Committee of the Whole Minutes 04082026

COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE Wednesday, April 8, 2026, at 6:00 PM New Holstein City Hall, 2110 Washington Street, New Holstein, WI 53061 CALL TO ORDER: The meeting was called to order by Council President Woelfel. ROLL CALL: Roll call was taken by Depies. Present were Gene Woelfel, Becca Mosier, Richard Snelson (virtually), Dan Watson, Kathy Schroeder , Paula Oakley , Norm Propson, Brad Hess, and Steve Abrams . Also present, City Administrator Scott Depies, City Attorney Steve Sorenson, Public Works Director Jason Meyer, Library Director Hankins, and Emergency Management Director Russ Thiel. GUESTS: Travis Price, Lois Schroeder, and Don Schroeder APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA: A motion was made by Oakley, seconded by Watson, and carried to approve the agenda as presented. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: A motion was made by Schroeder, seconded by Abrams, and carried to approve the minutes from the previous meeting. CITIZEN COMMENT: None. FINANCE AND PURCHASING: None. PROTECTIONS OF PERSONS AND PROPERTY: a. Captain Schroeder reported that since the last meeting, the Police Department handled 179 calls for service. Notable incidents included a traffic stop on March 18 during which a passenger was found to have multiple Fond du Lac County warrants and was transported accordingly; a domestic disturbance resulted in an arrest for disorderly conduct with a domestic abuse enhancer; and a downed power line on Milwaukee Drive required closure of Highway 57 from Wisconsin Avenue to Mason Street for just over an hour while repairs were made. Captain Schroeder also reported participation in the Premier Financial Easter egg hunt on April 4. In addition, he provided an update on a March hit -and-run on McKinley Street in which a vehicle drove across front yards and damaged a mailbox before leaving the scene. A vehicle was identified and the matter remains under. Captain Schroeder further reported that the Department’s seventh officer has been hired, has a start date of April 20. b. A report submitted by Chief Carey was presented indicating that the Fire Department responded to five calls during the month of March. These included a leaking pipe from a two -million-gallon manure pit; an automobile accident in the Town of New Holstein; a structure fire on County J that damaged a tractor shed and items inside; an approximately 28 -acre vegetation fire on Irish Court in the Town of Russell; and a fire alarm on Monroe Street. c. Emergency Management Director Thiel reported that following the blizzard of March 15 and 16, Calumet County contacted staff regarding possible reimbursement through the Wisconsin Disaster Fund. The City submitted nearly $17,000 in eligible expenses for overtime, equipment, and materials Committee of the Whole April 8, 2026 2 related to storm cleanup. If approved, the City may recoup approximately 70 percent of those costs. Director Thiel explained that a FEMA disaster declaration was not pursued countywide because the damage threshold was not met, but Wisconsin Emergency Management may provide assistance through state disaster funding. Director Thiel also reported that the siren at Kiwanis Park, along with the siren at the high school, did not sound properly during the most recent test. The issue was reported, and both sirens were sounding again by the following Saturday. Director Thiel further reported that Wisconsin Emergency Management reopened the BRIC -related opportunity tied to flooding concerns near Calumet Drive and Plymouth Street, and Wisconsin Avenue and Plymouth Street. He explained that an engineering study would likely cost between $25,000 and $30,000, with potential reimbursement of 75 percent if the grant is awarded. Committee members discussed the value of moving forward with an application and indicated support for staff to continue looking into the matter, with the understanding that the matter would return to Council for approval if necessary. No formal action was taken. d. The Municipal Court report for March was presented. There were 15 adult cases, with eight resulting in no contest or guilty pleas, two guilty by default, four not guilty, and one dismissal. There were five juvenile matters, all of which put in not guilty pleas and are set for pre-trial. In addition, there were four adults in pre -trial, three arraignments, one held open by the City Attorney, one dismissal, and one guilty by default. CITY BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS: a. Director Meyer reported that during March, Public Works removed a terrace tree near the corner by City Hall, finished staining picnic tables and soccer benches, and swept the entire City once. He noted that spring cleanup has been challenging due to early snow after Thanksgiving , which caused leaves to remain. Director Meyer also provided details on storm response costs related to the recent blizzard, noting that the approximately $17,000 figure discussed earlier covered only Sunday and Monday expenses eligible for reimbursement. Total overtime for the event was reported at 66.5 hours and fuel usage of approximately 616 gallons of diesel was used. Regarding contracted assistance, he reported Travis’ Turf & Landscaping was not used during the storm because one employee had returned and was able to assist with blowing and alley work. PERSONNEL: a. None OLD BUSINESS: a. Discussion—Review of Powers and Responsibility of the Mayorship City Attorney, Steve Sorenson, presented on the statutory powers and responsibilities of the Mayor. The presentation addressed the Mayor’s role under Wisconsin law, including setting agendas, recommending policy, breaking tie votes, veto authority, appointment powers, budget recommendations, official representation of the City, execution of official documents, and participation in negotiations of collective bargaining. Additionally, he addressed the differences between municipalities with and without administrators, the effect of custom and community size on mayoral responsibilities, limits on the Mayor’s authority over day-to-day staff direction in cities with an administrator, and the need for elected officials to understand governance roles. Committee members also discussed whether future conversations should occur regarding broader governance structures, including the possibility of revisiting the mayoral system, at-large representation, and related governance issues. No action was taken. Committee of the Whole April 8, 2026 3 b. Discussion—NHOD Bonus Compensation Notification Administrator Depies informed the Committee that because the Department’s seventh officer has been hired and another employee rescinded her resignation and will remain with the Department, the previously approved bonus compensation will not be utilized at this time. This item was informational only. NEW BUSINESS: a. Discussion—Process to Approve AB-105 Submissions Administrator Depies reported that he was contacted regarding a brewer from the Fox Cities area who operates pop -up beer gardens at local events. He explained that the brewer obtains state authorization through an AB -105 form, but the City’s code does not currently reference that form or an associated approval process. After contacting the State, he was advised that the brewer would typically submit the form to the Common Council for consideration in the same manner as other agenda items. The Council would then approve the submission, and that approval would be reflected on the form before final submission to the State. The discussion was presented as a way to clarify the administrative process should the City wish to entertain such requests in connection with future community events. No action was taken. MISCELLANEOUS: Council President Woelfel thanked Mayor Snelson and Alderman Steve Abrams as their terms come to an end, for their service to the City of New Holstein. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS: None Being no further business, the meeting was adjourned. Scott Depies City Administrator