Council approved a new city policy on how property assessments should be handled and authorized about $1.84 million in sewer revenue bonds for utility work. Two zoning/code changes also passed after public hearings where no one spoke.
Key Decisions
Council authorized up to $1,835,579 in sewer revenue bonds (Clean Water Fund, 2.475% interest) to pay for sewer replacements and related work around the city. This is real money tied to utility rates and long-term infrastructure upkeep, even if it’s not general city debt.
Council adopted a new property assessment policy and added it to the city code, after an informational presentation. The city is trying to formalize how often assessments happen and how the assessor is monitored—important because assessments drive who pays what in property taxes.
Two public-hearing items passed with no public speakers: a rezoning tied to Renew Church’s land split on Lincoln Ave, and a fence-height code change meant to remove confusing wording. Silence at hearings doesn’t mean the issues don’t matter—it often means residents didn’t see it or didn’t feel it was worth speaking up.
Public Input · 1 speaker
Jim Bob Scoot
Said the Historic Farm Museum building is falling apart, with bricks exposed and parts of the internal structure showing.
Agenda Items
26-020 Resolution Authorizing the Issuance and Sale of Up To $1,835,579 Sewerage System Revenue Bonds, Series 2026, and Providing for Other Details and Covenants with Respect Thereto, and Approval of Related Financial Assistance Agreement
Passed 8-0
Council approved issuing up to $1,835,579 in sewer revenue bonds through the Wisconsin Clean Water Fund at a stated 2.475% interest rate. The money is slated for sanitary sewer replacements (Harbor, 16th, and Emmet), lead service sanitary laterals, and cured-in-place lining in various locations. This is a major infrastructure financing decision that will be paid back from sewer system revenues, so residents should expect it to connect back to utility finances over time.
26-014 Ordinance Adopting a Property Assessment Policy for the City of Two Rivers and Adding Chapter 2-7-16 to the City Code
Passed 8-0
After a property assessment overview presentation, council adopted a new assessment policy and wrote it into the city code. The ordinance frames this as a push for regular, fair, and transparent assessments, including standards for selecting and monitoring the assessor and describing appeal protections. Given how assessments affect tax bills, putting this into code raises the stakes: residents should expect the city to follow through with the schedule and oversight it just promised.
26-016 Public Hearing for a Request to Rezone, from IPF to R-3, Located at 3204 Lincoln Ave, and Parcel No. 053-162-301075.00 (newly created Lots 2 & 3), Submitted by Applicant and Owner Renew Church Inc.
Passed 8-0
Council approved a rezoning request tied to Renew Church’s recent land division, changing two newly created lots to Residential R-3 while keeping the larger lot as IPF. The stated reason is to fix a zoning nonconformity created when housing and an institutional building ended up on the same lot. This is a technical cleanup with real land-use consequences (what can be built/used on those lots), and it moved forward with no public testimony at the hearing.
Public Input: Three calls were made for public input; no one spoke.
26-017 Public Hearing for an Ordinance to Amend Section 10-1-15 I (3)(c) of the Municipal Code to Regulate the Height of Fences
Passed 8-0
Council changed the fence-height rule to remove wording that limited the 6-foot cap to fences “within four feet of a lot line,” replacing it with a clearer rule that rear and side-yard fences can’t exceed six feet. The city described this as a confusion fix, but code wording matters because it changes what gets enforced and what neighbors can challenge. The public hearing drew no speakers before the council voted.
Public Input: Three calls were made for public input; no one spoke.
The city attorney gave an informational presentation explaining how Wisconsin property assessments work and what role the city plays. No vote was taken on the presentation itself, but it clearly set the stage for the assessment policy ordinance that followed. For residents, this is the kind of topic where clarity matters—because confusion tends to show up later as frustration at tax time.
The city manager promoted upcoming “Hamilton visioning” kickoff meetings and encouraged residents to attend (Wednesday 5:30 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m., Koska Room). This is an early signal that redevelopment planning is moving forward, and the city is asking for input now—before options harden into a preferred plan.