Civic Issues
Topics getting the most attention in Lake Geneva public meetings, ranked by how frequently they are discussed.
50 issues with high priority
Changing City Attorney from elected to appointed position
The city is considering asking voters to make the city attorney an appointed job instead of an elected one. Draper says qualified candidates are scarce and he won't run again in 2028; critics say voters already settled this in a 2007 referendum and worry an appointed attorney would answer to the council instead of residents. A decision would need to reach the county clerk by late January to make the April ballot.
Cemetery Stewardship Fund creation
Cemetery fees are going up — plots here cost hundreds while Chicago-area cemeteries charge tens of thousands. A cemetery stewardship fund (a more flexible perpetual care fund) goes to the cemetery board October 26.
Storm Damage and Veterans Park Playground
Members discussed making Veterans Park — a tournament destination — more inviting and better known, including possibly letting the city take a bigger role in field scheduling and pairing improvements with concessions.
2027 Budgets and Capital Improvement Planning
The city's annual budget process has begun, which ultimately shapes property taxes and city services, including library funding.
Peller Property Land Use Map Amendment
The Peller family wants the city's future land use map changed so their Peller Road property — just outside city limits in the Town of Lyons — could someday become a mixed-use development. Town residents showed up worried about the change; the applicant's attorney says the tax impact on the town would be tiny. No final decision yet; a joint hearing with the Council is set for December 7.
Child Safety Zones Ordinance Update
The council is rewriting where registered offenders can live, weighing buffer distances (500, 750, 1,000 feet) against how much housing stays available — ranging from 33% to 78%. A decision is due October 26.
Hillmoor property future use
Friends of Hillmoor are advancing native gardens, a solar-powered roll-top observatory with the high school and GLAS, a solar restroom, and disc golf relocation planning.
East Side Sanitary Sewer Interceptor Upsizing
Growth from Symphony Bay and planned commercial and residential development along the East Side Interceptor corridor has the sewer near capacity. A $248,000 design contract kicks off an eventual roughly $5 million upsizing project funded largely by impact fees.
Highway 50 project
Administrator De Angelis reported Highway H phase 3 is pouring curb on George Street but slipped 30 days due to a utility conflict at the Swan Creek entrance; Highway 50 land acquisition is nearing completion.
Broad Street and Highway 120 construction
The approved plat identifies every property needing easements or purchase for the Highway 120 road project, letting acquisition work begin.
Highway 50 construction update
Administrator De Angelis reported Highway H phase 3 is pouring curb on George Street but slipped 30 days due to a utility conflict at the Swan Creek entrance; Highway 50 land acquisition is nearing completion.
Amendments to Chapter 90 (Waterways) Municipal Code
A complete overhaul of the rules governing city slips, buoys and kayak racks — new waitlist structure, resident eligibility standards, annual recertification, spouse-only transfers, and a boat lift requirement starting 2030. Waitlist folks will need to recertify every year by February 1 starting in 2028 or lose their spot.
Future lakefront Capital Improvement Projects
The committee was to review the 2027 CIP list for lakefront projects, including one proposed new item. The city's CIP is now a five-year plan rather than three years.
State Highway 50 Connecting Highway Rescission
The state wants to take back a half-mile of Highway 50 and run the USH 12 ramp signals itself. The city loses a little connecting highway aid but saves far more on signal maintenance and accident response — staff called it clearly a win.
Adoption of the city's first Strategic Action Plan
The city's first-ever five-year Strategic Action Plan is now official. It focuses on managing residential growth, balancing tourism with livability, protecting natural assets, and building a year-round community — priorities drawn from 500+ survey responses and community sessions.
Pedestrian safety on Main Street
After a second pedestrian was struck on Main Street near the bottle shop, downtown businesses are asking for bigger, brighter flashing crossing lights — the current ones don't show up well in daytime.
