City Council meeting summary for April 6, 2026

The April 6th City Council meeting opened with a public hearing on proposed Ordinance 2026-7, which would introduce several updates to the City’s Sewer Utility regulations.

Updates include:

Clarify that property owners are responsible for operation and maintenance of building sewers. 

The ordinance would clarify that owners are responsible for operation and maintenance of building sewers. The City has no ability to maintain building sewers. Property owners can access their building sewers via cleanouts. 

Lower Mercury discharge limit to 0.25 micrograms per liter. 

The ordinance would reduce the Mercury discharge limit from 1 microgram per liter to 0.25 microgram per liter. 

Set PFOA discharge limit of 95 nanograms per liter. 

The ordinance would enact a PFOA discharge limit of 95 nanograms per liter as of January 1, 2027. Wisconsin DNR has issued a surface water quality criteria of 95 nanograms per liter and has proposed an interim strategy which would, effectively, limit biosolids to 20 milligrams per kilogram of PFOA and PFOS. 

Set PFOS discharge limit of 8 nanograms per liter. 

The ordinance would enact a PFOS discharge limit of 8 nanograms per liter as of January 1, 2027. Wisconsin DNR has issued a surface water quality criteria of 8 nanograms per liter.

No formal action was taken on the ordinance, as the hearing was held for informational purposes only. No residents spoke during the session, though 3M submitted written comments ahead of the meeting. The proposal will return to the Council for further consideration at a later date.

Construction of Mayor’s office

During a recent office reorganization, the mayor’s office was repurposed for staff use. The mayor does not have a dedicated office and has been working out of a cubicle in the reception area. Staff proposed converting a large conference room into a dedicated mayoral office while creating a smaller meeting space.

Of the ten contractors invited to bid on the project, only one—Royal Construction—responded, with a bid of $7,687. However, City Administrator Eric Atkinson indicated that City staff could complete the work internally. The Council rejected the outside bid and approved moving forward with in-house labor.

Removal of abandoned water main

An abandoned city-owned water main hangs beneath the Wilson Street bridge over I-94. The pipe’s outer encasement has tested positive for asbestos, and the supporting hangers are deteriorating. With the Wisconsin DOT planning bridge repairs in 2027, officials have requested that the City remove the structure due to safety concerns.

The Council approved a $23,500 engineering task order with Cedar Corporation to design and oversee the removal project.

Easement agreement with UW-Stout

The Council approved a utility easement agreement with the UW–Stout as part of the university’s planned expansion on the west side of its recreation center. The project will require relocation of sanitary sewer and water mains along the vacated 2nd Street E right-of-way, and UW–Stout has proposed a new easement west of the current lines to accommodate the changes.

In other business, the Council:

• Approved the purchase of a new John Deere mower from Tractor Central for $25,492.52, the lowest of five bids received.

• Approved a special event permit for Stout Catholic’s Praise & Worship Night on April 24 at Wilson Park.

• Approved a special event request for the July 4, 2026, Independence Day celebration at Wilson Park, organized by the West Central Wisconsin Workforce Development Board.

Mayoral Appointments Confirmed

The Council also approved several mayoral appointments to local boards and commissions:

Business Improvement District Board 

Hannah Stewart, Robb Jenson, Adam Kohls, Ashley Prange, Ryan Verdon

Recreational Advisory Board 

Kyle Behrens, Jody Pabich, Riley Fedderson, Linda Bark, Tammy Simon

Police and Fire Commission

Dave Pellett

Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee

Justin Schenck