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Saturday, April 19, 2025
New Council gets back to work
Council conducted its organizational meeting last week, welcoming new
alderperson Brett Topham and re-electing Scott Sloan as Council
President and Jason Kent and David Olson to the Plan Commission.
I made some mild re-shuffling of committee assignments as we enter
"appointment season," where seats on the CDA, Parks Commission, Library
Board, and other bodies become available over the next few months.
The new Council tackles an old problem on Tuesday, as representatives
of Five Bugles Design will lead another discussion on the Fire / EMS
stations project, offering an overview of how we got to this point in
the process. I expect that Council may pivot into a conversation
about cost, location, and debt, revolving around what scale of project
the City can afford.
New police chief Justin Carloni will also be in the spotlight, as he is
sworn in at this meeting. Otherwise, it is a pretty short agenda,
with second readings of ordinances establishing a Bicycle-Pedestrian
Commission and making small changes to ATV/UTV rules. Updates to
the City fee schedule will also be considered. You can see the
entire agenda and packet here.
I'll also note that the group promoting a new hotel / vacation villa
development on Walnut St. near the entrance to Devil's Lake is holding
a pair of public information meetings this week. Baraboo Bluffs
Hospitality will make their pitch at the Carnegie-Schadde Memorial
Public Library on Saturday, April 19 at 10:00 a.m. and Tuesday, April 22 at
6:00 p.m. These public meetings are not sponsored or endorsed by
the City, but residents may find them useful for gaining more
information and asking questions about the proposal.
Thursday, March 20, 2025
Council anticipates quick meeting Tuesday
After a string of lengthy meetings, the Council looks to get a break on
Tuesday with a pretty light agenda. The only action items on the
agenda are awarding a contract for the reconstruction of Madison Avenue
and approving a letter in support of re-authorization of the
Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Fund. Prior to that, Library Director
Jessica Bergin will present her annual report. You can see the whole skinny packet here.
Friday, March 14, 2025
Corson Square project comes before Plan
The Community Development Authority is proposing an expansion of the
Corson Square public housing project on the 900 block of 10th Street
(just north of Baraboo Fresh Market), which would include a new 56-unit
apartment building and significant renovation to the existing 40-unit
building. Plan Commission will consider the CSM for the property
along with providing informal feedback on the conceptual plan.
They will also evaluate a proposed expansion of TID #12 to include the
CDA property.
Elsewhere on the agenda, the Commission will also consider a 24-lot
plat of the final addition to the Rolling Meadows subdivision on the
northeast edge of the city. The expansion would create more
single-family housing along a proposed 22nd Street just south of Man
Mound Road. The Commission will also have a preliminary
discussion about allowing accessory dwelling units (ADUs) within the
city and review a CSM in the extraterritorial jurisdiction near the
intersection of Neuman and High Hill Road in the town of
Greenfield. You can view the full agenda and supporting documents
here.
Thursday, March 6, 2025
Fire/EMS station funding back in play
Discussion of City finances will again likely dominate Tuesday's
Council meeting, as alderpersons will get an update on funding for both
the Fire/EMS stations project and Corson Square expansion plans.
Processing of an expected loan from the USDA for the stations has
seemingly ground to a halt, and City staff will offer the idea of using
a more conventional 20-year loan to pay for station construction.
The anticipated cost for the stations has continued to grow, and there
is a reasonable chance that alders will discuss downsizing or delaying
the project. As for Corson Square, the CDA is hoping to add 56
units of affordable housing in an adjacent building, dubbed Driftless
Lofts, and to renovate the 50 existing Corson Square units. Even
taking advantage of tax credits and grants, funding for the housing
projects are still about $7 million short, and Council will be asked to
guarantee financing for that gap.
Elsewhere on the agenda, public works contracts dominate, as Council is
expected to approve agreements for median mowing, rank growth control,
and road/sidewalk materials and repair. Council will also
consider increases to fees charged for special events and approval of
liquor licenses for 502 Oak Street and the Chambers annual Octoberfest
event in September. You can see the entire agenda and supporting
documents here.
Saturday, February 22, 2025
Pool discussion highlights this week's Council
A discussion of the long-term future of Campbell Park and the outdoor
swimming pool there highlights the agenda for Tuesday's Common Council
meeting. Community supporters have reportedly blown past the
$30,000 fundraising committment required to keep the pool operating in
2025, and now attention will turn towards how to spin that momentum
into a capital campaign to fund replacement of the pool and other
improvements at the park. Elsewhere on the agenda, the Council
will consider a MOU with the Sauk County Agricultural Society
concerning special events conducted at the Fairgrounds, and will also
discuss in closed session the salary for the newly-selected Police
Chief. It's the second reading of the ordinance prohibiting
U-turns on Draper Street, and the Public Works Department will seek
approval for the $36,900 purchase of a basket lift. You can see
the entire agenda and packet here.
Thursday, February 13, 2025
Devil's Lake hotel, villas return to Plan Commission
Proponents of a development including an 80-unit luxury hotel and 30
vacation villas on the east side of Walnut Street, just outside the
entrance to Devil's Lake State Park, will appear before the Plan
Commission on Tuesday to present a revised overview of their
project. ADCI architects and ROI Hospitality Management will join
Gregg McArthur and the other Baraboo Bluff Hospitality partners in
making their pitch. Commission will review the concept plan and
offer informal feedback. Should the project move forward, it
would return to the Commission for rezoning as a Planned Unit
Development and approval of the General Development Plan / Specific
Implementation Plan. You can see the proposed site plans,
renderings of the hotel, and other project features as part of the
agenda packet here.
Other items on the agenda are pretty small beer by comparison,
including a Certificate of Appropriateness for a mural on The Grainery
building on Broadway, a handrail for St. Johns Church on East Street,
and review of a proposed Bicycle-Pedestrian Commission. The
meeting starts at 5:15 p.m. at City Hall.
Saturday, February 8, 2025
Parks Department restructuring under discussion
Much of Tuesday's Council meeting will be spent in closed session as
alderpersons conduct the routine six-month evaluation of City
Administrator John Young. The Council will also likely invest
some time discussing a proposed reorganization of the Parks,
Recreation, and Forestry Department, which would integrate operations
more closely with Public Works.
Prior to that, it should be a pretty quick evening, as the most
contentious item on the agenda appears to be a proposal to prohibit
U-turns on Draper Street between 8th and Iroquois Circle. Other
items for consideration include a contract with the Madison law firm
Reuter, Whitish, & Evans for prosecution of ordinance violations
and an agreement with MSA to update Baraboo's Sewer Service Area
Plan. Approval of the purchase of a used dump truck by Public
Works will also be considered, along with a handful of liquor licenses
and agent changes. You can find the entire agenda here.
Sunday, January 26, 2025
Pantry use of new location advances to Council
After getting a favorable review from the Plan Commission (see below),
permission for the Beyond Blessed pantry to operate out of 1101 Lake
Street advances to Tuesday's Common Council meeting. Council will
also consider a new lease agreement with the University of Wisconsin
for use of the Baraboo campus. The Campus Commission recommended
approval earlier this month, and the County Board signed off on the
lease last week. There will also be the second reading of an
ordinance change which increases alternate-side parking violations to
$20, and most other parking tickets to $30. The job description
for a new Information Technology position is also on the agenda for
review.
Council will also convene in closed session to consider buying property
to relocate utility facilities, and to discuss possible litigation
brought by Wisconsin & Southern Railroad and the Wisconsin River
Rail transit Commission. You can see the full agenda and
supporting documents here.
Thursday, January 16, 2025
Pantry, Valhalla, duplexes return to Plan
Only four items on the agenda for Plan Commission on Tuesday, but a couple may raise some spirited debate.
Two development projects return for non-binding conceptual review, Step
2 in the Planned Unit Development process. First up is a proposal
for four duplexes (eight total units) on a little over an acre on the
east side of Walnut Street, just north of Inverness Terrace, by S &
T Sunset Properties. Though this parcel is already zoned R-3, the
shape of the property makes it difficult to meet setback requirements,
which can be adjusted through a PUD. This will also allow them to
address concerns about stormwater runoff.
The second project is the Valhalla Valley subdivision proposed for 72
acres on the west side of Walnut Street near Devil's Lake. Preliminary and final
plat review of this took place in 2024, and the property was also
included in a proposed TIF district which the Commission rejected back
in August. Revised plans show smaller lot sizes and different
building styles for the multifamily units, along with a new boundary
for a smaller TIF district.
The Commission will also discuss and make a recommendation to Council
about the operation of the Beyond Blessed food pantry at their new
location of 1101 Lake Street. Because this parcel is part of the
Devil's Lake Business Park, it is governed by a restrictive covenant
that was attached to the property in 1986. There is some
disagreement in City Hall about the interpretation of this covenant,
hinging on 1) whether the pantry's operation will constitute a change
in use from the property's previous incarnation as a "warehouse" and 2)
whether the covenant actually applies to changes is use, or only to the original
use for which a property was built upon. Under one
interpretation, the change from a warehouse to more of a distribution
center requires approval by the Common Council after recommendations
from BEDC and Plan; Under the other interpretation, no approval
is necessary. BEDC considered the change at its January 9
meeting, and recommended approval, contingent upon execution of a
traffic management and safety plan. Since that set the process in
motion along the first interpretation, it seems most transparent to
continue along that trajectory and bring the issue to Plan Commission
and then to Council on January 28. I'll also note that the folks
from Beyond Blessed have been very cooperative and have met with City
staff on a couple of occasions to develop and revise procedures which
should mitigate the traffic concerns at this location.
The final item on Tuesday's docket is the extraterritorial review of a proposal to split two buildable acres from
a 50-acre parcel at the intersection of Bluff Road and Highway W in the
Town of Greenfield. You can find the whole agenda and supporting documents here.
Monday, January 13, 2025
Busy start to the new year
Apologies for adding this post so late. Gotta get back into my routine after that long holiday layoff!
Council gets back into their routine on Tuesday, with a long agenda to
start the new year. Probably the top item of interest to
residents is a boost of most parking tickets, from $10 to $30.
This was proposed during budget discussions last year, as a way to
raise additional revenue and also put a little more teeth behind our
parking regulations. This is an ordinance change, so if it passes
on Tuesday, there will be another reading on January 28.
A couple of appointments are also on the agenda, including 9-year Water
Utility veteran Ben Brown as the Utility Superintendent, replacing the
recently retired Wade Peterson. Council will likely also formally
appoint Eric Hagen as the City Attorney, although this is really just a
formality as a result of Steve Zach's retirement and doesn't change the
contracted relationship between the City and the Boardman and Clark
firm. I am still hopeful that 2025 will be the year we have
someone back in the office as in-house legal counsel. Council
will also consider the salary for Captain Ryan LaBroscian, who was
appointed as Interim Chief by the Police Commission while they recruit
a premanent replacement for Rob Sinden. (As an aside, the Police
Commission will hold a listening session on Wednesday, January 15 at
5:30 p.m. at City Hall where members of the public may offer their
input on the qualities they would like to see in our next police chief.)
Council will consider final approval of a mediation deal with Wal-Mart
to resolve several years of legal wrangling over the assessment of
their property on Hwy 136. This is not a perfect resolution to
this disagreement, but in the end it probably saves the City
substantial legal fees that would have outweighed the increased tax
revenue had we prevailed. A $1.4 million grant toward the
fire/EMS station projects from the Wisconisn Department of
Administration is also in line for approval, as is an extension of the
pre-development agreement with Circus City Apartments for a project
south of the river between Vine and Walnut.
More routine matters include approval of a towing contract through 2027
with Craig's Towing, purchase of new software for the Water Resource
Recovery Facility, and a contract to rehab the sewer lift station near
Highway T. There's also a proposal to reduce the interest charged
to property owners for new sewer laterals installed as part of the
Highway 33 reconstruction, a special assessment for curb and gutter on
Madison St. between East and Birch, and a replat of 10 parcels on
Roosevelt Street in Greenfield Reserve subdivision to accommodate
duplexes instead of single family homes. Council will also get
updates on funding for the fire/EMS stations project, the Corson Square
conversion, progress on hiring an IT specialist, and meet Morgan Salli,
the field representative for Congressperson Mark Pocan.
Whew! You can find it all in the agenda packet here.
Saturday, December 21, 2024
Clock ticking on nomination papers
Elected officials get a little bit of a break in December, as our
second Council meeting of the month is canceled. But there is one
important date coming up on January 7, as that's the deadline for
submitting nomination papers to appear on the ballot for the spring
election. Three Council seats are up for election each year, and
in 2025, Districts 3, 6, and 9 will be in play. (You can find a
map of aldermanic districts here.) The spring election is April 1, and if a primary is necessary, that will take place on February 18.
I believe that all three incumbent alderpersons are planning on running
again, but that shouldn't be a deterrent if you or someone in your
neighborhood has the time, vision, and passion to join the Council and
work collaboratively to make Baraboo the best it can be, now and in the
future. Please don't mistake this encouragement for criticism of
any of the current alderpersons. But democracy only works if
there's actually a choice on election day, and offering voters a
diversity of perspectives, strengths, and ideas lends itself to a more
robust debate about what priorities the City should emphasize in the
years ahead.
To be placed on the ballot, a candidate must submit between 20 and 40
signatures from eligible voters within their district by 5:00 p.m. on
Tuesday, January 7. The City Clerk and her staff can help with
the paperwork, steer you through the process, and answer any questions
you might have.
Sunday, December 15, 2024
Quick meeting expected for Plan Commission
The last Plan Commission meeting of the year shouldn't be too
controversial, with the most consequential item on the agenda a
possible re-plat of the eastern side of Roosevelt Street in the
Greenfield Estates subdivision. The developers would like to
change from ten single-family lots to nine slightly larger lots, each
which could then accommodate a duplex (or 18 units total). The
Commission will also review the site plan for an additional
manufacturing building for Baraboo Tent and Awning on Walnut
Steet. A pair of extraterritorial reviews of lot mergers on Rocky
Point Road and Lakewood Park Road, and an amended request for a
Certificate of Appropriateness for a new sign at the Al. Ringling
Theatre box office round out the evening. You can view the entire
agenda and packet here.
Sunday, December 8, 2024
Packed agenda for lone December meeting
Barring an unforeseen emergency, Council will only meet once in
December, sparing everyone from spending Christmas Eve in City
Hall. Consequently, it's another long agenda for December 10,
though things should move fairly quickly.
In addition to the second readings for the Comprehensive Plan and some
minor traffic ordinance changes, the agenda includes approval of
contracts for assessment services, property insurance, and for execution of energy audits
of City properties. Council will also consider agreements with
the school district for use of City facilities in case of emergency and
for the placement of a therapy dog at Jack Young Middle School. In closed session, the
Council will further discuss our options for a settlement agreement
with Wal-Mart concerning their property tax assessment.
