Neillsville City Council Approves Bike Rack Donation and More at Recent Meeting
Friday, October 16th, 2026 -- 12:00 PM
The Neillsville City Council approved the donation of a bike rack at their meeting on Tuesday.
According to the unofficial minutes from the meeting, Clerk Debbie Winder stated that Judy Zickert was at the meeting on behalf of Neillsville Improvement Corporation (NIC) to donate a bicycle rack that was donated from another individual.
The proposed location for it is in the lower Downtown parking lot across from JJ’s Drippy Creek at the corner of W. Sixth Street and West Street; this way it will be out of the way for plowing. Chief of Police James Mankowski asked how it is to be mounted? Clerk Winder stated that Director Luke Friemoth plans to bolt it to the asphalt.
The Council also accepted the recommendation of the Board of Cemetery Commissioners to authorize the installation of the concrete base and pathways for the Columbarium now with the cost not to exceed $6,000 and the crane to be used in the Spring.
The Council also accepted the recommendation of the Board of Cemetery Commissioners to authorize a 33% down payment to start work on the Columbarium as presented. The Council also accepted the recommendation of the Board of Cemetery Commissioners to allow the transfer and reconveyance from Martha Appleyard of Grave 2, Lot 44, Division AA, E 1⁄2 , Map of 1969 to return the grave to the City of Neillsville at the original purchase price of $500.
The Council also accepted the recommendation of the Personnel Committee to transfer Ronald Stankey from the Heavy Equipment Operator/Water and Wastewater Operator-Second Utility Operator to Heavy Equipment Operator/Water and Wastewater Operator-First Utility Operator and to advertise for the Heavy Equipment Operator/Water and Wastewater Operator-Second Utility position.
Mayor Dewey Poeschel stated that they removed the second Personnel Committee item from the agenda as the Police Union Contract negotiations have not yet been finalized.
Chief of Police Mankowski reported on:
- Trainings,
- Squad car maintenance,
- Parking enforcement,
- Citations,
- Warnings,
- Office activity,
- Officer activities,
- Officer assists,
- Business patrols,
- And contract policing.
City Clerk Winder reported that the City of Neillsville website has undergone an upgrade and we are in the process of learning the new site and asks that residents bear with us but feel free to go online and check it out. Council Member Dan Clough stated that he has had several people come up to him and provide him with some feedback regarding the new site.
The Council also heard the various committee reports from the past couple of weeks. Council Member Barb Petkovsek reported on the September 22, 2026 meeting of the Grants Committee regarding:
- Updates on Ad Hoc Technology Committee meeting on September 15, 2026 with discussion held but no action taken,
- Updates on housing loan programs with Erpenbach being added to the work group,
- Resignation of Jill Neville so she can focus on her work with the School District,
- Updates on grant applications that are in progress and review of possible grant opportunities,
- And discussion of open Committee positions with names being forwarded to Erpenbach as soon as possible.
Council Member Clough reported on the September 24, 2026 meeting of the Board of Cemetery Commissioners regarding:
- Current activities,
- Receiving and approval of a bench donation request from the family of Mason Barth to place a granite bench they provide in the Cemetery,
- Updates on the Columbarium project,
- Approval of and recommendation to the Common Council to authorize a 33% down payment to start work on the Columbarium as presented,
- Approval of and recommendation to the Common Council to authorize the installation of the concrete base and pathways now with cost not to exceed $6,000 and to wait until the Spring for the crane,
- Work on and referral of the 2027 Cemetery budget to the Finance Committee,
- And approval of and recommendation to the Common Council to allow the transfer and reconveyance from Martha Appleyard of Grave 2, Lot 44, Division AA, E 1⁄2 , Map of 1969 to return the grave to the City of Neillsville at the original purchase price of $500.00.
Mayor Poeschel reported on the September 30, 2026, October 7 and 13, 2026 meetings of the Finance Committee regarding:
- Presentation of department budgets;
- Work on the 2027 budget;
- Adoption of the Wage Schedule for 2027 excluding the Police Officers,
- Recommendation of budget categories and levy amount of the 2027 budget to the Common Council for Public Hearing, Tuesday, November 10, 2026 at 7:15 P.M. Total Budget $3,946,186.
Council Member Petkovsek reported on the October 6, 2026 meeting of the Personnel Committee regarding:
- Discussion on and approval of providing Police Department Extra Help (Utility) position with retirement benefits,
- A closed session on Heavy Equipment Operator/Water and Wastewater Operator position and Union contract negotiations with the Neillsville Police Association,
- Reconvening into open session,
- The recommendation to the Common Council to transfer Ronald Stankey from Heavy Equipment Operator/Water and Wastewater Second Utility Operator position to Heavy Equipment Operator/Water and Wastewater First Utility Operator position and to advertise for the Second Operator position. Council Member Clough reported on the October 13, 2026 meeting of the Commission on Public Works/Utilities regarding current activities.
Finally, a resident stated that she wanted to make sure we understood her comments from the last Common Council meeting and that we do not cut the Police Department budget.
Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.