Meeting colors

OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Fitchburg RCC Meeting - May 11, 2026: Development, Plastic-Free July, and Event Recaps

Common Council & City Boards — Monday, May 11, 2026

BodyFitchburg, Wisconsin

SessionCommon Council & City Boards

DateMonday, May 11, 2026

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 2:04:59

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

Speaker numbers apply only to this recording.

Speaker 1

0:00

Hi, I'm Jeremy Crosby, and I'm Nick Boucher.

0:02

We're your hosts for the program that's all about your city.

0:05

Talking Fitchburg.

Speaker 2

0:06

Every weekday, we pull together the news, events, and information you need to stay on top of what's happening in the city of Fitchburg.

0:12

Find

Speaker 1

0:12

Talking Fitchburg on Cable TV, Roku, Amazon Fire, Apple TV, and our live stream on the web.

0:18

Plus, you can find all our headlines and stories on Facebook, YouTube, and our video on demand service.

Speaker 2

0:23

This is your city.

0:24

Keep up with Talking Fitchburg and the issues affecting you and your neighbors.

Speaker 3

0:29

Get connected, Fitchburg.

0:31

Sign up for Fitchburg Connect, the city's monthly e-newsletter that keeps you informed about all the events, services, and updates that matter to you.

0:39

Get it in your inbox once a month.

0:42

Sign up today to get Fitchburg Connect.

Unassigned speaker

1:10

All

Speaker 4

1:10

right, we'll go ahead and call this May 11th RCC meeting to order.

1:15

First item of business is appointment of a timekeeper.

1:18

Diane, are you uh willing to take that on tonight?

Speaker 5

1:22

Yes,

Unassigned speaker

1:22

of course.

Speaker 4

1:23

All right.

1:24

Very good.

1:26

Uh public appearances on non-agenda items.

1:29

See none, and I don't have any slips in front of me.

1:33

We'll move on to item number three, approval of minutes.

1:36

Do I have a motion to approve the draft minutes from the March 9th, 2026 RCC meeting?

1:42

So moved.

1:43

All right.

1:43

A second.

1:46

Any discussion.

1:51

Hearing no discussion.

1:52

All those in favor of the minutes from the March 9th, 2026 RCC meeting say aye.

1:58

Opposed.

2:00

All right.

2:01

Meetings passed.

2:02

Moving on to agenda items.

2:05

Uh we have uh first item of business is the RCC's role in monitoring planned development in Fitchburg.

2:13

Ben, I'll let you take that one away.

Speaker 6

2:15

Yeah, sure.

2:16

So I this was included.

2:17

It was on the calendar, and I don't know who maybe recommended that as a topic.

2:24

Um, if there was anything in particular that they wanted to kind of touch on in regards to this topic.

2:31

Um so I guess as I'm kind of going through this, feel free to just interrupt me if I'm not it could have potentially been wrong, but like I'm

Speaker 4

2:40

trying to think.

2:42

But why don't you go ahead and look what you interpret it as and then we'll look at it.

Speaker 6

2:46

Sure.

2:46

So just kind of at a high level um per the summary of duties um that that's kind of outlined for the resource conservation.

2:58

And it it essentially says it's resource conservation commission to recommend policy enforcement and information.

3:06

Um to essentially carry out um findings and provisions of uh chapter 41, so that's solid waste and recycling, chapter 30, um, that's the erosion control stormwater management, and then chapter 40, um, which is the stormwater utility um ordinance.

3:26

So essentially it's kind of policy recommendations, um, and that could be from an ordinance standpoint.

3:36

So I think in regards to kind of private development, you we'd be talking about kind of the the chapter 30 stormwater management and and runoff um control, which uh is actually something we can we can take a look at um this year, perhaps even maybe the next next agenda we could we could open that up.

4:00

Um there's been some conversations about some changes we can make.

4:05

Um, and and actually it's due for an update because uh there's some things that don't quite match up with what Dane County has.

4:14

Um so there's a few things that Dane County has that's a little bit more stringent than what's in the Fitchburg ordinance.

4:20

In those cases, we you know the more stringent of the two ordinances is is the standard that has to be met.

4:29

So um even though there might not be some things in the Fitchburg ordinance yet that are the Dane County ordinance, those things still have to be followed, but it it'd be good to just go through and at least make sure all those things kind of match since it has to be enforced anyways.

Unassigned speaker

4:48

Um so I guess that's kind of one of the main mechanisms that um uh that RCC kind of dictates uh policy related or development related policy.

