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Record of Proceedings

Monroe City Plan Commission Meeting Summary – October 14, 2026

Common Council & Commissions — Wednesday, October 14, 2026

BodyMonroe, Wisconsin

SessionCommon Council & Commissions

DateWednesday, October 14, 2026

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 44:39

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

Speaker numbers apply only to this recording.

Speaker 1

0:01

It's 501.

0:02

Let's go ahead and start the uh plan commission meeting, city planning commission meeting to order, clerk call rule, please.

Speaker 2

0:11

Mayor Miller?

0:13

Older Schaefer?

Speaker 1

0:16

Here

Speaker 2

0:18

Ron Spielman.

Speaker 3

0:19

Here.

Speaker 2

0:19

Dave Whartonweiler.

0:21

Here.

0:22

Jesse Duff.

0:23

Here.

0:23

And Lewis Armstrong.

0:25

Here.

Unassigned speaker

0:25

And

Speaker 2

0:26

Ron Markle.

Speaker 1

0:29

Looks like we do have a quorum, so we'll move on.

0:32

Okay, correction minutes from September 9th, 2026.

0:37

Any comments or corrections?

0:42

If not, uh stand approved as presented.

Unassigned speaker

0:46

Okay,

Speaker 1

0:47

see business discussion possible action regarding short-term rentals.

1:01

Brutney, you want to explain this?

Speaker 4

1:02

Yep.

1:04

So we uh I had some inquiries just about short-term rentals, and they've obviously are kind of frequent conversations at different times.

1:12

Um and with looking closer, there's also been some uh kind of legal action with other municipalities and some of the regulations they've been doing, and so kind of took a closer look at ours

Unassigned speaker

1:23

and

Speaker 4

1:23

um kind of have some recommended changes with that included in the agenda packet was some of the Wisconsin legislative council kind of um regulations with statutes and what some of those legal challenges are.

1:35

Um but basically um our current uh code does have require a conditional use permit for short-term rentals.

1:46

Um so we're recommending removing that as well as permitting it by right um within all zoning districts that would come into compliance with the state statutes where basically um that the current state law does not allow communities to prohibit

Unassigned speaker

2:04

them.

Speaker 4

2:04

Um so that is like kind of the first part of what we're really recommending.

2:08

The other part is that includes some language to actually require licensure of short-term rentals.

2:14

Um as we've been kind of these have been coming through.

2:18

I've always in my head had kind of associated them with some of the hotel motel lodging kind of things, which require like hotel permits.

2:26

So we've um when we've had people inquiring, that's kind of the path we've been using, but realize it's not fully compliant, um, and would recommend if we

Unassigned speaker

2:35

want

Speaker 4

2:36

to proceed

Unassigned speaker

2:37

with

Speaker 4

2:37

um actually having licenses for those,

Unassigned speaker

2:40

um,

Speaker 4

2:40

there's additional language that we would incorporate.

2:43

So presenting this to you kind of as concept discussion um and direction, and then we would come back with any um official language for you and a public hearing before it would go on to council or anything from there.

Unassigned speaker

2:58

And

Speaker 4

2:59

I know we do have Sonia with Vandewal if she has anything to add or can sometimes maybe speak better to some of the legalities.

Speaker 5

3:18

Um if you're talking licensing, so there will be fees then involved with that.

Speaker 4

3:25

Yeah, a license we usually incorporate some sort of fee.

3:28

I don't think it would be anything overly high.

3:30

They do still automatically apply or have to submit room tax, especially if they're going through other organizations such as Airbnb or otherwise, um, but the license and we'd probably keep it somewhat similar.

3:40

Um, I think our hotel license fee is even only just $30 or something.

3:45

Is it $59?

Speaker 6

3:46

Okay.

Speaker 5

3:49

And then would there be inspections and

Speaker 4

3:53

so that with

Speaker 5

3:54

that?

Speaker 4

3:54

The city itself doesn't necessarily do inspections.

3:57

Um, they do have to get license, they do currently have to get licensed through the state, and the state then does have kind of the full kind of health and and residency inspections that they

Unassigned speaker

4:09

do.

Speaker 4

4:09

Um, I guess it would be something that we we could consider incorporating.

4:14

Um I do would have to dive in that to it to that a little bit more because it can be challenging of sometimes if they're if you do it annually or if it or when they renew and if we have the capacity and how that logistically would work, I guess.

4:35

Similarly, we don't go and inspect, like say uh for every liquor license renewal or other things either.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Zoning And Land Use█████████████████████████████████████████41%

Signage Regulation███████████████████████████████████35%

Procedural████████████12%

Public Safety████████8%

Budget Equity Analysis████4%

Summary of Proceedings

Monroe City Plan Commission Meeting Summary – October 14, 2026

The Monroe City Plan Commission met on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, in the City Hall Council Chambers. A quorum was present. The commission approved the September 9, 2026 meeting minutes, discussed and gave direction on short-term rental regulations, and voted to move forward with a comprehensive plan amendment public hearing for the Monroe Bible Church property.

Consent Calendar

The commission approved the minutes of the September 9, 2026 meeting as presented, with no corrections.

