9.1.26 Ordinance Committee — Minutes

City of Fort Atkinson City Manager's Office 101 N. Main Street Fort Atkinson, WI 53538 ORDINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING IN PERSON AND VIA ZOOM TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2026 – 6:00 PM CITY HALL – SECOND FLOOR MINUTES 1. Call meeting to order President Jaeckel called the meeting to order at 6:00 pm. 2. Roll call Present: Cm. Huckabee, Cm. Price and President Jaeckel. Also present: City Manager, Clerk/Treasurer/Finance Director, Director of Public Works, Director of Neighborhood Services, Police Captain and Police Chief. 3. Unfinished Business None. President Jaeckel stated that those in the audience were allowed to address the Committee within a 3-minute public comment section. Brad Wilcox, 508 Frederick Ave - President of Evergreen Cemetery Association. Supports Ordinance #1 (Land-use reduction) and opposes Ordinance #2 (stormwater credit). 4. New Business a. Review, discussion, and possible recommendation to the City Council relating to amendments to the Stormwater Utility Ordinance, Chapter 98 of the City of Fort Atkinson Municipal Code (Navin, Director of Public Works) Director Navin advised that the Ordinance Committee has requested that staff prepare an amendment to the City's stormwater utility ordinance that would remove cemetery properties from stormwater utility charges. The City's stormwater utility currently assesses properties based on their contribution to and use of the community's stormwater management system. Cemetery properties are presently treated in the same manner as other applicable non-residential properties and are assessed based on the City's established stormwater utility rate structure. In response to the Committee's request, staff reviewed the financial and policy implications of establishing a full exemption for cemeteries, as well as how other municipalities have approached similar requests. Staff believes cemetery properties should continue to contribute toward the operation and maintenance of the City's stormwater system. While cemeteries have unique land-use characteristics that warrant consideration, a complete exemption is not the preferred mechanism for recognizing those characteristics. Rather than creating a categorical exemption, staff recommends addressing the unique nature of cemetery properties through a more targeted land-use reduction and the City's stormwater credit policy. Recommended Alternative: 25% Cemetery Land-Use Reduction. A 25% reduction in stormwater utility charges for qualifying cemetery properties based on the inherent characteristics of cemetery land use. The reduction would recognize that cemeteries generally contain: • substantial areas of permanent open space; • relatively low building coverage; • limited intensity of development; and • significant areas capable of infiltration and reduction of stormwater runoff. Under this approach, cemeteries would remain part of the stormwater utility rate structure but would automatically receive a 25% reduction in recognition of these land- use characteristics. Two forms of relief are provided as: 1. Land-Use Reduction: A 25% reduction recognizing the inherent characteristics of cemetery properties. 2. Stormwater Credits: Additional reductions based on demonstrated stormwater management benefits or qualifying practices. Huckabee moved, seconded by Price to recommend to the City Council Exemption Article V for review. Motion carried. b. Review and possible recommendation to the City Council relating to penalties for violations of the City's traffic ordinances (stopping, standing, and parking) (Lindsey, Police Captain) Captain Lindsey the City's current parking ordinance establishes specific forfeiture and penalty amounts for parking violations directly within the ordinance. As a result, any future adjustment to parking related fees requires a formal ordinance amendment. The proposed revision would remove the specific penalty amounts from the ordinance and instead reference a fee schedule adopted annually by the City Council. This approach separates the fee structure and provides greater flexibility for the City to review and adjust parking related fees as needed through the annual fee schedule adoption process. This change does not alter the City's authority to regulate parking or enforce parking restrictions, nor does it change the parking regulations. If recommended by the Ordinance Committee and adopted by the City Council, the effective date would be January 1, 2027. Staff will propose a new series of fees relating to parking violations in the 2027 draft fee schedule to be reviewed by the Finance Committee at the meeting on September 10, 2026. Huckabee moved, seconded by Price to recommend the proposed ordinance amendments to the City Council. Motion carried. 5. Adjournment Huckabee moved, seconded by Price to adjourn. Meeting adjourned at 6:15 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 1, 2026 TO: Committee/Commission/Board FROM: Ben Lindsey Captain RE: Review and possible recommendation to the City Council relating to penalties for violations of the City's traffic ordinances (stopping, standing, and parking) (Lindsey, Police Captain) BACKGROUND The City's current parking ordinance establishes specific forfeiture and penalty amounts for parking violations directly within the ordinance. As a result, any future adjustment to parking- related fees requires a formal ordinance amendment. The proposed revision would remove the specific penalty amounts from the ordinance and instead reference a fee schedule adopted annually by the City Council. This approach separates the fee structure and provides greater flexibility for the City to review and adjust parking- related fees as needed through the annual fee schedule adoption process. The proposed change is intended to improve administrative efficiency, ensure consistency with other City fees that are established by resolution or fee schedule, and allow the City Council to evaluate parking penalties without requiring amendments to the ordinance itself. DISCUSSION 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 proposed structure, the parking ordinance will continue to establish parking regulations, restrictions, and enforcement authority, while the associated forfeiture amounts will be adopted separately through the City's annual fee schedule. Any future adjustments to parking penalties would be considered by the City Council as part of the fee schedule review and adoption process, eliminating the need to amend the ordinance solely to modify penalty amounts. This change does not alter the City's authority to regulate parking or enforce parking restrictions, nor does it change the parking regulations. 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. The City Attorney has reviewed this ordinance, and it has passed his legal review. FINANCIAL ANALYSIS There is no additional financial impact in adopting this ordinance beyond the associated costs in publishing the ordinance to the City's Code of Ordinances. If recommended by the Ordinance Committee and adopted by the City Council, the effective date would be January 1, 2027. Staff will propose a new series of fees relating to parking violations in the 2027 draft fee schedule to be reviewed by the Finance Committee at the meeting on September 10, 2026. RECOMMENDATION City staff recommends the Ordinance Committee review the proposed ordinance amendments and recommend the City Council approval. ATTACHMENTS 1. DIVISION_6.___STOPPING__STANDING_AND_PARKING 2. Sec._94_45.___Penalties.