Contracts with Running, Inc. for providing shared-ride taxi service
will also come forward for approval, along with bids for construction
of storage buildings for the Public Works Department. Resolutions
authorizing expenditures in TID #11 and the issuance of intermediate
bonds for the fire station projects also appear on the agenda.
In a bit of a civics lesson last week, staff and I were surprised to
learn that Wisconsin statutes don't provide for primary elections
during the spring municipal contests, unless the City passes a
resolution requiring them when more than two candidates are running for
the same seat. Such a resolution will appear on Tuesday's agenda.
We'll also bid farewell to two longstanding civil servants, as this is
Councils last opportunity to officially recognizez Police Chief Rob
Sinden and Utility Superintendent Wade Peterson, both of whom will
retire in early January. Thank you for your hard work, and we
will miss you both!
The full agenda and packet can be found here.
Sunday, November 24, 2024
Budget talks come to a head
After months of discussion and debate, the 2025 budget heads to the
finish line on Tuesday. It's a four-page agenda for the Common
Council, as individual budgets for utilities, Fire/EMS, TIF districts,
CDA, and other stand-alone funds all need approval. The main event,
however, will be the City's overall $16,261,333 budget and the $10.25 mill rate that
supports it.
The two budget items generating the most interest in the community
continue to be the pool and the taxi. As of the last Council
meeting, the pool was in and the taxi was out. Pool supporters
have already been hard at work soliciting donations from area
businesses and individuals, and are itching to kick off a major
fundraising effort to support renovations at Campbell Park. I'm
quietly hopeful that these efforts will convince Council to stay the
course and fund the pool in 2025, but I would not be surprised if
someone introduced a motion to remove it from the budget.
On the taxi front, the City was offered a $50,000 grant late last week
from a major Baraboo foundation to fund continued operations of the
shared-ride taxi service. This would be about half of the
projected operational deficit for 2025, and offers a glimmer of hope
for maintaining the service, if the Council sees fit to fund the other
half. Two mechanisms come to mind: The City could uses a
short-term line of credit to pay for about $50,000 of equipment
purchases, thereby freeing up the same amount in the operational
budget. This would result in a levy increase of about $5 per
$100,000 of assessed value. Or, the Council could tap into the
Economic Development fund, which currently has a balance of around
$168,000, and usually is spent on specific projects at the discretion
of the Mayor.
There is a certain amount of reluctance by the Council to save either
of these programs. Since the failure of the referendum, they may
feel obligated to follow through on proposed cuts. And while I
understand the attraction of not being "the city who cried wolf," I
think we still have an obligation to try and do the best for our
community, particularly those who most rely on City services. And
while the referendum may not have passed, community support has shown
up in other ways, to demonstrate the value that people place on these
services.
Elsewhere on Tuesday's agenda, rental rates for groups that use the
Civic Center and Pierce Park hockey pavillion will be set, along with
wages for seasonal employees in
Parks and Recreation. There's also a proposal for a new sign for
Madalon Industrial Park, to the tune of $13,170. A reduction in
Wal-Mart's 2024 property
assessment may be considered, pending completion of a mediation
agreement with the retailer, and a new contract for assessor services
also appears on the agenda. The Comprehensive Plan returns for
adoption, after giving alders a couple extra weeks to review it.
You can see the full agenda and packet here. Pack your jammies and a snack.
Sunday, November 17, 2024
Pool, taxi dominate 2025 budget talks
Plan Commission meets on Tuesday, but the dominant discussions around
City Hall continue to be about the 2025 budget. At their November
12 meeting, the Council reluctantly agreed to a proposal that would
keep the Campbell Park pool open in 2025 by shifting an allocation of
funds from a segregated parks capital fund into pool maintenance and
operations. The plan also includes private donations of $30,000
by April 1 to completely close the pool's operational deficit for the
year. It is essentially taking money away from future parks
facilities purchases and improvements in order to keep an existing
facility operating. While it does not solve the hurdle of
pool replacement or reconstruction, it does allow the pool to stay open while longer-term solutions can be pursued.
The Council also reversed course on the City's shared-ride taxi
service, removing that item from the draft budget. Our current
taxi contract expires at the end of 2024, and proposals for 2025 and
beyond came in about 11% higher than expected, raising the projected
City subsidy for 2025 to about $107,000. Alderpersons seemed
particularly uneasy about the committment to at least two years under
the new contract. Data shows that taxi ridership fell by about
half between 2019 and 2020, and has never recovered. Still, it is
an important service for many in the community, and I feel like it's
incumbent on the Council to examine every possible way to preserve
it. One possible work-around would shift the purchase of some
Public Works or other equipment out of the operational budget and borrow for it
instead, freeing up operational funds for the taxi. This would
however, result in an increase in he tax levy (by about $20 per
$100,000 of assessed value), and since the failure of the referendum,
many alderpersons do not seem to have the appetite to raise taxes, even
by a small amount. I expect that this will be a major topic at
the November 26 public hearing before the Council approves the final
budget.
As for that Plan Commission meeting, the main item on the agenda is
early reaction to a proposal to build eight townhouses on the rear
portion of the Schadde Plumbing property on Jefferson, between 7th and
8th streets. The Commission will also discuss changes to plans
for a housing development on the Valhalla Valley
property near Devil's Lake. Other minor housekeeping items
include an addition to Walnut Hill cemetary and an update to the plat
of Devil's Lake Townhomes on Lake Street. You can see the full
agenda and packet here.
Sunday, November 10, 2024
Budget discussions continue
With the failure of the operational referendum last week, Council will
continue to deliberate on the 2025 budget on Tuesday. One other
new piece of information are the bids for the shared-ride taxi in 2025,
which came in significantly higher than expected, so there may be some
discussion about the future of that service. The meeting will
kick off with public hearings on the budget and also on the
Comprehensive Plan, which will be presented to the Council for adoption
after approval from the Plan Commission last month.
Rounding out the agenda are a slew of liquor license and operator
permits, appointments to BID, and the second reading of an ordinance
allowing snowmobiles to operate on the path along Walnut Street.
Council will also go into closed session to confer about litigation
over Wal-Mart's tax assessment and a claim from the Wisconsin and
Southern Railroad over a sewer line installed along a viaduct.
Copies of the full agenda can be found here, and the final draft of the Comp Plan is available here.
Monday, November 4, 2024
Vote.
Just in case you've been living under a rock for the last several
months, Tuesday is Election Day. All City of Baraboo residents
vote at the Civic Center, 124 Second St., and polls are open from 7:00
a.m. to 8:00 p.m. In addition to the national and state races,
there is an important City operational referendum on the back side of
the ballot. You can find more information on the referendum here.
At the bottom of all the
tributes paid to democracy is the little man, walking into the little
booth, with a little pencil, making a little cross on a little bit of
paper--no amount of rhetoric or voluminous discussion can possibly
diminish the overwhelming importance of that point.
-Winston Churchill
Sunday, October 20, 2024
Focus continues on City finances
City finances continues to take center stage on Tuesday, as Clifton
Larson Allen presents the 2023 audit report to Council. Residents
will also get a chance to share their feelings at a public hearing
about the 2025 budget, which the Council will continue to discuss
during Committee of the Whole, as they examine a revision which
includes the cuts and additions identified two weeks ago. There
will be another public hearing on November 12, with final budget adoption
scheduled for November 26.
Otherwise, a fairly short agenda, including approvals of the BID budget
and operating plan, along with the allocation of $21,000 in Alma Waite
funds to Concerts on the Square, the Baraboo Children's Museum, and the
Parks and Recreation Dept.
The other item of note is consideration of legalling approving a
snowmobile trail along the east side of Highway DL, on the existing
asphalt path there. This route has existed in practice for many
years, but with the annexation of property into the City last year, the
trail now runs afoul of ordinances which prohibit the operation of
snowmobiles within the City limits. There is some concern on my
part that approving this use may be setting up a future conflict, as
this path is also a likely route for the Great Sauk State Trial spur
into the city.
You can find the full agenda and supporting documents here.
Monday, October 14, 2024
Plan Commission to consider final Comp Plan draft
The final draft of the City's new Comprehensive Plan will come before
the Plan Commission on Tuesday. If approved there, it moves on
for Common Council consideration on November 12. Other minor
items on the Plan Commission's docket include a change in ownership
structure of the Devil's Lake Townhomes on Lake Street from rentals to
condos, and a conditional use permit to construct a duplex on Winnebago
Circle, which is zoned R-1A. The complete packet can be found here.
Sunday, October 6, 2024
Budget continues to dominate discussions
The status of the 2025 budget will be the dominant issue on Tuesday, as
the Council will get an update on the currect draft during a Committee
of the Whole discussion. Last week, the Council held at special
meeting with department heads, as which a variety of cuts were
identified, including closing the Campbell Park pool, not purchasing a
police squad car, and delaying the filling of parks director, public
works, and administrative positions. Also under consideration are
increases to parking tickets and special events fees. Expect the
current draft budget to reflect these changes, in an effort to trim
about half of the projected $715,000 deficit for 2025.
The few action items on the agenda include an ordinance change to allow
ATVs/UTVs to cross the Baraboo River bridge on Hwy 136, accepting three
small parcels of property in the Spirit Lake development, and setting
Halloween trick-or-treat hours for 4 p.m. - 7 p.m. You can see
the entire agenda here.
Also next week, our Administrator and I will host a public information
meeting concerning the upcoming operational referendum at 3:00
Wednesday at the library. For more information about the
referendum, you can also visit this site.
Sunday, September 29, 2024
Special meetings yield busy start to October
The first week of any month is usually light on meetings, but several
factors are conspiring for a full schedule as we kick off October:
- The Public Safety Committee
meets at 1:00 p.m. Monday at the City Service Building. Among the
topics on their agenda are snowmobile routes in the City and options
for raising the City's vehicle registration fee.
- The Joint Review Board
meets at 3:00 p.m. Tuesday in the Council Chambers to review the status
and performance of the City's TIF districts. If you've ever
wanted to learn more about how TIF works, this would be an excellent
place to start.
- Also on Tuesday, the Plan Commission holds a special meeting at 5:15 p.m. to discuss the final revisions to the City's Comprehensive Plan. This is expected to be the last opportunity for revisions prior to approval at the Commission's October 15 meeting.
- Another special meeting is on the schedule for
Wedensday, as the Common Council meets with department heads at 6:00
p.m. for a discussion of the City budget.
- And on Thursday, the Baraboo Economic Development Commission holds their quarterly meeting at 5:00 p.m.
Whew! You can view the entire schedule of City meetings here. Meetings are usually posted to the calendar after agendas are approved.
Sunday, September 8, 2024
ATV routes lead light docket for Tuesday
Tuesday's Council agenda doesn't offer much competition to the drama of
the presidential debate or the County Board vote on the sale of the
health care center. The main items of business are two proposed
ordinances: one would allow ATV/UTVs to cross the Baraboo River
on the Highway 136 bridge, and the second would require City boards,
committees, and commission to follow Roberts' Rules of Order and govern
how meetings are scheduled. The Council will also get a 2025
budget update, engage in some goal-setting with members of BEDC, and
consider going to mediation to settle a series of property assessment
lawsuits brought by Wal-Mart. Should have you home in time to see
The Thrilla in Phila. The entire agenda and packet can be found here.
Sunday, September 1, 2024
Comprehensive Plan open house Thursday
If you're looking for a little light reading on your Labor Day, how
about taking a look at the draft of Baraboo's new Comprehensive
Plan? The window for public input is rapidly closing, with an
open house at the library scheduled for Thursday, September 5, from
5:00 - 7:00 p.m. You can also send comments directly to the
consultants who authored the plan, but get them in ASAP! The link
to the most recent draft and instructions for submitting comments can
be found here.
Sunday, August 25, 2024
Infrastructure funding dominates agenda
Funding of utility upgrades will dominate Tuesday's meeting, as Council
will consider issuing approximately $3.7 million in revenue bonds to
fund projects related to the 8th St./Ave. reconstruction, including
replacement of water main and public-side laterals ($1,876,449),
sanitary sewer ($1,371,097), and loans for 96 private-side lead service
line replacements ($469,262). Council will also consider a
resolution declaring its itent to levy a special assessment for new
sidewalk, curb, and gutter on Waldo St. (between Parkside and Haeger)
and new curb and gutter on Sauk Ave. (between Hitchcock and
Moore). A proposal to demolish the former site of 1 A.M. Dairy at
105 Vine St. for $23,800) will also be reviewed.
In closed session, the Council will get updates on continuing
litigation with Wal-Mart over their property tax assessment, and
discussions between the City and County on the future management of the
Boo-U campus buildings and grounds. The full agenda packet can be
found here.
In other news, Council on Thursday approved placing a referendum
question on the November 5 ballot, asking residents to approve a $2
million increase in the levy limit. If approved, the additional
funding would allow the City to keep up with the rate of inflation in
maintaining services and would raise property taxes by approximately
$206 per $100,000 of value.
On Tuesday, the Plan Commission rejected the proposed TID #13 by a 5 -
2 vote, which essentially stops the creation of the TID for now.
There has been some discussion about convening a special meeting of the
Commission to consider a re-vote on the matter, but nothing has been
scheduled as of this writing.
Friday, August 16, 2024
Plan to consider TID 13, downtown exterior changes
It's a long agenda for Tuesday's Plan Commission meeting, but the item
with far and away the largest potential impact to the city is a
consideration of TID #13. After a public hearing on the topic,
the Commission will be asked to endorse the district's boundaries and
project plan, and recommend its approval by the Common Council.
TID 13 would encompass a total of 120 acres on either side of Walnut
Street on the extreme southern edge of the City, near the entrance to
Devil's Lake State Park. Planned developments include 49
single-family homes, 30 duplexes, 283 apartment units, plus 25,000
square feet of retail on the west side of Walnut and an 80-room resort
hotel plus 30 individual vacation villas on the east side of the
street. An estimated City investment of $20.5 million would
stimulate $104.4 million in increased property values.
Projections indicate that the TID could generate enough revenue to
close after 14 years.
Much of the rest of the meeting will be dedicated to proposed changes
to buildings within the downtown historic district. According to
the City's Historic Preservation ordinance, any plans to alter the
exterior of a building within the district requires a "Certificate of
Appropriateness" from the Plan Commission. Under review on
Tuesday are plans to paint the exterior at 127 Third Street (the former
Grainery building), ditto at 129 Third Avenue (the former Ploetz
Furniture building), replacement of exterior doors at First United
Methodist on the corner of Fourth and Broadway, and a new sign at 136
Fourth Avenue (the Al. Ringling Theatre box office).
