Speaker numbers apply only to this recording.
The Altoona Common Council held its organizational and regular council meeting on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, beginning at 4:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers at Altoona City Hall, 1303 Lynn Avenue, Altoona, WI. The meeting included the swearing-in of three alderpersons, the election of a Council President, two public hearings on land-use matters, approval of a Comprehensive Plan amendment, two ordinances, and a roof repair contract award. The meeting adjourned at 5:32 p.m.
Comprehensive Plan amendment, 311 US Highway 12 (applicant listed on the agenda as Hoss Bros., LLC; the transcript refers to "Haas Brothers LLC"): Planning Director Taylor Greenwell presented the request. The 0.72-acre parcel, within the Prairie Ridge development near Highway 12 and Bombach Way, is currently zoned R1 and contains a vacant single-family home. The applicant seeks to change the Comprehensive Plan's future land use designation from "mid-scale neighborhood" to "planned mixed use" to allow a proposed commercial showroom/warehouse building (first-floor showroom, stores, and storage; preliminary site plan only). Greenwell noted the city previously sold a strip of land to the property owner to provide access to the parcel, and confirmed in response to a question that the property is owned by Jason Griffin Truck. The Plan Commission recommended approval, and Greenwell recommended approval. A council member expressed support for the change: the parcel sits directly adjacent to commercial and multi-family uses rather than in the middle of a residential area; the applicant has a planned use with attractive preliminary building sketches; access would not be off Highway 12 (it would come from behind); and the amendment only enables future approvals - the development itself would still require additional review, including site plan review where details such as fencing would be considered.
Ordinance 4A-26 - Zoning code amendments: Greenwell reported that the new zoning code was approved March 12, 2026, and has been in use for about six weeks; six single-family homes have been approved under it. The ordinance makes targeted fixes: allowing all residential uses in the mixed-use district (described as an oversight); consolidating retaining wall standards between Titles 15 and 19 for consistency; significantly simplifying private access drive requirements with a single cross-section addressing safety and aesthetics while avoiding city maintenance obligations for private drives; and eliminating the minimum lot width requirement for twin homes/townhouses so duplexes and twin homes are treated consistently.
Ordinance 4B-26 - Records retention: Staff presented a cleanup ordinance repealing Chapter 3.12 (currently about 50 pages) and replacing it with the records retention schedule set forth in Wis. Stats. 16.61(7). Staff coordinated with the City Clerk and Police Department. Old records have been centralized at City Hall over the past two years, retention schedules are applied, and eligible records are shredded by an industrial shredding service.
Bauer Street Roof Repair bid: Staff reported that an emergency was declared in January 2026 for the Bauer Street fire station after an ice-dam event found weaknesses where roof seams meet, related to the low-slope roof configuration and construction method. The awarded contract adds five inches of insulation (R-30) between the steel deck flutes, installs a new rubber roof with flashing, and removes the metal facade around the top perimeter, with a full 20-year warranty.
Initial Board of Review: The Council set the Initial Board of Review for May 28, 2026, at 5:45 p.m., to convene and adjourn to a tentative date of August 26, 2026 (5-7 p.m.) when the assessment roll becomes available. Open book dates were noted as July 8 (2-6 p.m.) and July 9 (10 a.m.-2 p.m.), with notices to be sent.
Mayoral appointments and chairpersons: The Mayor stated the appointments remain unchanged from the prior arrangement; the Council approved the list.
Right away or not. She was up north or somewhere with her parents. Okay. So that might be her coming in right now. I think it is. She has a different clock. You may not tell him. If I got here early, it wouldn't be like one year, would it? You just have a different clock that you want to. I usually used to have my one in the house citizens. It's ordered and it's going to be solved. Okay. Eliminate a little bit of call the Altoona City Council organizational and regular council meeting to order of April 21st, 2026. One nation, under guide, indivisible with liberty and justice for the swearing in of newly elected or re-elected. Square bridge. The big ones, a big ones. Do we have to go anywhere? Up there. And don't forget to sing this the city song. I can sing it. There was a dance. No dance. That was last year. Secret hand shape on Il Tuna. I know that one. Okay. Okay. Matt Bearing. Hi, Matt Bean. Susan. Susan Zilmer. Hi, Susan Rowe. Having been elected to the office of the office. Or is eleven, twelve, and fifteen. For the City of Altoona, State of Wisconsin. The City of Altuna, State of Wisconsin.