Fitchburg Common Council Meeting July 28, 2026

On July 28, 2026, the Fitchburg Common Council met with a quorum present and adopted the 2027-2036 Capital Improvement Plan as amended. The council also approved multiple development-related resolutions and ordinances, an efficiency program contract, licenses, and other city business. The public hearing on the proposed CIP amendments closed at 6:49 p.m.; the meeting was extended by 30 minutes and adjourned at 10:25 p.m. No agenda or minutes were available, so this summary is based on the raw transcript.

Consent Calendar

• The consent agenda was approved by voice vote.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Tony Hartman, representing the Legacy Solar Cooperative, spoke in support of accelerating the city's solar investment. He called the proposal a 'two-foot putt' and said waiting would mean losing the 30% federal elective pay/direct-pay credit. He also said Legacy Solar would do the work and estimated that a roughly 20-kilowatt, 35-panel array at the lift station could cover most of that facility's electricity cost.
• Patrick Cheney spoke during the CIP public hearing. He supported delaying the Irish Lane water main by one year so it align with the resurfacing and sewer work, opposed amendment 9 because it relied on borrowing, and urged the council to follow what residents wanted on amendment 14. He asked for roll-call votes on the amendments.
• David Hayde, 5855 Woods Edge Road, said he had built a database system to track city financial information and argued that the council lacks visibility into the consequences of its decisions. He said development does not pay for itself, that the city is facing a cash squeeze and a starved capital budget, and that subsidies to developers put pressure on the general fund. Later, during the Syncopation preliminary plat discussion, he objected that the project's stormwater layout moves in the wrong direction relative to a $50 million unfunded TMDL water-quality backlog.
• A resident from Seminole Forest, Jeff, requested a second basketball hoop on the rebuilt court at Seminole Glen Park. He said two hoops existed before the court was expanded in 2024, only one hoop was reinstalled, and the neighborhood was willing to fundraise.
• A speaker also corrected a prior statement about CARPC, saying 2015 legislation removed CARPC authority over the Dane County water quality plan and left DNR water quality criteria as the basis for urban service area expansion decisions.

Proclamations and Reports

• Mayor Ratafrata read a proclamation commemorating the 250th anniversary of the United States, declaring July 4, 2026 as American Semiquincentennial Celebration Day in Fitchburg. The proclamation noted the city will plant 250 trees in 2026 and will hold commemorative programs at the Fitchburg Public Library.
• Administrator Chad Brecklin gave an update on upcoming city events: UPS store groundbreaking at Fish Hatchery Road on Thursday at 10 a.m.; Fitchburg Chamber Biz After Hours Thursday at 4:30 p.m.; Kids Crossing public comment period open until August 5 at 12 p.m.; Police Community Night Out at McKee Farms Park on August 12 from 5 to 8 p.m.; the Southdale Park movie rescheduled to August 31; Whalen Road paved shoulder and sidewalk work expected to start next month; Bowman Plaza demolition expected next month; and in-person absentee voting for the August 11 primary began that day.
• Mayor Ratafrata reported on a District 2 community listening session scheduled for July 30 from 6 to 8 p.m., the Chico Rimido Improvement Park ribbon cutting, office hours in August, a ride-along with police and fire, the Mayors Innovation Project conference, a visit from the mayor of Fitchburg, Massachusetts, the Promega boardwalk dedication, a police technology demonstration, the 2027 budget survey open until August 31, and a donation of 200 soccer balls from FIFA. She also expressed condolences to the people of Menasha and Appleton.
• Commission reports included: Plan Commission preparing for a comprehensive plan kickoff around mid-September and a working group application for residents; Resource Conservation Commission reviewing a $4-per-year solid waste increase (1.7%, from $236 to $240) and reporting 12,000 pounds of food scraps collected since October 2025 with 338 people registered; Library Board reviewing a new collection management policy permitting removal of books written by or heavily using AI; Transportation and Transit Commission discussing Agora Pavilion pedestrian crossings and a possible farmers market move; EMS Commission approving 2027 ambulance rates with a modest 3% increase and making the second paramedic intern position permanent; Healthy Neighborhoods Advisory Committee considering a one-year pause in grant applications to revamp the process; and Commission on Aging Well reporting the senior center averaging about 280 participants per day.

