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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Menasha Common Council Approves TID No. 15 and Multiple 2026 Renewals – November 3, 2025

Common Council — Monday, November 3, 2025

BodyMenasha, Wisconsin

SessionCommon Council

DateMonday, November 3, 2025

StatusFILED

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Speaker numbers apply only to this recording.

Speaker 1

0:32

Can you all make

Speaker 2

0:33

sure can you all make sure your mics are on the news before we get started here?

Unassigned speaker

1:26

Good

Speaker 2

1:26

evening.

1:26

I'd like to call the city of Manasha Common Council meeting to order if you'd please rise and join me for the Pledge of Allegiance.

1:50

Thank you, Clerk Snyder, if we could have the role, please.

Speaker 1

1:53

Aldermanner Hello?

1:55

Alderman Rand.

1:58

Alderman Hale?

2:00

Aldrin Perkins?

2:01

Alderman Lewis?

2:03

Aldrin Marshall?

2:04

Alderman Grady.

2:05

All are present.

Speaker 2

2:07

Thank you, Clerk.

2:08

Next we'll move on to E, which is public comment on any matter of concern to the city.

2:13

If anybody in the gallery wishes to speak this evening, I would just ask that you step up to the podium, state your first and last name and address, and you have five minutes to speak.

Speaker 3

2:46

And I wanted to bring today's attention to the Manachea Pool.

Unassigned speaker

3:15

Speaker 3

3:15

complaint that I hear a lot of the grown-ups saying is, why aren't these kids going outside more?

3:20

They're always inside, they're playing their video games.

3:23

So when the matter is addressed on the question of

Unassigned speaker

3:26

Speaker 3

3:26

the menasha pool a want or a need?

3:32

So the question is

Unassigned speaker

3:34

what

Speaker 3

3:34

I feel is important is how much it would cost to bring the pool up to almost near perfect working order.

3:50

But a lot of things could also go wrong over the next few years, and it could be a money pit.

3:54

The trouble that I have is the dollar amount was not directly identified to say, in order to bring it up to near perfect working order and buy us another 70 years, is it gonna be 10 million, 15 million,

Unassigned speaker

4:08

Speaker 3

4:08

is it gonna be two million or three million?

4:11

Something that we could possibly

Unassigned speaker

4:13

do.

Unassigned speaker

4:14

Without an assessment to know what that dollar amount is, I feel like it's unfair to me to tell me that my car needs to be replaced without knowing that all it, we need to start from scratch, we need to put everything in brand new.

Speaker 3

4:34

But I do believe that there's going to be a lot more support from the city if there's complete transparency.

4:40

In addition, I don't want to come to the podium to say, just the complaint of saying we need a pool,

Unassigned speaker

4:47

Speaker 3

4:47

need to fix the pool, because at the end of the day, it's going to be a lot of money, regardless, for the city to come up with and fix this pool.

Unassigned speaker

4:55

Speaker 3

4:55

course, there's other ideas as far as fundraising, or can I go to Sam's Club and buy candy bars and sell them at you know in Appleton and get Appleton money to help fix the pool?

5:06

But there's also another consideration that I've been looking into for myself, it's been the budget.

5:12

So I've never looked at the Menasha budget before in my life.

5:15

But there are a few things on there that I thought those are kind of high, and I don't know if those high numbers is normal.

5:22

So then I looked up what's what cities do we have in Wisconsin that have the same number of people, the same population, and are they doing their anything differently with their budgets?

5:36

There were a few items that I noticed were very different.

Unassigned speaker

5:40

And

Speaker 3

5:40

I understand that this isn't apples for apples, these are different cities, different needs and requirements.

5:47

But my biggest question is: is there anything that we can learn from our neighbors to make things easier, more efficient, more cost-effective?

5:55

A couple of um the cities that I found that are the same population is Cacana, Wisconsin Rapids, Marshfield, and River Falls.

6:05

I did complete an entire budget difference between the

Unassigned speaker

6:08

two

Speaker 3

6:09

with the relation of the finance department, public safety, sanitation, police, and fire.

