September 15, 2025 · 6:00 PM

City Council

Council approved a sewer-rate code change, a police union contract settlement, and several smaller items, while also voting to go into closed session to discuss a possible city property sale and an employee matter. A split vote on extra tree-removal funding signaled disagreement on how the city is handling forestry costs.

Key Decisions

Council voted to change the city code on sewer service charges (a direct pocketbook issue for residents), passing the ordinance 8-1.

Council approved a new 2-year settlement/collective bargaining agreement with Two Rivers Police Local 13, locking in labor terms that shape staffing costs and public safety operations.

Council amended the 2025 budget to add more money for tree removals, but it passed on a 6-3 vote—an unusually clear split for what’s framed as maintenance spending.

Public Input

No public comments or communications recorded for this meeting.

Agenda Items

25-176 Public Hearing to Amend a Previously Approved Planned Unit Development Plan for St. Mark’s Square Located at 1110 Victory Street, Submitted by Curt Gesell (Applicant and Owner)

Passed 9-0

Council held the required public hearing and then approved changes to the previously approved planned development plan for St. Mark’s Square. No one spoke during any of the three calls for public input, which leaves residents with little on-the-record explanation of what’s changing and why. The vote was unanimous.

Public Input: No one spoke during the first, second, or third call for public input.

📄 See in official document: Page 2

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

planned unit development pud Full history → st marks square Full history → development plan amendment Full history →

25-182 Appointment of Jennifer Watry to a three year term on the Advisory Recreation Board, expiring May 1, 2028

Passed 9-0

Council appointed Jennifer Watry to the Advisory Recreation Board through May 1, 2028. These boards shape park and recreation priorities, so appointments matter even when they’re routine. The appointment passed without opposition.

📄 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

25-183 Land Lease Agreement Between the City of Two Rivers and Randy Meyer, Town of Two Rivers

Passed 9-0

Council approved a land lease agreement with Randy Meyer and authorized the City Manager and City Clerk to sign. The minutes do not describe the land, the lease terms, or what the city is getting in return, which makes it hard for residents to judge whether the deal is a good one. The vote was unanimous.

📄 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

harbor Full history →

25-184 Resolution Authorizing the Submission of an Application for a 2026 Wisconsin DNR Urban Forestry Grant

Passed 9-0

Council authorized staff to apply for a 2026 DNR urban forestry grant. Grant applications can bring outside money into city projects, but they can also commit the city to match requirements or follow-on costs later—details that aren’t spelled out in these minutes. The resolution passed unanimously.

📄 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

urban forestry Full history → wisconsin dnr grant Full history →

25-185 Resolution Amending 2025 Budgets for Urban Forestry and Community Development to Provide Additional Funding for Tree Removals

Passed 6-3

Council voted to add more 2025 budget money for tree removals, shifting funds within urban forestry and community development. It passed 6-3, with three councilmembers voting no—worth noting because it suggests real disagreement about either the cost, the approach, or how the city is prioritizing removals. Residents who care about neighborhood tree loss and street impacts should track how removals are being selected and communicated.

📄 See in official document: Page 3

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

urban forestry Full history → community development authority Full history → budget amendment Full history → tree removals Full history →

25-186 Consider Proposed Parking Restriction: Create a 15-Minute Loading Zone between the two driveways servicing 1900 School Street (K&L Enterprises)

Passed 9-0

Council replaced a “no parking” restriction with a 15-minute loading zone between two driveways at 1900 School Street. This is a small change, but it affects day-to-day traffic flow and enforcement near a business. The vote was unanimous.

📄 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

street use Full history →

25-187 Ordinance to Amend Section 5-2-5 of the Municipal Code, "Amount of Sewer Service Charges"

Passed 8-1

Council adopted an ordinance changing the city’s sewer service charge amounts. This is one of the most direct ways city decisions show up in household bills, and it passed 8-1 with one dissenting vote. The minutes don’t include the new rates or the size of the change, so residents will need the ordinance text to see the real impact.

📄 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 yes

Scott Stechmesser yes

Adam Wachowski no

sewer service charges Full history → utility rates Full history →

25-168 Resolution Adopting Proposed Settlement Agreement Between Two Rivers Police Local 13 and the City of Two Rivers--New, 2-Year Collective Bargaining Agreement

Passed 9-0

Council approved a 2-year settlement/collective bargaining agreement with the police union. Labor agreements set pay and working conditions and can shape the city’s budget for years, so this is a major policy-and-cost decision even when it’s presented as a settlement. 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

city budget Full history → police union contract Full history →

CLOSED SESSION — per Wisc. Stats 19.85(1)(e) — Discuss possible sale of City owned property — Consideration of employment, promotion, pay, or performance of a public employee

Passed 9-0

Council voted to go into closed session to discuss a possible sale of city-owned property and an employee employment/performance matter, citing Wisconsin’s closed-session law. The minutes do not identify the property or the employee, which limits public visibility into decisions that can have real financial and community impacts. Council later reconvened in open session, but no follow-up action is recorded in these minutes.

📄 See in official document: Page 5

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