Menomonie City Council approves blasting, purchase of mower

CITY OF MENOMONIE COUNCIL MEETING AGENDA
Menomonie City Hall
800 Wilson Avenue
1st Floor, City Council Chambers
7:00pm
Monday – September 8, 2025
 

A line of protesters appeared outside of City Hall before the meeting with Stop The Data Center signs.

We do not have a video of tonight's city council meeting because we needed to cover multiple meetings on the same night. The audio recording from the city is included.

Pledge of Allegiance 

1. Roll Call

Council Member Eric Sutherland was absent

2. Approval of Minutes

Approved

3. Public Comments (agenda items only).

Eric Schultz – ATV Association. Change the city ordinance to align closer to the county ordinance.

Terry Siebold – looking forward to the discussion on Tax Incremental Financing/Tax Incremental District (TIF/TID).

Don Larson – thanks for opening the city to ATVs/UTVs. Can drive all over town now. Two areas of concern – is there any way the ATVs/UTVs can go to the corner by CVS? Having to turn earlier is not safe. The visibility at the intersection by the post office is bad. Can the handicapped parking spot be moved to provide for greater visibility?

Sarah Lambert Freeman from Hive and Hollow was at the meeting to answer any questions the Council may have regarding her appointment to the Business Improvement District.

Others spoke as to their availability to speak on specific agenda items.

4. New Business
   1. Review of Menomonie City Ordinance 6-1-12, All-Terrain Vehicle and Utility Terrain Vehicle Usage – discussion and possible action.

Mayor has heard positive things about the policy.

Chief of Police stated that there was a public education phase before they ticketed anyone, so no tickets were issued prior to June. The Chief of Police recommended that the ordinance continue for another year. Council Member Ryland Erdman asked if there were complaints on noise levels. The Chief of Police said that they can only ticket people with non-standard pipes.

The Mayor commented that he thought Harleys and the backup beepers on garbage trucks were much worse.

Sydney Brennan asked about the possibility of allowing the vehicles to be on the roads at 6 am like the county does.

Commissioner Yonko stated that the views on the vehicles were more negative in her part of town. She had a sign stolen by someone on a UTV as it was easier to do than if they would have had a car. She wants people to be able to use them but maybe availability should be different for different parts of town.

Sydney Brennan asked about moving the handicap parking place by the post office. Dave Schofield was asked to take note of it.

A motion was made and seconded to include the time change, and the intersection change in ordinance revisions to be considered at a future meeting.

Three Commissioners opposed the motion on a roll call vote.

2. Blasting Permit Application for Point Comfort Lift Station Project – discussion and possible action.

The boat launch is being replaced. The lift station is in the middle of the parking lot and is going to be relocated by the restrooms. To move the lift station, bedrock will need to be blasted out. No materials will be flying in the air. Notification will be provided to people within 500 feet of the new location, and their homes will be inspected before and after the blasting for possible damage. No blasting will be allowed after 5 pm and before 9 am. The Company hopes to start on September 15th, and weather permitting the job should only take two days. Residents will be notified 24 hours before the blasting.

The company will drill holes for the explosives, cover with soil and mats so no rock flies, and there will be noise mitigation. This is not bedrock that is in the water table. The blasting will not drain out the lake. Residents up to 500 feet away may feel vibrations. Most homeowners won’t hear or feel anything.

The Company representative stated that this is nothing like a quarry or mine. The area is small, and because of the soil and mat overlays, most people will not be affected.

The Company will have spotters to ensure people are at a safe distance. 200 to 300 fee is a safe distance. Foundation and dry wall cracks are the most common forms of damage, but the blast site is 250 feet from any houses.

The city will put information on the main page of the website to notify people.

Matthew Crowe made a motion to approve. Mary Solberg seconded it. The motion was approved.

3. Resolution 2025-14, Consideration and possible action on “Resolution of the City Council Adopting and Approving Amendment No. 1 to the Project Plan and Amending its Boundaries of Tax Incremental District #17, City of Menomonie, Wisconsin.” – discussion and possible action.

This is where the discussion of TIF/TID took place. In the meeting packet there is a slide presentation with all the information on the discussion. Cities can have up to 12% of the town in TID. Currently Menomonie is at six percent. There is a 20 to 27 years maximum life to a TID. There is a “but for” test meaning a TID can only be used if it is determined that the development will not occur without the TIF/TID. The city is the primary driver for creating the TID, but all affected taxing jurisdictions and the public get a vote on the creation of the district. State approval is needed as well. Schools are not harmed by TIDs. School funding is both local and state. Once the TID has ended and the school funding increases as a result, the schools could get less funding from the state.