Resolutions and Ordinances Approved

• R132-26, approving the second amendment to the subdivision improvement agreement with Sub-Zero for the Basswood Drive/Buds Drive cul-de-sac and resurfacing, was approved. The item had been postponed from June 23.
• R89-26, approving the Hosta Hochi Park Rental Policy as amended by the Parks Commission, was approved.
• R127-26, approving a land use restriction agreement for properties in the Efficiency Navigator program, was approved. The agreement keeps rents affordable for five years and requires that the affordability restriction remain with the property if sold. Several council members questioned whether five years was long enough.
• R128-26, approving the agreement with Sustained Dane for the 2026 Efficiency Navigator program, was approved for $400,000. Claire from Sustained Dane reported 16 building intakes, 14 completed assessments, and 12 recommended buildings covering 73 units, 189 residents, 48 children, and 25 seniors. The work is projected to save about 57,000 kilograms of CO2 annually and about $10,000 per year in utility costs, roughly $100,000 over 10 years. Eight gas leaks across three buildings were identified and addressed.
• R144-26, a $25,000 room-tax budget amendment to fund an In Business Magazine marketing insert promoting Fitchburg, was approved by roll call.
• R145-26, renewing the contract with U.S. Signal for data center services, was approved.
• Operator licenses for Benjamin Boyd and Carrie Childress were approved after no concerns were raised at Public Safety and Human Services.
• R149-26 was postponed to the August 11 meeting because related subdivision improvements are not complete.
• R157-26 and Ordinance 2026-022 were approved to create lots and rezone Adams Road property for a horse boarding facility at 5927 and 5949 Adams Road.
• R158-26 and Ordinance 2026-023 were approved to create lots and rezone 5898 Adams Road for a horse operation and home.
• R159-26, the preliminary plat for the Nine Springs Hills/Syncopation project on County Highway MM, was approved with 45 parcels including 39 buildable lots. David Hayde objected, citing the city's $50 million unfunded stormwater/TMDL liability; staff noted the city participates in Yahara WINS with an annual contribution of about $100,000.
• Ordinance 2026-024 was approved for the Grace Hospice dementia village at 5395 East Cheryl Parkway. The project includes 64 memory-care units in eight homes, removes 73 trees, and is expected to finish phase two around August 2027.

CIP Amendments and Adoption

• Amendment 1, reclassifying the website project from capital to operating, was approved.
• Amendment 2, which would have accelerated and added funding for solar projects to take advantage of expiring 30% direct-pay credits, was withdrawn after extended discussion about funding sources and staff concerns about maintaining existing solar arrays. The council anticipated a future 2026 budget amendment instead.
• Amendments 3, 6, 7, and 13 were approved as a package. They transferred fund balances from police/fire radio and vehicle replacement accounts into CIP 9999, the Expenditure Restraint Incentive Program account, and increased the use of fund balance by $75,000 per year for 10 years. The proposal used about $750,000 of existing fund balance to reduce levy pressure, creating a planned structural deficit of $75,000 in 2037.
• Amendment 4, cleaning up operating-cost line items for the additional canine unit, was approved.
• Amendment 5, reducing the police facility building systems replacement fund, was amended from $200,000 to $150,000 and approved. Discussion included possibly using debt financing for the photovoltaic system and generator.
• Amendment 8, adding sidewalks on Cheryl Drive, was amended to move the project from 2027 to 2028 and approved. The project was described as about $180,000 and depends on 75% of affected property owners signing a petition.
• Amendment 9, adding future project cost for the Lacy and Osmussen Road traffic signal, was approved.
• Amendment 10, delaying the Irish Lane water main by one year to 2029 design and 2030 construction, was approved.
• Amendment 11, removing stale cost line items from Neighborhood Hub phase two, was approved.
• Amendment 12, reducing the city campus facilities remodel from $12 million to $10 million, failed on roll call.
• Amendment 14, adding a basketball court at Seminole Glen Park, was approved. Residents had gathered a petition with 1,080 signatures; the neighborhood association agreed to contribute up to $5,000. The approved version was for a full-court expansion, estimated around $20,000 to $22,000, rather than only adding a second hoop to the existing half court.
• Amendment 15, creating a B-cycle bike share station project and placing a station at the new YMCA in 2028 for about $30,000, was approved.
• The main motion to adopt the 2027-2036 CIP as amended was approved by roll call.

Other Business and Next Steps

• The council postponed Alder district reports to the next meeting.
• The next Common Council meeting was announced for August 11, 2026, and the next Committee of the Whole meeting for August 26, 2026.

Key Outcomes

• The 2027-2036 Capital Improvement Plan was adopted as amended.
• The council approved all non-CIP resolutions and ordinances listed above.
• R149-26 was postponed to August 11, 2026.
• The solar acceleration amendment was withdrawn rather than defeated, with a future 2026 budget amendment expected.
• The meeting was extended by 30 minutes and adjourned at 10:25 p.m.