CITY OF OCONTO
New Years 2026
Recycling Holiday Schedule
Winter Season Is Here Again!
Frozen pipes are headaches that are avoidable. It’s time to make sure your windows and vents are closed, heat tapes are working, and everything is insulated to prevent your water lines from freezing. Also please check your outside faucets to make sure they are turned off and hoses drained.
With the cold weather and winds expected this weekend, it only takes a few minutes for water to freeze in your pipes that are exposed.
Thank You
Oconto Water Department
December 12, 2025
Notice of USPS policy change on postmarks
may affect tax payment timeliness
Taxpayers who pay their property tax bills by mail need to be aware of a recent U.S. Postal Service policy change that may affect when envelopes are postmarked.
Effective December 24, 2025, the United States Postal Service (USPS) is moving the postmark process from local application to regional sorting centers.
This means your postmark could be several days after you put your payment in your mailbox.
Federal and State laws define timely payment based off the USPS postmark, meaning payments may be considered delinquent if they are mailed too close to the deadline
How can you ensure a timely tax payment?
Published 12/31/25 & 1/7/26
Notice of Public Hearing on Zoning Ordinance Text Revisions in the City of Oconto, Oconto, Wisconsin
January 20, 2026
6:00 P.M. PUBLIC NOTICE is hereby given to all persons in the City of Oconto that there will be a PUBLIC HEARING before the Oconto City Council in the Council Chambers, at City Hall, 1210 Main Street, Oconto, WI 54153, to solicit comments on proposed zoning ordinance text revisions. A copy of the proposed ordinance text revisions is available at Oconto City Hall, Monday through Friday between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. or at www.cityofoconto.com.
All persons interested are invited to attend this hearing and be heard. Written comments may be submitted to: City of Oconto, Attn: Brittney Burruel, 1210 Main St, Oconto, WI 54153
Brittney M. Burruel,
City Administrator
CITY OF OCONTO
SIDEWALK SNOW REMOVAL
Under City Ordinance No. 986 and Section 6-2-7 it shall be duty of the owners and/or the occupants of any lot or parcel of land in the City of Oconto to remove, or cause to be removed, the snow and ice from any and all sidewalks.
The owner or occupant will have forty-eight hours to remove any snow or ice after the cessation of any fall of snow.
The Superintendent of Public Works or his designee shall remove or cause the snow to be removed from any and all sidewalks that may be neglected by the owner or occupant and a fee shall be assessed against the owner or occupant for the cost and expense of moving such snow. The minimum cost for the removal will be $150.00
Jeremy Wusterbarth
Superintendent of Parks & Public Works
City of Oconto
Snow Plowing and Removal
Under City Ordinance Chapter 2 Section 6-2-11 (Unlawful Dumping on Streets.) It shall be unlawful for any person to deposit or cause to be deposited, dump, sort, scatter or leave any snow or ice in any public street, sidewalk, and alley or upon any public property of another without the express permission of the owner of occupant thereof.
Citations will be issued for any person violating the above said ordinance.
Jeremy Wusterbarth
Superintendent of Public Works & Utilities
Do not put leaves into the street. Place the leaves between the curb and the sidewalk and as close to the curb as possible. Leaves placed on the street will not be picked-up unless placed back in the area defined for proper pick-up. Brush cannot be mixed in with leaf piles.
Residents may also bring their loose leaves and garden waste to the City’s yard waste site, which is located at 1616 Main St.
It is not possible to accurately tell residents the exact day their leaves and garden wastes will be picked up.
If you have any questions, call 834-7725 between 6:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Monday thru Friday.
Jeremy Wusterbarth
Superintendent of Public Works
City of Oconto
The Oconto Utility Commission will be flushing water mains in all areas south of the Oconto River on September 15th, 2025.
In all areas north of the Oconto River, West of and including Superior Avenue on Tuesday and Wednesday, September 16th & 17th, 2025
In all areas north of the Oconto River, East of Superior Avenue, on Thursday and Friday September 18th & 19th. 2025
Due to certain water main connections, other areas could be affected, please check your water for discoloration before using laundry.
Oconto Utility Commission
Matthew Beekman
Utility Manager
April 30, 2025 Tree Planting
In recognition and celebration of Arbor Day 2025, the Oconto Unified School District 6th Grade class participated in an Arbor Day poster contest and other Arbor Day activities starting at the Farnsworth Library and ending with the planting of new trees at the Oconto Holtwood Campground.
Letter from the Mayor
July 2, 2025
City of Oconto Water Quality
There have been numerous comments circulating on Facebook regarding the quality of our city’s water, with some posts suggesting that the water is unsafe or undrinkable. I want to take a moment to directly address these concerns and provide clear, factual information to our community.
The City of Oconto’s water is safe, clean, and meets all state and federal drinking water standards. Our water is tested regularly and thoroughly to ensure the health and safety of all residents. The annual Consumer Confidence Report (CCR), also known as the Water Quality Report, can be found on the City’s website here: https://cityofoconto.com/general/2024-consumer-confidence-report/. This report details the results of our water testing and confirms that our water is compliant with the Safe Drinking Water Act.
The health and well-being of our community is our top priority. If there were ever an issue with water safety, we would notify residents immediately and take all necessary actions to resolve the situation.
We understand that social media can be a powerful tool for communication, but it can also unintentionally spread misinformation. If you ever have questions or concerns about city services, including water quality, I encourage you to reach out directly to City Hall or visit our official website.
Oconto Utility Rate Case
I also want to take a moment to address several concerns raised during and following the recent public hearing regarding the 2025 Utility Rate Case.
First, we have heard the feedback from residents about the timing of the public hearing notice. While I want to assure you that the notice was properly issued in accordance with the Public Service Commission (PSC) regulations, and all statutory requirements were met, the Judge did recognize the concerns shared by the public. As a result, the public comment period has been extended from July 3 to July 15, 2025. Customers can submit their comments either by mail or online through the PSC’s website. Your input is important and will be taken into consideration.
If you need more information on how to submit your comments to the PSC, please reach out to the Utility Manager, Matthew Beekman, and he will help you with this process.
Second, I’d like to provide clarity on the purpose of the rate case. The Oconto Utility Commission did not file for a rate case seeking to raise utility rates. This filing was submitted solely to request a change in tariff language. For the past 35+ years, we have consistently billed for public fire protection in a way that we believe reflects fairness. We do not bill homeowners public fire protection for both their primary parcel and their adjacent vacant lot. We believe it is unfair and unjust to charge additional fees for adjacent vacant parcels that clearly serve no separate use and are part of the homeowner’s property.
We are currently going through an appeal process with PSC to protect our residents. PSC is regulating that we charge ALL vacant parcels public fire protection, even those adjacent to the homeowner’s main parcel that they already pay fire protection on. A part of this regulation is requiring us to back-bill every vacant parcel for 2 years. We have not billed adjacent parcels in the past and we are changing the language to not have to bill them in the future. In the appeal, we are asking not to be required to back-bill at all.
Unfortunately, during the public hearing, a figure of 28% was mentioned. This is an error. Utility Manager Matthew Beekman corrected this error early in the rate case process as it does not reflect the Utility’s position or the nature of this rate case. It should not have been referenced during the hearing and does not represent our intentions. The Utility is not asking for a change in rates, only a language change, any change in rates is a directive from the PSC.
Our goal remains simple: to protect our residents from unfair billing practices and to ensure consistency and transparency in how utility charges are applied. We thank you for your patience, understanding, and engagement as we work through this process.
Regards,
Cliff Martin
Mayor City of Oconto
