[{"_1":2,"_122":-5,"_123":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99,111],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6307105,"mediaKeyId","2435165-6860055599f2df393c807e6e5a93a89c","parentId",2435165,"title","Resident raises transparency concerns about River Falls Police Department","audioSeconds",39,"startMs",128000,"endMs",167000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2435165-6860055599f2df393c807e6e5a93a89c&start=128&end=167","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2435165-6860055599f2df393c807e6e5a93a89c/thumbnail_128000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6307105/River-Falls/Pierce-County/Wisconsin/Resident-raises-transparency-concerns-about-River-Falls-Police-Department","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6307105-2c559bd1b1094cb821e857f7a492904b/orig.mp4?Expires=1776028397&Signature=Vbtqte3D92Uj8qFSkwcnXY8IctGMQ6rM2PFNU-1eolI-ZvdgcOeLqBrDcSKgYFneoCZynpkJ0kkbUOdXiLbfNCJC3D2WtSRbzKxJ74JxKc21RjYdqxnT0ke1YgBI-87HbPn5oju-5bIwg7lRQINvwdghUMWZ7iEqdkkqf~WbMY6nP2Bu5QRJ-kTRHw8j~HHIpphkS1KezN3N6HO1TJEjhB40psI8Wwj5aG2JEwHcoJAfC-wV7pg7mTGFv3ijwog39wdo0AuCVqu3ZQK1gtI-rETVuoZNysuHsZJoJA83HdwQkx7G0toeB1dFotvjJEXLbrclpJuZMslzIgPcIc5qHA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of River Falls, WI","date","2025-02-26T12:46:59Z","article","During public comments, Dana Linscott said she had filed Freedom of Information and public-records requests with the city and the River Falls Police Department while investigating matters at the request of constituents and that she had noticed \"a distinct further lack of transparency in the past year, especially from the River Falls Police Department.\" Linscott said she tried to limit burden on staff when filing requests.

The council did not take action during the comment period in the provided transcript excerpt and no staff response to Linscott’s remarks appears in the excerpt.

Why this matters: Public confidence in records access affects civic oversight; Linscott’s comment documents that a resident has sought records and perceives changes in responsiveness, but the transcript does not include the city’s response or specifics about requests.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","River Falls Common Council 02/25/2025","oneSentenceSummary","A resident told the council they had filed public-records requests and expressed concern about a perceived decline in transparency from the River Falls Police Department over the past year.","taxTitle","River Falls, Pierce County, Wisconsin","taxId",69651,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6307110,"Resident urges council to retain Junction Falls Dam to save taxpayer money",33,88000,121000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2435165-6860055599f2df393c807e6e5a93a89c&start=88&end=121","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2435165-6860055599f2df393c807e6e5a93a89c/thumbnail_88000.jpg","/articles/6307110/River-Falls/Pierce-County/Wisconsin/Resident-urges-council-to-retain-Junction-Falls-Dam-to-save-taxpayer-money","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6307110-09f955af7888e2fc332bb5c29e46b7ce/orig.mp4?Expires=1776028397&Signature=SL~mlz6jrFBuQE5C2L85~c4ctr2x6LfggSouZmX4GyQ2N3ibrY~keahJM3xlWizPyrIL6Mrvbb1fPiwcACfoZkNAsHBgl-QBMSmCedZIrYJWFRnSaoY7l0fmsgMybKC5432lKSzO1DW5jzzpxhisF0MnNcXFGVPfyLslG4xzOgs~qJrfZxdFCxcKLOunuaYnD2n~~eK9pGJP2TlU1gy4YYM8hIs7xAgA~6-hWPqEDxQjzAAcl5jWcXa5vnE~vXEisiMDEISoJPDL~dv76WP1i27Ca4EP3BUXddZHn5iZJ68jkvHSbfsb6YkDQuqe03BGpJGvuFFDOohAWco4WSZcmQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","William Hanson addressed the council during the public-comment period and urged the city not to demolish the Junction Falls Dam, arguing that keeping the dam would save federal, state and local taxpayer dollars.

Hanson identified himself and supplied his address on the record. The council did not respond during the public-comment segment included in the transcript excerpt and no formal action or staff directive about the dam appeared in the provided portion of the meeting.

Why this matters: Dam removal or retention can carry environmental, regulatory and budgetary implications; Hanson presented the retention argument as a taxpayer-cost saving measure but no staff analysis or council direction on the dam is recorded in the excerpt.","A River Falls resident told the council he opposes demolition of the Junction Falls Dam and urged saving taxpayer dollars by keeping the structure.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6307115,"River Falls council approves $9.13 million in bills; administrator says large amount includes tax settlements",772,56000,828000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2435165-6860055599f2df393c807e6e5a93a89c&start=56&end=828","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2435165-6860055599f2df393c807e6e5a93a89c/thumbnail_56000.jpg","/articles/6307115/River-Falls/Pierce-County/Wisconsin/River-Falls-council-approves-913-million-in-bills-administrator-says-large-amount-includes-tax-settlements","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6307115-86fdf794bd50c55a9ee8bc4f1c8dcc20/orig.mp4?Expires=1776028397&Signature=mi2NeSzs2kr44n2AckxELhAp6tt-Zumm~n~QnpmoFSt0F1fy0jLLNXwo2f0~LDHy-AFl3mGOuVNb5e6PCZDMag1MVcl83S5jNmayiBGNPPDA-IRkPFfcThSXBGH-lka3sYuCxdhWdXUj1B7fXQ85M8McE9q3sY0cx4QSWyiOah~jk816ldx7zIn19Bvixb6o7Zd93~SeeyPqY2s4oNbc7R3QznB5AMt-FxwJFDWQVEYivfo~2T~16NpVhFkVZJCVnGo1NkLaY8n-M79F26rDuzqW9MTWRWOD5Z3skZT1EZ1qA5UrOJYkHyPrLDOVNau3crDvXyFNpBgUBbxGWrzVuw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The River Falls City Council voted to approve bills totaling $9,134,542.91, subject to the comptroller.

