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City of Superior · Douglas County · meeting of Aug 24, 2026 · Minutes
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PLAN COMMISSION MINUTES - 8/24/26 Mtg (Meets monthly on 2nd Tuesday of each month) Page 1 of 2
PLAN COMMISSION Minutes
August 24, 2026 Regular Meeting
The meeting was called to order by Chair Paine at 5:02 pm on August 24, 2026, in Government
Center Room 204.
1 ROLL CALL
PRESENT: Jim Paine, Lynn Wohlwend, Brian Finstad, Garner Moffat, Tylor Elm, and Anne
Porter
VIRTUAL: Lindsey Graskey
ABSENT:
CITY STAFF PRESENT: Director Serck, Tech Granlund and Jeff Skrenes
OTHERS PRESENT: Jennifer Dalbec, Jason Dalbec, and Sam Schafter
2 APPROVAL OF MINUTES
2.1 Plan Commission Minutes (July 14, 2026)
MOTION to approve the July 14, 2026, minutes by Commissioner Porter, seconded by
Commissioner Elm. Carried.
3 OLD BUSINESS
3.1 Review and Approve Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area Ordinance and Resolution
Planning department will incorporate changes and bring to the September Plan Commission
meeting.
MOTION by Commissioner Elm, seconded by Commissioner Moffat to hold in committee
until next meeting. Carried.
4 NEW BUSINESS
4.1 Small Business Grant Application Review & Recommendations
a. Superior Tavern
b. Flow Studio
Director Serck introduced the small business grant applications representees from both
applicants attended the meeting in person.
MOTION to approve the small business grant applications by Commissioner Elm, seconded
by Commissioner Moffat. Carried.
4.2 Review and recommend to the City Council that a public hearing be set for October 6th,
2026, in order to facilitate recreating and replacing ARTICLE VII. FLOODPLAINS within
the City of Superior Zoning Code.
PLAN COMMISSION MINUTES - 8/24/26 Mtg (Meets monthly on 2nd Tuesday of each month) Page 2 of 2
Director Serck introduced the floodplain ordinance and the need for the update. Sharing with
Plan Commission the changes that will be made with the new floodplain ordinance.
MOTION to approve to recommend to the City Council that a public hearing be set for
October 6th, 2026, in order to facilitate recreating and replacing ARTICLE VII.
FLOODPLAINS within the City of Superior Zoning Code by Commissioner Elm, seconded
by Commissioner Finstad. Carried.
4.3 Review for Approval – Downtown Superior Design Guidelines
Commissioner Moffat presented the proposed Downtown Superior Design Guidelines to the
Plan Commission and discussed the potential positive impacts the guidelines could have on the
City. Commissioners asked questions regarding the proposal, including the involvement of the
Superior Business Improvement District in the process and the potential for putting the project
out for bid.
MOTION by Commissioner Elm, seconded by Commissioner Finstad to put the Downtown
Superior Design Guidelines out for bid. Carried.
Commissioner Porter abstained from the vote.
4.4 Discussion and consideration of the proposed design and framework for the City’s Community
Land Trust Program.
Jeff Skrenes spoke to the Plan Commission regarding the proposed Community Land Trust
Policy Framework he developed. Commissioner Moffat shared a policy memorandum he had
prepared outlining the Community Land Trust framework. Commissioners discussed the
proposed framework and agreed to hold the item in committee for further discussion, including
the City’s Community Land Trust Partners Framework.
MOTION by Commissioner Paine recommended holding in committee until next meeting.
Carried.
5 RECURRING BUSINESS
5.1 Planning & Development Director Report
Director Serck shared with the Plan Commission about an upcoming grant opportunity for a
WEDC business grant to support small business during the bridge rebuild. Director Serck
shared that the CHS sale has closed. Next Plan Commission meeting will be September 8,
2026.
5.2 Housing Coordinator Update
No new updates.
6 ADJOURNMENT
Meeting adjourned at 6:34 pm
Respectfully submitted by Amanda Granlund.
CITY OF SUPERIOR | PLAN COMMISSION
POLICY MEMORANDUM Community Land Trust: Decisions for Commission Discussion
TO: City of Superior Plan Commission FROM: Garner Moffat, Plan Commissioner DATE: August 24, 2026 SUBJECT: General support and policy questions requiring Commission direction Recommendation. Continue developing the Community Land Trust framework, but ask staff to return with
revised
language
after
the
Commission
discusses
four
policy
choices:
permanent
subsidy
retention,
continuity
if
the
nonprofit
partner
withdraws,
applicant-selection
priorities,
and
essential
homeowner/program
safeguards.
