City Council Meeting — Minutes

City of Fort Atkinson City Manager's Office 101 N. Main Street Fort Atkinson, WI 53538 CITY COUNCIL MEETING IN PERSON AND VIA ZOOM TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2026 – 7:00 PM CITY HALL – SECOND FLOOR MINUTES 1. Call meeting to order President Jaeckel called the meeting to order at 7:00 pm. 2. Roll call Present: Cm. Huckabee, Cm. Johnson, Cm. Lescohier, Cm. Price and President Jaeckel. Also present: City Manager, City Attorney, City Clerk/Treasurer/Finance Director, Director of Public Works, Director of Neighborhood and Building Services, Public Works Superintendent, Police Chief, Police Captain and Park & Recreation Director. 3. Pledge of Allegiance President Jaeckel led the Pledge of Allegiance. 4. Consent Agenda Price moved, seconded by Johnson to approve the Consent Agenda as presented items 4.a. through 4.m. Motion carried. a. Review and possible action relating to the minutes of the September 1, 2026, City Council meeting (Ebbert, Clerk/Treasurer/Finance Director) b. Review and possible action relating to the minutes of the September 10, 2026 Transportation and Traffic Review Committee (Ebbert, Clerk/Treasurer/Finance Director) c. Review and possible action relating to building, plumbing, and electrical permit report for August 2026 (Draeger, Director of Neighborhood and Building Services) d. Review and possible action relating to the City Clerk-issued License and Permit Report for September (Ebbert, Clerk/Treasurer/Finance Director) e. Review and possible action relating to City Sewer, Water, and Stormwater Utility Financial Statements as of August 31, 2026 (Ebbert, Clerk/Treasurer/Finance Director) f. Review and possible action relating to a Temporary Retailer's License for Rotary Club of Fort Atkinson Wine Walk, on October 17, 2026. (Ebbert, Clerk/Treasurer/Finance Director) g. Review and possible action on a Special Event: Rotary Wine Walk Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026, from 12:00-4:00 pm in downtown Fort Atkinson (Ebbert, Clerk/Treasurer/Finance Director) h. Review and possible action on a Special Event: Haunted Hike Friday, Oct. 16, 2026 and Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026 from 6 to 9 pm at Haumerson's Pond (Ebbert, Clerk/Treasurer/Finance Director) i. Review and possible action on a Special Event: HFH Fill-A-Truck, Thursday, October 11, 2026 from 10:00 am - 2:00 pm (Ebbert, Clerk/Treasurer/Finance Director) j. Review and possible action on a Special Event: Chamber of Commerce, Holiday Parade, Sunday, December 6, 2026, 4:03 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. (Ebbert, Clerk/Treasurer/Finance Director) k. Review and possible action on a Special Event: Kiwanis Trunk or Treat, Saturday, October 31, 2026, 6:00 - 8:00 pm at Jones Park (Ebbert, Clerk/Treasurer/Finance Director) l. Review and possible action relating to Citizen Appointments to Boards, Commissions and Committees (Houseman, City Manager) m. Review and possible action on a Special Event: Fort Nutrition You Matter: Suicide Prevention 1-mile walk Sunday, September 27, 2026 from 9 am to 12 pm at Fort Nutrition and the Bike path (Ebbert, Clerk/Treasurer/Finance Director) 5. Public Hearings None. 6. Public Comment for Matters on the Agenda Alan Goldberg, 704 Frederick Avenue - supported the Ordinance regarding Stormwater Utility in regard to cemetery exemption from stormwater rates. Curtis Abendroth, 1000 N. Main Street - stated that the stormwater runoff in the street was not coming from the cemetery on Main Street. Brad Wilcox, 508 Frederick Avenue - supports the amendment to the stormwater ordinance that exempts cemeteries. Betty Strese, 408 Curtis Circle - read an article from the Daily Union published in 2021 in regard to Evergreen Cemetery. 7. Petitions, Requests, and Communications a. Presentation: Affordable Housing Program (Kristen Fish-Peterson, Redevelopment Resources) Kristin Fish-Peterson of Redevelopment Resources shared a presentation on the Affordable Housing Program. No action was taken. b. Presentation: City of Fort Atkinson Adopt a Storm Drain Program (Navin, Director of Public Works) Director Navin presented the Adopt a Storm Drain Program. No action was taken. 