On zoning matters, the Commission will consider a request for a
conditional use permit to construct three zero-lot-line two-family
houses in Greenfield Estates and approve a pair of two-lot CSMs within
the City's extraterritorial zoning jurisdiction at S4339 Fox Hill
Circle and S3821 Fairfield Road. Theres also a proposal to rezone
511 Quarry Street from A-1 (Agricultural Transition) to A-2
(Agricultural Holding) and to rectify conflicting zoning
classifications at 1300 Sauk Avenue.
The Plan Commission meets at 5:15 p.m. at City Hall and you can find the entire packet, including the TID 13 project plan, here.
Sunday, August 11, 2024
Referendum still tops agenda
A potential November referendum question to exceed the City's levy
limit will again be center stage during Tuesday's Council
meeting. At the last discussion in July, Council seemed to be
coalescing around a proposal to ask for an additional $2 million per
year from property owners, which according to projections would balance
the budget for the next six years. That conversation will
continue as a Committee of the Whole item on Tuesday, though any
official action to approve the referendum language will have to wait
until a special meeting the following week because revenue figures from
the state (which must be included in the referendum wording) won't be
final until August 15.
Other items on the agenda include a possible development agreement to
provide $80,000 in TIF funds to Pizza Ranch for an expansion of their
west-side site. At its July 23 meeting, the Finance Committee
expressed some skepticism about whether the project met the required
"but for" test, since construction was already largely completed.
Council will also be asked to approve a $75,000 grant award from the
Wisconsin Office of Energy Innovation to conduct energy audits on
City-owned properties, hopefully paving the way for more investment in
conservation and renewable projects in the future. They will also
look at advancing the purchase of three Public Works trucks from 2025
to this year, in order to take advantage of 2024 pricing. The
creation of a part-time limited-term Information Technology Services
Technician position to take over duties currently performed by the
County will also be broached.
You can find the entire agenda and supporting documents here.
Sunday, July 21, 2024
Further debate on referendum expected
Discussion of a possible referendum on the November ballot to allow the
City to increase the tax levy beyond state-imposed limits will likely
dominate Tuesday's Council meeting. During a special session on
July 15, the Council looked at various sums and options, including a
lump-sum increase or a more gradual step-wise increase over several
years. After consultations with the Department of Revenue and our
financial consultant, staff is expected to provide additional
clarification on some of the options, so that Council can be prepared
to approve the final referendum language at their August 13 meeting.
Otherwise, it should be a pretty quick affair. Second readings of
ordinance changes to approve expansion of the Kwik Trip at 604 8th
Street and slightly broaden public comment opportunities are expected
to pass and new business will mainly consist of approving a contract
for 2024 road construction projects and the expenditure of about
$170,000 for infrastructure in the Spirit Lake development. The
full packet can be found here.
Sunday, July 7, 2024
GSST tops light agenda
It's a short agenda for the Council on Tuesday, highlighted by a
presentation from Sauk County Planner Brian Simmert on the master plan
for the Great Sauk State Trail. The current plan, which goes to
the County Board for possible approval on July 16, would swing around
the south and west edges of Baraboo, rather than going through the
city. After the presentation, Council will have an opportunity to
discuss the plan as Committee of the Whole.
Also for consideration on Tuesday would be a small change to the rules
which govern public comment at Council meetings. Currently, only
"action" items on the agenda are fair game for public comment, and the
proposed change would expand that to any item on the agenda (for
example, discussion items, which are currently off-limits).
The meeting will also feature a public hearing on a proposed minor
expansion of the Kwik Trip at 604 8th Street, followed by a vote to
amend the SIP for the location. A tardy liquor license renewal
and second readings of ordinances adding a handicapped parking space in
front of East School and apartments at Pewit's Landing round out the
evening. You can find the entire packet here.
Earlier in the evening, at 6:00, the Finance and Personnel Committee
meets. One of the items on their agenda this week is a
development agreement providing $80,000 in TIF funding for a 2,000
square foot expansion of the Pizza
Ranch in the Gateway Business Park near Hwy 12. The addition
would increase the value of the property by approximately $1.6
million. Their packet can
be found here.
Sunday, June 23, 2024
Referendum, TID 13 planning heat up
The Common Council on Tuesday will consider taking substantial steps
towards the creation of TID 13 and the placement of a referendum on the
fall ballot to allow the City to exceed its levy limit.
Discussion at the June 11 meeting indicated that a majority of
alderpersons favored the creation of the new TID district on the south
edge of Baraboo on either side of Walnut St. / Hwy DL. Increment
from the TID could potentially be used as an incentive for housing
projects proposed by KMD, LLC and Valhalla Valley, along with a hotel
and vacation villa project proposed by Baraboo Bluffs Hospitality,
LLC. An official vote is on the agenda Tuesday authorizing a
contract with Ehlers to prepare the paperwork for the new District.
Two other contracts would signal a commitment to placing a referendum
on the November ballot asking residents to allow the City to raise its
tax levy above state-imposed limits. One contract would again be
with Ehlers to prepare a financial analysis and a second would be with
Mueller Communications to prepare public education and outreach
materials. As inflationary pressures have continued to stress the
City budget, levy income has not kept pace, and the referendum is one
strategy to prevent the cutting of services in 2025 and beyond.
Lots of other items on the agenda, but most are fairly minor and
straightforward: liquor license renewals, library board appointments,
designation of a handicapped parking space in front of East School,
etc. Approval of Phase 2 of the Pewit's Landing apartments at
Spirit Lake and the two-lot CSM for the former Perry Printing property
was recommended by Plan Commission last week and Council is likely to
concur. New ordinances regulating the placement and use of
shipping containers get their second reading, and the 2023 annual water
report is unveiled. You can see the entire agenda and packet here.
Sunday, June 16, 2024
Devil's Lake hotel and villas highlight Plan agenda
The Plan Commission will get its first look at the hotel/vacation
rental development proposed for the east side of Highway DL by Baraboo
Bluffs Hospitality on Tuesday. The developers are planning a
80-unit hotel, lodge, and 30 single-family rentals on approximately 40
acres, which is currently zoned Agricultural. At this meeting,
the Commission can give informal, non-binding feedback about the
project, and then at a subsequent meeting the developers will need to
present a detailed site plan for approval as part of the General
Development Plan / Specific Implementation Plan process.
The process is similar for two properties at the northeast corner of
Second Street and Ash, which the owners would like to convert from a
hybrid of retail and residential to all residential.
Also on Tuesday, the Commission will consider the SIP for Phase 2 of
the Pewit's Landing development, which calls for an additional 40
apartments in two buildings on the Spirit Lake property west of Hwy.
12.
The agenda also includes review of a proposed expansion of the Kwik
Trip building at 604 8th Street, adding roughly 1,200 square feet and
reconfiguring the parking lot and entrances. The owners of the
former R.R. Donnelly site on the corner of Hwy 136 and Sauk Ave. are
also seeking approval of a new CSM which would slice off the western
2.63 acres as a separate parcel, presumably setting the stage for
future sale or development of that property.
Plan Commission begins at 5:15 p.m. in the Council Chambers, and you can find more detail in the agenda packet here.
Sunday, June 9, 2024
TID 13 feasibility study results revealed
A presentation on the feasibility of TID 13 on the south edge of
Baraboo highlights Tuesday's Council agenda. Following the
presentation by the City's financial consultant, Ehlers, the Council
will discuss in Committee of the Whole whether to move ahead with the
creation of the TID. Several single-family and multi-family
housing projects along with a hotel and vacation rental development
have been proposed for the area along Hwy DL where the TID is being
considered. You can preview the slide deck and gain a better understanding of TID financing here.
Not much else on the agenda, except a new ordinance to restrict the
permanent placement of shipping containers only to areas zoned I-1 and
I-2. Under the draft language of the ordinance, shipping
containers would be allowed in residential and business zoning for no
more that 45 days per year with a permit. Residential occupancy
would also be prohibited.
The annual slate of liquor license renewals will also be
considered. You can see the entire agenda and supporting
documents here.
Sunday, May 26, 2024
Administrator search highlights short agenda
It's a short agenda for Tuesday's meeting as Council will consider
slight changes to parking in front of the library, supporting the
designation of the Baraboo River as a National Water Trail, and a pair
of re-appointments to the Joint Fire / EMS District. We'll also
discover if Baraboo has finally found a new City Administrator
offer. Contract negotiations were underway over the weekend, and
Council will learn in closed session whether their offer to the
selected candidate was accepted. You can find the full (brief)
agenda here.
Sunday, May 19, 2024
Plan looks at restaurant, rezone, shipping containers
Tuesday's Plan Commission meeting kicks off with a public hearing and
conditional use permit request for a new "Type 2" restaurant at 805
State Hwy 136. The location is just south of the new Starbuck's
and the intended tenant is rumored to be a Wendy's franchise.
According to code, "Type 2" restaurants "may
include liquor licenses, drive-thru service,
pick-up service, and may operate twenty-four
(24) hours a day."
The Commission will also consider re-zoning the Corson Square property
just north of Pierce's from R-4 to R-5 to accommodate plans by the
Community Development Authority to remove the existing duplexes and
construct a new 35-unit affordable housing project.
Also under consideration is an amendment to the zoning code which would
limit the placement of shipping containers in residential areas to no
more than 45 days, and prohibit their use for human occupancy.
Plan Commission begins at 5:15 p.m. at City Hall, and supporting documents may be found here.
Sunday, May 12, 2024
Referendum discussion highlights Tuesday meeting
A pair of discussion items will dominate Tuesday's meeting, as Council
meets as Committee of the Whole to consider options to balance the
City's 2025 budget. Since the legislature placed limits on the
ability of municipalities to raise taxes in 2006, the rate of inflation
has steadily outpaced revenue growth on Baraboo's balance sheets. For
several years, staff and Council have streamlined operations and cut
programs. Now, looking to 2025 and beyond, items like the pool,
zoo, Civic Center, and taxi service will be on the chopping block
unless we can find a way to make ends meet. One possibility that
Council will consider is placing a referendum on the fall ballot which
would allow the City to increase the property tax levy for a number of
years. The Finance/Personnel Committee has kicked this around for
a few meetings, but this will be the first time that the entire Council
will weigh in.
The second discussion item concerns the possible reorganization of the
Parks, Recreation, and Forestry Department. Before trying to fill
the vacant director position, the interim city administrators have
looked at ways to improve staffing efficiencies between Parks and
Public Works, and they'll present those findings to Council. The
Parks Commission will also discuss this at their Monday, May 13 meeting.
Another vacancy continues to garner attention, as in closed session
Council will look at the latest batch of candidates for the city
administrator position and decide whether to bring anyone in for live
interviews in the coming weeks. Also in the closed sesson,
Council will discuss possible litigation over some of the road and
utility work in the Spirit Lake subdivision.
Purchase of a new fire truck by the Joint Fire / EMS District is also a
hot topic, as the Council will be asked to fund the City's share of the
District's Fire Equipment Replacement Fund, to the tune of $856,151.
Other action items on Tuesday's agenda include contracts for a short
section of sewer repair on 8th Avenue and chemical treatment of Well
Number 6 on Sauk Avenue to reduce the amount of manganese in the
water. Increases to hydrant and temporary water meter fees are
also on the agenda, along with a final plat of the Baraboo Bluffs
Estates project. The Council will also consider a contract with
The Nicholson Group for expert appraisal and witness services in
ongoing litigation with Wal-Mart over the assessment of their Baraboo
store, commonly known as the the "Dark Store" argument.
Tuesday's Council meeting begins at 7:00 p.m. at City Hall, and the full agenda and supporting documents can be found here.
Monday, April 22, 2024
ATV ordinance gets second reading
A second reading of an ordinance to open almost all City streets to
ATV/UTV traffic highlights Tuesday's Council agenda. The first
reading passed 7 - 2 on April 16, but two readings are required for any
ordinance to be enacted, and this time, the issue comes before a
Council with two new members.
Further down the agenda, Council will consider the sale of the City's
three garbage/recycling trucks to Peterson Sanitation for $237,000,
which will substantially preclude the City from getting back into the
collection business any time soon. Council may also take the
first step (ha!) toward a special assessment for sidewalks on Waldo
Street (between Parkside and Haeger) and Sauk Avenue (between Hitchcock
and Moore). A proposal to develop TID #13 will face scrutiny,
along with changes to the Specific Implementation Plan for Baraboo
Bluffs Estates, both of which were also discussed earlier this month.
Two personnel items round out the evening, as Ryan Daum is being put
forward as interim director of the Parks, Recreation, and Forestry
Department, and the Council will discuss next steps in the search for
Baraboo's next City Administrator. The full agenda and supporting
documents can be found here.
Sunday, April 14, 2024
Plan, Organizational meeting on Tuesday
Tuesday marks the beginning of a new term for the Common Council, with
newly-elected alders Steve Hause and Andrea Lombard being sworn in,
along with returning 8th-District representative Heather Kierzek and
yours truly. Assignments to committees, commissions, and board
are also on the agenda, some of which require Council confirmation and
some of which do not. The Council will also elect a president and
two of their members to serve on the Plan Commission. The brief
affair will get started at 5:00 p.m., and the full agenda is available
here.
Immediately following the Council, the Plan Commission will meet to
consider a permit for an electronic variable message sign at BaraBrew,
which is moving to 315 South Blvd. Plan will also consider the
final plat and Specific Implementation Plan for the Baraboo Bluffs
Estate subdivision and further discuss the historic preservation
elements of the zoning code. The agenda and supporting documents
can be found here.
Saturday, April 6, 2024
ATVs, new TIF district, & garbage contract
The current Common Council goes out in style on Tuesday night, with
several major items on the agenda. A proposed ordinance to allow
ATVs and UTVs on City streets will probably draw the most
attention. The draft language opens all streets except Highway 33
to the vehicles, but the Public Safety Committee is also including an
alternate proposal that restricts ATV/UTV use to a couple of
north-south and east-west routes. Council will also have the
opportunity to maintain the status quo by rejecting the ordinance.
A ten-year contract for garbage and recycling collection with Peterson
Sanitation, if approved, will shift that service from the public sector
to a private vendor. Residents will reportedly see an improvement
in service, while the City should save some moolah.
The Council will consider an emergency expenditure of $50,000 for
repairs and maintenance at UW-Platteville / Baraboo-Sauk County.
As the facilities at Boo-U age, mechanical breakdowns are becoming more
common and costly, and both the City and County are looking at raising
their annual appropriations in order to keep the campus in shape.
