August 18, 2025 · 6:00 PM
City Council
Council approved a mid-year budget change tied to inspection services, okayed a one-off facade grant payout for The Hook, and set a September public hearing for changes at St. Mark’s Square. A proposed new police union contract was not approved yet and was tabled while the union votes.
Key Decisions
Council approved a 2025 budget amendment tied to inspection services. Mid-year budget changes matter because they can signal staffing/service gaps that weren’t solved during the normal budget process.
Council approved paying $23,556 to The Hook Lanes & Games through the facade program by granting a variance to the program’s guidelines. When the city starts making exceptions to its own rules, residents should expect to see who gets flexibility and why.
Council set a public hearing for Sept. 15 on a proposed amendment to the St. Mark’s Square planned development at 1110 Victory Street. This is the public’s formal chance to weigh in before any change is approved.
Public Input
No public comments or communications recorded for this meeting.
Agenda Items
25-157 Consider Amendment to 2025 City Budget Related to Inspection Services (tabled from August 4, 2025 meeting)
Passed 9-0
Council approved a resolution changing the 2025 General Fund budget tied to inspection services. The minutes don’t spell out the dollar amount or what specifically changed (staffing, contract costs, or workload), which makes it harder for residents to judge the tradeoffs. This is the kind of mid-year fix that deserves clearer public explanation in the record.
Roll call vote 9 yes
Mark Bittner
yes
Doug Brandt
yes
Shannon Derby
yes
Darla LeClair
yes
Bill LeClair
yes
Tim Petri
yes
Bonnie Shimulunas
yes
Scott Stechmesser
yes
Adam Wachowski
yes
25-167 Facade Improvement Program Payment to The Hook Lanes & Games at 1916 Washington Street in the Amount of $23,556
Passed 9-0
Council approved a variance from the facade program guidelines and authorized a partial payout of $23,556 to The Hook Lanes & Games. The key issue isn’t the business—it’s the process: once exceptions become normal, the program can start to feel discretionary instead of rule-based. Residents should watch whether the city documents consistent standards for when it bends its own guidelines.
Roll call vote 9 yes
Mark Bittner
yes
Doug Brandt
yes
Shannon Derby
yes
Darla LeClair
yes
Bill LeClair
yes
Tim Petri
yes
Bonnie Shimulunas
yes
Scott Stechmesser
yes
Adam Wachowski
yes
25-165 Minutes from Boards and Committees with Recommendations Requiring City Council Action — Plan Commission Meeting of August 11, 2025 — Set a 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 voted to schedule a public hearing for Sept. 15, 2025 at 6:00 p.m. on a proposed amendment to the previously approved St. Mark’s Square planned development. Setting the hearing doesn’t approve the change, but it starts the formal public process for a project that can affect nearby neighbors and the city’s development pattern. Residents who care about what’s allowed on that site should plan to show up for the hearing when details are on the agenda.
Public Input: No public hearing was held at this meeting; council scheduled the public hearing for 6:00 PM on Monday, September 15, 2025.
25-166 Resolution to Change Order of Business for City Council Meetings
Passed 9-0
Council adopted a resolution changing the order of business for future council meetings. This can affect when public-facing items happen (and how easy it is for residents to follow along), but the minutes don’t include what the new order is. If the change pushes key items later in the night or buries them among routine reports, that’s a real access issue for working residents.
Roll call vote 9 yes
Mark Bittner
yes
Doug Brandt
yes
Shannon Derby
yes
Darla LeClair
yes
Bill LeClair
yes
Tim Petri
yes
Bonnie Shimulunas
yes
Scott Stechmesser
yes
Adam Wachowski
yes
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
Tabled
Council did not adopt the proposed two-year police union agreement at this meeting; the item was tabled because the union still needed to vote first. Labor contracts are major budget drivers, so residents should expect the full cost details and key terms to be clearly presented when it comes back. For now, the decision is simply delayed, not rejected.
CLOSED SESSION — Wisc. Stats 19.85(1)(e) — Discuss possible property sale
Passed 9-0
Council went into closed session to discuss a possible property sale, citing the state law exception for negotiations where bargaining reasons require privacy. The minutes do not identify the property or whether any direction was given after returning to open session, so residents are left without the basics needed to track what’s being considered. Council reconvened in open session, but no follow-up action is recorded in these minutes.