This is the first amendment to this TID area. Up to 4 amendments are allowed. This change “cleans up” the TID area. It takes 4 parcels out of the TID and adds in a few small areas. This has already been a successful addition, adding $1.4 billion in value to the city.

The resolution was approved by a unanimous roll call vote.

4. Resolution 2025-15, Consideration of Minimum Design Standards for Residential Projects Receiving Tax Incremental District Incentives – discussion and possible action.

David Scholfield stated that there were some developments allowed in the Meadow Hill Drive area without curb and gutter and sewer. This creates a problem if there was a TID district and then the city must go back later and redo the design but must pay without the TID. This resolution requires lots to be served with water and sewer, minimum width on streets, streets be designed with asphalt, curbs and sidewalks on at least one side be required. Lots requiring sewers will be 10,000 sq ft in size. The definition of low density is one acre or more, and does not require sewer.

Approved unanimously.

5. Ordinance 2025-07, an Ordinance rezoning certain lands along Midway Road from Agriculture (A) to Restricted Industrial (I-1) – discussion, possible introduction, and possible referral to Plan Commission.

David Schofield stated that there have been complaints about this land being a storage area for dumpsters. The disposal business has been in this area since 1950 and recently acquired an additional area of 3.5 acres. This change would allow the dumpsters to be in this area as well as allow for the expansion of the maintenance facilities. The motion passed would allow for this proposed rezoning to be referred to the plan commission. Commissioner Yonko opposed moving this forward.

6. Award of New Mower Bid – discussion and possible action.

David Schofield stated the city mows 395 acres including 17 ball fields. This amount of mowing is hard on equipment, and a new mower was needed. The low bid was from Tractor Central for a John Deere tractor valued at just over $25,000. Superintendent Dave Frank was asked questions about the mowers and stated that the Kubota and Toro lawn mowers hold up better than the John Deere mowers. The Toro mowers are also easier to repair and because the Toro mowers are identical, they take the same parts. The allowed amount for the purchase was $30,000. The Toro mower came in at $28,000. The motion was changed from the purchase of the John Deere to the purchase of the Toro.

Sydney Brennan moved to approve buying a Toro Ground Master for $28,000 as presented.

Mary Solberg seconded it.

Motion passed with Luther no, Pickard no, and Schwebs no.

7. First Amendment to the Purchase and Sale Contract with SPA Properties, LLC for property on 59th Street NE – discussion and possible action.

The Attorney recommended approval.

Passed unanimously.

8. Special Event Requests – discussion and possible action:
9. Hoss’s Pub Tailgate in Lot 7 on October 11, 2025.

ii) Menomonie High School Homecoming Parade on 9th Street East, Wilson Avenue East, 7th Street East and near Leisure Service Center on September 26, 2025.

Sydney Brennan moved to approve both. Motion was seconded and passed unanimously

i) Mayoral Appointments to Boards and Commissions – discussion and possible action: 

1. Business Improvement District (Downtown Menomonie) - Sarah Lambert Freeman (appointment to December 2027).
2. Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee – Burton Barnard.

Motion to approve both. Seconded. Approved unanimously.

5. Budget Transfers

Two were approved on a roll call vote.

6. Mayor’s Report

Go to the Great Community Cookout on Thursday

7. Communications and Miscellaneous Business

Stout is hosting an event called Grill the Reps on September 10th. City council members are invited so students and meet and talk to them.

Jeff Luther requested that the zoning request for the land off County Road B be revisited. He feels that the Council was not adequately informed that this rezoning was about a data center. And it was about the data center because Balloonist was part of the requesting party.

The Attorney stated that the ordinance was passed. The only way to amend it is to start over by passing new ordinances to de-annex the land and rezone it back.

The Mayor suggested that perhaps this could be a discussion item at the next meeting, as the Council was unaware that the land would be sold to Balloonist.

Matthew Crowe stated that he hoped that all the people involved with the data center would stay involved as the city has many other important issues facing it: Housing Crisis is real; The budget will be presented on September 16 for 2026 budget, and it includes further budget cuts; and the Police department needs more space. People need to get involved in all the issues facing the city.

Lee Schwebs stated he was unhappy with the Toro approval. The City didn’t treat the local vendor right; the City needs to go with the lowest cost and did wrong.

The Mayor stated we try to do our best. He respects everyone’s initiative and input. The city has a lot going on. Implementing the new software is taking a lot of time. He respects everyone’s viewpoints.

8. Claims – Sydney Brennan motioned to approve. Abby Picard seconded it. Roll call vote with unanimous approval.
9. Licenses
   1. Normal license list – discussion and possible action – approved.

10. Adjourn