Board of Public Works Meeting – December 1, 2025

The Board of Public Works met on Monday, December 1, 2025, at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall. Four of five members were present: Chair Bill Jetzer, Dave Wilburne, Don Gutkowski, and Alder Herbst (remote). The meeting included a presentation on the Water Supply Service Area Plan, a report on snow removal operations, and action on five resolutions.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of November 17, 2025 minutes – Moved, seconded, and unanimously approved.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public appearances were made for non‑agenda items.
• A public hearing on the Water Supply Service Area Plan was opened; no one spoke in person or online, so the hearing was closed.

Discussion Items

• Water Supply Service Area Plan (Addendum to 2018 Master Plan) – Nate Iwanowski of Strand Associates presented the plan, required by Wisconsin DNR code NR 854 and due December 31, 2025. Key points included:
  • The plan is an addendum to the 2018 master plan; a full master plan update is planned for around 2028.
  • Fitchburg’s water system is divided into three pressure zones. A new well (Well 12) and new water tower (Tower D) are under construction to combine the existing two systems into one.
  • The only new improvement recommended is a future Well 13 in the northeast zone to provide redundancy (two wells per zone).
  • Current average pumpage is about 2.4 million gallons per day (MGD); projected 2035 demand is about 2.9 MGD.
  • The plan assumes rural population (not served by city water) remains constant; a board member questioned whether Madison’s service to three areas of Fitchburg is accounted for in both cities’ plans. No coordination with Madison had occurred.
  • Questions were raised about radium levels, storage capacity standards (PSC approval), the sustainability plan’s goal of a 6% water use reduction by 2035, and the feasibility of infiltration/injection wells. The presenter stated that deep wells remain the best source and that the six‑year‑old sustainability target was not factored into the demand projections.
• Report from Director of Public Works (Tim Volker) – Snow Removal Operations – Tim reported that staff worked 21 hours over the holiday weekend (Saturday 9:30 a.m.–8 p.m., Sunday 3:30 a.m.–2 p.m.) after a 10‑inch snowfall. Bus stop clearing was not completed until Monday afternoon due to resource limits. Discussion included prioritization of bus stops vs. recreational trails, possible reprioritization in policy, and a suggestion to adopt‑a‑bus‑stop. The board also discussed alternate‑side parking enforcement and the possibility of tying parking restrictions to actual snow forecasts rather than a fixed calendar date.

Key Outcomes

• Resolution R22025 – Approved unanimously to grant an underground electric easement to Madison Gas and Electric for the Police Services Facility (Lot 20, Fitchburg Research Park).
• Resolution R23525 – Approved unanimously to support a STBG‑TA grant application for the Traceway and Post Road multi‑use path project, connecting Fish Hatchery Road to the Cannonball Trail.
• Resolution R21725 – Approved unanimously (after clarifying that a new code enforcement officer had been hired) to amend the 2026 budget: eliminate a vacant code enforcement position, reduce planning intern hours, and add a Finance Specialist (procurement/budget) and an LTE Building Inspector. The change is property‑tax neutral.
• Resolution R23125 – Approved unanimously to correct a clerical error in the 2024 sidewalk assessment, shifting a $180.50 charge from the north parcel to the correct south parcel.
• Resolution R22825 – Approved unanimously to reject the sole bid ($503,678.78) for the Police Services Facility audio‑video system (budget $2,500) and to rebid the project in January 2026.

Announcements

• The next Board of Public Works meeting is Monday, December 15, 2025, at 5:30 p.m.
• A positive report was shared about the new Traceway Hub; a child remarked she wanted to live there.

The meeting adjourned at 6:55 p.m.