Fitchburg Common Council Meeting – September 22, 2026

The Fitchburg Common Council met on September 22, 2026, to approve minutes, receive the finance director’s report, and act on seven resolutions, including a brush and yard waste contract, stormwater rate increase, solar inverter repair funding, a lease amendment, a bond issuance, and a federal grant acceptance. All resolutions were approved unanimously.

Discussion Items

• Approval of Minutes (September 8, 2026): Moved and approved without comment.
• Finance Director Report: The mayor’s proposed 2027 budget was released on September 18 and is online. Special finance committee meetings are scheduled for September 29–30. The council reviewed check registers: September 1–15 disbursements totaled $1,431,156.51 (checks 131243–131315 for $1,549,259.97). Alder Bill asked about an unusual second batch of police maintenance payments to Kaiser Ford; staff will follow up.
• Resolution R15226 – Brush & Yard Waste Processing Contract: Authorizes a three-year contract (2027–2029) with Purple Cow Organics LLC for $83,454.30 ($27,000 in 2027). Approved unanimously.
• Resolution R15526 – Stormwater Utility Rate Increase: Approves a 5% rate increase citywide, effective January 1, 2027. The rate had not been increased since 2023. Approved unanimously.
• Resolution R17526 – Budget Amendment for Solar Inverter Repairs: Transfers $100,000 from CIP 1038 (capital purchases for existing solar installations) to operating funds for repairs. Discussion included the history of inverter issues, estimated repair costs of $40,000–$50,000, and concerns about using one-time money. Staff clarified the funds were already designated for repairs, not future expansion. Approved unanimously.
• Resolution R1952 – Safe Kids Madison Lease Amendment (Fire Station 1): Amends the existing lease to reduce upper-floor office space and limit operations primarily to the basement, with annual cost increasing from ~$18,000 to ~$33,000. Discussion covered space usage and pending renovations. Approved unanimously.
• Resolution R1962 – Bond Issuance (Series 2026A): Authorizes the sale of up to $22,320,000 in general obligation promissory notes via a parameter sale, with a maximum true interest cost of 4.43%. Proceeds fund the police facility addition, Fitzrona Road improvements, Kids Crossing playground, and city hall remodeling. Estimated debt service levy increase: ~$320,000 per year for two years; a typical $500,000 property would see an ~$10 annual increase. The city’s debt would remain at 21% of its statutory limit. Staff may accept bids if terms are within parameters and will report results. Approved unanimously.
• Resolution R1972 – Acceptance of Edward Byrne Memorial JAG Grant: Accepts $11,144 from the federal grant via the city of Madison, to be used for data analysis software. A future budget amendment will formalize the expenditure. Approved unanimously.

Key Outcomes

• All five resolutions were passed unanimously.
• The meeting adjourned at 6:04 p.m.