"Low Mow May" returns, with the annual proposal to suspend our
vegetative height limits for the month in order to help bees and other
pollinators.
As Committee of the Whole, Council will discuss the possibility of
establishing a new TIF district (#13) at the extreme southern end of
the City. The TID project boundaries would include approximately
150 rowhouses in the Sinkleyville subdivision; duplexes and about 128
apartments, a gas station, and other retail on KMD properties south of
Mine Road and west of Walnut; 44 single-family lots and more apartments
in the Valhalla Valley subdivision to the south of that; and an
80-room hotel and 30 VRBO villa development on the east side of Walnut,
behind the former Hooty's site. This discussion item will likely
have a far greater long-term impact on Baraboo than ATV's, but will
likely garner much less public scrutiny.
A second reading of the revision to the Baraboo Bluffs Estates
develoment plan is on tap, and Council will also meet in closed session
to further discuss the candidates for the vacant City Administrator
position. You can see the agenda and detailed supporting
documents here.
Tuesday's meeting marks the end of an era, as Joel Petty and Tom Kolb
retire after more than 30 years of combined service on the
Council. We will miss them!!
Monday, April 1, 2024
Get Out and Vote!
Tuesday is Election Day! City of Baraboo residents vote at the
Baraboo Civic Center, and polls are open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00
p.m. If you're still undecided about your mayoral options, you
can visit my campaign page for
more info. Other important races on the ballot include County
Board, School Board, Circuit Court Judge, and a pair of constritutional
amendments. More links are available here.
Friday, March 22, 2024
Reconsideration of Baraboo Bluffs GDP likely
At their March 12 meeting, Council narrowly rejected an amendment to
the General Development Plan for the Baraboo Bluffs Condominium project
by a 5-4 vote. The amendment would have changed the development,
located between Waldo St. and Pierce Park, from a condominium structure
to a more traditional neighborhood with private lots. Instead of
private roads and sidewalks, those would become public, with the City
being responsible for snow removal, repairs, etc. Since that
meeting, at least two alders who voted against the amendment have
reportedly had second thoughts, and I think one of them will make a
motion to reconsider at the upcoming March 26 meeting. Both
Roberts' Rules and our ordinances allow a alderperson who voted on the
prevailing side to make a motion to reconsider at the subsequent
regular meeting.
Other
business on Tuesday's agenda includes an MOU with the Baraboo School
District concerning the July 4 fireworks display, with a launch planned
from District property this year. The agreement commits the City
to crowd control, setup/cleanup, and protection of District
outbuildings in exchange for permission to use the property. The
other major topic on Tuesday will be a closed session review of
candidates for the City Administrator position. You can see the
entire agenda and supporting documents here.
Sunday, March 17, 2024
Plan to consider Valhalla plat, historic district
Two big ticket items on the agenda for Tuesday's Plan Commission.
The Commission will consider the final plat of the Valhalla Valley
subdivision at the extreme southern end of the City on the west side of
Hwy DL / Walnut Street. The plat calls for 49 single-family lots
plus four larger lots for potential multi-family development on 40
acres. Most of the single-family lots are right around 3/10 of an
acre, and the plat would extend Spruce Drive to the south and add three
short east-west residential streets. Also on the docket is the
proposal to designate the downtown business district as a "historic
place" under the City's Historic Preservation ordinance, 17.53.
This would place some restrictions on exterior modifications to
contributing buildings within the district.
A pair of requests for Conditional Use Permits to convert duplexes to
zero-lot-line residences in Greenfield Reserve and an extraterritorial
review of a CSM on Steinke Road fill out the evening, along with an
update on the Comprehensive Plan revision. Plan Commission meets
at 5:15 at City Hall, and you can see the full agenda and supporting
documents here.
Sunday, March 10, 2024
Library loans and leases get checked out
The March 12 Council meeting kicks off with a public hearing concerning
changes to the General Development Plan for the Baraboo Bluffs
project on Waldo Street. Originally approved as a condominium
development, the owners, KMD Development LLC, would now like to convert
this to a regular subdivision, based on their sense that the
condominium covenants are discouraging people from purchasing the
units. They now expect to convert each building to a two- or
three-unit zero-lot-line property. The Plan Commission gave a
favorable review of the changes in February, which include replacing a
perimeter walking path with more traditional sidewalks and the
elimination of a clubhouse and small park. Some streets would be
somewhat narrower than standard, but KMD plans to compensate for that
by making them one-way. Consideration of the changes to the GDP
is the last action item on the Council's agenda.
In between, there will be the second reading of an ordinance raising
the speed limit on Man Mound Road to 35 mph. Council will also
consider the transfer of Barabrew's Class A Combination Liquor License
to a new location at 315 South Blvd. (the former site of the Oliver
Motors dealership) and issuance of a Class A beer license to Snak Atak
at 801 South Blvd. (the Casey's site, I believe).
The most convoluted issue on Tuesday's agenda is the funding and lease
agreement for the newly expanded and renovated Carnegie-Schadde
Memorial Public Library. The Community Development Authority
purchased the property so that they could secure a low-interest loan
from the USDA Rural Development program. Now, Council needs to
approve the CDA's issuance of $5.1 million in bonds to pay for the
project. If all goes according to plan, the CDA will then lease
the property to the City, which in turn will sublease it back to the
library.
The fun begins at 7:00 p.m., and you can find the full agenda and supporting documents here.
Sunday, February 25, 2024
Food truck ordinance gets second reading
Council on Tuesday will complete a couple of items from the February 13
meeting, with a second reading of the new food truck ordinance and
official approval of the revised job description for the city
administrator that Committee of the Whole worked over at the last
meeting. Related to the food truck ordinance, Council will
consider setting the annual fee for the Mobile Food Vending Permit at
$100. Raising the speed limit on Man Mound Road to 35 mph will
also be entertained.
Most of the rest of the agenda items concern public works contracts for
2024, including street and sidewalk work, median mowing, and noxious
weed removal. George Altoff will kick the evening off with a
presentation on the Chamber of Commerce's activity, required annually
by virtue of receiving room tax funds. The entire agenda and
supporting documents can be found here.
Thursday, February 8, 2024
Garbage privatization, food truck ordinance highlight packed Tuesday agenda.
Better pack a snack if you're attending next Tuesday's Council meeting,
as it could be a long evening, if the 150-page agenda packet is any
indication.
Among the many important decisions to be weighed is a proposal to
outsource garbage and recycling collection to an outside firm, Peterson
Sanitation. City staff estimate the switch will save the City
over $900,000 over the life of the ten-year contract, and staff are
also confident that households will see an improvement in service.
Another major item is the adoption of a new ordinance regulating
"mobile food vending operations" a.k.a. food trucks. The City
currently has an ordinance regulating food trucks downtown between the
hours of 9:00 p.m. and 3:00 a.m., but nothing covering other areas or
times of day. The proposed ordinance would set standards
(such as noise, lighting, seating, and garbage), establish a permitting
process ($100) and prohibit food trucks from most residential
areas. With the exception of special events, operators would also
need a second permit ($50) to occupy any part of a public
right-of-way. Operation within a city park would require the
approval of the Parks, Recreation, & Forestry Department.
There is a lot of detail in this proposal, and I am just giving a very
broad overview here.
Council will also consider a development agreement with Frank Liquor
for a new distribution center in the Spirit Lake subdivision. The
City is offering a TIF incentive of $378,411 for the project.
Other business includes the award of contracts for sanitary sewer and
lead water service line replacements in conjunction with the 8th
St./Ave. reconstruction process, approval of assessments, and
implementation of loan arrangements to help landowners pay for those
assessments.
If you're curious about TIF districts (Tax Incremental Financing), the
evening begins with a presentation by Ehler's on "TIF Fundamentals" and
then an overview of each of the City's districts. The night will
conclude with Committee of the Whole discussions about the Boo-U campus
and next steps in the city administrator search In case you
missed it, the preferred candidate from last week's interviews withdrew
their application, so we will need to re-start the process.
A few other minor leases and contract adjustments round things
out. You can see the whole kielbasa along with supporting
documents here.
Sunday, January 28, 2024
Administrator finalists coming to town Tuesday
The two finalists for the position of City Administrator will be in
Baraboo on Tuesday, taking a tour of the city and then visiting with
residents at a public meet and greet at 5:30 p.m. at the
Carnegie-Schadde Memorial Public Library. Sharon Eveland and J.J.
Larson will return on Wednesday for interviews with staff, a resident
panel, and the Common Council, after which the Council will meet in
closed session to conside whether to offer either candidate a contract.
Sunday, January 21, 2024
SRO MOU extension tops light agenda
It's another short agenda for the Common Council on Tuesday, with one
significant action item. Council will consider a new Memorandum
of Understanding with the Baraboo School District concerning the
placement of School Resource Officers in district buildings.
The agreement extends the arrangement through 2027, in order to
satisfy the conditions of a COPS grant, which will help fund the
positions to the tune of $250,000 over three years. The MOU also
clarifies the responsibilities for SRO selection and oversight.
Also on Tuesday, there's a public hearing concerning the special
assessments to be levied for the replacement of 144 sanitary sewer
laterals as part of the Hwy 33 reconstruction project. Parks,
Recreation, and Forestry Director Mike Hardy will lead things off with
presentation of the Campbell Park Master Plan, which was commissioned
last summer. Any final tweaks to the January 30-31 schedule for
interviews with city administrator finalists will also be discussed.
You can find the full agenda and supporting documents here.
Monday. January 15, 2024
Two subdivisions on Tuesday Plan agenda
The Plan Commission will consider a plat for a new subdivision on
Tuesday, along with revisions to an existing one. First on the
agenda is an informal review of proposed changes to the Baraboo Bluffs
Condominium development on Waldo Street. KMD Properties would
like to change the development from a condominium model to a more
traditional neighborhood, with privately-owned zero-lot-line properties
and public, rather than private, streets. Some street widths and
building setbacks would not meet current City standards, and would
require an amendment to the General Development Plan at some point in
the future.
The second development is the Valhalla Valley property along County DL
which was annexed into the extreme southern end of the City a year
ago. The Commission will review a plat of the 40-acre site that
includes 53 lots, including a couple of larger lots that may be
earmarked for multi-family units.
The Commission will also continue discussion of the revision of the
City's Comprehensive Plan, including an in-depth look at the
transportation and economic development chapters. The full agenda
and supporting documents can be found here.
Monday, January 8, 2024
Weather delays Council's return to work
After a bit of a break for the holidays, the Common Council gets an
extra day off, as the predicted storm on Tuesday has delayed the first
meeting of January until Wednesday (January 10). A number of contracts are on
the agenda, including a new three-year deal for Pat Cannon as head of
the Community Development Authority and slight changes to the design
agreement with Five Bugles for the two new fire stations.
Ratification of a new three-year contract with the police union will
also be considered, including a 4% cost-of-living increase for 2024 and
6% increases for each of the next two years. Council will also
likely approve a new loan program to help homeowners manage the cost of
lead service line replacements.
The final item on the agenda is likely the most significant, as the
Council will review candidates for the City Administrator position and
determine which they would like to interview as finalists. As
this is a personnel matter, that discussion will take place in closed
session.
You can see the entire agenda and supporting documents here.
Wednesday, January 3, 2024
Spring election races set
With the deadline for nomination papers now past, the ballot for the
April 2 election is now set. In the races for Baraboo Common
Council, Nicole Kruschel and Steve Hause will square off to represent
District 2, while Rusty Schider challenges incumbent Heather Kierzek in
District 8. Andrea Lombard is on the ballot upopposed to replace
Joel Petty in District 5. Former alderperson Mike Plautz is
running against yours truly for the office of mayor.
All
31 seats on the Sauk County Board are up for election. Only eight
seats, however, are being contested, including one in the City of
Baraboo, where Sam Pocernich is challenging Jim Astle in District 18.
In the Baraboo School District, Carolyn Bonanno, Edranel “Nel” Bacalso Leverenz, and Joey Rivas will compete for two open seats.
And as best as I can gather, there is a bit of uncertainty over who
qualified for the ballot in the contest to replace retiring Circuit
Court judge Pat Barrett.
Sunday, December 10, 2023
Fire stations, West Square lot top busy December
The second Council meeting in December is traditionally cancelled, so
there's a lot on the alders' plate on December 12. Top of the
list is the solicitation of bids for the new fire stations, keeping
those projects moving forward. Five Bugles Design has been
working with the City on station design, and with Council approval,
those plans will go out to bid on January 4. Council will also
consider authorizing an interim $800,000 bond issue through the CDA for
the station projects, which are expected to have a total pricetag of
$25 million.
The City currently owns about 40% of the West Square parking lot, and
Council will consider transferring that ownership to the County, which
would like to restrict parking in the lot to County use on weekdays
from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. In exchange, the entire lot will be
available for public use in the evenings and all day on Saturday and
Sunday.
Council will also consider a development agreement with Allan and Mary
Mueller for construction of a new I A.M. Dairy distribution facility in
the Spirit Lake subdivision. In April, the City agreed to buy the
current I A.M. dairy site on the south side of the Baraboo River for
eventual use as a park. This development agreement will refund
75% of property tax revenue
generated by the new site through 2039.
2024 Civic Center leases with the Boys and Girls Club and the Baraboo
Area Senior Center are up for approval. Both reflect discounts of
70% over the building's standard rental rates, though leases with both
organizations will rise slightly to account for inflation.
A draw of roughly $120,000 for infrastructure in the Spirit Lake
subdivision is on the table, along with a contract with SEH for
administration of the lead service line replacement program along
Eighth St./Ave. and elsewhere in the city.
Council will also hear updates on the Comprehensive Plan revision and the library project.
Thats quite a list! You can see the full agenda and all the supporting documents here.
Saturday, December 2, 2023
Local election season is underway!
The turning of the calendar to December means that it is once again
election season in the City of Baraboo. Three aldremanic
districts (2, 5, and 8) will be up for election in the spring, along
with the office of mayor. Nomination papers may now be
circulated; signatures and other forms must be submitted to the City
Clerk by 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 2 in order for a candidate's
name to appear on the ballot. The spring election is April 2,
with a primary on February 20 if more than two candidates are competing
for the same seat. A map of the City's aldermanic districts is
available here, and additional forms and information are posted on the
City Clerk's site and available at City Hall.
All 31 Sauk County Board of Supervisors seats also come before the
voters in the spring. The county supervisory district boundaries can be
found here.
As for me, I don't feel that I've done a particularly good job as mayor
over the last three years, but I keep hearing from lots of people out
there who disagree with me. As one fellow put it last week, We're just more comfortable knowing you're in there keeping an eye on
things. So, I'll reluctantly put my hat back in the ring again and let the
voters decide. If you'd like to help get my name on the ballot
again, please consider picking up a nomination form and collecting ten
signatures towards the effort. Let's not wait until the last few hours again!
