[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6257882,"mediaKeyId","3151821-55ec852152d6ed1431504e5e26d47d8c","parentId",3151821,"title","Portage CDA elects Feeney chair, Hank Egan vice chair and Jennifer Becker recording secretary","audioSeconds",46,"startMs",271000,"endMs",317000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3151821-55ec852152d6ed1431504e5e26d47d8c&start=271&end=317","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3151821-55ec852152d6ed1431504e5e26d47d8c/thumbnail_271000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6257882/Portage-City/Columbia-County/Wisconsin/Portage-CDA-elects-Feeney-chair-Hank-Egan-vice-chair-and-Jennifer-Becker-recording-secretary","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6257882-2f6b3328f2cffed11ff4ab1cc0dcdcc9/orig.mp4?Expires=1771080179&Signature=GnOffWr6hafDdSPJR0Gf1GCUseIRAFLtapzL2CmUyp-p06ccPJQaHfesm-LMYaVHMsvyQrnNwbWZeCvmNv5SENOj6ZY-dTf-eb5UMk4WbW-RjEMLS0C3BMNiucaZX4u2nKcEB8bPD0rsS~TRXI~LE~lY8g8tXHHd2zaeM2hV7XBoYyq8TErllyYtTVW7ZH-JcIOe84fBDJcNZyL7hguguBnt~BaMHjTi67X8whxy-ijDLXEPPADI8EeKojd5c5wJIeICT9DUii6BVIQSg774bwR5ILe-86N5wAlm9aPXZxWOtMEGKpPzjQ7kXn8Oz6L2i0fSPIUpGxOjB00fukFAFw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Portgage, WI","date","2025-04-30T00:02:03.123Z","article","The Portage City Community Development Authority elected Feeney as chair, Hank Egan as vice chair and Jennifer Becker as recording secretary during its meeting.

Feeney was nominated for chair and elected on a roll call vote with Feeney, Crowley, Boerz, Hank Egan, Gunderson and Osman voting \"aye\". \"Motion carries. Feeney is elected chair,\" the chair announced after the roll call.

Hank Egan was nominated and elected vice chair by the same roll-call pattern; members voted unanimously in favor. Jennifer Becker, the city finance director, was nominated and elected recording secretary by roll call. Staff noted Becker is currently on medical leave and expected to return in about five weeks.

Approval of minutes from the CDA's previous meeting (Sept. 24, 2024) also took place. The minutes were approved on a roll call in which Feeney recorded an abstention and other members voted to approve; the motion carried.

Why it matters: the elections establish the CDA’s leadership for forthcoming decisions on downtown loans and grant coordination. Items going forward include façade loans and coordination with outside funders.

Actions recorded: election of officers and approval of prior meeting minutes. No new policy changes were enacted in these votes.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Community Development Authority - 5:00pm 4/29/25","oneSentenceSummary","At its meeting, the Portage City Community Development Authority elected Feeney as chair, Hank Egan as vice chair and Jennifer Becker as recording secretary; all votes passed on roll call.","taxTitle","Portage City, Columbia County, Wisconsin","taxId",61461,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6257888,"Portage CDA approves $5,000 façade loan for 130 West Cook Street as WEDC grant decisions near",1281,414000,1695000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3151821-55ec852152d6ed1431504e5e26d47d8c&start=414&end=1695","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3151821-55ec852152d6ed1431504e5e26d47d8c/thumbnail_414000.jpg","/articles/6257888/Portage-City/Columbia-County/Wisconsin/Portage-CDA-approves-5000-façade-loan-for-130-West-Cook-Street-as-WEDC-grant-decisions-near","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6257888-6460a9863383f9ddd61218c8b658309e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771080179&Signature=hEi6vrUA6DhvSyqDnm18tBNKKv3GsDdmLy7ymlXgLSVKWniVg5zEOgCz3tKU7z9v9-bE0kBv4sfGoW7Q0FVsB4EX5CNdchf0i48NHLvxQMyDFyZkW8Ki6K66HltUCzFr~csr5iPfVtKrPevm2wciCKoM~cu-L~CmEsqiLPClEiJidACYP2fFhSL0EUVuKMzmSw8wz00oUSC8tR7puxxzG26YNoLa9ToFratvO2DyMfJqRmIDroLEhvDubcNyvA4z5yDI221D9K3DO3E~z6B6J0064YMHG5L7OF5YD0KXDNOHPb-ZZQkFLLDuqBdUPCf0roXrOy5IMSoUXthJQSpQlQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Portage City Community Development Authority on Thursday approved a $5,000 façade/street-improvement loan for the former Service Drug building at 130 West Cook Street and discussed pending Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation grant applications tied to downtown redevelopment.

