November 3, 2025 · 6:00 PM

City Council

Council approved a new capital borrowing policy and a “responsible debt” resolution, but not without visible splits. It also changed how public hearings get scheduled and heard a resident’s complaint about the city’s shortened public notice rule.

Key Decisions

Council adopted a new capital borrowing policy, but it passed 6-3—an unusually clear sign the council isn’t aligned on how tightly to limit (or justify) future borrowing.

Council changed the rules so the City Clerk can set public hearing dates and future hearing notices will be placed under “Information Only,” a process change that could make big decisions easier to miss if residents aren’t watching closely.

Council approved a 15-year lease for the Blue Diamond at Vietnam Veterans Memorial Park with Two Rivers Youth Sports, setting long-term terms for access, scheduling, and upkeep of a major public facility.

Public Input · 3 speakers

Susan Robitaille

Spoke against the city’s change to a 24-hour public notice rule and asked who requested the change.

Councilmember Shimulunas (relayed) relayed constituent feedback

Relayed a resident letter about safety concerns at the McDonald’s intersection (Washington Street and Lake Street).

Councilmember Wachowski (relayed) relayed constituent feedback

Relayed a letter from a group of residents concerned that some local Facebook pages are intimidating residents and putting the community in a negative light.

Agenda Items

25-211 Public Hearing on Request for a Conditional Use Permit for Lakeshore Humane Society located at Columbus Street, Parcel No. 053-211-102-001.09, in the Industrial District (I-2), submitted by ACE Building Service Inc (applicant) and Lakeshore Human Society (owner).

Passed 9-0

Council approved the conditional use permit for the Lakeshore Humane Society site in the industrial district. Only one resident spoke, raising concerns about barking and noise based on experience with the current location—an issue the city will likely have to manage through conditions and enforcement if complaints continue. With limited public input, the decision still carries real neighborhood quality-of-life stakes for anyone near the proposed site.

Public Input: One speaker opposed the permit due to concerns about dog barking/noise; no one spoke on the first or third call.

📄 See in official document: Page 1

Roll call vote 9 yes

Mark Bittner yes

Doug Brandt yes

Shannon Derby yes

Bill LeClair yes

Darla LeClair yes

Tim Petri yes

Bonnie Shimulunas yes

Scott Stechmesser yes

Adam Wachowski yes

conditional use permits Full history → noise regulations Full history →

Discussion on 2026 Funding Priorities and 2026 Property Tax Levy

Council discussed a proposed 2026 levy increase, with at least one member pushing to reduce the impact and others arguing inflation and service expectations are driving costs. The comments show the council is still trying to land on a shared story for residents about why taxes are rising—and whether the city is truly controlling what it can. No vote was taken here, but this is the setup for the budget choices that follow.

📄 See in official document: Page 2

25-215 Ordinance to Amend Chapters 9-2 of the Municipal Code Regulating the Volume and Intensity of Noise

Failed 3-6

Council did not adopt the proposed change that would have allowed the City Manager to grant temporary noise exemptions for up to three days. The recorded vote shows a split over whether to loosen the rules for “public-interest” events—something residents often experience as late-night disruption rather than a policy abstraction. The minutes’ wording around the motion is confusing, but the outcome is clear: the ordinance change failed.

📄 See in official document: Page 3

Roll call vote 3 yes 6 no

Mark Bittner no

Doug Brandt no

Shannon Derby no

Bill LeClair no

Darla LeClair no

Tim Petri yes

Bonnie Shimulunas yes

Scott Stechmesser no

Adam Wachowski yes

noise regulations Full history →

25-216 Ordinance to Amend Chapters 2-2-2, 2-5-14, and 10-1-41 of the Municipal Code Regulating the Scheduling of Public Hearings

Passed 9-0

Council approved a process change letting the City Clerk set public hearing dates, removing the extra step of the council formally “calling” the hearing. The bigger practical change for residents is where notices will appear: future public hearing notices will be placed in the agenda’s “Information Only” section, which can reduce visibility unless people know to look there. This is a structural transparency issue, not just a paperwork tweak.

📄 See in official document: Page 3

Roll call vote 9 yes

Mark Bittner yes

Doug Brandt yes

Shannon Derby yes

Bill LeClair yes

Darla LeClair yes

Tim Petri yes

Bonnie Shimulunas yes

Scott Stechmesser yes

Adam Wachowski yes

public hearing scheduling process Full history →

25-217 Ordinance to Amend Chapters 1-2 and 7-5 of the Municipal Code Regulating the Use of Municipal Cemeteries

Passed 9-0

Council updated cemetery rules to allow cremated pet remains to be buried in designated areas, with specific locations, requirements, and fees. This is a quality-of-life policy change that will matter to families who want pets included in memorial plans, and it also sets clearer boundaries so the city can manage the practice consistently. The vote was unanimous.