Why the framework should move forward
A Community Land Trust can create affordable homeownership that lasts from one buyer to the next. The proposal
is
a
strong
foundation,
but
several
choices
belong
to
the
City
rather
than
solely
to
a
future
nonprofit
partner.
The
Commission
does
not
need
to
resolve
every
technical
detail
tonight.
It
should
identify
the
outcomes
Superior
wants
and
direct
staff
to
prepare
enforceable
language.
Four questions for Commission discussion
1. How should public subsidy benefit each generation of buyers? My preference is that City land or subsidy reduce the home's restricted purchase price at the beginning and remain
embedded
in
the
CLT
home.
A
buyer
should
not
pay
the
unrestricted
market
price
for
a
property
when
the
buyer
does
not
own
the
land
or
unrestricted
resale
rights.
Down-payment
or
closing-cost
assistance
may
still
be
needed,
but
City
assistance
should
ordinarily
be
repaid
at
resale
and
recycled
for
another
CLT
buyer.
2. What happens if the nonprofit partner withdraws? The program should not depend indefinitely on one organization. If the partner stops participating, the City should
be
able
to
preserve
the
program
without
disturbing
homeowners
or
their
mortgages.
The
agreement
should
provide
notice,
a
transition
period,
and
a
City
option
to
take
over
or
designate
a
successor
for
the
CLT
land,
ground
leases,
resale
rights,
subsidy
documents,
reserves,
records,
and
any
unsold
properties.
Existing
homeowners
would
continue
to
own
their
homes
under
the
same
protections
and
restrictions.
3. Should some qualified applicants receive preference? Every buyer would still have to meet income, mortgage, education, owner-occupancy, and other eligibility
requirements.
The
Commission
should
discuss
whether
otherwise
qualified
applicants
should
receive
priority
points
or
placement
in
preference
tiers.
● Households selling a property to the City for rehabilitation, redevelopment, right-of-way, hazard reduction, or
another
public
purpose,
when
a
CLT
home
would
provide
a
suitable
replacement
and
the
household
income-qualifies.
● Current CLT home owners who may need a different home due to documented accessibility needs or
household
size
changes.
● Households displaced or at imminent risk of displacement through no fault of their own. ● Employees serving the community, potentially including City, County, school-district, nonprofit, health-care,
public-safety,
childcare
workers,
or
other
qualifying
public-service
workers.
● Applicants needing an accessible home, households with children, veterans, current Superior residents, or
other
locally
identified
housing
priorities.
I do not recommend adopting any of these preferences without staff and legal review. Employment, residency, and
other
preferences
must
be
tied
to
documented
housing
needs,
applied
consistently,
compatible
with
funding
rules,
and
reviewed
for
fair-housing
impacts.
A
broad
Public
Service
Loan
Forgiveness
definition
may
be
too
difficult
to
administer
and
may
include
occupations
unrelated
to
Superior's
workforce
needs.
A
transparent
preference-tier
or
points
system
followed
by
a
lottery
among
equally
ranked
applicants
would
be
preferable
to
subjective
selection.
4. Which protections must appear in the framework? ● A City-approved initial-pricing method and resale formula. ● Permanent retention of City land and subsidy for affordable housing. ● Clear income limits and affordability based on the complete monthly housing cost. ● Separate leasehold appraisal and home-inspection requirements. ● Homeowner representation, annual reporting, stewardship, and foreclosure-prevention responsibilities. ● Clear ground-rent, inheritance, refinancing, maintenance, default, partner-withdrawal, and lender-protection
provisions.
Suggested direction
Ask staff to return with: (1) a revised policy framework; (2) draft partner-agreement provisions protecting the City
if
the
nonprofit
withdraws
or
defaults;
and
(3)
two
or
three
legally
reviewed
applicant-selection
options
for
Commission
comparison
before
a
preference
system
is
adopted.
Possible motion Move to express general support for continued development of the Community Land Trust and direct
staff
to
return
with
revised
framework
and
implementation
language
addressing
initial
and
resale
affordability,
permanent
subsidy
retention,
continuity
and
City
step-in
rights
if
a
partner
withdraws,
objective
and
legally
reviewed
applicant-selection
options,
and
the
homeowner
and
program
safeguards
identified
in
this
memorandum.
STAFF DRAFTING ATTACHMENT Community Land Trust Policy Framework
TO: City of Superior Plan Commission FROM: Garner Moffat, Plan Commissioner DATE: August 24, 2026 SUBJECT: Specific revisions, options, and proposed implementation language Purpose. This attachment translates the Commission policy questions into specific drafting instructions. It is
intended
as
a
working
document
for
Community
Development
staff,
the
City
Attorney,
the
future
CLT
partner,
participating
lenders,
and
funding
agencies.
