Common Council votes to change zoning

By Angie Landsverk

A proposal for a microbrewery on West Main Street resulted in the Weyauwega Common Council adding small batch brewing as an allowed conditional use in its General Business District.

The city’s Plan Commission discussed the idea during its Monday, Oct. 19, meeting and recommended the change to the common council.

City Administrator Patrick Wetzel told the commission a “rough proposal is on the table” for a small microbrewery with a sampling room at 215 W. Main St.

The meeting of the common council took place immediately after the plan commission meeting and included a public hearing on the topic.

No one spoke in favor of or against the idea.

The council then voted to allow microbrewing as a permitted conditional use in its B-1 General Business District.

Before the vote, Ald. Scott Rasmussen said they should go into it with their “eyes wide open,” saying there is the potential of such a business going into an existing residential area.

There could be a stench from the microbrewing process as well as from its waste, he said.

“This is approving the idea,” Ald. Keith Najdowski said.

Ald. Bruce Brunner said the site is a tight spot.

“I talked to him a little about that,” Wetzel said of the person interested in the site.

He also explained to the council that adding small batch brewing as a conditional use means the plan commission and council may place conditions on the operation.

“They still have to ask you for approval, and you have the ability to place conditions on there. Having it in the code under conditional use doesn’t mean you have to approve it,” Wetzel said.

In other business Monday, he provided an update about the city’s budget process.

Wetzel is predicting a slight decrease in spending for 2016 and said city committees will look at their final budgets in November.

There will be a public hearing on the city’s 2016 budget at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 16, in the Weyauwega Public Library’s lower-level meeting room.

The common council is then expected to take action on it.

There was also a short discussion about how long it takes Gold Cross Ambulance to respond to calls in the city.

Police Chief Gerald Poltrock’s report to the council included him mentioning there was on overdose in the city on the evening of Thursday, Oct. 15.
Officers administered CPR on the person for 22 minutes while waiting for an ambulance to arrive, he said.

Wetzel said the average response rate in the city for Gold Cross is 15 minutes.

The city is paying about $23,000 for the service, he said.

“As issues come up, we pass them on,” Wetzel said.

Ald. Mike Kempf noted that the company moves their ambulances around when necessary. As a result, there is not always one ambulance waiting in Weyauwega.