📄 See in official document: Page 4

Roll call vote 9 yes

Mark Bittner yes

Doug Brandt yes

Shannon Derby yes

Bill LeClair yes

Darla LeClair yes

Tim Petri yes

Bonnie Shimulunas yes

Scott Stechmesser yes

Adam Wachowski yes

pet cremains burial in city cemeteries Full history →

25-218 Rescinding the City Council’s Previous Approval to Participate in the Wisconsin Public Employers Group Health Insurance Program, thereby withdrawing the City’s authorization to opt into said program

Passed 8-0

Council reversed its earlier decision to join the Wisconsin Public Employers Group Health Insurance Program, citing financial and administrative impacts. This kind of quick policy reversal raises basic process questions: what changed between the September approval and this November rescission, and why wasn’t that clearer before the first vote. One member abstained.

📄 See in official document: Page 4

Roll call vote 8 yes

Mark Bittner yes

Doug Brandt yes

Shannon Derby abstain

Bill LeClair yes

Darla LeClair yes

Tim Petri yes

Bonnie Shimulunas yes

Scott Stechmesser yes

Adam Wachowski yes

25-219 Proposal to Extend Deadline for Completion of Work at The Hook Lanes and Games to Satisfy Facade Grant

Passed 9-0

Council granted another extension—this time to Nov. 14—for exterior work tied to a facade grant at The Hook Lanes and Games. The city described it as coordination around roofing and siding work, but repeated deadline extensions are a reminder that grant programs only work as well as the city’s willingness to enforce their terms. Council called it a “final extension.”

📄 See in official document: Page 4

Roll call vote 9 yes

Mark Bittner yes

Doug Brandt yes

Shannon Derby yes

Bill LeClair yes

Darla LeClair yes

Tim Petri yes

Bonnie Shimulunas yes

Scott Stechmesser yes

Adam Wachowski yes

economic development Full history → facade grant Full history → facade grant deadline extensions Full history →

25-220 Resolution Reaffirming the City's Commitment to Financial Sustainability and Responsible Debt Management

Passed 8-1

Council adopted a resolution restating its intent to keep general obligation debt at or below 60% of the state limit. Resolutions like this don’t, by themselves, stop future borrowing—but they do set the political framing the city will use when it asks residents to accept more debt. One councilmember voted no.

📄 See in official document: Page 4

Roll call vote 8 yes 1 no

Mark Bittner yes

Doug Brandt yes

Shannon Derby yes

Bill LeClair yes

Darla LeClair yes

Tim Petri yes

Bonnie Shimulunas no

Scott Stechmesser yes

Adam Wachowski yes

financial sustainability Full history → capital borrowing policy Full history → financial sustainability and debt management policy Full history →

25-221 Ordinance to Create Chapters 2-7-16 of the Municipal Code Establishing a Policy for Responsible Capital Borrowing

Passed 6-3

Council adopted a new capital borrowing policy tying annual borrowing levels to changes in equalized property value and requiring reporting and safeguards. This is a high-stakes rule because it shapes how aggressively the city can finance big-ticket infrastructure and equipment—especially when costs rise faster than property values. It passed 6-3, and one member left the meeting immediately after this vote, underscoring the tension around debt and spending direction.

📄 See in official document: Page 5

Roll call vote 6 yes 3 no

Mark Bittner yes

Doug Brandt yes

Shannon Derby yes

Bill LeClair yes

Darla LeClair yes

Tim Petri no

Bonnie Shimulunas no

Scott Stechmesser yes

Adam Wachowski no

financial sustainability Full history → capital borrowing policy Full history →

25-222 Commercial Lease Agreement between the City of Two Rivers and Two Rivers Youth Sports for the Blue Diamond at Vietnam Veterans Memorial Park

Passed 8-0

Council approved a 15-year lease with Two Rivers Youth Sports for the Blue Diamond, setting expectations for maintenance, scheduling, and community access. Long leases can bring stability for programming, but they also lock in terms that future councils and users have to live with—so the details matter for fairness and access. The vote was unanimous among members present.

📄 See in official document: Page 5

Roll call vote 8 yes 1 absent

Mark Bittner yes

Doug Brandt yes

Shannon Derby yes

Bill LeClair yes

Darla LeClair yes

Tim Petri yes

Bonnie Shimulunas yes

Scott Stechmesser yes

Adam Wachowski absent

vietnam veterans memorial park Full history → blue diamond lease at vietnam veterans memorial park Full history →

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