Bracketed
choices
require
policy
or
legal
review
before
adoption.
A. Initial pricing, resale affordability, and subsidy retention
Proposed general provision Initial and resale affordability; retention of public investment. The initial sales price of a CLT home shall be based
on
the
value
of
the
purchaser's
leasehold
interest
and
shall
be
affordable
to
the
targeted
household-income
range
when
total
housing
costs
are
considered.
City-provided
land,
grants,
development
subsidy,
and
other
public
investment
shall,
to
the
greatest
extent
practicable,
reduce
the
restricted
purchase
price
and
remain
dedicated
to
permanently
affordable
housing
through
an
approved
ground
lease,
resale
formula,
purchase
option,
deed
restriction,
subsidy
covenant,
or
equivalent
enforceable
mechanism.
Any City-funded buyer assistance shall supplement, rather than replace, an affordable initial sales price. Unless
otherwise
required
by
a
funding
source
or
expressly
approved
by
the
City,
such
assistance
shall
be
documented
by
a
deferred
subordinate
loan
and
shall
be
repaid
upon
resale,
prohibited
refinance
or
encumbrance,
loss
of
owner
occupancy,
or
other
specified
default.
Repaid
funds
shall
be
returned
to
the
City
or
CLT
restricted
account
and
reused
for
CLT
or
other
permanently
affordable
homeownership.
The resale formula shall provide the homeowner a fair opportunity to build equity while preserving affordability
for
subsequent
income-qualified
purchasers.
Program
documents
shall
address
return
of
buyer
equity,
mortgage
principal
reduction,
approved
capital
improvements,
transaction
costs,
damage
or
deferred
maintenance,
the
homeowner's
share
of
appreciation,
the
maximum
resale
price,
and
the
CLT's
preemptive
purchase
option.
B. Partner withdrawal, default, dissolution, and continuity
Drafting direction ● Distinguish voluntary withdrawal, material default, insolvency, dissolution, loss of nonprofit status, loss of required
insurance,
and
inability
to
perform
stewardship
duties.
● Apply the continuity provisions through the framework, partner agreement, recorded covenants, ground leases,
and
any
deed
conveying
City
property
or
subsidy
agreement,
as
appropriate.
● Preserve homeowner ownership, existing mortgages, lender protections, and all affordability restrictions during
any
transition.
● Require lender and funding-source review so City rights do not invalidate mortgage eligibility or conflict with
superior
liens,
grant
conditions,
bankruptcy
law,
or
foreclosure
protections.
Proposed partner-agreement language 1. Notice of withdrawal. The CLT partner shall not discontinue its participation in the Superior CLT program or
materially
reduce
required
stewardship
services
without
at
least
180
days'
prior
written
notice
to
the
City,
affected
homeowners,
participating
lenders,
and
other
parties
required
by
program
documents.
The
notice
shall
include
a
complete
transition
plan.
2. Default and cure. A material failure to perform the partner agreement shall constitute a default after written
notice
and
a
cure
period
of
[60/90]
days,
except
that
the
City
may
require
immediate
protective
action
when
necessary
to
prevent
loss
of
property,
subsidy,
insurance,
records,
lender
eligibility,
or
homeowner
rights.
The
cure
period
may
be
extended
for
good-faith
corrective
action
that
cannot
reasonably
be
completed
within
the
original
period.
3. Transition obligation. During the notice or cure period, the CLT partner shall continue ordinary stewardship,
preserve
all
assets
and
records,
refrain
from
transferring
or
encumbering
program
assets
except
in
the
ordinary
course
or
with
City
consent,
cooperate
with
homeowner
and
lender
communications,
and
provide
the
City
with
an
updated
inventory
of
land,
homes,
leases,
restrictions,
purchase
options,
subsidy
instruments,
reserves,
receivables,
insurance,
contracts,
and
pending
transactions.
4. City designation of successor. The City may designate a qualified successor CLT or other qualified nonprofit to
assume
stewardship
and
receive
assignment
or
transfer
of
program
assets
and
obligations,
subject
to
applicable
law,
lender
rights,
funding
restrictions,
and
required
third-party
consents.
5. City step-in and option. If no qualified successor is available, or if the City determines that direct control is
reasonably
necessary
to
preserve
the
program,
the
City
shall
have
an
option,
but
not
an
obligation,
to
acquire
or
accept
assignment
of
the
CLT
partner's
interest
in
Superior
program
assets.
