Altoona City Council Meeting – August 27, 2026

The Altoona City Council met on Thursday, August 27, 2026, at 5:00 PM in the Council Chambers at City Hall. The meeting covered a quarterly strategic planning update, approval of a stormwater rate study with rate increases and a new rate structure, a public hearing and ordinance amendments related to zoning, subdivision standards, and wellhead protection, endorsement of a regional outdoor recreation plan, and adoption of a revised public nuisance ordinance.

Consent Calendar

• Approved a Combination "Class B" Retailers License for L&M Mrotek LLC, DBA Juanita’s Mexican Restaurant, with Liliana Mrotek as agent, effective September 1, 2026.
• A proclamation recognizing the Altoona Ski Sprites as Division 2 National Show Ski Tournament Champions was postponed to the next meeting to allow the group to be present.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No members of the public spoke during the Citizens Participation Period, which was closed unanimously.

Discussion Items

• Quarterly Strategic Planning Update: City Administrator Michael Golott presented progress on management initiatives aligned with the city’s strategic goals, including downtown revitalization, marketing of industrial parcels, park programming, technology upgrades (email transition to Microsoft 365), workforce retention, and major road projects such as Spooner Avenue. The update was informational; no action taken.
• Stormwater Rate Study: Christine DeMaster of Trilogy Consulting presented a rate study recommending phased rate increases (2027–2030) and a shift to a rate structure based on Equivalent Runoff Units (ERUs) using measured impervious area. Two alternatives were considered: Alternative 1 included folding curb and gutter replacement costs into the utility (reducing special assessments by ~10%), while Alternative 2 did not. After discussion on equity and administration, council approved Alternative 1 by a roll call vote of 4–1 (Stuber opposed). Quarterly rates for single-family homes would rise from $9 to $13.44 in 2027, reaching $21.05 by 2030 under Alternative 1; the existing credit policy would be eliminated.
• Public Hearing and Ordinance 8B-26 (Zoning & Wellhead Protection Amendments): A public hearing was held and closed with no public comment. Ordinance 8B-26 was then approved, amending Chapters 19.02 (Zoning Districts – Wellhead Protection Relocation), 19.08 (Subdivision Standards – ETJ Land Division Exceptions), and Title 13 (Water & Sewers – Wellhead Protection Standards). The ETJ change removes a third-party agreement requirement for land divisions, allowing limited subdivisions in already-divided areas.
• Resolution 8A-26 (Western Wisconsin Urban Outdoor Recreation Plan): Council endorsed the plan, which aims to promote regional outdoor recreation, tourism, and collaboration among jurisdictions. The resolution was approved unanimously.
• Ordinance 8C-26 (Public Nuisances): Police Chief Kelly Bachin presented a comprehensive rewrite of Chapter 8.24, adding sections on chronic nuisance landlords, exterior property maintenance, urination in public, and a clear abatement process. The ordinance allows citation of owners or tenants and provides a courtesy notice and violation process. Approved unanimously after noting a minor numbering error to be corrected during codification.

Key Outcomes

• Stormwater Rate Increase (Alternative 1) approved 4–1, implementing phased increases from 2027–2030 and a new ERU-based rate structure with elimination of the current credit policy.
• Ordinance 8B-26 approved (zoning and wellhead protection amendments).
• Resolution 8A-26 approved (endorsement of Western Wisconsin Urban Outdoor Recreation Plan).
• Ordinance 8C-26 approved (revised public nuisance ordinance).
• The proclamation for Ski Sprites was postponed to the next regular meeting.