8. Resolutions and Ordinances a. Review and possible action relating to a Resolution requesting exemption from the County Library Tax for the City of Fort Atkinson (Houseman, City Manager) Manager Houseman stated the Jefferson County Board has established a County Library Service and levies a County Library Tax. State Statutes provide that a municipality is exempt from this County Library Tax if the municipality levies a minimum amount for public library services. Annually in September, the County calculates the minimum levy for municipalities to qualify for this exemption. Per the attached documentation and statutory calculation, the City is required to appropriate at least $331,699 to the Dwight Foster Public Library to be exempt from the tax. The City is proposing to levy $650,400 in property taxes to fund Library operations in 2027. This amount exceeds the minimum appropriation for exemption from the County Library Tax. The proposed amount to be levied ($650,400) represents an increase of $13,400 over the 2026 levied amount of $637,000, or just over 2%. Lescohier moved, seconded by Johnson to adopt the Resolution requesting exemption from the County Library Tax and direct the City Clerk to provide copies of the Resolution to the County Clerk and the Jefferson County Library Council Administrator. Motion carried. b. Second and possible third/final reading of an Ordinance regarding an amendment to Section 6-33 of the City of Fort Atkinson Municipal Code relating to provisional operator licenses (Ebbert, Clerk/Treasurer/Finance Director) Clerk Ebbert explained that a provisional operator license is a license that can be issued up to 60 days to an Operator License applicant during the interm of applying for such license and receiving the license. A provisional license will allow an individual to work at a licensed establishment while their operator license is being processed. Current ordinances does not acknowledge that a Provisional License can be issued to an Operator License application upon proof of completion of a responsible beverage server course or proof of enrollment in a responsible beverage server course. State recommends the language be amended to include providing completion of a training course or confirms enrollment in a training course. The Ordinance Committee reviewed this item at their meeting on July 21, 2026, and recommended to City Council for review. The City Council approved the first reading at their September 1, 2026 meeting. Lescohier moved, seconded by Huckabee to suspend the rules and offer a third/final reading of the Ordinance. Motion carried unanimously. Huckabee moved, seconded by Johnson to approve the Ordinance amending Sections 6-33 of the City of Fort Atkinson Municipal Code relating to provisional operator licenses. Motion carried. c. Third/final reading and possible adoption of an Ordinance to amend Section 58-148 of the City of Fort Atkinson Municipal Code relating to the sale of tobacco, nicotine products, electronic smoking devices, and electronic smoking device paraphernalia near certain locations (Bump, Police Chief) Captain Lindsey shared that the main goal of section 58-148(d)(3) of the Fort Atkinson City ordinance is to reduce the availability and visibility of smoking products that include Tobacco, Vape, Electronic Smoking Devices, Electronic Smoking Device Paraphernalia, Pipes, Hookahs, Rolling Papers, and other miscellaneous nicotine consumables and smoke products to youth. The City Council performed a first reading of this Ordinance at the meeting on August 15, 2026 and voted to amend the Ordinance to remove parks from the list of prohibited locations. The attached Substitute Amendment #1 reflects these changes from the original amendment presented on August 15th. Huckabee moved, seconded by Johnson to approve the Ordinance with Substitute Amendment #1 amending Section 58-148 of the City of Fort Atkinson Municipal Code relating to the sale of tobacco, nicotine products, electronic smoking devices, and electronic smoking device paraphernalia in certain locations. Motion carried. d. Third/final reading and possible adoption of an Ordinance to amend multiple sections of Chapter 62 of the City of Fort Atkinson Municipal Code of Ordinances relating to park regulations (Dayton, Director of Parks and Recreation) Director Dayton stated that Staff provided the Recreation Advisory Board subcommittee with a proposal adopting new ordinance to prohibit smoking, vaping, and the use of e- cigarettes within city parks and on public trails. Additionally, revisions were recommended to existing ordinances regarding pets on designated park property, protection of City property within the parks system, glass bottle restrictions, and park hours of operation. These amendments are intended to align current usage of park facilities with City ordinance. The City Council performed the first reading at the meeting on August 18th. After a proposed amendment to change the areas where smoking would be prohibited in parks failed, the motion to direct the City Manager to prepare the ordinance for a second reading carried. The second reading was held September 1. Price moved, seconded by Lescohier to approve the Ordinance amending multiple sections of Chapter 62 of the City of Fort Atkinson Municipal Code of Ordinances relating to park regulations. Motion carried. e. First reading of an Ordinance amending Chapter 94, Article VIII, Division 6 Stopping, Standing and Parking (Lindsey, Police Captain) Captain Lindsey shared that the proposed ordinance revision removes specific parking forfeiture and penalty amounts from the parking ordinance and instead