June 19th meeting
The Menomonie City Council adopted an ordinance amendment that adds penalties for repeated non-compliance with the alternate side lawn irrigation restrictions and full lawn irrigation bans. Civil forfeitures of up to $150 can now be given. The ordinance also covers waste of water and unauthorized use of water, with penalties of up to $500 for violations.
The ordinance also outlines exceptions to the alternate side restrictions or a full ban.
Use of watering cans.
Use of handheld sprayers provided that they are not left unattended.
Use of drip irrigation systems or soaker hoses.
Irrigating new lawn areas installed at the time of construction of a new residential, commercial, or industrial building for a period of not more than 28 days.
Irrigating outdoor sports fields, including, but not limited to, baseball/softball fields, football fields, and soccer fields.
Irrigating from non-municipal water sources, including, but not limited to, rain cisterns, rain barrels, private irrigation wells, and surface waters, provided that the consumer has obtained all necessary permits.
Before adopting the amendment, Public Works Director David Schofield shared with the council that there was significant water demand during the week of June 5th, with municipal wells running continuously for several days. Major users were contacted and asked to cease all lawn irrigation until further notice. After a rainfall on June 10th, the water towers were able to recover to normal levels, and the municipal wells were finally able to rest. Upon review of this situation, the city found they lacked the ability to enforce the alternate side irrigation policy.
Menomonie Public Library Director Joleen Sterk gave a presentation on the library's master plan for a community outdoor space. The library leveraged a gift from the Joan Polasky Estate to receive a Vibrant Spaces Grant from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC). Read more about the plan here.
Scott Rogers gave a presentation regarding the West Central Wisconsin Rail Coalition and the possibility of passenger rail service coming to Menomonie. The Chippewa-St. Croix Rail Commission will next meet on August 16th at the Dunn County Government Center.
Russ Kenny spoke regarding TDS Fiber Optic expansion into Menomonie. Service should be available in parts of Menomonie by the end of summer. Mailers will be sent to homes notifying them when service is available.
In other business:
The City Council adopted an ordinance amendment to adopt No Mow May for 2024 and beyond.
The City of Menomonie was awarded $138,213 from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation's 2023 Carbon Reduction grant program to convert street lighting to LED lamps.
The council gave the go-ahead for the city to apply for a loan from the Board of Commissioners of Public Lands of Wisconsin to cover expenses incurred by the agreement with Estover Terrace development project in TID 17.
Special event permits were approved for:
Let's Paint the Town on July 22nd
Red Cedar Film Festival July 20th-23rd
Foundations Therapy 10th-anniversary celebration - August 10th
June 5th meeting
The city council adopted the zoning ordinance amendment request for 1416 Brickyard Road filed by Cory Buss. The original request was to rezone from Agricultural District (A) to General Industrial (I3) to accommodate construction of a screen printing and embroidery business. The Plan Commission did not recommend approval at their April 24th meeting. Mr. Buss filed a new application to rezone to Restricted Industrial District (I1). The Plan Commission recommended approval at their May 22nd meeting.
The council approved Cedar Corporation's proposal for the Well Site Investigation Paper Study at a cost of $24,500. The city will require one new municipal well shortly and a second new well before 2041 to meet projected demands. The study will ensure that the location of these wells is thoughtfully considered.
Matt Regnier of KL Engineering spoke about the Broadway and Pine Avenue intersection improvements that are scheduled for 2025.
Dylan Stickney and Ian Edwards gave a presentation regarding the Elk Creek Solar project.
Susan Badtke from West Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission presented the City of Menomonie Housing Study findings and recommended solutions.
In other business:
An agreement with Cedar Corp to temporarily lease space in the lower level of City Hall was approved. This is a month-to-month lease.
The council reviewed the 2022 Compliance Maintenance Annual Report that wastewater utilities are required to submit to the DNR every year. The city received an "A" in all categories with a 4.0-grade point average. The council accepted the report.
The purchase of two new police vehicles was approved.
Items from the Mayor's Report:
The city's new website went live today.
The city will be reviewing the county's ATV ordinances changes recently adopted by the county board as it relates to city ordinances.
Lowell Prange is receiving a lifetime achievement award from the Wisconsin City/County Management Association (WCMA).
There have been preliminary discussions regarding a YMCA coming to Menomonie.
The Wakanda Waterpark had over 1400 people this past weekend, which was the opening weekend. Several leaks were repaired before opening. It is estimated that 2.5 million gallons of water were lost last year due to the leaks.
