Civic Issues
Topics getting the most attention in Lake Geneva public meetings, ranked by how frequently they are discussed.
50 issues
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.
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.
Flock License Plate Reader Contract Renewals
Resident Bill Landry asked the council to debate the Flock license plate reader contracts before the budget hearing, since the 2027 budget line covers about $27,000 in renewals that happen automatically unless the city gives notice.
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.
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.
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.
Future Public Safety Facility and Edwards Boulevard Land Purchase
The city wants to buy this parcel near Highway 120 for a future police and fire station. Neighbors worry about noise, traffic and property taxes; officials say it was the best of 22 studied sites for response times to the growing south and east sides.
Cemetery fee schedule updates
Proposed updates to the cemetery's fee schedule were on the agenda — these cover what residents pay for graves, niches, burials, and foundations. No outcome is known.
YMCA Funding Dispute and Process Breakdown
The council debated whether to formally explore sharing facilities with the YMCA and schools — including possibly a Veterans Park swap for the Y's Wells Street site. Critics said the Y is mid-land-negotiation on Edwards Boulevard, surveys aren't done, and no one had consulted the Y. The proposal failed 3-5.
Water & Sewer Rate Study
The utility hasn't raised rates in years and is debt-free, but with ~$3.5 million in capital coming, Ehlers will study long-range cash flow and whether rate increases are needed.
Sewer extension request for 829 Sage Street
A property owner asked about extending sewer to a vacant platted lot on Sage Street, but declined to proceed after seeing the cost. No action needed; the parcel remains without sewer service.
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.
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.
Otty's and Mashtun Brewing building at 140 Broad St
Ellen McGarry urged the council to defer the 140 Broad Street project, citing liquor-license questions about who actually operates MashTon Brewing and concerns about 80 patrons, late hours and a zero-foot setback. The attorney said licensing wasn't before the council; the GDP still passed.
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.
Vacating the hard-to-maintain alley off George Street
The city is starting the process to abandon a paved alley off George Street — it now goes to the Plan Commission, with a public hearing November 9.
Billiard parlor expansion at 772 W Main Street
A popular downtown billiard parlor wants to expand into adjacent space by combining three suites. The commission heard no opposition and recommended approval of the conditional use permit.
Public Works Mechanic Position
Council approved a mechanic job description Monday, but there's no money in the 2027 budget for the position. There's also talk of moving trail maintenance from streets to parks.
Hillmoor consultant funding increase
Staff recommends raising the Hillmoor consultant from $36,000 to $48,000 (a 25% increase). Ald. Hoiland questioned whether the consultant is still needed now that the city has a parks director, but Stoodley and Yager defended the consultant's work on zones two through five.
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.
Declining resident beach attendance
Resident beach visits have dropped from nearly 13,000 five years ago to about 9,000 this year — a factor behind proposals like the water obstacle course to give locals more to do at the beach.
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.
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.
Preliminary 2026 Sidewalk Assessments
Property owners along Cook Street and Wrigley Drive will pay for sidewalk replacement tied to the 2026 street project — some just $15.40, the Methodist Church over $5,000. Owners can pay over ten years, but one business owner complained about late notice and asked for the old 50/50 cost-share program back.
Fence CUP Denial at 533 Spring Street
A Spring Street homeowner wanted to keep a 4-foot solid fence on her corner lot after a dog-bite incident, but the code allows only a 3-foot open fence in street yards. The commission worried that approving exceptions would open the floodgates for taller privacy fences across residential districts.
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.
Government transparency — livestreaming committee meetings
The council unanimously agreed to have the city attorney draft rules requiring every standing committee meeting to be livestreamed and recorded — closing the gap that left the personnel committee unrecorded.
E-bike rules update
An alder asked how to get the city's e-bike policies reviewed; staff said an ordinance draft is already in the works with police input and it's a council matter, not a police and fire commission one.
Alder agenda item request process
A proposed ordinance change would let any two alders place agenda items directly on any committee, commission, board, or council agenda — bypassing committee chairs. The city attorney will draft language.
K-9 Unit program costs and letter of understanding
The council locked in the employment terms for the police K-9 program, but not before a debate about how the costs have rolled out — $62,900 for the dogs, then equipment, then vehicle outfitting. The vehicles were already budgeted; only the dog cages were extra.
2027-2031 Street and Infrastructure Funding
The city can't afford the full $5 million a year its road report says it needs, so staff proposed doubling historical road spending to $2 million a year while keeping up maintenance like seal coating. The committee split 2-2 on whether to endorse it, leaving the hard call to the council.
Hwy H construction update
The Sheridan Springs/CTH H utility project is wrapping up, with concrete and paving this week and a final $238,940 progress payment approved. County and city contractors handle different pieces of the concrete work, which has caused some confusion about who to call.
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.
Draft crosswalks, curb ramps, and sidewalks policy
A new policy passed 5-3, but Fesenmaier argued it fails to require perpendicular curb ramps that make crossings safer and shorter for wheelchair users.
Water Safety Patrol contract
The city sent Geneva Lake Law Enforcement Agency a demand letter for its $59,643.20 share of assets after ending the contract, but GLLEA hasn't responded yet.
Free Wednesday parking for sticker holders
Ordinance 26-07 now lets parking-sticker holders park free all day Wednesdays downtown, aiming to draw locals to shops and events in the off-season.
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.
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.
Mill Pond Retaining Wall and Dam Maintenance
The Wisconsin Historical Society flagged the old Haskins Street dam as a sensitive historic site, so the planned permanent path will shift at least 20 feet away. The DNR archaeologist still needs to sign off.
City Equipment Storage Shortage
Equipment is stashed all over town — at the utility commission, outside in the weather — and a $1.2 million expansion of the DPW shed is proposed, with about 40% payable from impact fees.
2027 Capital Budget and Potential $23 Million Bond
First look at next year's capital spending — Highway 50 alone is pegged at roughly $2.5 million for water and $1-1.25 million for wastewater. Refinement and funding decisions continue next month.
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.
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.
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.
Vets Park Ballfield Lighting
A $300,000 LED lighting upgrade with automatic shutoffs for four ballfields would end the 3 a.m. lights-left-on complaints and cut electric bills. Sponsorships and the new parks foundation could help pay for it.