In her Library Report, Director Carrie Portz was unable to attend the evening, but her report to the Council stated they are currently recruiting two open positions, one a full-time Library Assistant in Circulation and a part-time Library Associate Outreach Coordinator. The statement said ten applicants have applied for the Assistant position and two for the Associate position. Interviews for the two positions will begin in two weeks.
It noted that Summer programs have been popular throughout June and July with kids’ events which include story times, crafty kids, performers, and Lego building events.
To date 31 programs attended by 796 people.
Regarding the Library Project and the Flexible Facilities Program Grant, the library has received $4,225.000 of grant funding for reimbursement and that a retainage of $25,000 will be withheld until completion of the project. An audit of the grant by the State Department of Administration started this week.
Regarding the actual construction progress of the building, the project’s roofing subcontractor has been engaged to replace the original building’s roof due to hail damage. The cost of the roof replacement was covered by insurance, and she said the project remains under budget with the project being 67% complete. For monthly library updates simply go to the Dodgeville Library website at dodgevillelibrary.com.
In addition, the Library Board signed a service agreement with Ethos Cooperative in Viroqua to install a solar panel array on the roof of the new library once construction is complete. The project is eligible for a 30% incentive from the Federal Government as well as a Focus on Energy incentive. The project will offset 56% of the estimated energy use in the new library and will cost $47,000.
In her Interim Clerk/Treasurer Report, Emily Wolfe noted the 2026 Partisan Primary Election is on August 11, 2026, in the City of Dodgeville, and will be held at the Iowa County Law Enforcement Center. All polling places will open at 7:00 a.m. and close at 8:00 p.m. She said absentee voting for the August 11 election begins on Tuesday, July 28, and will be held at City Hall. The last day to vote an absentee ballot in the clerk’s office is Friday, August 7, 2026. She also said she has been busy with updating the City website. For complete information on the August election or other City news go to the city’s website at dodgevillewi.gov.
In his Mayor Report, Barry Hottmann thanked the city crews for working on a water leak in the 100 blocks of East and West Merrimac and Chapel Streets along with residents in the area of South Iowa from Diagonal Street to Division Street. He said there is still some investigative work continuing on what caused the leak and why.
The Council approved Alan McCormick’s request to waive fees and insurance requirements for a Veterans event at Wilson Park on Saturday, September 12, 2026. McCormick, a disabled veteran, hopes the event focused on veteran suicide awareness will become an annual gathering. He chose Dodgeville because it is centrally located within the Wisconsin American Legion’s 3rd District, which includes Iowa, Grant, Crawford, Dane, Green, Lafayette, and Richland counties. His goal is to bring veterans and others together to share their experiences. At the meeting, he wore a shirt reading “Any is Too Many,” which will be available for purchase at the event.
Approved 6-0 was to add a service from J.J. Keller relating to required employee notice service to City of Dodgeville employees regarding Federal and Wisconsin Labor Laws. The annual fee for J.J. Keller to manage this for the City is $89.99 per year.
Also Approved on a 6-0 vote was Resolution 2026-09 assigning fund balance of unexpended balances as of December 31, 2025, according to Government Accounting Standards Board Statement #54. Shawn Roelli with Johnson Block & Co was on hand to clarify any questions from Council members. The objective of Statement #54 is to enhance the usefulness of fund balance information by providing clearer fund balance classifications that can be more consistently applied and by clarifying the existing governmental fund type definitions. For specifics on what funds were assigned check out the city website for a detailed list.
During Public Comment, resident Dan Paulson spoke on behalf of Cruisin’ The Courthouse, a group of car enthusiasts that meet in Dodgeville on the second Thursday of each month. The event typically uses the courthouse parking lot, but because the lot will be closed in August and September for resurfacing, Paulson requested permission to use Iowa Street and West Merrimac Street so the event can continue. He said downtown restaurants have seen increased business on Thursday evenings since the event moved from Saturday mornings. The Council asked Paulson to update the group’s permit with the streets requested, include a map, and bring it back for approval at the August 2 meeting.
The Council convened into Closed Session for the purpose of discussing police officer recruitment, to review applicant qualifications, and to consider modifications to the recruitment and hiring process.
To start the meeting, the Consent Agenda was Approved which includes the Approval of the Minutes from July 7, 2026, the Special Meeting Minutes on July 8, 2026, and the Claims from July 21 as follows: General $1,336,621.23 Water $12,179.12 Sewer $13,023.97 Total $1,361,824.32
Also Approved was a Special Event License for Maxwell Street Days hosted by BPA Boutique on Saturday, July 25, 2026.
A Common Council Special Meeting will be held on Monday, July 27 at 4:00 p.m. The next scheduled Common Council Regular Meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, August 4, at the City Administration Building beginning at 5:30 p.m.