On a 7-0 vote, the Council Approved the purchase of a new Outdoor Warning Siren to replace an inoperable emergency siren on Oxnem Street and Lindsey Street. Fire Chief Brian Whitehouse told the Council the drive motor is cooked with lightning the likely culprit which knocked it out. The council will be looking at its insurance policy to cover the cost of the siren. It will take 10-12 weeks to get a new siren in, and a motion was made not to exceed $30,000 which would include installation.
Approved on a 7-0 vote was a sponsorship for a Community Assembly on Housing to be held no later than the end of 2026. The City of Dodgeville and Dodgeville School District are being invited to co-sponsor a Community Assembly which is a structured, facilitated process that brings together everyday residents to learn, deliberate, and develop consensus recommendations on a pressing community question.
Ben Gruber, part of the Community Leadership 2.0 Program, spoke to the council on how it would work as Dodgeville, as with many communities throughout the State of Wisconsin, is feeling pressure from multiple directions such as rising housing costs, low housing inventory, and a school enrollment decline that threatens both the district’s financial sustainability and the community’s long-term vitality.
UW-Madison’s La Follette School of Public Affairs (LFS), in partnership with Leadership Wisconsin and UW-Madison’s Division of Extension, is supporting several assemblies on housing across the state in Fall 2026 as part of the school’s Main Street Agenda program. Under the guidance of Dr. Amber Wichowsky, Associate Professor of Public Affairs, LFS will support recruitment, participant compensation, and event logistics (food and refreshments).
How it works is community assemblies convene a small, representative group of residents to spend time together learning about the issue, deliberating across different perspectives, and reaching rough consensus on recommendations. The process has a strong track record.
On a 7-0 vote, Approved was the renewal of the 2026 League of Wisconsin Municipalities Insurance for $221,977 for the City of Dodgeville. On a 7-0 vote, Approved was the sale of the 2012 Ford E450 Ambulance as the new City Ambulance just arrived. EMS Chief Brian Cushman said he already has an interested buyer and wanted approval to go forward with the potential buyer to sell it.
No action was taken on a permit request from a resident on Jamie Street to set off fireworks on July 11. The Council would like to discuss this at a future meeting to see if the City wants to allow permitting for fireworks and what criteria would be used to allow any fireworks within the city limits.
In his Police Report, Chief Brandon Wilhelm noted that in the month of June there were 290 calls for service, compared to 138 last year in June which is a 110% increase. He did cite the department is using a different system which could account for part of the discrepancy. He said Officer Pepper and Charlie attended the law enforcement first responder Canine Therapy training in Baraboo.
The hiring process application period for a new officer for the city closed on Wednesday, July 8, and he said they have a few applicants who have applied. He said there has been much planning on the upcoming events with his department and others for Farmers Appreciation Day, Dodgeville Town Square, and Dodgefest. He said his department’s new protective shield has arrived and now put in use, and he reported the Highway 18 and 23 construction project is on time and should be completed by the end of July.
Interim Clerk/Treasurer Emily Wolfe reported her department has been involved with updating the city website with new software and attending webinars regarding it, licensing with special events, and preparing for the August 11th election. Ballots were mailed out June 25th and that early voting will begin July 28th with voting being held at City Hall.
Resident Steve DeMuth spoke in Public Comment with a few questions. He asked how one gets questions on the agenda and Mayor Hottmann replied to talk to his district Alderman and if that person deems necessary it can get added, or one could go to a committee meeting. He also asked if there have been any plans yet concerning renting out
space at the Administration Building where the temporary library is currently housed when they move back to their newly renovated building and asked what is left in the budget for other projects at the building which he feels should be posted.
He also asked about the property next to Wilson Park which was recently purchased for $40,000 and what the plans for that piece of property would be. Mayor Hottmann replied that no discussion has begun yet with the Public Works Committee or the Parks and Recreation Department on what to do with that piece of property.
At the beginning of the meeting the Consent Agenda was Approved including the Minutes from June 16, 2026, as was the Approval of Claims to include $287,532.88 General $26,967.14 Water$23,806.82 Sewer
$338,306.84 Total all payments The Council Approved two Special Event licenses for the following events: Farmer’s 5 in conjunction with Farmer’s Appreciation Days hosted by the Dodge Point Running Club on July 12, 2026, and the Military Ridge Veterinary Service Client Appreciation Cookout hosted by Military Ridge Veterinary Service on August 4, 2026, at Ley Pavilion.