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2026-10-20 - Common Council

Summary

Built from the approved official minutes and the posted agenda. No video is posted, so there is no transcript or timing. The minutes record actions and votes, not debate.

  • Hybrid regular meeting at 6:30 PM; all 21 members present, no absences; speaking limit 3 minutes per item.
  • Honoring resolutions adopted for Transgender Day of Remembrance (November 20) and Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
  • Recess for public comment, then reconvened with all 21 present; the public hearing on the 2027 Executive Operating Budget was held with no vote recorded.
  • Fifteen Planned Development rezonings adopted unanimously; one (District 11) re-referred.
  • Interim Independent Police Monitor termination: the question was called 18 to 2, then adopted 14 to 6.
  • Police drone as first responder grant ($200,000) adopted unanimously.
  • Robertson Road property purchase ($2,265,000) re-referred; public comment to be heard 2026-11-24.
  • Near West Area Plan and North Area Plan adopted unanimously.
  • Adjourned (no time recorded).

2027 Executive Operating Budget

  • Public hearing held after the recess for public comment; no action recorded.
  • President Madison's meeting-format schedule through March 30, 2027 was accepted, with November 10 to 12 reserved for budget meetings (hybrid) and November 24 virtual.

Planned Development Rezonings

  • Sixteen ordinances (files 94538 to 94553) converting Planned Development parcels to standard districts, sponsored by Mayor Rhodes-Conway with Field, Lieberman, Figueroa Cole, Ochowicz, O'Brien and Madison (plus Pritchett on the District 9 ordinance).
  • Fifteen adopted unanimously; file 94544 (District 11, proposed TR-C1) re-referred.
  • Recommendations were made from the floor after the Plan Commission met October 19.
  • Two further Planning Division PD rezonings also adopted unanimously: 6302 Driscoll Drive (District 3, amended PD) and 279 Junction Road (District 9, to Suburban Employment).

Sheboygan Avenue Planned Development

  • Ordinance 94811 for 5025 Sheboygan Avenue (District 11, amended PD with Specific Implementation Plan) adopted unanimously.
  • Ordinance 95208 and the certified survey map 95150 for 4702 Sheboygan Avenue introduced and referred.

State Street Planned Development Rezoning

  • Ordinance 94812 (122 State Street, District 4) and the related certified survey map 94527 were both re-referred.

Westfield Road Mixed-Use Development

  • Rezoning 94813 (301 South Westfield Road, Suburban Employment to Commercial Corridor-Transitional) and certified survey map 94528 adopted unanimously.

Independent Police Monitor Termination

  • File 95140 to terminate the Interim Independent Police Monitor effective immediately, sponsored by Ochowicz, Madison, Figueroa Cole, Evers, Vidaver, Field, Pritchett, Lankella and O'Brien.
  • Immediately before it, a motion to recess until the call of the chair failed 4 to 16 (ayes: Ochowicz, Pritchett, Figueroa Cole, Evers).
  • Call the question carried 18 to 2; noes were Mayer and Pritchett.
  • Adopted 14 to 6. Noes: Nzegwu, Mayer, Zhang, Matthews, Glenn and Harrington-McKinney. Mayor Rhodes-Conway is listed as non-voting.
  • Introduced by title only and referred: file 95306 (ad hoc committee of alders and Police Civilian Oversight Board members, Matthews and Mayer; to a future meeting to adopt) and file 95324 (contract with Alma Advisory Group to help the oversight board hire a permanent monitor, Matthews).

Police Drone First Responder Program

  • File 94908: amend the 2026 Police Department budget and apply for and accept a $200,000 federal COPS microgrant to pilot a drone as first responder program. Adopted unanimously on the Finance Committee report; sponsors Lankella, Guequierre, Figueroa Cole, Verveer and Field.

Tree Purchasing Contracts

  • File 94874 (substitute, sponsor Verveer): agreements with McKay Nursery and Johnson Nursery to purchase trees until January 1, 2037, adopted unanimously.
  • File 94882 (sponsor Mayor Rhodes-Conway): noncompetitive purchase of more than $50,000 from SiteOne Landscape Supply for emerald ash borer mitigation, 2027 through 2031, adopted unanimously.

South Point Public Works Facility

  • File 95080 (amendment to the Sketchworks Architecture design contract) and file 95081 (capital budget amendment and award of Public Works Contract No. 9782) both adopted unanimously; sponsors Nzegwu, Mayor Rhodes-Conway, Lankella and Guequierre.

Robertson Road Property Acquisition

  • File 95138: purchase and sale agreement with TDC 4484 RR LLC for 4484 Robertson Road for $2,265,000 (Field and Mayor Rhodes-Conway). Re-referred; the agenda note says public comment will be heard when it returns on November 24.

Town of Burke Detachment

  • Petition 95256 (received October 13) seeking detachment to the Town of Burke referred to a future meeting to accept.
  • File 95248, a Detachment Attachment Agreement with the Town of Burke covering three Felland Road parcels (Field), introduced and referred.

Near West Area Plan

  • File 94777 authorizing the Planning Division to lead the plan and adopting a public participation plan adopted unanimously; sponsors Vidaver, Zhang, Figueroa Cole, Tishler and Evers.

North Area Plan

  • File 94799 adopted unanimously; sponsors Glenn and Matthews.

Other business

  • Resident committee appointments confirmed (file 95076); a further slate (95251) referred to November 24.
  • Board of Public Works items adopted unanimously, including a state agreement for the W Beltline Path, Cypress Spray Park Redevelopment (Contract No. 9818), Castle Creek Channel Improvements at Warner Park, and two 2027 assessment districts.
  • Finance Committee items adopted unanimously, including a land use restriction agreement with The Standard At Madison (W Gilman Street), purchase of 1313 Northport Drive from J. W. Jung Seed Co., the 2027 Central Business Improvement District operating plan, an $80,000 child care facilities loan, and the Parking Division Director reclassification (substitute adopted).
  • Ordinance 94953 renaming the Human Resources Director to Director of Human Resources adopted unanimously.
  • Five risk manager claims disallowed, including one for $250,000.
  • Referred without debate: rezonings for 3135 Meier Road, 3202 Dairy Drive, South Whitney Way and Gilbert Road, and McKee Road; Public Health lease items; Motorola radio purchases; a Sewer System Revenue Bond authorization of up to $17,960,000; and several grant and survey map items.

Agenda

Public hearing on the 2027 Executive Operating Budget, multiple zoning map amendments from PD district, resident committee appointments, and public works contracts.

Sources