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Record of Proceedings

Monroe Common Council Meeting - July 20, 2026: Housing Discussion, Plat Approvals, and Special Events

Common Council & Commissions — Monday, July 20, 2026
BodyMonroe, Wisconsin
SessionCommon Council & Commissions
DateMonday, July 20, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
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Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

Good evening, everybody.

0:02

Like to call the Monroe City Council meeting to order.

0:05

It is five o'clock or six thirty.

0:07

How about six thirty?

0:13

How about pledge allegiance?

0:16

I'll get my act together.

0:36

Now, how about real call?

0:38

Alder Doman?

0:39

Here.

0:40

Alder True Heart?

0:41

Here.

0:41

Alder Whartonweiler?

0:42

Here.

0:43

Alder Schaefer.

0:44

Here.

0:45

Alder Frankie.

0:47

Here.

0:48

Alder McGuire.

0:49

Here.

0:50

Alder Vestine.

0:51

Here.

0:52

All their vocally.

0:53

Here.

0:53

And all their Mosher.

0:55

Here.

0:57

And we are all present.

0:59

Thank you.

1:00

Corrections of minutes from July 6th, 2026.

1:06

Sounds like none.

1:07

So approved as presented.

1:10

Presentation of petition and communication.

1:16

Presentation of petitions and communication.

1:20

None.

1:21

Okay.

1:21

Business by Mayor.

1:23

First of all, I'd like to thank Rob Driver and Rob Jacobson for the tour of the airport this afternoon.

1:30

And like to thank all the city employees for working safe during this high heat and low air quality.

1:36

I know it's been rough for everybody out there.

1:38

And appreciate you hanging in there and doing it.

1:52

And it's mostly just to get to come to Monroe and say hi to me and uh let us know what they've got to offer.

2:02

They would like to work with us in order to get some grants.

2:05

So we'll go with that.

2:07

Good news the spilled grapes is now open.

2:09

It's one of the first businesses that got closed due to the fire.

2:13

So it's that's a start.

2:17

Cheesemaker Drive is now open, and they're starting to work on the roundabout by the beverage mart.

2:23

And there are two houses under construction in the new Richland Heights subdivision by the high school.

2:30

And uh I'll probably let police chief talk about this.

2:36

It's a fundraiser that you've got when it comes to uh you want to do it now or go ahead.

2:42

Or do we want um department heads do it then?

2:46

So it's a great idea and like for you to mention it and get people to be participated in.

2:58

Okay, uh appearances by the public.

3:03

Yes, we do have one.

3:04

Um Jillian Neymar.

3:10

If you could the bottom of the mic, we'll turn it on.

3:15

State your name and address and you'll go through that.

3:16

All right, cool.

3:17

All right, I'm Jill and Newyer.

3:18

I live at 1620, 23rd Ave Monroe.

3:21

Um, I'm here tonight to speak as the state changed um in the biannual budget last year to introduce a um two licensing for family child care.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Affordable Housing█████████████████████████████████33%
Zoning And Land Use███████████████████19%
Procedural█████████████████17%
Economic Development████████████12%
Event Planning███████7%
Water And Wastewater Management██████6%
Animal Welfare███3%
Pending Litigation██2%
Youth Programs█1%
Summary of Proceedings

Monroe Common Council Meeting - July 20, 2026

The Monroe Common Council met on Monday, July 20, 2026, at 6:30 PM in City Hall Council Chambers. All nine alderpersons were present. The meeting covered approvals for special events, certified survey maps, a final plat for Richland Heights, budget amendments, public works contracts, and a public comment on child care zoning. Extended discussion on housing affordability occurred during the Richland Heights plat vote.

Consent Calendar

  • Approved the consent agenda (claims list and miscellaneous licenses) by a 9-0 vote.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Jillynn Niemeier (1620 23rd Ave) spoke about recent state budget changes that created a new "large family child care" license allowing up to 12 children. She requested the city update its zoning code to reflect this change and specifically asked for an exception to increase her own ratio from eight to nine children, since her daughter (who counts in her ratio until age 7) will attend kindergarten full time.

