Fond du Lac council approves package of ordinances on dogs, parks, pools and housing; adopts bird-day and transit grant resolutions

At its meeting, the Fond du Lac City Council approved two resolutions and two ordinances covering animal-control and park rules, zoning changes for pools and accessory dwelling units (ADUs), and billboard mitigation, after public comments urging stronger enforcement of dangerous-dog rules.

Public comment opened the meeting with a resident who described a personal animal-attack experience and urged clearer enforcement. The speaker said enforcement questions remain: “Who’s the burden on? Is it a burden on the police? Is it a burden on the attorneys? Is it a burden on the victims to find a lawyer?” The speaker added, “It’s only with strict enforcement that any of these laws are effective.”

Peggy Zechek, who said she and neighbors had “felt like hostages,” thanked the council for the ordinances and said she hopes the city will follow through on enforcement: “We never heard back [from the police] until I called, and I was told I had to go online and get the report back.”

The council then moved to action items. City Attorney Meghan Hoffman (introduced in the meeting as “Miss Hoffman”) presented ordinance 3808, an omnibus amendment to multiple chapters of the city code that updates rules on alcohol in parks, battery, dangerous dogs, digging and excavating in parks, animal bites and park closing hours. Hoffman told the council the version before them included additional language requested by Council Member Schuessler to clarify that “nothing in this chapter shall be construed as prohibiting the abatement of a public nuisance by the city or its officials in accordance with the laws of the state of Wisconsin and/or chapter 476 of the Code of the City of Fond du Lac.” Hoffman said that with the memo provided to council, staff believe the package aligns with State Code and other portions of the municipal code.

Council Member Jim Mullen thanked Hoffman and others for work on the ordinance and said the changes represented “real progress” even if they did not go as far as he would have liked. After brief council remarks the ordinance passed unanimously.

The council then considered ordinance 3809, an amendment to chapters 255 and 720 of the city code governing pools, spas and ponds, accessory dwelling units, lot sizes and billboards. Diane Benson, community development director, summarized the main points: the city is proposing new rules to allow certain in-ground pool covers rated to support up to 450 pounds on lots of 15,000 square feet or more as an alternative to perimeter fencing; adjusted proportional limits for accessory storage buildings and detached garage sizes to reflect larger modern lot sizes and vehicles; a neighborhood mixed-use district and criteria to allow ADUs on single-family properties as a cautious, phased approach; and an approach to billboard mitigation that would allow digital conversions in exchange for removing multiple static signs (Benson said the draft treats larger interstate billboards as existing conditions and uses a mitigation ratio of removing two static signs for each new digital sign).

Benson said staff researched state standards, manufacturers and other communities before proposing the pool-cover change. She said the ADU provisions are intended to start with single-family properties and be expanded later as the city monitors outcomes.

Council Member Leering said she supported some elements but criticized combining many disparate changes into one ordinance package and asked that future agendas separate items to make public review easier. Benson and the council president noted that the package had previously been heard at the Plan Commission and that council could pull items for separate consideration in the future.

Council members expressed general support for ADUs as a tool to expand housing options; Mullen said the city “cannot go out and build housing” but is working to make private development easier, and Heisler noted family interest in ADUs. The ordinance passed, with Council Member Schuessler recorded voting nay.

The council also approved two resolutions. Resolution 9167 declared May 3 as World Migratory Bird Day in Fond du Lac and was introduced by Public Works Director Michael DeVries, who noted related community events planned for April 24 and May 2–3. Laura DeGaulier, introduced during public comment as a science writer and birder, urged adoption and highlighted local birding opportunities at Souples Marsh and educational events. “I urge adoption of resolution 9167 for the declaration of World Migratory Bird Day as celebrated in Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin,” DeGaulier said. The resolution passed unanimously.

Resolution 9168 authorizes filing applications with the Federal Transit Administration to receive federal transportation assistance under applicable federal statutes; DeVries said it is a routine authorization required of grantees. That resolution also passed unanimously.

Votes at a glance

- Resolution 9167 (World Migratory Bird Day): Motion by Council Member Jim Mullen; second by Council Member [name recorded as Heisler]. Outcome: approved unanimously. (Effective date not specified.)

- Resolution 9168 (FTA federal grant-authorizing resolution): Motion by Council Member Schuessler; second by Council Member Godfrey. Outcome: approved unanimously. (Routine authorization to keep grants current; effective date not specified.)

- Ordinance 3808 (amendments related to alcohol in parks, battery, dangerous dogs, park excavation, animal bites, park hours): Motion by Council Member Jim Mullen; second by Council Member Godfrey. Outcome: approved unanimously.

- Ordinance 3809 (amend chapters on pools/spas/ponds; accessory dwelling units; lot sizes; billboards): Motion by Council Member Heisler; second by Council Member Godfrey. Outcome: approved (recorded vote noted one nay by Council Member Schuessler).

What this means

- Dangerous-dog and park-rule changes are now in the municipal code as amended; public commenters pressed the council to clarify and enforce who carries enforcement responsibility. Council and staff noted reliance on state law and existing municipal nuisance provisions.

- The pools change would allow, on larger lots (15,000 sq. ft. and up), certain in-ground pool covers rated to 450 pounds as a potential alternative to perimeter fencing; staff described this as limited to in-ground pools and based on manufacturer and interjurisdictional standards.

- The ADU provisions open a cautious, phased path for accessory units on single-family lots, with the council planning to monitor and possibly expand rules later.

- Billboard rules create a mitigation path intended to reduce the total number of static signs when digital conversions occur along corridors such as Interstate 41.

Councilors and staff said effective dates, permit rules and enforcement mechanics will follow the usual implementation steps; the meeting record did not specify precise effective dates or permit timelines for the approved ordinances.