Speaker 6

5:05

Then I guess a second way that's a little bit more kind of specific to each development is when we go through our um our neighborhood planning process.

5:15

So we just had the Stoner or the South Stoner Prairie Neighborhood Plan and then the Greenfield neighborhood plan that were approved,

Unassigned speaker

5:25

was

Speaker 6

5:26

it was it this year or was it last year?

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Public Engagement██████████████████████22%

Stormwater Management██████████████████18%

Environmental Protection██████████████14%

Sustainability Tour Planning█████████████13%

Procedural█████5%

Tree Preservation█████5%

Parks and Recreation████4%

Waste Management████4%

Water And Wastewater Management███3%

Summary of Proceedings

Fitchburg Resource Conservation Commission Meeting: May 11, 2026

The Fitchburg Resource Conservation Commission (RCC) convened on May 11, 2026. The meeting featured discussions on the commission's role in monitoring planned development, planning for Plastic-Free July, recapping April community events, and receiving a council staff update on city projects and policies.

Consent Calendar

Motion to approve the draft minutes from the March 9, 2026 RCC meeting. Motion carried.

Public Comments & Testimony

None.

Discussion Items

RCC's Role in Monitoring Planned Development

Staff member Ben led a discussion on the RCC's role in regulating planned development. He outlined three primary mechanisms:

Ordinance Updates: The commission makes policy recommendations for ordinances in Chapter 30 (erosion control/stormwater management), Chapter 40 (stormwater utility), and Chapter 41 (solid waste/recycling). Ben noted the Chapter 30 ordinance is due for an update to align with stricter Dane County standards.
Neighborhood and Comprehensive Plans: The RCC reviews neighborhood plans (e.g., Greenfield, South Stoner Prairie) and comprehensive plans, focusing on environmental features like wetlands, creeks, and buffer areas. Currently, the city's comprehensive plan recommends a 300-foot buffer from wetlands. Buffer minimums are governed by Dane County's environmental corridor policy and CARPC review, with variations between 75-foot and 150-foot widths based on waterway classification (navigable vs. non-navigable, shifting towards a perennial vs. intermittent standard).
Big-Picture Policy: It was explained the commission generally does not weigh in on specific development plans (that is the Plan Commission's role), but instead sets the rules and policies developers must know in advance so they do not face surprises. Commissioner Chris noted that the RCC provides recommendations but lacks the authority to stop or modify specific developments as long as they meet established ordinances. Commissioners discussed the increasing frequency of high-intensity storms due to climate change and the need for the city to consider updating stormwater infrastructure sizing standards (e.g., moving beyond the 10-year/25-year storm event benchmarks).

Plastic Free July Planning

Commissioner Kim (participating by phone) outlined plans for Plastic Free July. Past efforts involved "bring your own bag" events at grocery stores, which she described as 'preaching to the choir.'

Proposed New Approach: A shift towards educational outreach on Fitchburg's ability to recycle various plastics at the city drop-off site. This was prompted by a Ridwell event showing high resident interest in advanced plastic recycling, many of whom were unaware of the city's existing program. Kim expressed strong support for a campaign informing residents of locally available options.
Logistics: The event would be separate from the film series and initially target single-family homes before expanding to multi-family dwellings. The commission plans to hold a community outreach meeting in the coming weeks to finalize the venue (Hub, library) and messaging.

Sustainability Event Planning

Commissioner Ryan updated the commission on a planned sustainability tour at Duns Marsh, coordinated with the Parks Department and potentially featuring a speaker from the Badger Talks program. A new boardwalk built by Promega along the Cap City Trail to a spring near Eagle School was highlighted as a possible future tour location. Commissioners expressed support for utilizing local natural features and experts for walkable events, alongside a potential fall bike event. Potential speakers like Robert Montgomery (hydraulic engineer) were mentioned.

Green Thursday Event Planning

The commission discussed the film series and improving event outreach. Commissioners expressed interest in creating a printed postcard or magnet detailing the year's events (Green Thursday, Shred, Electronics) to increase awareness among residents. There was a debate about wastefulness, with Commissioner Chris advocating for a reusable Fitchburg-branded magnet paired with a recyclable paper postcard.

April Events Recap

Shred/Electronics Recycling Event: 11,000 pounds of paper and just over 10,000 pounds of electronics were collected. The event was extremely busy, with lines extending onto Lacey Road.
Waterway Cleanups: Good turnout with 12-15 volunteers. Less trash was collected than in prior years, which was attributed to reduced traffic on Scien Road due to construction.
Bilingual Conservation Fair: Held at the Hub by Wisconsin El Centro Latinos, the event saw strong attendance (over 100 people) and included city staff and various community vendors.