establishes those amounts within the City's annual fee schedule. Under the current ordinance, penalty amounts are specified within the ordinance itself, requiring a formal ordinance amendment whenever a fee adjustment is necessary. This change does not alter the City's authority to regulate parking or enforce parking restrictions. It does modify the method by which forfeiture amounts are established, allowing the City Council to respond more efficiently to changing administrative costs, compliance, and enforcement needs. Huckabee moved, seconded by Johnson perform the first reading of the ordinance and direct the City Manager to prepare the Ordinance for a second and possible third/final reading on October 6. Motion carried. f. First reading of an Ordinance amending the Stormwater Utility Ordinance, Chapter 98 of the City of Fort Atkinson Municipal Code (Navin, Director of Public Works) Director Navin provided that on July 21, 2026 the Ordinance Committee requested that staff evaluate an amendment to the City's Stormwater Utility Ordinance that would remove cemetery properties from stormwater utility charges. The policy question before the City Council is ultimately whether the unique land-use characteristics of cemeteries warrant complete removal from the stormwater utility rate structure. While the immediate financial effect is relatively small compared with the overall Stormwater Utility budget, staff believes the broader policy implication is more significant. Creating a categorical exemption establishes a precedent that may generate future requests for similar treatment from other property types that contain substantial open or pervious areas. The Ordinance Committee recommends City Council perform the first reading of the Ordinance exempting cemeteries from Stormwater Utility charges and direct the City Manager to prepare the ordinance for a second reading at the October 6, 2026, City Council meeting. Staff does not support this recommendation due to its negative impact on the financial health of the Stormwater Utility. Huckabee moved, seconded by Johnson to perform the first reading of the ordinance and direct the City Manager to prepare the Ordinance for a second reading on October 6, 2026. Discussion continued. Huckabee moved to amend the Stormwater Utility Ordinance Chapter 98 of the City of Fort Atkinson Municipal Code to allow for a stormwater exemption for cemeteries with a sunset clause of two years effective upon publication of Ordinance. Johnson seconded the amendment. Motion carried 4-1, Jaeckel opposed. g. First reading of an Ordinance to Amend Section 18-256 of the City of Fort Atkinson Code of General Ordinances relating to Camping Units (Draeger, Director of Neighborhood and Building Services) Director Draeger commented, the City is delegated by the State of Wisconsin to administer and enforce the Wisconsin Uniform Dwelling Code (UDC) within the City. As part of this delegation, the City is responsible for issuing building permits, conducting inspections, and enforcing applicable state building standards for one- and two-family dwellings and certain related structures. The proposed ordinance amendment adopts Wisconsin Administrative Code SPS 327, Camping Units, by reference into Chapter 18 of the City's Municipal Code. Price moved, seconded by Johnson to perform the first reading of the ordinance and direct the City Manager to prepare the Ordinance for a second and possible third/final reading on October 6. Motion carried. 9. Reports of Officers, Boards, and Committees a. City Manager’s Report (Houseman, City Manager) No action was taken. 10. Unfinished Business a. Review and possible action relating to the Affordable Housing program (Houseman, City Manager) Manager Houseman stated that following a Request for Proposals (RFP) process, the City retained Redevelopment Resources to develop policies and programs for deploying excess tax increment generated by closed Tax Increment Districts (TIDs) for an Affordable Housing Fund. With the one year of increment in each of the TIDs mentioned, the City estimated total revenue at $1,689,570.62. At the City Council meeting on February 17th, the City Council adopted a Resolution allocating $250,000 of these funds to a Habitat for Humanity Critical Repair Program. The remaining $1,439,570.62 is anticipated to be distributed through this program over the next several years. Price moved, seconded by Lescohier to approve the Affordable Housing Fund program and authorize the City Manager to enter into an agreement with a qualified outside agency to administer and facilitate program implementation. Motion carried. 11. New Business None. 12. Miscellaneous None. 13. Public Comment for Matters Not on the Agenda John Hausz, 104 Jefferson Street - Wants to understand voting rights. Wants to know how special voting deputies are handled. Herb Bloomer, 633 Maple Street - Spoke in regard to neighbors' garbage and compliance. He inquired on the ordinance processes. 