Sunday, November 26, 2023
Last chance for 2024 budget
After months of wrangling and discussion, the 2024 budgets come up for
Common Council approval on Tuesday night. A total of ten separate
resolutions will be offered, covering separate budgets for the BID,
Water Utility, Sewer and Stormwater utilities, CDA, TIF districts, and
the overall levy. A public hearing early in the meeting allows
anyone to comment on the budgets before any votes are taken.
Council will also consider whether to opt out of class-action
settlements with 3M and DuPont covering PFAS contamination of public
drinking water systems. The City has not detected any PFAS in our
water, and unless a detection were to occur before 2030, we'd only be
eligible to recieve minor compensation for testing expenses. In
exchange, by staying in the settlements, the City would forfiet any
future opportunity to make a claim against those companies.
Up for a second reading are ordinance changes involving parking along
Draper St. and Fifth Avenue, a bump in the room tax from 6% to 8%, and
the re-write of Chapter 5, concerning fire protection services.
The Council will also meet as Committee of the Whole to discuss the
option of allowing ATV/UTV use of City streets, and has invited a
member of the Baraboo Bluffs ATV Club to make their case for this
change. The full agenda and supporting documents are available
here.
Sunday, November 19, 2023
Light agenda for Plan Commission
It looks like a relatively light Tuesday for the Plan Commission, with
the review of two site plans foremost on the agenda. D. Mitchell
will seek approval of plans for seven duplexes in the 800 block of
Walnut Street, the former location of the Blue and White Motel.
Frank Liquor, meanwhile, looks to have their plans for a districbution
center in the Spirit Lake development okayed. The commission will
also consider conditional use permits and new CSMs to convert three
parcels on Roosevelt Street in the Greenfield Reserve subdivision to
zero-lot-line single family homes. Public hearings on the three
Roosevelt Street projects will precede deliberations by the
Commission. Plan Commission meets Tuesday at 5:15 p.m. and you
can view the full agenda a supporting documents here.
Sunday, November 12, 2023
Budget deliberations winding down
The 2024 budget is close to wrapping up, and a public hearing during
the November 14 Council meeting will be one of the last opportunities
for public comment before a final version is presented for approval on
November 28. A couple of budget-related items appear on Tuesday's
agenda for action, however, including an increase in the City's room
tax from 6% to 8% and a shift of the Public Fire Protection charge from
the tax levy to the water utility. That latter move means that
all property owners will pay that fee as part of their water bill,
freeing up roughly $230,000 of levy dollars that can be put to other
uses.
Council will also consider an amended MOU with the Baraboo School
District for the funding of School Resource Officers at the high school
and middle school. Under the agreement, the district will pay 50%
of the SRO wages and benefits from January 1, 2024 through June 30,
2025.
Changes the the City's fire protection ordinances will also be
reviewed, reflecting the merger of fire and EMS services and the change
to a district structure which occured at the beginning of 2023.
Council will also get an update from Five Bugles Architects on the fire
station building project(s).
Council will select a carrier for liability insurance coverage, and
approve the BID budget for 2024. From the seemingly endless suite
of actions necessary to continue the shared ride taxi service, Council
will authorize applications for federal and state transportation
grants, and consider an extension of the vehicle lease agreement with
Abby Vans.
The full agenda and supporting documents can be found here.
Sunday, October 29, 2023/
Last chance to take Comp Plan survey!
The public input phase of the City's revision of its Comprehensive Plan
is wrapping up, and you've got just a few more hours to submit your
opinion on where our community should be headed over the coming
decades. The survey closes at the end of October, but up until
that time, you can still have your voice heard here.
Sunday, October 22, 2023
Possible taxi service cuts take center stage
The future of Baraboo's shared-ride taxi service comes to a head
Tuesday, as Council will debate several possible steps to curtail
service in 2024. Under the current structure, an operating
deficit of about $172,000 is projected for 2024. Council will
consider changes to chip away at that deficit, including eliminating
service from 5 a.m. to 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. to midnight; reducing the
number of vans in service at other times; increasing fares $1 or $2;
and increasing "agency fares," the amount charged to human service
organizations buying rides for their clients, to $9. Implementing
all of these changes (including the $2 fare hike) would bring the
operating deficit down to an estimated $11,000. A public hearing
on the taxi service's financial performance will precede consideration
of any of these actions.
The Council will also consider the 2024 budget for the Baraboo Area
Fire and EMS District, which proposes a 6.11% increase over 2023.
Distribution of approximately $19,000 in Alma Waite grant funds will
also be determined. Rounding out the evening are a presentation
of the 2022 audit report and continued discussion of the 2024 budget.
The Common Council meets at 7:00 p.m., and the full agenda and
supporting documents can be found here. Many of the same items
will be discussed during the Finance/Personnel Committee meeting at
5:00 p.m. Their agenda can be viewed here.
Saturday, October 7, 2023
Council reverses course on health insurance
After almost an hour of comments from City employees, the Common
Council on Tuesday backed away from its previous decision to switch to
a high-deductible health insurance plan, instead opting to stay with
our current "P-12" policy. Alderspersons seemed swayed by
consistent testimony from employees that they have tolerated lower pay
because of the City's excellent health benefits, and from department
heads who face difficulties recruiting and retaining staff in a tight
labor market. No one voted to override my earlier veto of the
high-deductible plan, and then with an 8-0 vote, the Council selected
P-12.
Now, the discussion will shift to how to pay for it. Soaring
health insurance costs have blown a $256,000 hole in the 2024 budget,
and during Committee of the Whole on October 10, the Council will look
at options to plug it. The swimming pool and shared ride taxi
service have been discussed as potential targets, along with a shift of the fire
protection fee from the tax levy to the water utility. Following
the COW discussion, staff will prepare a draft budget for review and
public comment at the October 24 meeting.
Also at Tuesday's meeting, Council will consider a contract for a new
accessible playground at Pierce Park, with all funding coming through a
donation by the Everything's Possible Foundation. They'll also
look to an agreement with Public Administration Associates for the
recruitment of a new city administrator and set a date for a public
hearing concerning the financial performance of the shared ride taxi
service. A slew of liquor license applications appear on the
agenda, along with a second reading of an ordinance changing the speed
limit on Man Mound Road to 25 mph.
The full agenda and supporting documents are available here.
Monday, October 2, 2023
Health insurance selection triggers veto
I issued the second veto of my term last week, in response to Council's
choice of a health insurance plan for City employees. Currently, the
City offers staff a "P-12" plan, which features no deductible, no copay, and
no coinsurance. It is a terrific plan, and admittedly, probably much better
than what most city residents are able to afford. It's also one
of the few perks that the City is able to offer, as wages have fallen
behind the cost of living and what many nearby communities can pay.
Two weeks ago, we were informed that the cost of the P-12 plan would
jump 24% in 2024, for an additional expense to the City of about $256,000.
Consequently, Council on September 26 considered whether to continue
with P-12 or offer a different, less expensive plan. By a 5-4
vote, Council rejected P-12, and then by another 5-4 vote adopted a
plan known as P-17, which featured a deductible of $1,500 individual /
$3,000 family, co-pays, and maximum annual out-of pocket of $2,500 / $5,000. Of
the four variations available, this was widely seen by staff and
department heads as the worst option, even with the City paying for the
deductible.
By Wednesday morning, the mood among staff was somber, and many were
distraught. I made the decision to issue a veto based on three
factors: 1) Our staff have served the city well, and should be given an
opportunity to have their concerns heard; 2) The information
presented to Council was in a format that was moderately confusing,
with several of us doing calculations on the fly; and 3) a re-check of
the figures on Wednesday morning showed the cost of the P-17 plan to be
$30,000 higher than originally estimated, mainly due to inaccurate data
listed on the state website. You can see my full veto message to
Council here.
So, we will have a special Council meeting on Tuedsay, October 3 at 7:00 p.m.
Discussion of the insurance options will continue as Committee of the
Whole, and then Council will have an opportunity to override my
veto. Should the six votes required for that not be forthcoming,
Council will then be able to consider other plan options. The
agenda for Tuesday is available here.
Sunday, September 24, 2023
$250K insurance hole prompts budget discussion
Though it occupies only a small portion of the agenda, discussion of
the 2024 budget is expected to dominate Tuesday's Council
meeting. Two weeks ago, Council was alerted that health insurance
costs are expected to jump by approximately 24% next year, which blows
a big (i.e., roughly $250,000) hole in
the budget. During a special Finance Committee meeting on
Wednesday, the committee examined possible reductions in health
coverage or increases in the employee contributions. Department
heads lobbied against any changes to the health plans, saying that this
is one of the few perks that allow them to recruit and retain
staff. The committee also discussed other ways to make up the
difference, including eliminating the shared ride taxi service, closing
the pool, cutting school resource officers, and shifting the fire
protection hydrant fee from the tax levy and onto the water bill.
No action was taken at Wednesday's meeting, but Finance is expected to
make a recommendation Tuesday concerning the health insurance for
Council consideration Tuesday night. Because open enrollment for
employees begins this week, this is a decision that needs to be made
immediately, so that employees can know the costs of various plans and
options. Broader contemplation of possible cuts and revenue
sources will take place as a Committee of the Whole discussion and will
likely continue as the budget is brought into clearer focus over the
next few weeks.
In addition to health insurance, Council will also discuss our general
liability insurance outlook, after a presentation from Cities and
Villages Mutual Insurance (CVMIC).
Other major items on Tuesday's docket include the second readings of
zoning changes for the Pewit's Landing development and a lot on the 400
block of Mine Street. The Council will also consider an agreement
with the DNR for the testing and remediation of the I A.M. Dairy
property at 105 Vine Street, which is considered a brownfield
site and planned as a future park. With City Administrator Casey Bradley's resignation
approaching on October 21, Council is expected to appoint CDA Director
Pat Cannon and City Engineer Tom Pinion to carry out the those duties
on an interim basis until the position can be filled. In order to
accommodate traffic flow to the library, Council will also ponder
designating the alley between Broadway and Birch streets as one-way
(westerly).
And, time permitting, Council will wrap up the night in closed session
to get an update on development projects from Admnistrator Bradley.
Common Council meets at 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, and Finance Committee
precedes that at 5:00 p.m. this week. Agendas and supporting
documents can be found, respectively, here and here.
Saturday, September 16, 2023
Plan to ponder distribution centers, more housing
Several big projects are up for review at Tuesday's Plan Commission
meeting, including two more projects for the Spirit Lake
development: I A.M. Dairy and Frank Liquor both seek Conditional
Use Permits for distribution facilities on lots 4 and 5,
respectively. Both lots are in the southeast corner of the Spirit
Lake property, and both projects will have public hearings prior to
consideration of their CUPs. I A.M. Dairy is also submitting a
site plan and renderings for their building.
On the south side of town, Valhalla Valley L.L.C. is seeking conceptual
review of their plans for residential development on 74 acres west of
Walnut St. near Devils Lake State Park. This parcel was annexed
into the city back in January and preliminary plans show 108 lots in
two separate phases.
The Commission will also consider two new CSMs for D. Mitchell,
splitting lots in the St. Clare Acres neighborhood at 1427 / 1429
Martiny Court, and near the Baraboo Country Club in the 400 block of
Mine Street.
Plan Commission meets at 5:15 p.m. at City Hall. The full agenda and supporting documents can be found here.
Sunday, September 10, 2023
Parks items highlight full Tuesday slate
It's a packed agenda for Tuesday night, with Parks and Recreation
issues leading the way. Council will consider 2024 staff wages,
leases at the Civic Center and Pierce Park hockey pavillion, and the
big ticket item, awarding a contract for the construction of a
splashpad at Attridge Park. Miese Construction was the low bidder
at $342,880.01, with all consruction costs covered by a combination of
grants and fundraising by Friends of the Baraboo Parks.
There will also be two public hearings on Tuesday, one concerning the
development/implementation plan for 210 apartments at the Spirit Lake
site (dubbed "Pewit's Landing"), and a second concerning the proposed
rezoning of a parcel on Mine Road across from the Country Club from
industrial/business to residential. Council action on these
matters will likely follow later in the meeting.
Council will also consider approval of a DOT grant to the tune of over
$1.5 million to replace over 200 decorative downtown lampposts with
more efficient LED designs. The City's share of the project is
expected to be about $388,000, for a total cost of just over $1.9
million.
A pair of liquor licenses will be up for review, and we'll also get an
update on the budget, plus a little housekeeping concerning surplus
equipment and the lead service line replacement program. The full
agenda and supporting documents can be found here.
Saturday, August 19, 2023
Room tax, trio of easements on Council docket
The Common Council returns to the friendly environs of City Hall for
its meeting on Tuesday. Among the top items under consideration
is the approval of an agreement splitting the City's room tax proceeds
between the Chamber of Commerce and Downtown Baraboo, Inc. Under
state law, the City can collect a 6% room tax, but must distribute 70%
of that income to one or more "tourism entities." With the new
Fairfield hotel scheduled to open in a few weeks, and other potential
hotel projects in the future, DBI and the Chamber worked together to
forge an updated agreement where both can benefit.
The Council will also consider enrollment in a five-year program for
public education and outreach from the North Central Wisconsin
Stormwater Coalition and granting easements to the WI DOT for new curb
ramps at a pair of locations on Highways 136 and 113. Another
pair of easements is also proposed for the northern edge of Langer Park
to allow Wisconsin Power and Light to install underground electric and
communication cables. Yet a third pair of easements is on the
docket, allowing the City to provide water and sewer service to the
Spirit Lake development, at a cost of $20,000 to the City.
Finance Director Julie Ostrander will provide an update on the budget
and the Council will further discuss Alliant's proposed rate increases
for 2024 - 2025. We'll also launch a minor update to our
ordinances clarifying when the throwing of objects is illegal.
You can find the full agenda and supporting documents here.
Sunday, August 13, 2023
Council taking its show on the road
Developers of the Spirit Lake project on the city's west side appear
before Plan Commission on Tuesday, seeking approval for the next steps
in the project. In accordance with the GDP/SIP process, the
Commission will review plans for the first two multifamily residential
buildings on the site. Two stories tall, each building is
projected to have 12 one-bedroom units and 8 two-bedroom units, plus a
small fitness center and community room. 16 garage spaces will have EV
charging capabilities. In addition, Pewit's Landing LLC will
request that the parcel hosting the apartments be split into three
seperate lots, each corresponding to a future phase of
development. According to current plans, full build-out would
include 210 apartments (11 studio, 61 one-bedroom, 138 two-bedroom),
and 379 parking spaces (255 surface, 26 garage, 98 underground).
