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Plan Commission recommends 2026 operating budget to council; discusses community solar, Century Avenue road-diet study and b cycle TAP grant
Summary
On July 22, the Middleton Plan Commission voted to recommend the Planning & Community Development Department's 2026 operating budget to the common council and discussed capital priorities including a climate-plan consultant, a potential community solar purchase with Madison Gas and Electric, a Century Avenue road-diet study (estimated earlier at ~$40,000), and pursuing a TAP grant to expand b cycle.
The Middleton Plan Commission on July 22 recommended approval of the Planning & Community Development Department’s 2026 operating budget to the common council and discussed multiple capital priorities, including community solar options with Madison Gas and Electric, a road-diet study for Century Avenue, and seeking a TAP grant to expand b cycle stations in Middleton.
Planning staff told commissioners that 96% of the department’s budget is wages and personnel benefits and that the only recommended change was a revenue increase tied to a $2,000 rise in permit fees. "96% of our department's budget is in wages and personnel benefits," staff said. Commissioners questioned a modest reduction in salaries compared with the prior year; staff explained the retirement of a higher-paid employee and hiring a lower-salaried replacement had reduced the figure slightly. The department also increased the intern hourly rate to $15 and reduced total intern hours in the budget.
Commissioner discussion probed permit-fee revenue assumptions: staff said the budget proposal requests $20,000 in zoning-permit revenue for 2026 while projecting about $30,000 this year, and staff explained they were being conservative to avoid a deficit if development activity slows.
Speaker 6 moved to recommend the operating budget to the common council; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote. The transcript records "Aye" and "Motion carries," but does not include a roll-call tally.
On capital priorities, staff presented several items for future council consideration: hiring a consultant to develop a climate plan roadmap (modeled on work done by the Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District), meeting with Madison Gas and Electric to consider a community solar purchase (with an option to review renewal every five years), a road-diet study on Century Avenue West of Branch Street (staff referenced a prior 2025 estimate of about $40,000 to conduct the study), and pursuing a Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) grant to implement b cycle expansion (the TAP could cover up to 80% of capital infrastructure costs). Staff noted the operating budget is constrained and said they were exploring a contract structure with b cycle that could avoid annual operating costs for the city.
Commissioners discussed trade-offs for protected vs. painted bike lanes (maintenance and plowing responsibilities if physical protection is added), the role of Parks & Recreation in the Century Avenue Conservancy Trailhead project (staff said the project will move to Parks because the land is conservancy), and bus-shelter public art proposals. Staff said they would return to the commission with an RFP and with updates requested by committees and other stakeholders.