6:16

Um, and then comparing the budget numbers from Menasha to the absolute lowest budget for any one of these four other cities.

6:24

I found a difference of 8.4 million dollars per year.

6:28

Not saying that we have to cut 8.4 million, but the question is the want versus the need.

6:34

If Kakana has the same amount of people, and they have a lower crime rate, and they also have less police officers, the question is how are we spending our money?

6:48

How are we focusing on the community?

6:50

How are we reducing crime rate?

6:52

And does having more police officers necessarily mean less crime?

6:56

Or is there an opportunity

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Procedural███████████████████████████████31%

Economic Development███████████████████████23%

Pending Litigation██████████████14%

Engineering And Infrastructure████████8%

Parks and Recreation█████5%

Budget Equity Analysis█████5%

Affordable Housing█████5%

Water And Wastewater Management███3%

Public Engagement███3%

Summary of Proceedings

Menasha Common Council Meeting – November 3, 2025

The Menasha Common Council met at 6:02 p.m. on Monday, November 3, 2025, in the First Floor Conference Rooms at 100 Main Street, Menasha, WI. After the Pledge of Allegiance and roll call, all eight alderpersons were present. The Council approved the resolution creating Tax Incremental District (TID) No. 15, the draft 2026 Neenah-Menasha Fire Rescue budget, multiple 2026 insurance and construction renewals, and several partnerships, while also hearing public comments about the Jefferson Park swimming pool and receiving a report on a proposed new lake association.

Consent Calendar

Approved the Common Council minutes of 10/20/25 (voice vote).
Approved the 2026 Storage Tank Pollution Liability Insurance renewal with ACE American Insurance Company (8-0).
Approved the 2026 Municipal Property Insurance Company (MPIC) renewal policy quote (8-0).
Approved the 2026 Health Insurance Plans and Renewal and Vision & Dental Continuation (8-0).
Approved the Joint Powers Agreement with the Winnebago County 911 Emergency System (8-0).
Approved Change Order No. 1 & Final for Donald Hietpas & Sons, Inc., 2025 Sewer & Water Main Reconstruction, deducting $21,667.20 (8-0).
Approved Payment No. 3 & Final to Donald Hietpas & Sons, Inc. for the 2025 Sewer & Water Main Reconstruction, $20,772.63 (8-0).
Approved Payment No. 2 to Northeast Asphalt, Inc. for the Jefferson Park Boat Launch, $147,406.75 (8-0).
Approved Change Order No. 2 & Final for Jefferson Park Improvements, deducting $21,265.23 (8-0).
Approved Payment No. 9 & Final to Northeast Asphalt, Inc. for Jefferson Park Improvements, $33,550.03 (8-0).
Approved the Jingle Bell Jog street use application for Saturday, December 13, 2025, 9:00-10:30 a.m., sponsored by Menasha High School FBLA (7-0, with Ald. Lewis abstaining because of her employment with Menasha High School).
Approved the purchase and contract for one 2025 Can-Am EMS-UTV and related equipment, cost not to exceed $60,000, using FAP carry-over funds from 2024-25 (8-0).
Approved the proposed Neenah-Menasha Fire Rescue 2026 budget as a draft, preserving the opportunity for final revisions during the upcoming budget review sessions (8-0).

Public Comments & Testimony

Jessica Ketchum (816 Sixth Street, Menasha) questioned how much it would cost to bring the Jefferson Park Swimming Pool to near perfect working order and whether a repair could become a money pit. She said her comparison of Menasha to similarly populated cities (Kaukauna, Wisconsin Rapids, Marshfield, and River Falls) found an $8.4 million per year difference in selected budget areas and asked the Council to consider budget reallocation, fundraising, and greater transparency.
Eli Wickman (700 Tenth Street, Menasha), speaking as a Park Board member, expressed full support for the City's decision to close the pool for the 2026 season and to replace it. He described the pool's deteriorating conditions and said a $500,000 repair band-aid was not fiscally responsible compared with an approximately $12 million new aquatic center, which would cost about $182,000 per year if it lasted 66 years. He noted the City expects the new aquatic center to be operational in 2027.
Dani Rand (336 Lopas Street, Menasha) announced the founding meeting of the Little Lake Butte des Morts Lake Association on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. at the Appleton Yacht Club. She explained that a 2023 DNR water quality study found algae blooms, invasive species, phosphorus, sediment, and shoreline erosion issues affecting the 1,200-acre lake and its 64,000+ residents, and invited board members and volunteers from across the region.

