Oconomowoc Committee Discusses Municipal Amalgamation Proposal | Waukesha Co. News

OCONOMOWOC – The only item on the agenda for Tuesday’s Oconomowoc Board of Whole meeting is to go into closed session to discuss the proposed merger of the City of Oconomowoc and the Village of Lac La Belle.

The closed meeting item states speaking with legal counsel to “provide oral or written advice regarding the strategy the panel should adopt with respect to litigation in which it is or is likely to be involved.” Boundary Adjustment of Belle and Town of Oconomowoc). The City of Oconomowoc and the Village of Lac La Belle recently announced they plan to unify a village under the name Lac La Belle early in the new year.

The committee is scheduled to meet Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. (or immediately following the Utilities Committee meeting) in the Council Chambers of City Hall, 174 E. Wisconsin Ave.

Following the Committee of the Whole meeting, the Common Council will begin its meeting with a public hearing on the proposed 2025 budget for the city. Later in the meeting, the council is expected to approve the budget and set the property tax levy. If approved, homeowners in the City of Oconomowoc would see a slight decrease in their tax bills. An owner of a home valued at $430,000 would see a $16 reduction in their tax bill, resulting in an annual tax of $1,867 for 2025. The mill tax rate will decrease from $4.71 per $1,000 of assessed value to $4.34.

The proposed 2025 city budget is $20.44 million, a 5.08% increase over 2024.

Café Zupas plans to open in Pabst Farms

Café Zupas is already expanding its reach into the greater Milwaukee area with plans to open a restaurant in Oconomowoc.

The soup and sandwich chain’s location would be in a freestanding building with a drive-thru window at 1686 Schoolhouse Road. The Oconomowoc Architectural Commission will review the designs Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. According to the meeting information, by the end of the year, Café Zupas will have 81 company-owned locations in seven states, including six locations in the state of Wisconsin, spread between Milwaukee and Madison.

Café Zupas was founded in 2004 and has made a name for itself with its daily homemade soups, sandwiches, salads and desserts. Even the salad dressings and salad spreads are made in the restaurant.

“Each menu item is created every day at every location using chef-crafted recipes and high-quality ingredients,” a memo to the city said.

A typical Café Zupas is open Monday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and closed on Sundays. They are not open for breakfast and do not sell alcohol.

The Oconomowoc location is expected to seat 80 people and employ 40 people. The drive-thru ordering system includes two touchscreens without acoustic communication. During busy times, a team member may be outside to assist with orders and traffic flow.

Also on the meeting’s agenda is approval of building facade upgrades for the Oconomowoc Area Chamber of Commerce, 173 E. Wisconsin Ave., and approval of construction plans for the restroom, concession and guard shack building at City Beach. Also on the agenda are restrooms at Rockwell Park, 517 N. Lake Road, and an Olde Highlander clubhouse, 1323 Olde Highlander Drive.

Following the commission meeting, the Planning Commission will take a look at plans for the HSA 226K building in the Pabst Farms Commerce Center at 1000 Blue Ribbon Circle North. The 22,321-square-foot building would sit on a 17.3-acre site across from Ace Precision and Wisconsin Brewing Company Park.