Dan Bishop

The Village Board meeting addressed several significant items. Key discussions centered on the public hearing for the Proposed 2026 Village Budget, culminating in the approval of Resolution No. 25-17 adopting the 2026 Annual Budget and establishing the 2025 property tax levy. New Business included approving resolutions authorizing the issuance of General Obligation Promissory Notes and Taxable Note Anticipation Notes, as well as considering a loan agreement with Cobalt Partners. The Board also considered and approved several resolutions establishing service charges and rates for recycling, yard waste, stormwater, and sanitary sewer collection for 2026, in addition to establishing assessments for various street lighting systems. Other actions involved approving the 2026-2027 Election Inspectors and the 2026 Salary Wage Plan, which included a requested pay grade increase for the Finance Director based on a recent market study. The Board also approved an ordinance allowing vehicle impoundment for reckless driving and an ordinance restricting overnight semi-truck parking on N. Park Plaza Court.

The Village Board meeting agenda included several key items. The consent agenda covered the consideration of the December 15, 2025, minutes, acceptance of November and December 2025 voucher statements, consideration of an appointment for Christopher Hauer to the North Shore Dementia Consortium, and consideration of the contract award for the N. 51st Street Bridge Replacement (WisDOT Project ID No. 2020-00-01). New business focused on a request to make a parcel at the Brown Deer -- Green Bay intersection a nature preserve, discussion on the potential sale of the original Beer Garden building and the associated Engineering and Design Services RFP for Community Square Park, and consideration of funding agreements with MMSD for the Private Property Inflow/Infiltration (PPI/I) Project, including a professional services agreement with Clark-Dietz, Inc. for design work.

The Plan Commission meeting scheduled for November 10, 2025, included several business items for review and recommendation. Key discussions involved a public hearing, review, and recommendation for a Conditional Use Permit application by McKenna Real Estate for contractor offices and shops at 7600 N. Teutonia Ave., noting that the Board of Appeals had previously granted a variance for this property. Other items included the review and recommendation on a Certified Survey Map concerning Milwaukee County right of way in the 8100 block of N. Teutonia Avenue, which consolidates excess right of way for future redevelopment. Additionally, the Commission was set to review and recommend making existing conditional use permits permanent for Urban Beets and Café Corazon. The agenda also listed consideration of minutes from the June 9, 2025 meeting.

The document pertains to two meetings: one scheduled for December 8, 2025, and the minutes of the November 10, 2025 meeting. Key discussions and actions from the November meeting included reporting on development progress at several sites, approving the conditional use permit for contractor offices and shops at 7600 N. Teutonia Ave., approving a Certified Survey Map related to right-of-way dedication on N. Teutonia Avenue, and making conditional use permits permanent for Urban Beets and Café Corazon, including the removal of a garage requirement for Café Corazon's food truck. The December meeting agenda included review of a Certified Survey Map at Community Square Park related to the sale of the former Brown Deer Beer Garden building to a new operator, Camp Bar.

The meeting commenced with a discussion about rearranging the agenda to address items B and C under new business prior to the public hearing. The consent agenda included approval of the minutes from the November 17, 2025 meeting, approval of the 2026 holiday schedule, approval of the 2026 board meeting schedule, approval for the appointment of 2026-2027 election inspectors, and approval of the 2026 salary wage plan. Key new business involved authorizing the issuance of general obligation promissory notes (up to $3 million) and taxable note anticipation notes (up to $3 million) to finance the acquisition of approximately 16 acres of undeveloped land west of the Badger Meter property for a potential recreation center development by Cobalt Partners. The board also considered the associated loan agreement with Cobalt Partners, which includes a provision that the village acquires the property in case of default. Discussions clarified that the projected cost for the recreation center could range from $70 million to $110 million, requiring significant capital raising efforts, potentially involving philanthropic efforts and other borrowings. The alternative development path, involving housing and commercial use (potentially a car wash at one corner), was also mentioned as a secondary option if the recreation center funding proves challenging. The overall timeline for construction start, if all proceeds, was estimated for Spring 2027.