Covered
assets
shall
include
CLT-owned
land;
the
lessor's
interest
in
ground
leases;
resale,
purchase,
and
enforcement
rights;
affordability
covenants;
City-funded
subsidy
instruments;
restricted
reserves
and
program
income;
records
and
data
permitted
by
law;
and
any
vacant,
unsold,
or
CLT-owned
homes.
Occupied
homes
owned
by
individual
homeowners
are
not
transferred
under
this
provision.
6. Consideration and valuation. The transfer price shall be [nominal consideration for assets originally donated by
the
City
or
acquired
principally
with
City
funds]
and,
for
other
assets,
[the
lesser
of
documented
unrecovered
acquisition cost, net book value, or independently appraised value of the restricted interest], less City funds,
restricted
reserves,
liens,
deferred
maintenance,
and
other
obligations
assumed
by
the
City.
Staff
and
the
City
Attorney
shall
recommend
a
final
formula
that
avoids
a
windfall,
recognizes
legitimate
non-City
investment,
and
is
enforceable
under
applicable
funding
and
creditor
requirements.
7. Assumption of liabilities. The City shall not be required to assume debt, contracts, environmental liability,
delinquent
taxes,
litigation,
or
other
obligations
unless
expressly
accepted
in
writing
following
due
diligence
and
all
required
approvals.
Any
City
acquisition
is
subject
to
acceptable
title,
environmental
and
property
review,
lender
consent
when
required,
and
Common
Council
authorization.
8. Continuing restrictions. Transfer to the City or a successor shall not terminate or diminish affordability,
owner-occupancy,
resale,
inheritance,
lender,
or
homeowner
protections.
The
City
or
successor
shall
assume
the
CLT's
stewardship
obligations
under
the
applicable
program
documents.
9. Separate option for CLT-owned homes. For any home or improvement owned by the CLT partner rather than an
individual
homeowner,
the
City
shall
have
a
right
of
first
offer
and
an
option
to
purchase
upon
withdrawal,
default,
dissolution,
proposed
transfer
outside
the
program,
or
expiration
of
an
agreed
marketing
period,
at
a
restricted
price
determined
under
the
approved
valuation
formula.
C. Applicant eligibility and selection
Baseline eligibility Before any preference is applied, every applicant shall satisfy the same published threshold requirements:
applicable
household-income
limit;
owner
occupancy;
approved
homebuyer
and
CLT
education;
sustainable
prime
mortgage
qualification;
property-specific
household
suitability;
and
all
lender,
funding-source,
and
program
requirements.
A
preference
changes
order
of
consideration,
not
basic
eligibility
or
underwriting.
Recommended selection architecture ● Publish the criteria, point values or preference tiers, documentation requirements, application window, tie-breaking
procedure,
appeal
process,
and
record-retention
rules
before
accepting
applications.
● Use a lottery among equally ranked applicants rather than subjective interviews or discretionary judgments. ● Apply reasonable accommodations and accessible application procedures. ● Review the system before adoption and periodically thereafter for compliance with fair-housing, civil-rights,
relocation,
funding,
and
affirmative-marketing
requirements
and
for
unintended
disparate
effects.
● Do not hold a home vacant indefinitely for a preferred category when another eligible household is ready to
purchase.
Preference option 1 - City acquisition/relocation partner An otherwise eligible household may receive the highest preference when the household voluntarily sells an
owner-occupied
property
to
the
City
or
a
participating
public
entity
for
an
approved
rehabilitation,
redevelopment,
right-of-way,
hazard-mitigation,
code-resolution,
neighborhood-stabilization,
or
other
public-purpose
project
and
the
transaction
will
result
in
the
household
needing
a
replacement
principal
residence.
● The property sale and CLT purchase must be separately voluntary and documented; CLT placement may not be
conditioned
on
accepting
less
than
legally
required
or
independently
supported
compensation
for
the
acquired
property.
● The household must receive any relocation notices, advisory services, payments, and other protections required
by
the
Uniform
Relocation
Assistance
and
Real
Property
Acquisition
Policies
Act,
state
law,
or
the
applicable
funding
source.
CLT
preference
is
supplemental
and
does
not
replace
those
rights.
● The household must independently qualify for the CLT home and mortgage. If no suitable CLT home is available
within
a
defined
period,
the
City
retains
no
obligation
to
produce
a
specific
unit
unless
separately
agreed
in
writing.
● Staff should determine whether the preference applies only to City acquisitions or also to County, school-district,
housing-authority,
land-bank,
utility,
and
City-approved
nonprofit
acquisition
programs.
Preference option 2 - displacement or urgent housing need Consider a second tier for otherwise eligible applicants experiencing documented displacement or imminent loss of
safe
housing
through
no
fault
of
their
own,
including
condemnation,
casualty,
domestic
violence,
accessibility-related
displacement,
expiring
affordability
restrictions,
or
displacement
caused
by
a
public
project.
