Altoona City Council Meeting - February 26, 2026

The City Council met on February 26, 2026 to address a range of topics including public safety concerns regarding ICE activity, a major zoning code rewrite, and several routine approvals. The meeting featured extensive public comment and council deliberation on zoning standards affecting housing affordability, garage design, landscaping, and park dedication requirements.

Consent Calendar

• Approved minutes of the February 12, 2026 regular council meeting.
• Approved release agreement with Altoona Historical Society for the Chicago & Northwestern Speeder (Item 1).
• Approved Resolution 2A-26 for 2026 Street Reconstruction Projects special assessments.
• Approved Ordinance 2C-26 amending community garden fees.
• Approved conduit agreement with Spectrum Mid-America LLC.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Joanne Applebaugh (Altoona resident, parent) expressed concern about the February 17 incident where Altoona Police Department coordinated with ICE, detaining four men at a construction site near Altoona Elementary School. She criticized the lack of prior notification to the school and stated that police collaboration with ICE has damaged community trust.
• Katie Grover (Town of Washington resident, children attend Altoona schools) called for ICE to be permanently removed from Eau Claire County, demanded immediate release of those detained without valid warrants, and asserted that local law enforcement should serve the community, not federal agents.
• Police Chief Kelly Bachin provided an official account of the February 17 incident, stating that ICE was seeking a suspect in an assault, Altoona officers responded for public safety near the school, and that officers did not assist in enforcement but later helped Eau Claire County remove individuals who had unlawfully entered a residence. He noted that body camera footage will be released after redactions.
• Christina Thrun (Chippewa Valley Home Builders Association) spoke on the zoning code, expressing support for smaller lot sizes but opposition to the 15-foot garage projection limit, public gathering space requirements for single-family and twin homes, narrow cladding percentage ranges, and parking lot landscaping requirements, citing affordability impacts.
• Mary Prosnick (local developer, board member of Home Builders) opposed requiring HOAs for subdivisions with 20+ units, arguing that HOA fees reduce homebuyer purchasing power.
• Susan Wolfgram (co-chair, Joan Affordable Housing Task Force) supported the home builders' recommendations, citing that 31% of Altoona residents struggle to make ends meet (2023 ALICE report). She emphasized embedding affordability in zoning.
• Paul Holzinger (builder) opposed the 15-foot garage projection limit, showing that a typical home built in Altoona would be illegal under the new code, adding over $8,000 in costs and pricing out 31 families per $1,000 increase.
• Vicky Iverson (president, Altoona Historical Society) spoke on the speeder release, stating no intention to sell and inability to afford a shelter.

Discussion Items

• Zoning Code Overhaul (Items 2-3): Planning Director Taylor Greenwell and consultant Carrie Papapon presented the comprehensive rewrite of Titles 18 and 19. Key changes include new zoning districts (e.g., Downtown Mixed Use, Flex Industrial), updated bulk/dimensional standards, landscaping buffers, parking requirements, building design standards, sign regulations, subdivision standards, and park dedication/public gathering space requirements.
• Garage Projection: Extensive debate on the proposed 15-foot maximum garage projection from the front plane. Council members and builders argued it would hinder affordability and render numerous infill lots undevelopable. Council consensus to eliminate the 15-foot restriction and instead require garages to be no more than 20 feet in front of the porch (or main structure if no porch). Also removed percentage width restriction on garages.
• Parking Lot Landscaping: Threshold for interior landscaping islands raised from 20 to 40 parking spaces to reduce cost burdens.
• Exterior Building Cladding: Allowed primary material range widened from 60-70% to 50-75% for commercial and mixed-use buildings.
• Public Gathering Spaces: Changed applicability to multifamily developments only (20+ units) rather than all residential, addressing concerns about HOA burdens for single-family homes.
• Manufactured Homes: Council discussed definitions and restrictions; will bring back broader policy discussion on manufactured home communities later.
• Yard Signs: Council noted limitations due to Supreme Court ruling; agreed to add exception for special events (e.g., parade of homes) to exceed the 3-sign limit.
• River Prairie Event Center Management: Discussion of new contract structure (flat rent vs. revenue share) – no action taken; will return at next meeting.
• Closed Session: Council convened closed session for updates on Innovation Grant applications; no action required.

Key Outcomes

• Actions Taken:
  • Approved release agreement with Altoona Historical Society (unanimous).
  • Approved Resolution 2A-26 for street reconstruction special assessments (unanimous).
  • Approved Ordinance 2C-26 amending community garden fees (unanimous).
  • Approved conduit agreement with Spectrum Mid-America LLC (unanimous).
  • Closed session held; no action needed.
• Deferred Actions:
  • Ordinance 2B-26 (zoning code adoption) was not voted on; will be brought back to next council meeting with revisions based on council direction, including: removing 15-foot garage projection (20-foot allowed), removing garage width restriction, widening cladding percentage range, raising parking lot landscaping threshold to 40 spaces, limiting public gathering space requirement to multifamily, and adding special event sign exception.
• Next Steps: Staff to revise zoning code and return for adoption at the next regular council meeting.