Key Outcomes

Minutes Approved: Draft minutes from March 9, 2026 approved.
Council Update: Council member Bill provided an update highlighting:
- New developments: McCoy/DM corner project (300 apartments, 40 townhomes, 35 single-family, 120 senior living), Uptown Fitchburg buildout, Sesta senior residence in TerraVesa, and Bowman Plaza (Fitchburg's tallest building at 6-7 stories).
- Infrastructure: Start of street resurfacing in Bellmar, Tower Hill, Hillside Heights in late May/early June. Fitchrona Road project in two phases. LED street light conversion grant.
- Selection of Fitchburg for a LEED for Cities national cohort by the US Green Building Council and Bank of America.
Staff Updates (Ben/Phil):
- Solid Waste: The food scrap collection program has processed approximately 2,345 gallons (~9,000 lbs) since October and has 265 registrations. The annual recycling report was submitted to the DNR.
- Stormwater: Storm sewer televising of 10,000 feet was completed with no major issues. The 2026 Belmar and Tower Hill Utility Improvements Project, awarded to Speedway Sand and Gravel, will start May 26th. Storm sewer upsizing on Crescent Road aims to alleviate recurrent flooding.
- Staff is exploring Level 3 EV charging stations at the Community Center, to be installed and operated by MGE for five years at no cost to the city.
Upcoming Events: Bike to Work with the Mayor on Friday, May 14th at McKee Farms Park at 7 a.m.
Plastic-Free July: Commission to organize a subcommittee meeting to develop the Plastic-Free July outreach event and find a film.
Articles: Commissioners committed to writing Green E-news articles on food scraps (Chris for June) and plastics (Kim for July).

Meeting Transcript

Hi, I'm Jeremy Crosby, and I'm Nick Boucher. We're your hosts for the program that's all about your city. Talking Fitchburg. Every weekday, we pull together the news, events, and information you need to stay on top of what's happening in the city of Fitchburg. Find Talking Fitchburg on Cable TV, Roku, Amazon Fire, Apple TV, and our live stream on the web. Plus, you can find all our headlines and stories on Facebook, YouTube, and our video on demand service. This is your city. Keep up with Talking Fitchburg and the issues affecting you and your neighbors. Get connected, Fitchburg. Sign up for Fitchburg Connect, the city's monthly e-newsletter that keeps you informed about all the events, services, and updates that matter to you. Get it in your inbox once a month. Sign up today to get Fitchburg Connect. All right, we'll go ahead and call this May 11th RCC meeting to order. First item of business is appointment of a timekeeper. Diane, are you uh willing to take that on tonight? Yes, of course. All right. Very good. Uh public appearances on non-agenda items. See none, and I don't have any slips in front of me. We'll move on to item number three, approval of minutes. Do I have a motion to approve the draft minutes from the March 9th, 2026 RCC meeting? So moved. All right. A second. Any discussion. Hearing no discussion. All those in favor of the minutes from the March 9th, 2026 RCC meeting say aye. Opposed. All right. Meetings passed. Moving on to agenda items. Uh we have uh first item of business is the RCC's role in monitoring planned development in Fitchburg. Ben, I'll let you take that one away. Yeah, sure. So I this was included. It was on the calendar, and I don't know who maybe recommended that as a topic. Um, if there was anything in particular that they wanted to kind of touch on in regards to this topic. Um so I guess as I'm kind of going through this, feel free to just interrupt me if I'm not it could have potentially been wrong, but like I'm trying to think. But why don't you go ahead and look what you interpret it as and then we'll look at it. Sure. So just kind of at a high level um per the summary of duties um that that's kind of outlined for the resource conservation. And it it essentially says it's resource conservation commission to recommend policy enforcement and information. Um to essentially carry out um findings and provisions of uh chapter 41, so that's solid waste and recycling, chapter 30, um, that's the erosion control stormwater management, and then chapter 40, um, which is the stormwater utility um ordinance. So essentially it's kind of policy recommendations, um, and that could be from an ordinance standpoint. So I think in regards to kind of private development, you we'd be talking about kind of the the chapter 30 stormwater management and and runoff um control, which uh is actually something we can we can take a look at um this year, perhaps even maybe the next next agenda we could we could open that up.

SUMMARIZED BY OPENPUBLICA AI

TRANSCRIPT VIA PUBLIC VIDEO
openpublica.com