Discussion Items

  • Richland Heights Final Plat No. 2: Alder Sheaffer expressed concern that the planned single-family homes (expected $400,000–$500,000) are not affordable for average Monroe households. He urged creative solutions and asked what tools the city could use to drive down housing costs. Administrator Rindy noted staff are exploring multi-family options and incentives through GCDC. Alder Mosher and others argued the homes will sell quickly given location and market demand. It was noted that rejecting the plat could lead to legal exposure as it is consistent with the previously approved preliminary plat. The resolution passed 7-2 (Sheaffer and Voelkli voting no).
  • Data Center Moratorium: Alder Sheaffer reported Green County passed a one-year moratorium on data centers. He stated the city does not need its own moratorium due to existing barriers (limited contiguous land, lengthy annexation process) and existing safeguards. He recommended staff notify council if any developer expresses interest.

Key Outcomes

  • Consent Agenda: Approved 9-0.
  • Special Events Resolution (J.1): Approved 9-0, approving five events: RAVETPAA Music Festival (Aug 6-9), FAITH Addiction Awareness 5K (Aug 22), Monroe Bible Church Worship Service (Aug 16), National Night Out (July 28), and Cars in the Park (Aug 18).
  • Extraterritorial CSM for Jeffrey & Rhonda Thomm (K.1): Approved 9-0.
  • CSM for Gavin & Shiloh Sager at 1511 & 1513 11th Ave (K.2): Approved 9-0.
  • Final Plat No. 2 of Richland Heights (K.3): Approved 7-2 (Sheaffer, Voelkli opposed).
  • 2026 Budget Amendment (L.1): Approved 9-0 (super-majority required, passed unanimously).
  • Hiring Bartelt Enterprises for Twining Park Walkway Repairs (M.1): Approved 9-0, for $98,821 from 2026 capital funds.
  • Dorner Company Quote for Booster Pump Repairs at Wells 6 & 7 (M.2): Approved 9-0, for $16,822 per pump from Capital Water Fund balance.
  • GEZ Biotek Quote for Wood Media Replacement for Odor Control System (M.3): Approved 9-0, for $79,000 from plant expansion project funds.
  • Minutes: Approved as presented.
  • Treasurer's Report: Accepted as presented.
  • Adjournment: Approved 9-0 at 7:19 PM.

Other Reports

  • Mayor Miller thanked city employees for working in extreme heat, noted Spoiled Grapes reopened, Cheesemaker Drive opened, roundabout construction underway, and two housing starts in Richland Heights.
  • Police Chief Foltz announced a K-9 Unit fundraiser on Thursday, July 23 at 5 PM at Pilates Studio (1106 16th Ave), involving officers in planking challenges to raise funds for the next police dog.

Meeting Transcript

Good evening, everybody. Like to call the Monroe City Council meeting to order. It is five o'clock or six thirty. How about six thirty? How about pledge allegiance? I'll get my act together. Now, how about real call? Alder Doman? Here. Alder True Heart? Here. Alder Whartonweiler? Here. Alder Schaefer. Here. Alder Frankie. Here. Alder McGuire. Here. Alder Vestine. Here. All their vocally. Here. And all their Mosher. Here. And we are all present. Thank you. Corrections of minutes from July 6th, 2026. Sounds like none. So approved as presented. Presentation of petition and communication. Presentation of petitions and communication. None. Okay. Business by Mayor. First of all, I'd like to thank Rob Driver and Rob Jacobson for the tour of the airport this afternoon. And like to thank all the city employees for working safe during this high heat and low air quality. I know it's been rough for everybody out there. And appreciate you hanging in there and doing it. And it's mostly just to get to come to Monroe and say hi to me and uh let us know what they've got to offer. They would like to work with us in order to get some grants. So we'll go with that. Good news the spilled grapes is now open. It's one of the first businesses that got closed due to the fire. So it's that's a start. Cheesemaker Drive is now open, and they're starting to work on the roundabout by the beverage mart. And there are two houses under construction in the new Richland Heights subdivision by the high school. And uh I'll probably let police chief talk about this. It's a fundraiser that you've got when it comes to uh you want to do it now or go ahead. Or do we want um department heads do it then?

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