This portion of the development represents about 9 acres of the 54
acres on the Spirit Lake site, with commercial, retail, and additional
residental projects expected for the remaining parcels.
Also on the Plan Commission's docket is informal review of the Bluff
Vista project, a series of seven duplexes on the site of the former
Blue and White Motel on Walnut Street. The Commission will also
consider a request to rezone a 2-acre lot on Mine Road across from the
Baraboo Country Club from I-3 to Single Family Residential, and a
conditional use permit for to convert a duplex on Manassas Drive into
two side-by-side single family dwellings. You can see the full
agenda and supporting documents here.
Sunday, August 6, 2023
Council taking its show on the road
Common Council meetings are rarely a walk in the park, but that's
exactly what's in store on Tuesday, as our meeting will be conducted at
Ochsner Park during a special "Council in the Park" session, starting
at 6:00 p.m. It's an extraordinarily short agenda, as the main
purpose of the evening is to give residents a chance to meet their
representatives and City staff in a relaxed and informal setting.
There will be food, behind the scenes tours of the zoo, and lots of
other activities for constituents of all ages. You can find more
info here.
Tuesday, July 25, 2023
Quiet summer continues
The string of fairly uneventful Council meetings continues, with very
little on tonight's agenda. Council will consider picnic licenses
for a trio of events in August and September, and also the issuance of
an operator's license. Withdrawal of more funds for the
Greenfield Estates project is on the docket, along with rezoning the
property intended for an east side fire/EMS station on the corner of
Taft and 12th St. The Council also looks to adopt the public
participation plan for the revision of the Comprehensive Plan, a step
that is mandated by statutes. You can view the full agenda and
supporting documents here.
Sunday, June 25, 2023
Quiet Council agenda on Tuesday
This should be a very quick Council meeting on Tuesday, with little on
the agenda outside of appointments to the Library Board and a pair of
liquor license renewals. Council will also consider approving a
bid for this year's street and utility projects and discuss the
proposed Alliant rate increases and their impact on the City
budget. The full agenda can be found here.
Sunday, June 18, 2023
Plan Commission reviewing CSMs
A relatively quick Plan Commission meeting is expected Tuesday, with
review of five CSMs on the agenda:c converting a duplex at Greenfield
Estates into two zero-lot-line parcels; combining two lots on Ott Lane;
linking two outlots to their "parent" lots on Commerce Avenue; and a
pair of projects within the City's extraterritorial jurisdiction, on
Highway 33 and Man Mound Road. A public hearing on the CUP for
the Greenfied Estates request will kick things off. The full
agenda is available here.
Sunday, June 11, 2023
Budget listening session on tap Wednesday
The City will conduct a public listening session for the 2024 budget on
Wednesday at the UW-Baraboo / Sauk County campus. The program
begins at 6:00 p.m. with short presentations by department heads,
followed by an open mic for those who wish to express their thoughts
about the City's spending priorities. This is a great opportunity
to have your voice heard by City staff and elected officials!
Meanwhile, a public hearing on a proposed single-family residence on 10
acres immediately south of the Pleasant View subdivision on the
northeast edge of the City will headline Tuesday's Common Council
meeting. UW-Madison Planning and Landscape Architecture student
Ashley Fritz will also present her capstone project, which examines
redevelopment options for the Baraboo River corridor.
Council will also consider a $2.4 million bid for the construction of
roads and utilities in the Spirit Lake development, along with a
proposal for the Community Development Authority to take possession of
properties planned for new Fire / EMS stations on the far east and west
sides. A number of other proposals appear on the agenda,
including replacement of lights at the Civic Center with LEDs, and the
donation of improvements to the Veteran's Memorial there by the
VFW. Police Chief Rob Sinden is requesting permission to apply
for a pair of grants, and the go-ahead for a Phase I Environmental
Assessment of the 1 AM Dairy site by MSA is also on the docket.
The annual review and approval of liquor licenses is also on tap
Tuesday.
The complete agenda and supporting documents can be found here.
Sunday, May 21, 2023
Art, utilities. and plans highlight Tuesday agenda
An update to the City's Comprehensive Plan may be on the horizon, as
the Council will be asked to approve a $124,000 contract with Short
Elliot Henderson (SEH) at Tuesday's meeting. Adopted in 2005, the
Plan is well beyond the 10-year update interval mandated by state statute.
SEH's proposal was one of three evaluated by a selection committee and
earned praise for its creative approaches to gathering public input.
Also on Tuesday, the Council will consider accepting donations from
the Baraboo Public Art Association: two aluminum giraffes by Lodi
artist Dean Allen to join the elephants in Myron Park, and a sculpture
of "Moody" by Tom Every (a.k.a. Dr. Evermore) to nest in the future
Riverside Park, roughly
across the Baraboo River from its counterpart, "Captain Henry Avery,"
in Kiwanis Park.
Loan applications to the state's Safe Drinking Water and Clean Water
Fund programs may move forward, to help fund water and sewer upgrades
during the reconstruction of Eighth Street/Avenue, which likely will
begin this fall. The Council will also be asked to approve a
request by the Baraboo Water Utility to increase water rates by 8%,
effective January 1, 2024.
Approval of the final plat for the Spirit Lake development is also on
the agenda, separating the 54-acre parcel on the southwest corner of Hwy 12 and CTH W into seven discrete
lots. The Plan Commission considered the plat on May 16, and
forwarded it to Council without any recommendation.
Council will also convene as Committee of the Whole to discuss progress
toward achieving the priorities identified in the Strategic Plan that
was completed last year. The full agenda and supporting documents
can be found here.
Monday, May 8, 2023
Climate coalition membership tops light agenda
It should be a quick meeting for the Council on Tuesday, with a light,
seemingly uncontroversial agenda. Aside from the routine matters
of approving accounts payable and fourth quarter budget amendments, the
Council will consider the second reading of two amendments to Chapter
17 of the Zoning Code, creating a wellhead protection ordinance and
making minor changes to short-term rental regulations. Council
will also entertain a proposal to join the Wisconsin Local Government
Climate Coalition, which seeks to promote policies encouraging
low-carbon and clean energy options. The full agenda and
supporting documents can be found here.
Earlier in the evening, at their 5:30 meeting, the Finance/Personnel
Committee will discuss the performance of our shared-ride taxi service,
the Fire/EMS station building project, and staffing levels in the
police department. That agenda is available here.
Sunday, April 23, 2023
Council to consider riverfront park land purchase
A downtown park on the south side of the Baraboo
River could move one step closer to reality on Tuesday, as the Council
considers the purchase of 105 Vine St., the current location of 1 AM
Dairy, for $650,000. The purchase agreement also confers park
naming rights to the sellers, Allan and Mary Mueller, and requires them
to enter into a development agreement to construct a replacement
facility elsewhere in the city. The Council will also decide
whether to accept a DNR Stewardship Grant in the amount of $153,250 to
apply toward the purchase price.
Council will also examine two changes to Chapter 17 of the Zoning Code,
one which establishes a wellhead protection ordinance, and a second
which makes minor modifications to short-term rental regulations.
Council will look into the contribution of $2,500 toward an assessment
of Sauk County's attraction strategies for tech-based jobs by the
Center for Rural Development. The contract with Abby Vans for
shared-ride taxi service is up for renewal, and the annexation into the
City of five parcels along Hwy. 136, including the site of the west
side Fire/EMS station and adjacent properties, will be considered.
The Common Council meets at 7:00 p.m., and is preceded by the
Finance/Personnel Committee at 6:00 p.m. The full agenda and
supporting documents are available here.
Sunday, April 16, 2023
Council, Plan, kick off a new year
The Common Council will conduct its annual organizational meeting on
Tuesday, which will include the swearing in of new District 1
repesentative David Olson along with returning alderpersons Jason Kent
and Scott Sloan. Council will also elect a Council President, and
two representatives to the Plan Commission. The full agenda is
available here. Note that the meeting is scheduled for 5:00 p.m.
to accommodate several other meetings later in the evening, with the
first of those being the Plan Commission.
Plan will meet at 5:15 p.m., or as soon as possible after the Council
meeting. It's a full agenda for the Commission, but it doesn't
appear to be a very controversial one. David Mitchell is
requesting conditional use permits to convert two duplexes under
construction on Tuttle Street to side-by-side single family attached
dwellings, so that they can be sold independently. The Commission
will also consider the annexation into the City of five parcels along
Hwy 136, including and adjacent to the site of the planned Fire/EMS
station. Also up for review are CSMs for two projects in the Town
of Baraboo and Town of Fairfield that fall within the City's
extraterritorial zoning. Commissioners will also offer informal
feedback on the proposed Schwartz home at the end of Valley View Drive
and a proposed development by VFW Post 987 on Mine Street near the
Baraboo Country Club. The full agenda and supporting documents
are available here.
Sunday, April 9, 2023
A shower of business on first April agenda
After a couple of weeks of short-ish meetings, the Council has a packed
agenda for Tuesday night. One of the highlights will be an update
on the Fire/EMS station projects during Committee of the
Whole. The Council will also consider two agreements
with the Village of West Baraboo, concerning the provision of a backup
water supply and treatment of the Village's waste water. The
Parks Department is also seeking approval to apply for a pair of DNR
Stewardship Grants to help fund the path between Oak Street and Water
Street, and the development of Riverfront Park on the south side of the
river between Walnut and Ash Streets. The Council will also be
asked to commit to a "10-Minute Walk" program that guarantees easy
access to parks and green spaces for all City residents.
Two zoning changes will be up for review, with a public hearing for
each at the beginning of the meeting: rezoning 3.59 acres on the
southwest corner of Commerce Avenue and Hatchery Road from B-3 to I-4,
Planned Industrial / Business for Northcore Industries; and rezoning
821 Broadway from B-1 to R-1A, Single Family Residential for Dennis
Midthun. Purchase of two new mowers for the Parks Department will
be considered, along with a contract to rehabilitate sewer mains along
Water Street. The Council will also review the terms of a revised
finance agreement with the DOT for elements of the Highway 33
reconstruction project.
The Council will also honor Ald. Phil Wedekind, who is retiring after
more than 22 years of service representing the First Aldermanic
District.
The full agenda and supporting documents, all 73 pages worth, can be found here.
Monday, March 27, 2023
$4.6 million for TIF developments contemplated
Apologies for the delay of this posting, but the 38th annual Vulture
League draft was last weekend, and a fella has to have priorities!
Another brief agenda this week, as the Council tomorrow will consider
the purchase of a Bobcat by the Public Works department, a revision of
the City's purchasing policy, and the temporary suspension of lawn
height restrictions in support of "Low-Mow May." Also up for
approval is a $4.6 million loan to begin infrastructure work at the
Spirit Lake development in TIF district #11 and complete the work at
Greenfield Estates in TID #12. The full agenda and supporting documents can be found here.
Thursday, March 9, 2023
Council considers counsel
A light agenda for the March 14 Common Council meeting, with the
official appointment of legal counsel as the most substantial item on
the docket. Since the last full-time city attorney resigned in
2020, the City has used Boardman and Clark as legal counsel on an
ad-hoc basis. The Council will now consider formalizing that
relationship, with B&C partner Steve Zach serving as city attorney
and other lawyers from the firm available on an as-needed basis.
Rates for service will vary between $225 and $300 per hour.
The Baraboo Public Arts Association will also offer an update, and
Council will consider repealing
ordinances related to the Baraboo-Wisconsin Dells Airport Commission,
as the City relinquished its ownership stake in the airport at the
beginning of the year. Acceptance of a $3,000 Sauk County
Extension Education Arts and Culture grant for interpretive signage at
Keramani Park is likely, along with authorization to pursue Wisconsin
DOT funds for the pedestrian path between Oak and Water streets.
The full agenda and supporting documents
can be found here.
Thursday, February 23, 2023
Council to consider carbon reduction fund
The Finance Committee and Common Council will consider the
establishment of a Carbon Reduction Special Revenue Fund on
Tuesday. A $15,000 donation from Powered Up Baraboo will serve as
seed money for the fund, and be used to convert all Civic Center
lighting to LED. The savings in energy costs over the next five
years will be transferred back into the account to provide funding for
future energy-saving or renewable energy projects, essentially creating
an internal revolving loan fund for "green" City initiatives.
Contracts for 2023 street projects and infrastructure work at the
Greenfield Reserve subdivision will also be awarded on Tuesday, along
with a second reading of a change to overnight parking restrictions at
a pair of downtown lots. George Althoff will offer the Chamber of
Commerce's annual report, and the Council will consider Wal-Mart's
claim of excessive property tax assessment. All in all, a fairly
short and mundane evening, compared to the last few Council meetings.
The full agenda and supporting documents can be found here.
Sunday, February 19, 2023
Plan Commission to consider new VA clinic
The Plan Commision on Tuesday will consider a proposal to construct a
new Veteran's Administration outpatient clinic on the southwest corner
of Hwy 136 and Hatchery Road. The 3.44 acre site is directly
north of Anytime Fitness and would replace the existing clinic on South
Blvd. The Commission will review the application for a
conditional use permit and the site plan for the building. Also
on the agenda are conceptual reviews of a land division on the Schwartz
property south of the Pleasant View subdivision on the eastern edge of
the city and the operation of a pet grooming business in the 600 block
of Seventh Avenue.
The Commission meets at 5:15 on Tuesday at City Hall. The full agenda and supporting documents can be found here.
Thursday, February 16, 2023
Veto override paves way for Spirit Lake project
After about 30 minutes of public comment at Tuesday's meeting, the
Common Council voted 6-3 to override my veto of the Spirit Lake
development agreement, paving the way for the project to move forward,
beginning with the construction of approximately 264 apartments on ten
acres south of CTH W and west of Highway 12. While former
alderperson Mike Plautz spoke in favor of the project, a dozen
residents voiced concerns ranging from urban sprawl to environmental impacts
to a lack of current comprehensive planning. When the roll was called,
however, supporters of the agreement had the necessary 2/3
supermajority to overturn the veto, with only Alds. Kolb, Hazard, and
Kent voting to sustain it. The project still has several zoning
and design hurdles to clear, and while there may be tweaks along the
way, it seems unlikely that it will be derailed.
Council also approved the removal of the Oak St. overlook and High
Bridge abutment after MSA engineer Marcus Rue shared evidence that deterioration of the
structure posed an imminent safety concerns. City staff will
begin removing the abutment "as soon as possible," with any salvageable
stone blocks being reserved for possible use as planters or other
decorative features. The Council also approved the issuance of an
RFP for design and project administration for a new overlook and
ADA-accessible walkway. Preliminary cost estimates by MSA put the
price tag for the project in the range of $3.5 million. A grant
of $500,000 has already been secured in the federal budget and Parks
Director Mike Hardy expects other grant programs to finance stages of the project.
