The West Bend City Business Improvement District board on Tuesday, Aug. 26, held a special meeting to refine its operating plan and budget for 2026, keeping the marketing line at $10,000 and discussing several targeted changes to lights, decorations and downtown landscaping funding.

Board members and city staff said the BID’s primary revenue is the assessment for 2026, which was estimated in the meeting materials at about $113,000 to $114,000. Staff presented a more detailed breakdown of previously high-level budget categories and asked the board for guidance on several discretionary items, including marketing, lights and decorations, ornament replacement, façade grants, landscaping and water billing for downtown irrigation.

The marketing line remains at $10,000. Board members said that, because the downtown association already maintains a social media presence and promotes events, BID marketing could either partner with that group or be used for small business workshops and direct member support. Several board members favored keeping the $10,000 allocation and developing a clearer plan later in the year. “$10,000 is a lot of money,” one board member said; the group agreed staff should present concrete options in November.

Lighting and decorations were a focal point. Staff said the current 2026 estimate for the BID’s existing lighting program is roughly $21,000 this year and about $22,500 for 2026 if no new features are added. The board discussed two changes: (1) an annual ornament-replacement approach to avoid a large one-time purchase and (2) a proposal to add winter “snowflake” elements that could remain up after Christmas to brighten downtown into January and February. Board members agreed to add a modest annual ornament-replacement line (staff said it would add roughly $1,500–$2,000 to the budget) and to pursue a snowflake option to be budgeted separately; staff will provide updated figures for next week’s packet.

Staff noted electricity for downtown lights has averaged just under $8,000 annually. A staff committee is exploring whether converting skyline lighting to LED would reduce that cost in future years.

Façade grants and landscaping: the board acknowledged an adopted façade-grant budget of $30,000 for the fiscal year and discussed that some awards were not completed and returned to the BID, increasing available funds. Landscaping spending remains at about $40,000 for 2026 under the proposed plan; the city contributes approximately $30,000 for watering and maintenance that supports downtown planters, while the BID covers the balance for flowers, hanging baskets and seasonal cleanup contracts.

Water meters and donations: staff reviewed three water meters added during downtown reconstruction, explaining that the meters were installed at the request of community groups and later assigned to the BID for billing. The board said that prior to the reconstruction volunteers and businesses used private spigots or hauled water; metering and billed service was an unanticipated expense for some board members. “That was kind of a surprise,” Board member Jack said of the meter billing arrangement. Staff proposed consolidating the small water charges into a single water line item rather than listing them as a Roots and Branches donation; the board agreed to that approach and to leave the overall water estimate in the budget for now (staff estimated roots-and-branches usage at roughly $800 for the season, but cautioned it can rise in a dry year).

Roots and Branches, the volunteer group that maintains some beds, asked for an increase in its donation allocation for perennials, annuals, signage and operating costs; staff said their request is modestly higher than last year (the packet shows prior expenditures and this year’s request) and the board signaled support for the increase.

Reserves and next steps: staff reported an undesignated fund balance of about $103,000. Board members discussed using a small portion of future-project funds if necessary to cover the incremental ornament and decoration costs this year rather than drawing heavily on the undesignated reserve. Staff will produce two budget columns for the next meeting: one that reflects the add-ons discussed at this meeting and a second that shows alternative reductions to preserve more of the undesignated balance.

The board approved the minutes from the Aug. 7 regular meeting at the start of the session and later moved to adjourn; both motions passed by voice vote. Staff said the revised budget packet will be posted before the next scheduled meeting so members can review the updated columns and line-item changes.

The BID’s next regular meeting agenda will include the finalized operating plan for 2026, a marketing plan proposal, and a recommendation from staff about ornament quantities and any contract action needed to buy wreaths or snowflake elements. No formal ordinance or external approvals were required during the discussion; most decisions at this session were direction to staff and informal budgetline agreements.