March 2026
Tax Impact of the Referendum
When it comes to budgets, everyone is feeling the pressure of inflation and growing costs - including the City. When you head to the polls, you'll have the opportunity to decide whether or not you support a $3.95 million increase in the city's property tax levy. That sounds like a big number - but what does it really mean for your taxes? Listen in on this interview with City Administrator Aaron Oppenheimer to learn more.
Interview with Aaron Oppenheimer, City Administrator
Referendum Impact on Fire & EMS
Learn more by listening to the interview below.
Interview with Chris Garrison, Fire & EMS Chief
Sun Prairie, Protecting Tenants From Retaliation
Tenants in Sun Prairie have the right to contact the City of Sun Prairie to report maintenance or safety concerns without fear of retaliation. However, sometimes tenant retaliation occurs, jeopardizing their sense of safety and/or housing status. The City has launched a new webform for submitting tenant retaliation complaints. We spoke with Becky Binz to learn more about this new resident resource.
Interview with Becky Binz, Housing & Equitable Development Planner
Reimagine Sun Prairie Zoning Project
The City of Sun Prairie Planning Department is proposing a new zoning code that aims to resolve many challenges with our current ordinance and result in higher quality city and neighborhood design. The proposal will first go to the Plan Commission this first week in March. This interview with Josh Clements gives more details on what the Reimagine Sun Prairie zoning code includes and where and when residents can engage to learn more.
Interview with Josh Clements, Planning Director
Engage in Earth Month!
April is Earth Month! And there are a variety of ways Sun Prairie residents can get involved. From attending various events to signing up for our Slow Mow May pollinator conservation program, you're invited to be a part of it. Listen in to this interview to learn more and mark your calendars for some exciting things to come!
Interview with Hannah Best, Sustainability Program Coordinator
Administration
Stay in-the-know on all things referendum
As we approach the April 2026 election, the City of Sun Prairie will be working to educate our residents on the referendum. We know that the topic of levy limits and referendums aren't always easy to understand, so we are putting all of the relevant information in one place. To learn more about the referendum and what happens if it passes or fails, please visit www.cityofsunprairie.com/referendum. If you have questions, please reach out to staff by emailing refteam@cityofsunprairie.com.
Community Development
Sun Prairie to Consider Allowing ADUs
Sun Prairie policy makers continue to pursue opportunities to expand housing opportunities in the city. City officials believe that accessory dwelling units, or ADUs, which are smaller homes that share a lot with a primary house, are an opportunity for people to invest in neighborhoods.
On Tuesday, March 10th, the City of Sun Prairie Plan Commission will host a public hearing to consider an ordinance to allow accessory dwelling units in most residential properties in the city. The proposal would permit ADUs up to 1,000 square feet and up to two ADUs per property.
The Sun Prairie Housing Committee discussed the draft ordinance at their February meeting. The committee endorsed the proposed ordinance, which is comparable to most communities in Dane County.
“Allowing ADUs would be one step toward addressing Sun Prairie’s missing middle housing gap in a way that is compatible with existing neighborhoods.” Adds Sun Prairie Housing Planner Becky Binz. “This would provide additional housing options for aging parents, adult children, and the local workforce.”
AARP characterizes ADUs as vital tools in addressing the intersecting challenges of an aging population, housing affordability, and community vitality. Their research and advocacy highlight ADUs’ ability to help older adults downsize without uprooting from familiar neighborhoods, provide accessible living spaces with aid support, and generate supplemental income to offset living costs. ADUs also provide opportunities for younger households, single people, and extended households to live in the same neighborhood.
“Housing takes many shapes, sizes, and formats, and historically ADUs were commonly part of cities and neighborhoods of all sizes”. Shares City Planning Director Joshua Clements. “Zoning and other exclusionary practices rising in the 1940s and 1950s effectively outlawed many housing types such as ADUs from most neighborhoods.”
If adopted, city staff will prepare an “ADU How-To” guide to illustrate each step a property owner would follow to add an ADU. Other city standards such as green space requirements, setbacks, stormwater, and utility standards must be met.
City staff recommend visiting the AARP website to learn more about ADUs: www.aarp.org/livable-communities/housing/info-2019/accessory-dwelling-units-adus/
For more information, contact the City Planning staff at planning@cityofsunprairie.com
Parks, Recreation and Forestry
Fred Kleinschmidt, one of our very talented parks Maintenance Techs, recently completed building and installing a new bulletin kiosk at Wyndham Hills Park. This showcases one of the many talents on our parks crew! Just one of the ways we're already prepping for the upcoming pickleball season.
Sun Prairie Utilities
In honor of Fix a Leak Week running from March 16 to 22, 2026, we are offering kits that will help you find leaks, track your water usage, and learn about water conservation.
Stop at our office (510 Linnerud Drive), the Sun Prairie Public Library, or Sunshine Place to grab a free English or Spanish kit, which includes:
- Dye tabs (to check for toilet leak)
- Leak checklist
- Flow rate bag (to measure water flow rate of a faucet or shower)
- MyAccount threshold alert set up how-to
- Water conservation wheel (tips for conserving water)
- SPU pen
- 'Leak Detective' sticker
- 'Spot the Leak' coloring page
- Educational activity page
- Coloring book
The kit also provides a how-to on signing up for water threshold alerts in MyAccount, making it easier to know when your property has reached a specific usage level. All you have to do is log into your MyAccount, click Alerts, scroll to Usage, and click 'Add' for Usage Threshold.
MyAccount also has Water Leak Detection Alerts for those interested in getting notified if there's been continuous or higher-than-normal water usage in their home. Simply log into your MyAccount, click Alerts, scroll to Service, and add your email or phone number.
Kits will be available until the end of March, while supplies last. You can find them at the Sun Prairie Public Library, Sunshine Place, and the Sun Prairie Utilities office (510 Linnerud Drive).
Sustainability
The City of Sun Prairie is excited to announce all the ways community members can celebrate Earth Month with events and activities throughout April. While Earth Day is observed annually on April 22, Sun Prairie extends the celebration to inspire action all month long. This year’s theme, "Our Actions Create Ripples," focuses on water systems and the actions we can take to preserve and restore the health of our shared waterways.
Featured events include a presentation on water systems and actions we can take to maintain their health, a tour of the Wastewater Treatment Plant, a Rain Garden Workshop, a Repair Café, a Pollinator Water Station Workshop, a Seedling Giveaway, a Parks Clean Up, and screenings of the movie Ice Age and the film The American Southwest, a story about the effects on communities and ecosystems that infrastructure had along the Colorado River.
All events are free and open to the public. For full event details, visit www.cityofsunprairie.com/EarthMonth.
Want to stay up to date with sustainability events, programs, and initiatives? Click here to sign up for our quarterly e-newsletter!
City Services Guide
Have you ever wanted to learn more about the City's departments and the services they provide? Check out the new city services guide that will get you connected! Print copies will be made available in city buildings such as City Hall and the Westside Community Services Building. Click the graphic below to access the online version.
Upcoming Events
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