Reports & Presentations

The Council received the Clerk's report, which included the Community Development Report (3Q 2026), the TID No. 15 Creation Summary, minutes from seven boards and committees, and the Menasha 2035: Your Place on the Water Comprehensive Plan Public Participation Update. The motion to receive was approved by voice vote.
Community Development Director Andrew Dane presented the third-quarter Community Development Report, highlighting a re-evaluation of building inspections, permit turnaround times, fee alignment, and cost recovery. He also announced a comprehensive plan public input session at the library on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. with UW-Madison graduate students focused on downtown and waterfront areas. Council discussion covered Project Front Porch participation, Diggers Hotline inquiries, code enforcement case origins (65% resident complaints and 35% proactive inspections), and unoccupied or underutilized properties including the Whiting Paper Mill, the steam plant, and the former Dreams/Germania Hall site.
Ehlers Public Finance Advisors presented the TID No. 15 Creation Summary. TID No. 15 is a proposed mixed-use tax increment district of approximately 90 acres along the Oneida Street corridor, with a maximum life of 20 years and territory in Winnebago and Calumet counties and in the Menasha Joint and Appleton Area School Districts. Current maps show roughly 7% of the total acreage for newly platted residential development, below the statutory 35% limit. Initial development is expected to generate about $37,650,000 in incremental value, including approximately 96 proposed garden-style apartment units. The presentation emphasized a pay-as-you-go model where the developer carries financial risk, with up to 95% of annual increment from a development potentially paid to the developer until a negotiated cap is reached. All future development agreements and expenditures would require Common Council approval.
During TID No. 15 discussion, staff clarified that properties in the district continue to pay taxes, with only the incremental value directed to the TID; Festival Foods is included primarily for a contiguous boundary and is not expected to receive incentives; and the district was prompted by a Forward Development multifamily proposal seeking TIF assistance.

Action Items

Approved accounts payable and payroll for the term 10/17/25-10/30/25 in the amount of $1,330,015.66 (8-0). Staff explained that the check register lacked descriptions due to a one-time staff/software circumstance and committed to providing a detailed register.
Approved a partnership with Heckrodt Wetland Reserve on a house relocation proposal, authorizing staff and the Redevelopment Authority to work with Heckrodt and Habitat for Humanity to develop a partnership agreement that would return for final Council and RDA approval (8-0). Staff said Heckrodt had planned to demolish the house and the City is exploring relocating it to provide housing instead.
Approved the Resolution Creating Tax Incremental District No. 15, Approving Its Project Plan and Establishing Its Boundaries (8-0) under Action Item I-3.
Approved the Strong Neighborhoods Program pilot partnership with Greater Fox Cities Habitat for Humanity, including a draft MOU subject to final approval by the City Attorney's Office (8-0). Staff confirmed a $100,000 limit for the program in the budget.

Ordinances, Resolutions & Appointments

R-26-25: Approved a resolution establishing the Lawson Canal Ad-Hoc Advisory Committee to support the update of the Lawson Canal Master Plan (8-0). Staff cited a $500,000 EPA grant with no local match and urgency related to the grant deadline; the minutes state the deadline as December 2026, while the transcript states September 30, 2026.
R-28-25: Approved the Resolution Creating Tax Incremental District No. 15, Approving Its Project Plan and Establishing Its Boundaries (8-0). The same resolution had also been approved earlier under Action Item I-3.
Approved the Mayor's eight appointments to the Downtown Menasha Forward Ad-hoc Committee for the term beginning 11/4/25, focused on the creation of a downtown nonprofit: Angela Green-Ludvik, Melanie DuFrane, Ald. Rand, Ald. Perkins, Peter Dulcamara, Jeff Buser, Dustin McClone, and Michele Lynn (voice vote).