Staff
should
define
categories
narrowly,
identify
acceptable
documentation,
and
coordinate
with
fair-housing
and
relocation
requirements.
Preference option 3 - community-serving workforce The Commission may consider a workforce preference, but staff should return with alternatives rather than
inserting
one
employer
list
into
the
framework.
At
minimum,
compare:
● Public employers only: City of Superior, Douglas County, and qualifying public school or technical-college
employers.
● Public-service workforce: positions employed by government or qualifying nonprofit organizations that provide
education,
health,
behavioral
health,
emergency
response,
child
care,
elder
care,
housing,
transit,
utilities,
or
other
locally
identified
essential
services.
● Documented shortage occupations: an annually adopted list based on local recruitment, vacancy, wage, and
housing-cost
evidence.
● No employment preference: select only by housing need, income targeting, readiness, and lottery. Public Service Loan Forgiveness eligibility should not be used as the sole definition. PSLF is a federal loan-program
status
rather
than
a
local
housing-need
measure;
some
applicants
have
no
student
loans,
employer
eligibility
may
change,
and
the
category
may
be
broader
or
narrower
than
Superior's
intended
workforce
goal.
If
used
at
all,
it
should
be
one
documentation
pathway
within
a
locally
defined
public-service
category.
Other selection considerations for Commission review ● Deeper income targeting within the program maximum, while confirming that the household can sustain
ownership.
● Households least likely to access conventional ownership because of displacement, disability-related accessibility
needs,
or
documented
housing-cost
burden.
● Property-specific household fit, including accessible features and bedroom needs, without steering or
discrimination
based
on
familial
status
or
disability.
● Applicants completing a City-approved financial-readiness or savings program. ● Current Superior residence or employment only if supported by documented local need and legal review; do not
make
local
status
an
absolute
eligibility
prerequisite.
● Veteran status only after review of the policy purpose, funding requirements, and interaction with other priorities.
Illustrative tiered model for discussion - not recommended for adoption without review Tier 1: Eligible household displaced by, or voluntarily participating in, an approved City acquisition or public-purpose
property
transaction.
Tier 2 : Eligible household meeting a narrowly defined displacement, accessibility, or urgent-housing-need priority. Tier 3 : Eligible household meeting an adopted community-serving workforce or documented shortage-occupation
priority.
Tier 4 : All other eligible applicants. Within each tier: property suitability review followed by random lottery among equally eligible applicants. Move
promptly
to
the
next
tier
when
no
ready
and
suitable
applicant
is
available.
D. Additional framework corrections ● Replace undefined 'low- to moderate-income' language with City-approved percentages of area median income,
adjusted
for
household
size,
and
permit
project-specific
bands
approved
by
the
City.
● Define affordability using mortgage, taxes, insurance, ground rent, association fees, subordinate-loan payments,
and
reasonable
maintenance
assumptions.
● Replace an absolute first-time-buyer rule with the applicable program definition and carefully drafted exceptions or
priority
treatment.
● Require a leasehold appraisal by an appraiser competent in CLT valuation and a separate independent home
inspection.
● Replace the automatic 'most restrictive guideline' rule with compliance with all applicable requirements and only
reasonably
necessary
written
CLT
overlays.
● Require homeowner/community governance representation, annual City reporting, owner-occupancy monitoring,
resale
administration,
delinquency
intervention,
and
foreclosure-prevention
stewardship.
● Clarify ground rent, permitted increases, taxes, insurance, maintenance, capital improvements, inheritance,
transfer,
refinancing,
subordinate
liens,
default,
casualty,
condemnation,
foreclosure,
lender
notice
and
cure,
and
purchase-option
procedures.
E. Required review before adoption ● City Attorney review of authority, acquisition and option structure, due process, public-purpose requirements,
Wisconsin
law,
creditor
and
bankruptcy
issues,
and
homeowner/lender
rights.
● Fair-housing and civil-rights review of every preference, marketing plan, documentation requirement, lottery, and
property-matching
practice,
including
analysis
of
potential
disparate
effects.
● Funding-source review, including HOME, CDBG, state, federal, relocation, and grant-specific requirements when
applicable.
● Participating-lender and secondary-market review of the ground lease, riders, resale formula, appraisal method,
purchase
option,
step-in
rights,
and
foreclosure
provisions.
● Fiscal and operational review of reserves, staffing, data systems, privacy, annual monitoring, potential City asset
ownership,
and
liabilities
associated
with
exercising
the
City
option.
Source: City of Superior website. First collected Oct 11, 2026.