PRESCOTT – The Prescott City Council held a public hearing during its regular meeting on Aug. 25 to discuss amendments and additions to Chapter 352 of the city’s impact fee ordinance.

City Administrator Matt Wolf explained that one of the items overlooked when the council approved updates in February was multi-family housing. “The previous ordinance treated all residential units equally,” he said.

Erik Granum of Trilogy Consulting joined the meeting via video call to answer questions from council members. He stated the only updates would be to the fees for smaller multi-family units.

Wolf emphasized the importance of adjusting the structure.

“The biggest thing that we wanted to address that unfortunately we didn’t address when we first looked at this was multifamily,” he said. “We haven’t really had a major multifamily development really since the early 2000s. Our initial impact fees didn’t have any clarification for multifamily, but really when you look at some of the surrounding communities and the fact that a one-bedroom apartment was paying the same amount of impact fees as say a four- or five-bedroom house, trying to make sure that we broke them up more equally.”

He added, “Similarly, what we did for commercial industrial where we broke them up by acreage and square footage so that we can address to make sure that they’re paying the share that’s needed rather than being too burdensome to the development.”

After hearing no public comments, the hearing was closed, and the council approved the amendment.

In other business, Wolf announced that Eagle Scout Noah Collins completed a project at Mercord Mill Park.

“He repainted, put in new wood, and completely fixed up the old gearhouse building that we have down in Mercord Mill Park. It looks really nice,” Wolf said. “I just wanted to commend him for his great work he did.”

“That’s great! Amazing!” commented Alderperson Dar Hintz. “If he needs any references tell him he can let us know.”

“Excellent job,” said Alderperson Mike Gerke.

The council then entered into two closed sessions per Wisconsin State Statute 19.85 (1)(e) “Deliberating or negotiating the purchasing of public properties, the investing of public funds, or conducting other specified public business, whenever competitive or bargaining reasons require a closed session” for discussion and consideration of a Development Agreement with Capital Investment Partners and for discussion and consideration of a Development Agreement with Foley Prescott LLC.