Closed Session

The Council voted 8-0 to adjourn into closed session under Wis. Stat. 19.85(1)(g) to confer with legal counsel about litigation strategy concerning the Village of Harrison Notice of Injury and Notice of Claim against the City Re: 2019 Interim Agreement. The Council reconvened into open session by voice vote, and no further action on the claim was reported.

Key Outcomes

Approved the resolution creating TID No. 15, including its project plan and boundaries, by an 8-0 vote; the resolution was approved twice on the agenda, under Action Item I-3 and as R-28-25.
Approved the draft 2026 Neenah-Menasha Fire Rescue budget by an 8-0 vote, with final adoption to follow during budget review sessions scheduled for November 5, 6, 12, and 13, 2025.
Approved 2026 renewals for storage tank pollution liability insurance, MPIC property insurance, and health/vision/dental plans, each by 8-0 votes.
Approved the Strong Neighborhoods pilot MOU with Greater Fox Cities Habitat for Humanity, contingent on City Attorney review, by an 8-0 vote.
Approved the Lawson Canal Ad-Hoc Advisory Committee resolution by an 8-0 vote.
Approved all eight Downtown Menasha Forward Ad-hoc Committee appointments by voice vote.
Authorized the Heckrodt Wetland Reserve house relocation partnership by an 8-0 vote.
Adjourned at 8:13 p.m.

Meeting Transcript

Can you all make sure can you all make sure your mics are on the news before we get started here? Good evening. I'd like to call the city of Manasha Common Council meeting to order if you'd please rise and join me for the Pledge of Allegiance. Thank you, Clerk Snyder, if we could have the role, please. Aldermanner Hello? Alderman Rand. Alderman Hale? Aldrin Perkins? Alderman Lewis? Aldrin Marshall? Alderman Grady. All are present. Thank you, Clerk. Next we'll move on to E, which is public comment on any matter of concern to the city. If anybody in the gallery wishes to speak this evening, I would just ask that you step up to the podium, state your first and last name and address, and you have five minutes to speak. And I wanted to bring today's attention to the Manachea Pool. A complaint that I hear a lot of the grown-ups saying is, why aren't these kids going outside more? They're always inside, they're playing their video games. So when the matter is addressed on the question of is the menasha pool a want or a need? So the question is what I feel is important is how much it would cost to bring the pool up to almost near perfect working order. But a lot of things could also go wrong over the next few years, and it could be a money pit. The trouble that I have is the dollar amount was not directly identified to say, in order to bring it up to near perfect working order and buy us another 70 years, is it gonna be 10 million, 15 million, or is it gonna be two million or three million? Something that we could possibly do. Without an assessment to know what that dollar amount is, I feel like it's unfair to me to tell me that my car needs to be replaced without knowing that all it, we need to start from scratch, we need to put everything in brand new. But I do believe that there's going to be a lot more support from the city if there's complete transparency. In addition, I don't want to come to the podium to say, just the complaint of saying we need a pool, we need to fix the pool, because at the end of the day, it's going to be a lot of money, regardless, for the city to come up with and fix this pool. Of course, there's other ideas as far as fundraising, or can I go to Sam's Club and buy candy bars and sell them at you know in Appleton and get Appleton money to help fix the pool? But there's also another consideration that I've been looking into for myself, it's been the budget. So I've never looked at the Menasha budget before in my life. But there are a few things on there that I thought those are kind of high, and I don't know if those high numbers is normal. So then I looked up what's what cities do we have in Wisconsin that have the same number of people, the same population, and are they doing their anything differently with their budgets? There were a few items that I noticed were very different. And I understand that this isn't apples for apples, these are different cities, different needs and requirements. But my biggest question is: is there anything that we can learn from our neighbors to make things easier, more efficient, more cost-effective? A couple of um the cities that I found that are the same population is Cacana, Wisconsin Rapids, Marshfield, and River Falls. I did complete an entire budget difference between the

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Menasha Common Council Meeting – November 3, 2025

Consent Calendar

Approved the Common Council minutes of 10/20/25 (voice vote).