You can view a recording of the entire Council meeting here.
Clicking on an agenda item should advance the video to that portion of the meeting.
Sunday, February 12, 2023
Council to revisit development agreement
A proposed project at the southwest edge of Baraboo returns to the
Common Council agenda on February 14, as alderpersons will consider
overturning the mayoral veto of the development agreement between the
City, Spirit Lake LLC, and Pewit's Nest LLC (see previous entry,
below). A two-thirds vote is required to override the veto and
move the agreement forward. Also on the docket is the second
reading necessary to
finalize the annexation of 119 acres on Baraboo's southern edge along
Hwy DL.
New business to be considered on Tuesday includes a plan to build
an ADA-accessible walkway and park connecting the southern end of Oak
Street with Water Street and the Riverwalk. MSA will give a
presentation on current conditions at the site, a conceptual plan, and a cost
estimate. The Council will consider sending out a request for
proposals for the design and project administration, and in a closely related matter, consider
removal of the existing overlook / bridge abutment, which has fallen
into disrepair.
Other matters on the agenda include grant-funded replacement of
body-worn cameras for the police department and changes to the
overnight parking regulations at the Civic Center and Fifth Avenue
lots. The Council may also declare its intent to install sidewalk
on 11th Street between Jefferson and Elizabeth, funded by an assessment
against abutting properties.
The full agenda can be found here.
Clicking on the paperclip icons will open resolutions and supporting
documents. The Common Council meets at 7:00 p.m. at City Hall.
Tuesday, January 31, 2023
West side development draws veto
The Common Council on January 24 moved forward with two proposals which
could substantially change the western and southern edges of the
City. In the first move, Council approved the annexation into the City of
approximately 119 acres just north of Devil's Lake State Park. On the west side of CTH DL, Valhalla Valley
LLC is planning single-family residential housing on 72 acres. On
the east side of the highway, three landowners with a total of about 47
acres also requested annexation. Plans for those parcels are less
firm, but during this month's Plan Commission meeting, vacation rentals
and a boutique hotel were among the possibilities discussed. Ald.
Hazard expressed favor toward the Valhalla plans, and motioned that the
resolution be remanded to the Plan Commission and split into two
separate proposals for the east and west sides of the highway.
That idea failed on a 5-3 vote, with Alders Kent and Kolb joining
Hazard in the minority. The argument that the City could exert
more control over the properties if they were within the City seemed to
whole sway, and the annexation of all 119 acres passed with the same
5-3 breakdown. A second reading and approval of the annexation is
required at the February 14 meeting.
In the second significant piece of action, Council approved a
development agreement with Spirit Lake LLC and Pewit's Landing LLC for
the
construction of up to 264 apartments on property west of Highway 12 and
south of CTH W. Spirit Lake owns a total of 54 acres, and would
transfer 9.7 acres to Pewit's Landing for the apartments. Located
within TIF 11, the rest of the property would be reserved for
commercial development, and possibly more residential in the
future. In exchange for a guarantee of at least $20 million of
new value added to the property by the end of 2027, the City would
install roads, water, sewer, and storm sewer. New tax increment
generated by the development would first go to pay for the improvements
done by the City; after that, Spirit Lake and Pewit's Landing
would be eligible for up to $4.95 million in incentives. Council
approved an authorization to execute the development agreement by a
vote of 8-0 (Ald. Sloan was absent).
I spent the rest of that week carefully considering the Spirit Lake
development and the manner in which it was approved, and
ultimately decided to issue the first mayoral veto in at least a decade
here in Baraboo. I remain skeptical that the site, separated from
the rest of the City by a freeway and highway-oriented businesses is a
good location for residential development. I'm also reluctant to
subsidize development on the west side of Highway 12, since I feel that
this forms a de facto border between the rural and urban areas of our
community. Once broached, I fear that a tide of sprawl to the
west will be difficult to resist. An approval process which left
no opportunity for public comment or review of the agreement also makes
me uncomfortable.
You can read my full veto message to the Council here, along with the
draft development agreement and resolution. The
Council may override the veto with a 2/3 vote
at their February 14 meeting.
Sunday, January 22, 2023
Annexation and development top Tuesday's agenda
It's a short agenda for Tuesday's Council meeting, but a meaty
one. Alders will consider the annexation of approximately 122
acres spanning County Highway DL just north of Devil's Lake State
Park. A single-family residential development is planned for the
72 acres on the west side of the highway, while plans for the
properties on the east side are still in the works. The Council
will also go into closed session to consider a development agreement
with Spirit Lake L.L.C., and then move on to conduct the annual
performance evaluation of the City Administrator. Council meets
at 7:00 p.m. on January 24, and the full agenda and supporting
documents can be found here.
Friday, January 6, 2023
Parks and Council back in action this week
By a quirk of the calendar, Parks Commission and Council meet during
the same week this month. Parks strikes first, on Monday, January
9 at 5:30 p.m. at the Civic Center, with an agenda that includes a
review of the Oak Street
overlook and ramp project, which comes with a preliminary price tag of
roughly $3.5 million. Among other items under consideration will
be policy changes
to allow banner advertisements on the Pierce Park softball/baseball
diamonds, and a proposal for improvements to Field #3. More
details are available here.
Then, on Tuesday evening, the Common Council will convene its first
meeting of the new year, highlighted with a pair of
presentations: representatives of Powered Up Baraboo will share
some of their accomplishments and goals for making the city more
energy-efficient and environmentally sustainable, while City
Administrator Casey Bradley will offer an Economic Development
update. On the agenda for action will be ratification of a
one-year contract with the police union and an amendment to the
pre-development agreement with Circus City Apartments, extending the
deadline to July 31,
2023 to negotiate an agreement for the development of apartments
and commercial space on lots between Walnut and Vine. Council will also discuss in closed session and then
possibly
vote on a pre-development agreement with Baraboo Downtown Development
L.L.C. for the redevelopment of
current Fire/EMS station property between Fourth and Fifth
streets. A hotel, apartments, commercial space, and parking
facilities are among the possible usess of the property. The full
agenda and supporting documents can be found
here.
Sunday, December 18, 2022
Plan Commission to consider annexation proposal
Adolfo Morales and Ana Torres return to the Plan Commission on Tuesday,
seeking a new conditional use permit for a used car dealership at 1341
Carpenter. The original CUP, issued in 2014, was revoked at the
September meeting due to the violation of several conditions.
City staff report that progress has been made on cleaning up the site,
and the Commission will decide if a new permit is warranted.
Also on the agenda will be the first look at a proposed annexation of
approximately 122 acres between the City's southern boundary and Hwy
136 near the north entrance of Devil's Lake State Park. Spanning
seven vacant properties and the site of the former Hooty's
bar/resaturant, the owners anticipate a mix of residential housing and
commercial use if the annexation is approved. On December 12, the
Wisconsin Dept. of Administration determined the annexation to be in
the public interest. At Tuesday's meeting, the Plan Commission
will consider a recommendation that the Common Council approve the
annexation, along with proposed zoning classifications.
The Plan Commission meets at 5:15 p.m. at City Hall. The full
agenda, including supporting documents and maps, can be found here.
Sunday, December 11, 2022
Low ebb of activity in December
December is a relatively quiet month around City Hall this year. Parks and Rec, BEDC, and several other bodies will skip
their monthly meetings, and the Common Council will meet only once, on
Tuesday, December 13. At that meeting, the Council will continue
to take steps towards implementing the new Joint Fire/EMS District,
which comes into being on January 1. Appointments for the
governing board and personnel committee will be considered, along with
resolutions that determine the transfer or payout of accrued benefits
to Fire Department employees.
Also under consideration on Tuesday will be an amendment to the School
Resource Officer agreement with the School District of Baraboo.
Under the revision, the District will in 2023 reimburse the City for
75% of the expenses of the SRO program. Slight revisions to the
development agreements governing the Gateway Business Park and the
Fairfield Hotel under construction there will also be brought before
the Council. Council may also approve the final steps in
relinquishing the City's interest in the Baraboo-Dells Regional
Airport, transferring land, equipment, funds, and obligations to the
Village of Lake Delton.
The complete agenda and supporting documents can be found here.
Also, note that City offices will be closed on December 23 and 26, and
again on January 2, 2023.
(Note: an earlier post
incorrectly indicated Plan Commission won't meet in December.
Plan meets on Tuesday, December 20 at 5:15 p.m..)
Friday, November 18, 2022
2023 budget highlights busy Council agenda
It's a full to bursting agenda for the Common Council on Tuesday,
November 22. The 2023 budget dominates the evening, with a
presentation by Finance Director Julie Ostrander and a public
hearing. Multiple resolutions follow, concerning specific areas
of the budget, such as BID, the water utlility, TIF districts, and
culminating with likely approval of a tax levy of just a nudge over $9
million dollars and a mill rate of $9.67090 per thousand dollars of
value.
A few of the highlights of other items under consideration on Tuesday are:
- Support and partial funding of the application for
Baraboo to be designated as a "Trail Community" by the Ice Age Trail
Alliance. The Chamber of Commerce is leading this effort, in
cooperation with West Baraboo, DBI, and Boo-U.
- Extension of the City's shared ride taxi service and continued partnership with Abby Vans.
- Approval of the plat and first six buildings in the Baraboo Bluffs condominium development on Waldo Street.
- Extending an agreement with the DNR to replace lead water service lines to April 30, 2023.
- An ordinance amendment allowing the City to appoint
representatives to the new Joint Fire/EMS District which comes into
existence on January 1.
The entire agenda and 211 pages of supporting documents can be viewed here.
The Finance/Personnel Committee, which usually meets prior to Council
on Tuesdays, will next week meet on Monday, November 21 at 5:30 p.m.
Saturday, November 12, 2022
Parks, Plan, BEDC, and more!
No Council meeting next week, but a busy week for commissions. On Monday, Parks & Rec
meets at 5:30 p.m. in the Civic Center to review the master plan for
Campbell Park which was submitted by JSD Professional Services.
Drawing on input from two community meetings early this summer, the
plan includes a new pool, six pickleball courts, adult and youth tennis
courts, and a skate park, along with an estimated price tag of $10.6
million. Also under consideration on Monday is an application for
Baraboo to listed as a "Trail Community" by the Ice Age Trail Alliance
and approval of the membership of the Bicycle Advisory Group
subcommittee.
The Plan Commission
will meet Tuesday at 5:15 p.m. at City Hall. The Baraboo Bluffs
condominium project continues to work its way through the pipeline, and
at this meeting the Commission will review the plat for the
development, as well as get a look at floor plans, building materials,
and color renderings as part of the SIP approval process. The
developers are also submitting a study of the existing/projected
traffic at the Waldo / South Blvd. / Hitchcock intersection by KL
Engineering. Also on the agenda is a rezone of the property the
City recently purchased for an east side fire station on the northwest
corner of 12th St. and Taft and an informal review of the conceptual
plan for Freedom in Christ Church's proposal to repurpose the former
Glenville Timberwrights building at 1301 Lake Stereet.
BEDC meets at 5:30 p.m. Thursday to discuss priorities identified by the Resilient Baraboo report, and BID meets on Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. Acronyms abound! You can view the entire City meeting calendar here.
Sunday, November 6, 2022
Last step in Chief search expected Tuesday
The Common Council is expected to take the last step in the process of
hiring Baraboo's next police chief on Tuesday night. After an
extensive interview process, the Police and Fire Commission at the end
of October selected Captain Rob Sinden for the position, but under a
somewhat convoluted statutory process, Council still gets final say
over the salary for the position.
Apderpersons will also get their last look at the 2023 budget prior to
a public hearing and probable adoption on November 22. They've
already seen all the pieces that go into the calculations, but a
Committee of the Whole item is reserved for any outsanding questions or
clarifications.
Redevelopment Resources will also unveil the Resilient Baraboo report,
which aims to make the City more prepared for the next unforeseen
catastrophe, whether that be another pandemic, natural disaster, or
economic crisis. The report has a special focus on the southwest
and downtown portions of the City.
Other items on the agenda include final approval of the General
Development Plan for the Baraboo Bluffs condo project, extending a
contract for landfill monitoring with MSA, approval of the BID budget
and assessments, and changes in parking regulations near Jack Young
Middle School. You can find the entire agenda and supporting
documents here.
Monday, October 31, 2022
Council backs Waldo Street condos
The Baraboo Bluffs Condominiums on Waldo Street got the Council's
blessing on Tuesday, as a unanimous vote approved the General
Development Plan for the site. Several people expressed concerns
about the project during the public hearing, with increased traffic
chief among them. City Engineer Tom Pinion explained that even
with the additional traffic volume from the condos and other
development in the area, the Waldo / South Blvd intersection is
projected to still function at an acceptable level.
CDA Director Pat Cannon also shared plans to add a new building with
approximately 46 apartments to the Corson Square site on 10th Street, and then raze
the existing duplexes, resulting in a net increase of about 30
units. Council was also briefed in closed session about each of
the pending developments that staff have been working on. In
aggregate, there are approximately 1,400 housing units either currently
under construction or in the planning or negotiation stages and
expected to break ground in the next 18 months or so.
The Council will ring in November with a special meeting on November 1
to examine some of the segregated accounts in the 2023 budget.
Tuesday, October 25, 2022
PFC hosts chief finalists meet'n'greet Wednesday
The Police and Fire Commission has winnowed the candidates for
Baraboo's next Chief of Police down to three and is hosting a meet and
greet for the finalists on Wednesday, October 26 at 5:30 p.m. at City
Hall. The public is invited to mingle and chat informally with
the finalists and get a sense of their philosophy of law enforcement.
Friday, October 21, 2022
Condos, other development on Tuesday agenda
The Common Council on Tuesday will consider the General Development
Plan for the Baraboo Bluffs Condominiums and an ordinance amendment
establishing planned unit development overlay zoning for the
site. The Plan Commission on September 20 unanimously approved
the GDP, which would include 85 units in a mixture of duplexes and
three-unit buildings on 18.4 acres east of Waldo Street, between
Parkside and Hager. Early in the meeting, there will be a public
hearing on the project, and then the Council will possibly take action
under New Business.
Later in the evening, in closed session, the Council will get an update
from staff on other economic development projects that are either in
progress or in the planning and negotiation stages.
