8, 2026

Meeting Portal — Thursday, January 8, 2026
BodyAltoona, Wisconsin
SessionMeeting Portal
DateThursday, January 8, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 58:39

Original source
Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

Speaker numbers apply only to this recording.

Speaker 1

0:09

I know how to start like how to light a building on fire.

0:13

I'll sit back and watch you know.

Unassigned speaker

0:17

And then all the sessions.

Unassigned speaker

0:20

What I

Speaker 2

0:20

dislike is that no one makes it, and then we sit here and all silence, and it's like, okay, idiots, which one's going to do it.

0:27

So there's kind of a system going on approving things, and we just got

Unassigned speaker

0:35

dumb or something.

Unassigned speaker

0:36

That's my new resolution.

Unassigned speaker

0:39

The guy that was each response before you never said boo about nothing.

Unassigned speaker

0:43

So I take it

Speaker 3

0:43

Brendan's here.

Speaker 2

0:44

That is a true story.

0:45

He is um I would all the time.

0:48

I'd look at it so we can show you.

0:50

John you got anything to

Speaker 3

0:51

say about that?

Speaker 4

0:56

I think it was a house that had like or two houses or something like that.

Speaker 5

0:59

But she's still working on this.

1:01

Yeah.

Speaker 4

1:01

Yeah, I think it was like a light enough course load over Winterham that she wasn't, she's not instructing, but like for the department, she's able to handle our stuff from

Speaker 3

1:08

momentum.

1:09

She's uh she was a uh she's the vice chair of the department.

1:14

So she was on the stage.

Speaker 6

1:16

I beat 21 to 17.

Unassigned speaker

1:17

Hey

Speaker 7

1:18

Aaron, how are you?

Speaker 8

1:21

Good.

1:22

He's the same.

1:23

Same uh twice.

Speaker 7

1:24

Yeah, how long do you got?

Speaker 8

1:28

Okay.

1:29

Good luck.

1:29

Talk to them about that next year.

Speaker 3

1:32

I'm cold.

1:33

Yes.

Speaker 4

1:42

Sorry with the Pledge Allegiance.

Unassigned speaker

1:46

Pledge

Speaker 2

1:46

allegiance.

Unassigned speaker

1:50

And just remove what we're doing.

Speaker 4

2:00

We'll call for councilpersons, roll call for department heads.

Speaker 9

2:03

Um in the absence of Mayor Brendan Pratt, we have uh Chairperson Matthew Beer.

Speaker 5

2:08

Here.

Speaker 9

2:09

Councilperson Dale Stuber.

Speaker 6

2:11

Here.

Speaker 9

2:11

Councilperson Timothy Lima.

2:13

Here.

2:13

Councilperson Bruce Thielen.

Speaker 6

2:15

Yes.

Speaker 9

2:15

Councilperson Susie Zilmer.

2:18

Councilperson Susan Roll.

Speaker 10

2:20

Here.

Speaker 9

2:21

We have attorney Sam Bach Hansen, City Administrator, Michael Golott, Planning Director, Taylor Greenwell, recreation supervisor, Aaron Turner, and soon to be Deputy Clerk Julie Oliver, and Cindy Bauer, City Clerk.

2:36

We have a quorum.

Speaker 4

2:38

Thank you.

2:38

Citizens participation period.

2:41

No more than 20 minutes unless extended by two-thirds vote.

2:44

This is uh time for uh anyone in the audience who would like to discuss something that's not on the agenda.

2:50

Now it's your time.

Unassigned speaker

2:57

Seeing none, Roll go ahead and move to uh close citizen participation period.