Discussion Items

Short-Term Rental Ordinance

Zoning staff reported that the city's current ordinance requires a conditional use permit for short-term rentals. Staff recommended removing that requirement and permitting short-term rentals by right in all zoning districts to bring the city into compliance with state law, which does not allow municipalities to prohibit short-term rentals.
Staff also recommended adding a licensing requirement for short-term rentals, with fees set by resolution rather than by ordinance. The license would be annual and would help the city track operators, respond to complaints, and enforce room tax reporting. Staff noted that operators booking through Airbnb or VRBO already submit quarterly room tax.
Commissioners expressed support for aligning the ordinance with state law and for a licensing/registry approach. They raised enforcement questions about travel trailers and campers parked on streets, temporary occupancy, extension cords running over sidewalks, and the city's 48-hour parking limit for vehicles.
Staff outlined a proposed site appearance rule: "no recreational vehicle, camper, tent, or other temporary lodging arrangement shall be permitted to accommodate guests."
Direction given: staff will draft formal ordinance language, including the removal of the conditional use permit requirement, a licensing requirement, and a fee schedule to be adopted by resolution. A public hearing will be held before the ordinance goes to the City Council.

Monroe Bible Church Comprehensive Plan Amendment and Rezoning Concept

Staff explained that the parcel at 2613 8th Avenue, occupied by Monroe Bible Church, is designated residential on the Future Land Use Map and is currently zoned residential. The church is a legal nonconforming use, so future changes or reuse would require both a comprehensive plan amendment and a later zoning change.
Staff and City Attorney Sonia recommended considering a future land use change from residential to mixed use. A corresponding rezoning could later use an institutional or neighborhood mixed-use zoning district. The matter was brought to the commission for direction on whether to proceed with a 30-day public notice and public hearing.
Commissioners discussed whether to include neighboring church properties, potential spot-zoning concerns, future uses of former church properties, and billboard or sign regulations. Staff indicated that a broader review of other church parcels could be considered later, but the public notice should be specific to the Monroe Bible Church property.
A motion to proceed with the 30-day public notice and comprehensive plan amendment process for the Monroe Bible Church parcel was approved on a roll-call vote. Commissioner Lewis Armstrong voted no.

Key Outcomes

Short-term rentals: no formal vote was taken; the commission directed staff to draft ordinance amendments removing the conditional use permit requirement, adding annual licensure, and setting fees by resolution, with a future public hearing before City Council action.
Monroe Bible Church: the commission approved moving forward with the 30-day public notice and comprehensive plan amendment process for the Monroe Bible Church parcel. The public hearing is scheduled for the December Plan Commission meeting, and a subsequent zoning change would follow.
Staff noted that the previously directed political sign ordinance draft will go to the Plan Commission for a public hearing in November, then to the J&O Committee and City Council.
The meeting adjourned by unanimous voice vote.

Meeting Transcript

It's 501. Let's go ahead and start the uh plan commission meeting, city planning commission meeting to order, clerk call rule, please. Mayor Miller? Older Schaefer? Here Ron Spielman. Here. Dave Whartonweiler. Here. Jesse Duff. Here. And Lewis Armstrong. Here. And Ron Markle. Looks like we do have a quorum, so we'll move on. Okay, correction minutes from September 9th, 2026. Any comments or corrections? If not, uh stand approved as presented. Okay, see business discussion possible action regarding short-term rentals. Brutney, you want to explain this? Yep. So we uh I had some inquiries just about short-term rentals, and they've obviously are kind of frequent conversations at different times. Um and with looking closer, there's also been some uh kind of legal action with other municipalities and some of the regulations they've been doing, and so kind of took a closer look at ours and um kind of have some recommended changes with that included in the agenda packet was some of the Wisconsin legislative council kind of um regulations with statutes and what some of those legal challenges are. Um but basically um our current uh code does have require a conditional use permit for short-term rentals. Um so we're recommending removing that as well as permitting it by right um within all zoning districts that would come into compliance with the state statutes where basically um that the current state law does not allow communities to prohibit them. Um so that is like kind of the first part of what we're really recommending. The other part is that includes some language to actually require licensure of short-term rentals. Um as we've been kind of these have been coming through. I've always in my head had kind of associated them with some of the hotel motel lodging kind of things, which require like hotel permits. So we've um when we've had people inquiring, that's kind of the path we've been using, but realize it's not fully compliant, um, and would recommend if we want to proceed with um actually having licenses for those, um, there's additional language that we would incorporate. So presenting this to you kind of as concept discussion um and direction, and then we would come back with any um official language for you and a public hearing before it would go on to council or anything from there. And I know we do have Sonia with Vandewal if she has anything to add or can sometimes maybe speak better to some of the legalities. Um if you're talking licensing, so there will be fees then involved with that. Yeah, a license we usually incorporate some sort of fee. I don't think it would be anything overly high. They do still automatically apply or have to submit room tax, especially if they're going through other organizations such as Airbnb or otherwise, um, but the license and we'd probably keep it somewhat similar. Um, I think our hotel license fee is even only just $30 or something. Is it $59?

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