City staff recommended approval of the maximum façade loan and told the CDA the estimated project cost is $36,839.70. \"City staff unanimously recommend that this façade loan application be approved for Monique Warren Key at 130 West Cook Street,\" a staff member said during the meeting. The motion to approve carried on a roll call vote (Feeney — Aye; Crowley — Aye; Boerz — Aye; Egan — Aye; Gunderson — Aye; Osman — Aye).

The applicant, identified in the packet as Monique Warren Key, proposes to replace damaged brickwork, power-wash the building and paint the front and back facades. According to staff remarks, the ground floor is planned for a farm-to-table restaurant and the second floor would be converted to upscale apartments, making the project mixed-use and, staff said, beneficial to downtown.

The CDA also received an update on three WEDC grant applications the city or applicants submitted. The city previously sought a $150,000 WEDC small-business development grant to establish a revolving loan fund and was told that application was not awarded. Staff reported, however, that two owner-driven grant applications appear likely to be approved: a $250,000 matching community-development grant for Darren Gardner’s project at 114–116 West Cook Street and support for Warren Key’s application for the 130 West Cook Street project. Staff said the WEDC underwriting process remains active and that final decisions could come within roughly 30–45 days for Warren Key and about six weeks for the Gardner application.

Staff outlined the expected matching requirement for the $250,000 award as roughly a 4-to-1 ratio; \"he's gotta put in a million dollars to get 250,\" a staff member said about the Gardner match. The Gardner project, described to the CDA as \"The District Wedding and Event Venue,\" is planned to include a street-level event space, a lower-level banquet facility to accommodate roughly 300–400 guests, a catering kitchen and six apartments to support venue rentals. Gardner also purchased 125 West Cook Street to house the project office and his company, staff said.

Members questioned how the larger downtown infrastructure work — specifically a larger water main installation tied to street reconstruction — will affect other building owners' ability to add fire-suppression (sprinkler) systems. Staff said Warren Key plans to connect a new feed from the city main to support sprinklers and that property owners who want tie-ins will still face substantial costs if they delay, noting most owners will need to install building-level connections that can exceed tens of thousands of dollars. The CDA asked whether the city could extend water service closer to building fronts while the road is open; staff said the city is handling such requests on a case-by-case basis because of potentially large, open-ended costs.

The CDA chair and members also reviewed the status of existing façade loans: staff said there are approximately four façade loans remaining in the program (several have been repaid or are being repaid). Staff agreed to provide the applicant-specific amortization schedule on request; Jennifer Becker, the city finance director and recording-secretary-elect, was identified as the official who would share that information but is currently on medical leave.

Why it matters: the approved loan is meant to support a privately led redevelopment that staff and the applicants say will add commercial activity and housing downtown. The pending WEDC awards, if approved, would add larger matching funds and infrastructure implications for multiple downtown property owners.

Discussion points included the WEDC underwriting timeline, the 4-to-1 match requirement for the $250,000 award, the potential cost for retrofitting sprinklers and water-service tie-ins for neighboring buildings, and the number of remaining façade loans in the CDA program. Direction from the meeting: staff will share amortization details with applicants and continue coordinating with WEDC underwriters. Formal action: approval of the $5,000 façade loan for 130 West Cook Street.

The CDA’s discussion underscored both private investment interest and municipal limits: staff repeatedly noted decisions on major infrastructure tie-ins are subject to scope and significant additional costs and will be handled case-by-case rather than through an across-the-board municipal add-on while the road is reconstructed.","The Portage Community Development Authority approved a $5,000 façade/street improvement loan for the former Service Drug building at 130 West Cook Street and heard updates that two downtown redevelopment grant applications to the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation are likely to be approved.","actionData","errors"]

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Portage CDA elects Feeney chair, Hank Egan vice chair and Jennifer Becker recording secretary

Portage CDA approves $5,000 façade loan for 130 West Cook Street as WEDC grant decisions near