July 3 storm rescue honored by proclamation
75% of utility sites lost power during the July 3 storm and staff ran emergency operations at the Bigfoot lift station. The utility is reviewing lessons learned and may propose equipment purchases in the 2027 budget.
Public restroom availability and hours
Alderpersons pressed again for restrooms to be open year-round, pointing to a 2020 Riviera renovation promise that the new bathrooms would stay unlocked 365 days a year. The mayor cited vandalism and misuse as complications but agreed there's a shortage, and programmable door locks (~$1,000/door) are being explored.
Highway 50 Construction Revenue Risk
The state is rebuilding Highway 50, and the city pays a proportional share. The updated agreements raised the city's cost to $1.18 million after adding the Hillmoor path, an extra flashing beacon, and colored signal poles. Taxpayers will cover it through future borrowing.
Library West End ADA Accessibility
The library's West End — a 1970s split-level staircase addition — isn't ADA accessible. Fixing it in the city's first local landmark building is estimated at just over $2 million.
30-Year Road Maintenance Cycle
The Public Works Committee wants to move to a 30-year road reconstruction cycle, which would take annual road spending from about $1 million to $8-9 million — nearly half of the entire $23 million bond request. Council and the Public Works Committee must decide whether to ramp up gradually.
Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation and Lakefront Plan
Members flagged small neighborhood pocket parks that are underused and unknown, playgrounds lacking safety surfacing, dangerous trail gaps, and no citywide trail map as early priorities.
West End Pier slip waitlist overhaul
The city wants to redo the West End Pier waitlist so it's more transparent and easier to understand. Any actual changes to the governing ordinance, Section 90-199, would come at a later meeting.
Lead service line replacements doubled to 30 lines
Sixteen properties with lead or galvanized services will get the utility side replaced, with bidding authorized and awards expected in August. Homeowners are being worked with on replacing their side too.
Verizon tower lease renewal terms
Verizon wants 20 more years on the Host Drive tower lease: a 5% rent bump in year one, then 4% a year. The antennas cost the utility nothing to host, so it's nearly pure revenue — the commission took the deal, pending final legal language.
Backup power for water system after storm vulnerability
After July's storm knocked out power, the utility is designing backup generators for the water treatment plant plus standby power reviews at two wellhouses, a boost station, and lift stations — keeping water flowing during outages.
2026 Lead Service Line Replacement Project
The utility is doubling its lead pipe replacement project to about 30 lines, with options for homeowners to replace their private side at the same time. Bidding is targeted for early 2027.
2027 Hillmoor operating and capital budgets
The Commission has to decide which Hillmoor projects to recommend for the city's next three-year bond: the south loop trail, dog park relocation, ecological restoration of the oak forest, river access, and possibly a splash pad. Final choices come September 10.
Symphony Bay path surface and erosion concerns
The city can now build the Symphony Bay Phases 5 and 7 paths in crushed gravel instead of mulch — easier to maintain — and committed not to plow it in winter. Nearby residents raised erosion and property-line concerns.
Horticultural Hall Liquor License
Lake City Social needed council sign-off to serve alcohol outside its normal licensed area during its 5th annual car show fundraiser for Curing Kids Cancer. The request slipped through the usual spring renewal paperwork this year, so it came before the council days before Sunday's event.
Highway 50 Construction and Right-of-Way Purchases
The approved plat identifies every property needing easements or purchase for the Highway 120 road project, letting acquisition work begin.
Highway 50 utility adjustments and hydrant relocation
The city agreed to forgo reimbursement for utility easement areas in the Highway 50 project in exchange for a relinquished easement that becomes full right-of-way for city utility use.
Tourism Grant Guide parameters
An 8% tax paid by visitors funds tourism promotion (70% by state law) while 30% — about $741,000 in 2025 — goes to the city's general fund. Understanding the split matters as the council debates tourism grants and big projects like YMCA field turf.