14. Claims, Appropriations and Contract Payments a. Review and possible action relating to the Verified Claims presented by the Director of Finance and authorization of payment (Ebbert, Clerk/Treasurer/Finance Director) Huckabee moved, seconded by Johnson to approve the list of Verified Claims presented by the Director of Finance and authorize payment. Motion carried unanimously. 15. Adjournment Johnson moved, seconded by Price to adjourn. Meeting adjourned at 8:35 pm. Respectfully submitted, Michelle Ebbert City Clerk/Treasurer/Finance Director City of Fort Atkinson City Manager's Office 101 N. Main Street Fort Atkinson, WI 53538 MEMORANDUM DATE: September 15, 2026 TO: Fort Atkinson City Council FROM: Ben Dayton, Director of Parks and Recreation RE: Third/final reading and possible adoption of an Ordinance to amend multiple sections of Chapter 62 of the City of Fort Atkinson Municipal Code of Ordinances relating to park regulations (Dayton, Director of Parks and Recreation) BACKGROUND Parks and Recreation Director Dayton and the Recreation Advisory Board Rules and Ordinances Subcommittee conducted a focused review of Chapter 62, Articles I and II of the City’s Codes and Ordinances. Additionally, the subcommittee investigated the addition of a new ordinance to prohibit the use of smoking, vaping, and e-cigarettes products within the City's park system. The City Council performed the first reading at the meeting on August 18th. After a proposed amendment to change the areas where smoking would be prohibited in parks failed, the motion to direct the City Manager to prepare the ordinance for a second reading carried. The second reading was held September 1. DISCUSSION Staff provided the subcommittee with a proposal adopting new ordinance to prohibit smoking, vaping, and the use of e-cigarettes within city parks and on public trails. Additionally, revisions were recommended to existing ordinances regarding pets on designated park property, protection of City property within the parks system, glass bottle restrictions, and park hours of operation. These amendments are intended to align current usage of park facilities with City ordinance. The following recommendations and rationales are proposed: ARTICLE I. - IN GENERAL Sec. 62-1. - Animals on city park grounds: Staff proposes extending this ordinance to include designated athletic fields and playgrounds. This restriction is intended to prevent damage to prepared ballfields and ensure playgrounds remain free of animal waste. Also, extending the ordinance to easily recognizable facilities without the need for additional posted signage. Sec. 62-2. - Operation of vehicles, animals restricted; destruction of property. Staff recommends adding language to specifically identify the unauthorized tampering with city property during activities such as geocaching and the use of metal detectors. While geocaching is recognized as an acceptable activity, the intent is to prevent the modification of or damage to facilities and property. Sec. 62-4. - Possession, consumption of alcohol prohibited. Staff recommendations include removing the prohibition of alcohol consumption in Bicentennial Park. The original ordinance was adopted when the park was located in a different area. Memorial Park will remain on the list due to its primary use as a youth sports facility. The ordinance will also be updated to include legal, hemp-derived THC beverage products and a citywide prohibition of glass bottles in parks to enhance public safety and reduce the risk of injury from broken glass. Sec. 62-5. - Smoking, vaping, and e-cigarettes prohibited. (proposed new ordinance) Staff recommends, with subcommittee support, the adoption of a new ordinance prohibiting the use of smoke or vapor producing products within park spaces. Aside from public health concerns, the intent is to remove smoking and vaping from public events, youth activities, and locations where the general public will congregate. Under the proposed rules, the use of these products would be restricted to areas within the public right-of-way. ARTICLE II. - ADMINISTRATION AND ENFORCEMENT Sec. 62-37. - Hours of operation. Staff recommends that park hours mirror the weekend hours established by the citywide curfew ordinance (Section 58-197). This update also includes the removal of specific, outdated hours previously set for Bicentennial Park. FINANCIAL ANALYSIS Staff does not anticipate a significant financial impact associated with the recommended new ordinance and ordinance amendments. RECOMMENDATION Staff, the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, and the Ordinance Committee recommended the City Council adopt the Ordinance amendments to Chapter 62 relating to park regulations as proposed. ATTACHMENTS 1. Chapter_62___PARKS_AND_RECREATION 2. Ord No Parks and Recreation Section 62 DRAFT REDLINE 3. Ord No Parks and Recreation Section 62 FINAL