Speaker 4

3:03

Second.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Zoning Ordinances█████████████████████████████████████████████64%
Parks and Recreation█████████████18%
Procedural███████████15%
Legal Affairs██3%
Summary of Proceedings

Altoona City Council Meeting – January 8, 2026

The Altoona City Council held its regular meeting on Thursday, January 8, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers at Altoona City Hall. Council Chairperson Matthew Beer presided in the absence of Mayor Brendan Pratt, with council members Stuber, Lima, Thielen, Zilmer, and Roll present. City Administrator Michael Golott, Planning Director Taylor Greenwell, Recreation Supervisor Aaron Turner, City Clerk Cindy Bauer, and attorney Sam Bach Hansen also attended.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • No members of the public spoke during the Citizens Participation period.

Discussion Items

  • Signage Ordinance Update: Planning Director Taylor Greenwell presented proposed changes to Title 19 (Zoning) regarding temporary signage. The city is updating its zoning code and must comply with the 2015 Supreme Court decision in Reed v. Town of Gilbert, which requires content-neutral sign regulations. The council discussed options for free-standing temporary signs in rights-of-way. After extensive debate, the council directed staff to revise the ordinance to allow up to three temporary signs per lot year-round, with an additional two signs during state-defined election periods (total of five during election season), and a 30-day removal period after each election. Prohibited signs, such as inflatable “wiggly” figures, remain banned. The new sign code will be included in the comprehensive zoning update scheduled for council consideration on January 22, 2026.
  • Appointment of Deputy Clerk: City Clerk Cindy Bauer recommended appointing Julie Oliver as Deputy Clerk, serving under the clerk’s direction. The council approved the appointment, and Ms. Oliver was sworn in.
  • Field Use Agreement with Altoona Youth Baseball Softball (AYSB): The council considered the 2026 agreement. Staff reported that AYSB contributes substantial in-kind labor for park improvements and that the agreement is designed to be revenue-neutral for the city. Some council members noted the need for a broader discussion about cost sharing and capital investments across all recreation users. The council approved the agreement as presented.
  • Highland Park Shade Structure Project: The council awarded a bid of $33,500 to MWP Recreation for a shade structure with artificial turf at Highland Park. The project will support city programming and rentals.

Key Outcomes

  • Minutes Approved: The minutes from the December 18, 2025 regular meeting and December 22, 2025 special meeting were approved.
  • Deputy Clerk Appointment: Unanimously approved the appointment of Julie Oliver as Deputy Clerk.
  • Field Use Agreement: Approved the 2026 Field Use Agreement with Altoona Youth Baseball Softball.
  • Shade Structure Bid: Approved the Highland Park Shade Structure bid in the amount of $33,500.
  • Closed Session: The council voted unanimously to enter closed session to discuss the possible sale of city property (parcel #201103304030) and to confer with legal counsel regarding litigation related to a property inspection at 1427 Lynn Avenue.

Meeting Transcript

I know how to start like how to light a building on fire. I'll sit back and watch you know. And then all the sessions. What I dislike is that no one makes it, and then we sit here and all silence, and it's like, okay, idiots, which one's going to do it. So there's kind of a system going on approving things, and we just got dumb or something. That's my new resolution. The guy that was each response before you never said boo about nothing. So I take it Brendan's here. That is a true story. He is um I would all the time. I'd look at it so we can show you. John you got anything to say about that? I think it was a house that had like or two houses or something like that. But she's still working on this. Yeah. Yeah, I think it was like a light enough course load over Winterham that she wasn't, she's not instructing, but like for the department, she's able to handle our stuff from momentum. She's uh she was a uh she's the vice chair of the department. So she was on the stage. I beat 21 to 17. Hey Aaron, how are you? Good. He's the same. Same uh twice. Yeah, how long do you got? Okay. Good luck. Talk to them about that next year. I'm cold. Yes. Sorry with the Pledge Allegiance. Pledge allegiance. And just remove what we're doing. We'll call for councilpersons, roll call for department heads. Um in the absence of Mayor Brendan Pratt, we have uh Chairperson Matthew Beer. Here. Councilperson Dale Stuber. Here. Councilperson Timothy Lima. Here. Councilperson Bruce Thielen. Yes. Councilperson Susie Zilmer. Councilperson Susan Roll.

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