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Neillsville City Council Approves Conditional Use Permit

Friday, September 16th, 2022 -- 12:00 PM

The Neillsville City Council approved a conditional use permit for a nursery and garden.

Mayor Dewey Poeschel stated that the public hearing on the Conditional Use Permit for a retail nursery and garden north of the W. Seventh and Forest Street intersection was held at the August 23rd Common Council meeting, however action was not listed on the agenda.

The Planning Commission has recommended approval, so the Council did approve the permit. The Council then motioned to move forward on the pre-work to create a Tax Incremental District based on the S.C. Swiderski development proposal.

Council Member Julie Counsell questioned if this means the City does not do any further negotiations? She stated they need to do our due diligence. Mayor Poeschel stated this lets them know they will be working with them, they will be having discussions as there are a lot of details involved.

Council Member Dan Clough stated that there is a process to go through. The Council did approve the motion. Chief of Police Jim Mankowski presented a proposal to provide limited police services to the Town of Mentor in Clark County.

The Town of Mentor had contracted with the Village of Merrillan, but when their Chief of Police retired, the contract ended. Mankowski met with Chairman Timothy Gile in mid-July to discuss the proposal.

He received a copy of the Village of Merrillan contract, which was shared with the Mayor and the City Attorney. Chief Mankowski stated the City of Neillsville would provide ten hours a month for code/ordinance enforcement.

The Clark County Sheriff's Department does not do local code enforcement. They would continue to be the contact for everything else. The proposed hourly rate covers expenses and any court time would be an additional billing.

He stated they are helping out a neighbor. If it does not work out, it can be canceled by giving a 60-day notice. The prices can be changed by notice also. Council Member Clough stated that the City will still be covered.

Chief Mankowski stated that the City of Neillsville is their primary responsibility. Council Member Counsell asked that this be included in the monthly Police Department report. The Council did approve the proposal. The Council also approved a resolution recognizing Curt Witynski and Gail Sumi for their work on the Wisconsin League of Wisconsin Municipalities.

The Council also approved a request from the Neillsville Area Chamber of Commerce to use Sniteman Town Square Park, parking lot and Gazebo and the East Library parking lot for the Autumn Harvest Fest Celebration, to hang a banner on the Gazebo announcing the event and to close Armory Avenue from Hewett Street to Court Street on October 8th and 9th.

There was discussion on problems with the Farmer’s Market vendors last year. Chief Mankowski stated he will handle it. Mayor Poeschel presented a request from the Neillsville Fire Department to close W. Eighth Street from Grand Avenue to Hewett Street and West Street from W. Eighth Street to the rear parking lot of the Brickyard Bar and Grill for their steak feed fundraiser on October 1st from approximately 2:00 P.M. to 9:00 P.M. The Council did approve the request.

Chief Mankowski reported on:

  • Trainings,
  • Officer Wheatley has completed field training and will be on patrol,
  • Paper shredders have been purchased,
  • Squad car maintenance,
  • August parking enforcement, citations, compliments, complaints, business checks and activities.

Council Member Barb Petkovsek reported on the August 22nd and September 8th meetings of the Personnel Committee regarding:

  • A closed session on Police Union contract negotiations-adjourned in closed session;
  • A closed session on Police Union contract negotiations and non-union employees-adjourned in closed session.

Council Member Joe Neville reported on the August 25th meeting of the Heritage Days Committee regarding:

  • Discussion on the 2022 event,
  • Setting the 2023 event date as July 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th, 2023,
  • And work on and referral of the 2023 Heritage Days budget to the Finance Committee.

Mayor Poeschel reported on the August 30th meeting of the Commission on Economic Development regarding:

  • Discussion on and motion to move forward on the pre-work to create a TIF district based on the Swiderski proposal,
  • And work on and referral of the 2023 Economic Development budget to the Finance Committee.

Council Member Clough reported on the September 13th meeting of the Commission on Public Works/Utilities regarding recent activities. During the public appearance portion of the meeting, a resident asked what the difference was between the Lisenby and Swiderski projects.

Mayor Poeschel replied the Lisenby project would be more for the younger people, where as the Swiderski project would lean more to the fifty-five and over group. The resident stated that the people in the community are looking to own, but don’t want to deal with the maintenance.

They want side-by-side condos. When the Hospital was built, they sent out a survey asking what type of housing the community wanted and the majority wanted owner occupied housing.

Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.