During the public forum portion of the September 8 Harmony City Council meeting, Harmony resident Ann Lyons spoke about the recent joint planning session at which community feedback was discussed in regards to the proposed data center ordinance. “I find it very disingenuous that residents were not able to speak at the meeting,” Lyons stated. She noted that a lifelong friend of hers, who works on the regulatory side of data centers, cautions the city not to sign anything as the proper regulations aren’t in place yet for data centers since they’re so new.
The consent agenda was approved and included the minutes of the regular August 12 meeting and the August 26 joint planning session meeting, the claims and August checks, the investment report, the cash balances, and the budget.
Resolution 26-08 setting the preliminary tax levy for 2027 was approved with a 5% increase from last year, bringing it to a total of $1,063,883. City Administrator Alissa Stelpflug noted that the levy can still be lowered before it’s finalized.
Harmony’s emergency siren had some issues with not working correctly this spring. Emergency Communications System repaired it and offered the city a five-year service agreement contract. The initial bill for the repairs is $577.43, and the contract would be for $560 annually for the duration of the contract. The council approved the contract and payment of the bill.
The city’s plow trucks are generally replaced every 10 years, and one is up for replacement. Several quotes were received, and the lowest was for a Freightliner from Dave Syverson Auto in Rochester. The truck would then need a dump body, dump body options, hoist, wing, hitch, plow, sander, and hydraulics installed on it through another company. One quote was received for the installation of the equipment from Universal Truck Equipment in the amount of $165,253.35. Normally, the old truck would be traded in, but as the new truck wouldn’t be ready until March 2028, it was recommended that the city keep it for the time being and sell it when the new truck is delivered. The quote for the new truck from Dave Syverson Auto was approved. Additional quotes for the equipment installation will be sought.
The building and maintenance truck sold on the Wisconsin Surplus auction site for $13,500.
The Harmony EDA recommended that the council continue funding for the Downtown Revitalization Program in 2027, which would mean including $40,000 in the 2027 EDA budget. That amount was included in the 2026 budget as well and is not a new budget expense. The council approved the continuation of the program.
The Harmony Area Chamber of Commerce is advertising for the position of Chamber Director.
The Harmony Public Library is hosting a traveling exhibit in October. All of the librarians recently attended SELCO’s Camp Read-A-Lot.
The Arts Board’s Back Alley Jam series has finished for the summer and was a great success. The second annual Fall into Harmony event will be held on September 19.
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