ADA beach access with Mobi mats
Ideas included a safer beach entrance, shade, outdoor showers, more restrooms, and keeping the resident rate structure; the member rate debate touched on resident vs. non-resident fees.
Tourism promotional grant awards
Ald. Fesenmaier asked whether the city could plan a multi-year tourism-grant approach to astroturfing Vets Park fields that host weekend tournaments; the presenter noted repairs to municipal property typically fall to general funds.
July 3rd storm cleanup
Cleanup is nearly done: two full passes of brush pickup are complete, curb pickup ends August 1, and the city's disaster relief claim stands at about $104,000. Around 40 heavily damaged properties may qualify for low-interest SBA loans.
Rapid flashing beacons and crosswalk safety
A long-awaited $13,600 rapid flashing beacon is finally coming to the Badger High School crosswalk, installed this summer, with the school district paying half.
Simple Food Group concept plan
An 11-acre mixed-use campus with a bakery, coffee shop, market, event center, teaching labs and underground parking. It's the biggest project of the night and could become a major destination — plus a trailhead connection to Hillmore Park.
Chloride levels in treated wastewater
The wastewater plant missed its chloride limits again, earning a 'D' in the groundwater section of the annual report — though total salt loading is actually down. A new resolution pushes a chloride reduction plan forward, including a possible rebate program for high-efficiency water softeners, which has been talked about since 2025 but not yet started.
Traffic safety at the Scotney supper club site
Neighbors pushed for access via the Mobile station's stoplight instead of the approved Sage Street access; three traffic engineers and the county backed the applicant's plan, and the CUP passed 5-3.
Municipal Disaster Declaration continuation
The city is still operating under the emergency declaration issued July 3, 2026, which keeps emergency powers and response authority in place. The council ratified past actions and told staff to pursue county and state help.
HWY 50 Reconstruction Communications
The council hired G. Moxie to coordinate all messaging during the multi-year Highway 50 rebuild, which will bring closures, detours and lost parking through 2028. Debate centered on whether taxpayers or tourism/state partners should fund it.
Heavy plow and bucket truck replacement timing
Emissions-related engine changes could make next year's bucket truck and heavy plow 16–35% more expensive. Pre-ordering this year could save $35,000–$50,000 on one plow, and the full purchase request comes in June.
Leftover 2026 bond funds for capital projects
About $645,000 in leftover bond money must be spent by year-end. Staff proposes a second columbarium, a police K9, an ADA fire safety trailer, security cameras, and a parks utility vehicle, with decisions due at the next meeting.
Swan Creek Supper Club project
A 300-seat supper club at Center Street and Interchange North won unanimous recommendation, but neighbors packed the hearing over traffic, parking, noise and light. The main entrance needs county approval and the emergency access off Center Street needs Town of Geneva sign-off.
WISDOT Hwy 50 project cost-share agreement
The updated state agreement folds the city's utility work into the Highway 50 rebuild, with the city's construction share estimated at $3.15 million. Bidding starts November 2026, construction in early 2027.
Trolley program purchase and operation
The mayor is exploring buying two locally available trolleys for road reconstruction shuttles; a business model and budget outlook comes to Committee of the Whole next month.
Swan Creek Development road improvements
A proposed supper club on five wooded acres near Interchange North and Center Street has Stone Ridge neighbors worried about traffic safety at Center Street, while supporters say the Sage Street access with dedicated turn lanes is the only safe, legal option. The council continued the CUP to June 22 pending final documents.
Trolley system for Highway 50 construction parking
The council picked Dousman Transport to run shuttle service during the 2027-2028 Highway 50 reconstruction, after rejecting a late amendment for Lake Geneva Transit. Staff will now work out funding — relying mostly on Central Denison parking revenue — and negotiate a contract.
Indoor entertainment facility at Interchange North
A proposal by David Scotney for an indoor entertainment facility/restaurant at Interchange North and Center Street drew ten public speakers. The council put the decision off to June 22 to get complete zoning documents and roadway change details.