Also on tap for Tuesday is the latest in a series of budget updates,
and a presentation from CDA Director Pat Cannon about a proposed
Section 18 conversion for the Corson Square apartments. The Alma
Waite allocations also return to the spotlight at both Council and
Finance (meeting at 5:30 p.m.), as the precise formula used to
calculate available funds gets further scrutiny.
Common Council meets at 7:00 p.m. at City Hall, and the agenda and supporting documents can be found here.
Sunday, October 16, 2022
Plan to review water plan, distillery additions
A fairly light load for this month's Plan Commission meeting on
Tuesday. The Commission will consider two new certified survey
maps, one for the new east side fire station property and the other for
a pair of lots on County W in the Town of Greenfield, but within the
City's extraterritorial jurisdiction. Also on the docket is a
review of the stormwater management and landscaping plans for the
Devil's Lake Townhomes project on Lake Street and consideration of an
amended CUP for Driftless Glen to allow for the addition of a
conference room, office, and restrooms on the east side of their main
building. The Plan Commission meets at 5:15 p.m. at City Hall,
and you can find more information here.
Wednesday, October 12, 2022
Council OKs land purchase for east side station
The Common Council last night approved the purchase of roughly three
acres of property for the planned construction of an east side fire/EMS
station. The lot, on the northwest corner of 12th Street and Taft
Avenue (County Hwy T) will feature a smaller, satellite station to be
built concurrently with a new main station located along Hwy BD (old
Highway 12). The purchase price is $178,800 or $60,000 per acre.
Also on Tuesday, the Council approved the intergovernmental agreement
forming the Baraboo Area Joint Fire and EMS District. If also
approved by the other municipal partners (Village of West Baraboo and
the Towns of Baraboo, Fairfield, and Greenfield) the district will come
into being on January 1, 2023. Fire and EMS services will
henceforth be governed by an eight-member district commission, where
the city holds four seats. Any significant action, such as
buying land or approving the annual or capital budgets, will require a supermajority
of two-thirds of the commission, or six votes.
You can view a recording of the Council meeting here.
Earlier
in the evening, the Personnel/Finance Committee allocated
$1,500 each to Concerts on the Square, and the Baraboo Childrens Museum
from the Alma Waite Fund. A descendant of the wagon-building
Moeller family, Alma Waite left $779,718 to the City upon her death in
1981. A charter ordinance requires that the principal remain
untouched, with at least 25% of each year's interest being added to the
principal, and the remaining 75% available for grants. In the past,
City staff have tried to predict
how much interest would be earned in the upcoming year to determine how
much money could be awarded. After discussion, Finance decided to
simplify this process by using the interest earned in a previous year
to determine the size of awards in the subsequent year. For
example, the interest earned in the period October 1, 2022 to September
30, 2023 would determine how much funding is available for the 2024
grants. Because this change ie being made now, it causes an
interruption in the flow of grant funds, so the amount available will
be approximately halved for two years until the new system gains
traction.
Thursday, October 6, 2022
Council to hear budget, development updates
The agenda for the October 11 Common Council meeting features several
significant informational items. The first is a discussion of the
2023 budget by the Committee of the Whole. This follows the
delivery of the 2021 audit report from CliftonLarsonAllen, LLP.
Then, toward the end of the meeting, the Council will get an update
from staff on the various development projects across the city that are
underway or in the planning stages. Because some of these
projects still involve active negotiations, this conversation will take
place in closed session.
The Council on Tuesday will also consider the creation of a joint
Fire/EMS district with neighboring municipalities. If approved,
the agreement with the Village of West Baraboo and the Towns of
Baraboo, Fairfield, and Greenfield would come into force on January 1,
2023. The Fire Department would subsequently shift from being a
City department to being an independent Fire/EMS agency governed by a
district commission representing all five municipalities. It is
very similar to how the EMS service currently operates.
Other items on the docket include the purchase of 20 ipads in the
effort to "go paperless," and authorizing the Police Department to
accept slightly more than $32,000 in ARPA funds from the state.
The complete agenda and supporting documents can be found here.
Wednesday,
September 28, 2022
Council slices non-profit Civic Center discounts
Council members grappled with some touch choices last night, as they
considered new leases for non-profit groups using the Civic
Center. In August, staff presented the Parks Commission with a
proposal to reduce the rent subsidy for the Boys and Girls Club and the
Senior Center from 85% to 50%. The Commission balked at that
figure, and recommended a compromise of 65% to Council. In the
Boys and Girls Club's case, that would raise their annual rent from $8,796 in
2022 to $15,855 in 2023. Recognizing the value of the Club and the
vulnerable population it serves, the Finance Committee earlier in the
evening narrowly and reluctantly agreed with the recommendation, but
the item still elicited a difficult and heartfelt debate among alders,
who tried to choose the least painful option: raise the rent for the
Club, or inflict more cuts in the Parks budget, which is already losing
staff in 2023. In the end, the Council voted 8-1 to accept the
65% recommendation, and then followed that with the same discount for
the Senior Center.
The other substantial debate on Tuesday came during a Committee of the
Whole discussion of the status of the City's legal counsel. Since
losing our last full-time City attorney, we have contracted for legal
services, primarily from Boardman and Clark, but also using other firms
in certain cases, like TIF contracts or complex litigation. I
made another appeal for filling our in-house attorney position, even if
it was only as a part-time position, as I believe the City is best
served with someone who is working solely for the City on-site and
accessible by all staff and elected officials. The majority of
the Council, however, were persuaded that contracting with a firm gives
us the benefit of a variety of attorneys who specialize in specific
arenas, and that this approach saves the City some money. It was
agreed, however, that Boardman and Clark will at least start reviewing
Council agendas to try and prevent some of the open/closed session
snafus that we have encountered over the past couple months.
Monday,
September 26, 2022
September 27 Council preview A
fairly light agenda for the Common Council this week, as most of the
action items concern leases of portions of the Civic Center and Pierce
Park to area non-profits. The City typically rents space at the
Civic Center to the Baraboo Area Senior Citizen Organization (BASCO),
The Boys and Girls Club, and Stage III Theater for Youth at substantial
discount. In 2022, this discount has been 80% for the first two
groups. To help close the
2023 budget deficit, the Parks Commission has proposed reducing that
discount to 65% for both BASCO and Boys & Girls Club, while keeping
the discount for Stage III at 50%. In addition to these
changes, Council will also be asked to approve a 6-month lease
agreement with the Thunderbird Youth Hockey Association for use of the
ice rink at Pierce Park at a rate of $250 per month. The City has
waived rental fees in the past, since the Association contributed over
half a million dollars towards the building's construction in 1996.
September 27 will also feature Committee of the Whole discussions about
the 2023 budget and the current status of legal counsel and options
moving forward. Alderpersons are also getting a fresh look at the
draft agreement forming the new joint Fire/EMS district, and Assistant
Provost Michael Compton will offer an update of what's happening on the
UW-Platteville Baraboo Sauk County campus.
The Common Council meets at 7:00 p.m., and you can find the complete agenda and supporting materials here.
Monday,
September 26, 2022
September 20 Plan Commission recapRoughly
70 people attended the September 20 Plan Commission meeting, most of
them interested in the proposed commercial/residential development
proposed for the block bounded by Second Ave., Broadway, Third Ave.,
and Birch St. (a.k.a., the "McGann's block"). About a dozen
people spoke, with many raising concerns and several offering support
for the project. Later in the meeting, Austin Lokre of Bantr
shared his vision for the site, and tried to address some of the
audience's comments. On the whole, it seemed as though most in
attendance would embrace a project that increased downtown housing, if
issues of scale and style could be remedied. This was just the
Commission's first look at a conceptual plan for the site, and a more
detailed plan would need to be approved before the project moves
forward.
KMD Development is at that stage with their plans for the Baraboo
Bluffs Condominiums between Waldo Street and Parkside Avenue. The
Commission unanimously approved the General Implementation Plan for the
site, which will include 33 buildings and 85 units. In the first
stage of the Specific Implementation Plan, the company plans to start
work on one small duplex and one three-unit townhouse as models.
Approval was also given for construction of a Starbuck's and Shopko
Optical on Hwy 136 on the Sullivan's Two site. Concerns about
ongoing violations, however, led the Commission to reject an
application for a conditional use permit for a second car dealership at
1341 Carpenter Street, and revoke the permit for the existing
dealership there. The owners will have an opportunity to re-apply
for a permit, if and when the site is brought into compliance.
You can view a recording of the meeting here, courtesy of MAX-FM.
Saturday,
September 17, 2022
Plan Commission to vet Starbucks, apartmentsWhat
has been called "Downtown's Worst-Kept Secret" faces its first
public scrutiny next week as plans for redevelopment of the McGann's
Furniture block come before the Plan Commission at their September 20
meeting. Also on the Tuesday night docket are proposals for a Starbucks
and Shopko Optical along Hwy. BD, further review of the Waldo Street
condo project, and consideration of a condition use permit for an
additional auto sales business on Carpenter Street.
The conceptual plans for the McGann's project include about 40,000
square feet of commercial space facing Third Avenue, Second Avenue,
Broadway, and Birch, topped with four stories encompassing 172
apartments. Drawings also show 136 underground parking stalls and
a two-story parking structure along the alley with another 34
stalls. The developer, Secure Fund LLC, reportedly has accepted
offers to purchase property from the current landowners, and will have
a representative at the meeting to offer more details. The
Commission will review the concept and at this stage can offer
non-binding feedback to the plans.
One step further along in the pipeline are plans by KMD Development LLC for condominiums east of Waldo
Street between Parkside and Hager. The project include 85 units in 33
buildings on just under 19 acres. The Commission reviewed the concept
plan in July, and here will consider whether to recommend approval of
the more specific General Development
Plan / Specific Implementation Plan to the Common Council.
Meanwhile, the Commission is scheduled to take action to review and
potentially approve permits, a CSM, and site plans for the construction
of a Starbucks and Shopko Optical at 795/805 Hwy BD, currently the home
of Sullivan's Two. Space for a third tenant adjacent to the
Shopko are also included in the plans. Since the project requires
a conditional use permit, there will be a public hearing for anyone who
wishes to comment at the beginning of the meeting.
One other familiar item returns to the agenda as the Commission will
consider a CUP to allow a second used car dealership at 1341 Carpenter
Street. The Commission delayed a decision in August due to
reports of violations of the original CUP, to give the owners and
applicant an opportunity to rectify those before making a decision on
the new application.
The Plan Commission meets at
City Hall at 5:15 p.m. on Tuesday, September 20. You can find the
complete agenda and supporting materials here.
Wednesday,
September 14, 2022
DOT starts I-39/90/94 Corridor Study
City Engineer Tom Pinion and I were among the "crowd" at a WisDOT
meeting in Lake Delton today, introducing a corrdior study of the 67
miles of interstate between Juneau County and the Highway 12
interchange southeast of Madison. It's the first step in a
process that could move very quickly, with possible inclusion in the
2025-26 state budget and construction as early as 2027. Adding
lanes, reconfiguing interchanges, and alleviating roadway flooding will
all be examined, though engineers were careful to point out that any
improvements would occur on or very near the existing
right-of-way. More public input opportunities will be on the way,
and if you want to follow the progress of the study, you can do so at
bit.ly/InterstateStudyPI.
Tuesday,
September 13, 2022
Council
debates fire station disposition
The main event at tonight’s Council
meeting was a discussion
about development of municipal property.
It’s not a secret that the City is
planning to build two new
fire/EMS stations, making the current station obsolete, likely sometime
in
2024. This presents a rare opportunity
for a large-scale redevelopment downtown;
one would expect that this would be an attractive
site.
And indeed, the City has already been
approached by one
major developer with a proposal for the location. The
question put before the Committee of the
Whole tonight was whether staff should negotiate a potential
development
agreement with that developer only, or whether the City should develop
a
Request For Proposals, circulate that, and see what kind of ideas were
submitted as a result.
I am a strong proponent of the latter
process, and feel that
this is more transparent and avoids the appearance of a “backroom” or
“sweetheart” deal. It also allows the
City to include broad or narrow guidelines for the type of projects
that it
would favor, and a public input process might
help establish the qualities that the wider community would like to
see in that space. Council and staff
would still have the responsibility to vet any potential developers to
make sure
that they had the talent, experience, and financial resources to carry
a
project through to completion. Specific
terms,
such as a requirement to maintain
ownership and financial incentives, would still need to be negotiated
as part
of a final agreement.
On the flip side, those in favor of
negotiating with just
one party felt that any delay in the process would risk losing the
developer
which is already interested. A bird in
hand is worth two in the bush, as they say.
The process has worked well, it was argued, with
projects such as the Greenfield
Estates development and the Rapid River apartments, and staff has
proven adept at negotiating favorable agreements, so why try something
new
now? Council will get final say on any
proposal, and if they don’t like the project or the terms, they can
reject it.
As several alderpersons noted, there
are opportunity costs
either way. With an RFP, you
may very well lose the “bird in the hand,” while the other approach may
cost
you a great idea that never comes to light or a solution that costs
significantly less. And everyone agreed that the City only gets
one shot at a redevelopment like this, and we want to get it right.
The discussion was intense, yet civil,
on both sides. After about 40 minutes of
debate, it appeared
that there was little movement in anyone’s positions, and that a
consensus
would not be reached. Taking an informal
straw poll seemed the best way to resolve things, and a show of hands
indicated
only Ald. Kent and Ald. Kolb supported the RFP approach, while the
other seven
recommended moving toward an agreement with the developer who has
already been
identified. So, that’s the approach our
staff will take.
In preparation for this discussion, I
earlier today contacted a
couple of municipal officials from around the state and collected a few
examples of similar RFPs that had been used in Altoona, Wausau, and De
Pere, just to
show that the process had worked in other cities. Though
my position did not prevail, I was pleasantly surprised that all the
officials I spoke
with were familiar with Baraboo’s downtown , and unanimously agreed
that it would be a great spot for a project!
The other significant action tonight
was the adoption of a
three-year contract with escribe for software and services that will
streamline
the process for preparing meeting agendas and materials. The
contract also includes live-streaming of Council
meetings (and potentially other committees and commissions) through the
City website starting in January 2023, along with archiving those
recordings on-line. This arrangement would
replace the current
contract that the City has with WRPQ to broadcast Council meetings,
though the
station may yet explore the option of relaying the video stream over
its cable and airwave channels.
One other item of note: The
Council approved a contract for the demolition of 103/105 Walnut, two
properties that were recently acquired to improve alley access to the
area west of Walnut and expand the Riverwalk. Across the street,
106 Walnut (the former Bear-A-Boo Daycare) will also come down to
prepare that site for a new development.
Somewhat ironically, you can view a recording of the entire meeting on WRPQ's site in FaceBookLand.
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