The District 3 Dispatch | Share your thoughts; Welcoming our new neighbors

Written By Logan Reigstad

Earlier this month, Mayor Julia Arata-Fratta and I spent an evening knocking on a few dozen doors in Highfield Reserve, one of our newest neighborhoods.

This was more than just an opportunity to welcome our newest neighbors and connect them with what's happening at City Hall; it was also a chance to hear directly from them about why they chose to put down roots in Fitchburg.

One thing that struck me was how many of these new homeowners are coming from apartments within the city. Clearly once people get a taste of all we have to offer in Fitchburg, they want to stay for the long term!

We want to continue to provide opportunities for people to build their lives in Fitchburg, whether that's in a single-family home, a condo, a townhouse, or an apartment. Hearing from our newest community members shows we're moving in the right direction.

Building strong, connected, and safe communities is no small task, so starting the dialogue early is key. That’s something I’ve prioritized in my first two months in office (including with this newsletter), and it’s something each of us can do to make Fitchburg an even better place to live, work, and play.

Yours in service,

-Logan

Two people standing on a sidewalk

What’s “Growing” On

Here’s what’s being built in Fitchburg.

  • Crash Box Therapy, a new business that helps people destress by smashing their troubles away, has opened in Fitchburg. Watch the ribbon cutting here, and learn more about this new business at crashboxtherapy.com.

  • Roads have been extended for the next phase of construction in the Highfield Reserve neighborhood. Once fully built out, the neighborhood will have more than 250 single-family and twin homes, as well as a couple hundred apartment units.

  • I’ve often heard it asked, "If our city's budget is tight, why don't we just stop growing and adding new residents?" That's an entirely reasonable question, but the answer is far more complex. In short, it comes down to a change in state law nearly 15 years ago that only allows cities to increase the tax levy by the rate of net new construction (no inflationary adjustments allowed). If we didn’t see any construction in a year, we’d have to cut the budget by inflation to essentially stay even. Now multiply that by 15 years, and you’ll see how cities without growth can quickly end up cutting their budgets past the bone. I go into more depth in this Facebook post (with commentary from other council members and city staff).

Fitchburg Planning Application Viewer

Working For You

Here’s how city staff and elected officials are working on your behalf to make Fitchburg a better place.

Construction has begun on four new pickleball courts at McGaw Park. Work is scheduled to be finished this summer. Watch this video from FACTv for details about this and a number of other park projects planned for this year (including Rimrock and Southdale in District 3).

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Work on the South Syene Road reconstruction project is back underway in earnest after some behind-the-scenes delays. The full project is now expected to wrap up at the very end of September or in October. Visit the project’s webpage for regular updates.

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An independent audit of the city’s finances from 2024 (which we do every year) came back clean with no concerning findings. We continue to receive high praise for our financial management (including an AAA bond rating – the highest possible – from Moody’s), which shows how hard our city staff works to be responsible with taxpayer dollars. You can find the full report (and previous ones) here.

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The city’s annual street resurfacing is underway. Click/tap here for updates. If you’re headed to the Senior Center or the Library, you’ll see some construction in the parking lots and may need to park a bit farther away than normal.

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The mayor’s proposed 2026-2035 Capital Improvement Plan (aka the “stuff” budget) has been released. We will spend the summer reviewing and amending this document before voting on it in August; from there, it will be part of the annual budget we approve in the fall. A quick note: Items that are in the last five years of the proposal often change and can be thought of more as “placeholders” than a guarantee that they will happen in the year listed. Please let me know your priorities — if there’s a project you want to see happen sooner than later (or something you think we should skip), email me at Logan.Reigstad@FitchburgWI.gov.

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If you own property in Fitchburg, you should have received your updated assessment in the mail. Be sure to read the included letter that answers some frequently asked questions; if you still have concerns, reach out to the city assessor’s office. The biggest misconception is that people often think their annual tax bill will increase by the same percentage as their assessment. That is not necessarily the case, since tax bills are based on a number of factors.

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Get Involved

Upcoming events, volunteer opportunities, and ways you can help make our city a better place

You have a number of great opportunities to share your thoughts on existing and future services in and around Fitchburg. Consider completing these surveys:

You can also share your thoughts on two plans that will shape our city’s future growth.

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Have you ever wanted to learn more about home composting? The Resource Conservation Commission is sponsoring an educational event at the Fitchburg Public Library on Tuesday, June 17 (free Ian’s pizza and giveaways!!). More info here.

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Mark your calendars for these upcoming events:

  • Concerts at McKee will be June 16, July 21, and August 18 at McKee Farms Park

  • Strawberry Fest at the Fitchburg Farmers Market is June 19

  • The End of Summer Resource Fair at Southdale Park, hosted by The River Food Pantry, will be August 14 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

  • Agora Art Fair will be August 16 at the Agora Pavilion

Fitchburg Chamber Events Calendar

Seek Appointment to a City Committee/Commission

 

In Case You Missed It

  • Fitchburg honored our nation’s fallen heroes with a ceremony at the Gorman Wayside Veterans Memorial Park on Memorial Day. Check out the video here.

  • I was proud to join several elected officials and community members in raising the Pride flag at City Hall on June 3. Watch the event here.

  • The rain didn’t stop the Juneteenth flag raising on June 16. Video here.

  • Our new fire chief, Scott Sarver, is on the job! More here from WKOW.

 

One Last Thing…

Need something to do during the dog days of summer? AMC Fitchburg is bringing some classic films back to the big screen. Read more from Channel 3000.

Logan Reigstad
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