Approved the 2026 Storage Tank Pollution Liability Insurance renewal with ACE American Insurance Company (8-0).

Approved the 2026 Municipal Property Insurance Company (MPIC) renewal policy quote (8-0).

Approved the 2026 Health Insurance Plans and Renewal and Vision & Dental Continuation (8-0).

Approved the Joint Powers Agreement with the Winnebago County 911 Emergency System (8-0).

Approved Change Order No. 1 & Final for Donald Hietpas & Sons, Inc., 2025 Sewer & Water Main Reconstruction, deducting $21,667.20 (8-0).

Approved Payment No. 3 & Final to Donald Hietpas & Sons, Inc. for the 2025 Sewer & Water Main Reconstruction, $20,772.63 (8-0).

Approved Payment No. 2 to Northeast Asphalt, Inc. for the Jefferson Park Boat Launch, $147,406.75 (8-0).

Approved Change Order No. 2 & Final for Jefferson Park Improvements, deducting $21,265.23 (8-0).

Approved Payment No. 9 & Final to Northeast Asphalt, Inc. for Jefferson Park Improvements, $33,550.03 (8-0).

Approved the Jingle Bell Jog street use application for Saturday, December 13, 2025, 9:00-10:30 a.m., sponsored by Menasha High School FBLA (7-0, with Ald. Lewis abstaining because of her employment with Menasha High School).

Approved the purchase and contract for one 2025 Can-Am EMS-UTV and related equipment, cost not to exceed $60,000, using FAP carry-over funds from 2024-25 (8-0).

Approved the proposed Neenah-Menasha Fire Rescue 2026 budget as a draft, preserving the opportunity for final revisions during the upcoming budget review sessions (8-0).

Public Comments & Testimony

Jessica Ketchum (816 Sixth Street, Menasha) questioned how much it would cost to bring the Jefferson Park Swimming Pool to near perfect working order and whether a repair could become a money pit. She said her comparison of Menasha to similarly populated cities (Kaukauna, Wisconsin Rapids, Marshfield, and River Falls) found an $8.4 million per year difference in selected budget areas and asked the Council to consider budget reallocation, fundraising, and greater transparency.

Eli Wickman (700 Tenth Street, Menasha), speaking as a Park Board member, expressed full support for the City's decision to close the pool for the 2026 season and to replace it. He described the pool's deteriorating conditions and said a $500,000 repair band-aid was not fiscally responsible compared with an approximately $12 million new aquatic center, which would cost about $182,000 per year if it lasted 66 years. He noted the City expects the new aquatic center to be operational in 2027.

Dani Rand (336 Lopas Street, Menasha) announced the founding meeting of the Little Lake Butte des Morts Lake Association on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. at the Appleton Yacht Club. She explained that a 2023 DNR water quality study found algae blooms, invasive species, phosphorus, sediment, and shoreline erosion issues affecting the 1,200-acre lake and its 64,000+ residents, and invited board members and volunteers from across the region.

Reports & Presentations

The Council received the Clerk's report, which included the Community Development Report (3Q 2026), the TID No. 15 Creation Summary, minutes from seven boards and committees, and the Menasha 2035: Your Place on the Water Comprehensive Plan Public Participation Update. The motion to receive was approved by voice vote.

Community Development Director Andrew Dane presented the third-quarter Community Development Report, highlighting a re-evaluation of building inspections, permit turnaround times, fee alignment, and cost recovery. He also announced a comprehensive plan public input session at the library on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. with UW-Madison graduate students focused on downtown and waterfront areas. Council discussion covered Project Front Porch participation, Diggers Hotline inquiries, code enforcement case origins (65% resident complaints and 35% proactive inspections), and unoccupied or underutilized properties including the Whiting Paper Mill, the steam plant, and the former Dreams/Germania Hall site.

Ehlers Public Finance Advisors presented the TID No. 15 Creation Summary. TID No. 15 is a proposed mixed-use tax increment district of approximately 90 acres along the Oneida Street corridor, with a maximum life of 20 years and territory in Winnebago and Calumet counties and in the Menasha Joint and Appleton Area School Districts. Current maps show roughly 7% of the total acreage for newly platted residential development, below the statutory 35% limit. Initial development is expected to generate about $37,650,000 in incremental value, including approximately 96 proposed garden-style apartment units. The presentation emphasized a pay-as-you-go model where the developer carries financial risk, with up to 95% of annual increment from a development potentially paid to the developer until a negotiated cap is reached. All future development agreements and expenditures would require Common Council approval.

During TID No. 15 discussion, staff clarified that properties in the district continue to pay taxes, with only the incremental value directed to the TID; Festival Foods is included primarily for a contiguous boundary and is not expected to receive incentives; and the district was prompted by a Forward Development multifamily proposal seeking TIF assistance.

Action Items

Approved accounts payable and payroll for the term 10/17/25-10/30/25 in the amount of $1,330,015.66 (8-0). Staff explained that the check register lacked descriptions due to a one-time staff/software circumstance and committed to providing a detailed register.

Approved a partnership with Heckrodt Wetland Reserve on a house relocation proposal, authorizing staff and the Redevelopment Authority to work with Heckrodt and Habitat for Humanity to develop a partnership agreement that would return for final Council and RDA approval (8-0). Staff said Heckrodt had planned to demolish the house and the City is exploring relocating it to provide housing instead.

Approved the Resolution Creating Tax Incremental District No. 15, Approving Its Project Plan and Establishing Its Boundaries (8-0) under Action Item I-3.

Approved the Strong Neighborhoods Program pilot partnership with Greater Fox Cities Habitat for Humanity, including a draft MOU subject to final approval by the City Attorney's Office (8-0). Staff confirmed a $100,000 limit for the program in the budget.

Ordinances, Resolutions & Appointments

R-26-25: Approved a resolution establishing the Lawson Canal Ad-Hoc Advisory Committee to support the update of the Lawson Canal Master Plan (8-0). Staff cited a $500,000 EPA grant with no local match and urgency related to the grant deadline; the minutes state the deadline as December 2026, while the transcript states September 30, 2026.

R-28-25: Approved the Resolution Creating Tax Incremental District No. 15, Approving Its Project Plan and Establishing Its Boundaries (8-0). The same resolution had also been approved earlier under Action Item I-3.

Approved the Mayor's eight appointments to the Downtown Menasha Forward Ad-hoc Committee for the term beginning 11/4/25, focused on the creation of a downtown nonprofit: Angela Green-Ludvik, Melanie DuFrane, Ald. Rand, Ald. Perkins, Peter Dulcamara, Jeff Buser, Dustin McClone, and Michele Lynn (voice vote).

Closed Session

The Council voted 8-0 to adjourn into closed session under Wis. Stat. 19.85(1)(g) to confer with legal counsel about litigation strategy concerning the Village of Harrison Notice of Injury and Notice of Claim against the City Re: 2019 Interim Agreement. The Council reconvened into open session by voice vote, and no further action on the claim was reported.

Key Outcomes

Approved the resolution creating TID No. 15, including its project plan and boundaries, by an 8-0 vote; the resolution was approved twice on the agenda, under Action Item I-3 and as R-28-25.

Approved the draft 2026 Neenah-Menasha Fire Rescue budget by an 8-0 vote, with final adoption to follow during budget review sessions scheduled for November 5, 6, 12, and 13, 2025.

Approved 2026 renewals for storage tank pollution liability insurance, MPIC property insurance, and health/vision/dental plans, each by 8-0 votes.

Approved the Strong Neighborhoods pilot MOU with Greater Fox Cities Habitat for Humanity, contingent on City Attorney review, by an 8-0 vote.

Approved the Lawson Canal Ad-Hoc Advisory Committee resolution by an 8-0 vote.

Approved all eight Downtown Menasha Forward Ad-hoc Committee appointments by voice vote.

Authorized the Heckrodt Wetland Reserve house relocation partnership by an 8-0 vote.

Adjourned at 8:13 p.m.

Meeting Transcript