A council member moved the approval and another council member seconded; the motion passed on a voice vote recorded as \"Aye.\" City administration later clarified in the administrator’s report that the roughly $9 million in bills included tax settlements that passed through the city's check register to the school district, the county and the technical college and are not representative of the council’s normal biweekly disbursement amount.

The administrator also thanked the city clerk and the police department for their responsiveness to multiple public-records requests, noting their work was done with \"a high level of ethics, integrity, and transparency.\" The transcript excerpt does not show individual roll-call votes or a breakdown of the bill list by vendor in the public portion provided.

Why this matters: The meeting’s bill approval included large, one-time tax-settlement disbursements; residents monitoring city spending should note the administrator’s clarification that the total reflected pass-through obligations to other taxing entities rather than routine operational spending.","Council approved bills totaling $9,134,542.91; the administrator later said the total included tax settlements for the school district, county and technical college.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6307119,"Council approves water-tower contracts; members debate selling advertising or naming rights",358,194000,552000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2435165-6860055599f2df393c807e6e5a93a89c&start=194&end=552","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2435165-6860055599f2df393c807e6e5a93a89c/thumbnail_194000.jpg","/articles/6307119/River-Falls/Pierce-County/Wisconsin/Council-approves-water-tower-contracts-members-debate-selling-advertising-or-naming-rights","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6307119-92ecc3f245c906b49dc8e9369113a61e/orig.mp4?Expires=1776028397&Signature=e1FewWKqkCSJlGEnaLWWtp2KcrIwYzt8D5d8LbHdCctoWFn4bdX~dSyotY7Eadk5GfSIlSnrLENA9RK06texr4MBG~hGZIXY1ncGRc3OM0IoZJMiiOs6nWOzV2xVml2P4rt0PYlfRO27jR8HmLv9imeu-0D30o28AeP4UrfQhAE~1AsxXt5mFU3osd0pgpfXKqFvzVtsSDObxHDZukNbdC2OhaP-FocTRzyY4A7xWpV3TbBRake9nYt-duC6AZbEut3KaAVQa-DnKvRggW7HlbMO104~v6owpETMSrzsKSy31wBtWZcQiAIpTp2zDv6j8LGq4oCRwgFjuSywZ8YyNw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The River Falls City Council approved consent-agenda resolutions awarding a reconditioning contract and a construction/project-management contract for a city water tower and later approved an amendment to the consent agenda that allowed those two items to proceed.

Council member Buerk pulled two consent-agenda items to ask whether the council had pursued marketing or revenue-generation options — such as selling naming or limited advertising rights — for water towers. A staff member said there had not been a council consensus to pursue alternative painting or advertising; staff recounted that at least one business had approached the city wanting an exclusive logo placement but staff believed that proposal was unlikely to get support. The staff member said the lack of further work on advertising was due to priorities, not opposition to particular products.

Council members offered competing views on whether marketing space should be openly available. One member noted the university’s prior arrangement for the south-side water tower and said the university’s status as a large employer could justify similar treatment; another member warned that multiple logos could make towers look \"junky\" and could create perceived inequities among local businesses. The discussion ended with a council member moving to approve the two pulled items as written; another council member seconded, and the motion passed with the voices present recorded as \"Aye.\" The consent-agenda items were awarded to Clear Creek Coatings LTD for reconditioning and to Short Elliott and Hendrickson for construction and project management (as listed in the consent agenda text).

The council also approved other consent-agenda items (purchase of a 2015 Ford Super Duty F-350 from Ewald Automotive Group and an amendment to the first right of refusal for Sterling Ponds) as part of the meeting’s consent business; a separate motion initially included items 2, 3, 5 and 6, then was amended to approve items 2, 3 and 6 before items 4 and 5 were separately considered and approved after discussion.

Why this matters: The awards move forward scheduled maintenance and management of a city water tower; the discussion flagged a policy question for future consideration about whether the city should actively market municipal features for revenue or preserve a non-commercial visual standard for public infrastructure. The transcript does not show any formal policy change or staff directive to develop a marketing program during the meeting.","River Falls approved contract awards for water-tower reconditioning and construction/project management and debated whether the city should market water-tower space or sell naming/advertising rights to raise revenue.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":104,"_45":115,"_47":116,"_49":117,"_51":118,"_53":119,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":120,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":121,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6307125,"River Falls council approves 2025-26 legislative priorities with housing and mental-health amendments",203,755000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2435165-6860055599f2df393c807e6e5a93a89c&start=552&end=755","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2435165-6860055599f2df393c807e6e5a93a89c/thumbnail_552000.jpg","/articles/6307125/River-Falls/Pierce-County/Wisconsin/River-Falls-council-approves-2025-26-legislative-priorities-with-housing-and-mental-health-amendments","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6307125-b90cc6efb78dfc017f9ecb746f685935/orig.mp4?Expires=1776028397&Signature=ADHyJm31U4xWNB6FEOb0b5SDbWXb1N2RhqqAC876OUNu-k3M54E0zP8Jma7FpEPViUM2cLx-h3zyGWgO~o0m7GnQAAy9Yu5ui~Ikn9JnC7UA-HA~SxGoNXpY4dDhN6d8QrblpzJlHQM7Pzno-fgIEeNzv07uLVj1SkeGKxx9552vATo6dRMxDwVQ1cRU4Q6vfgFU8lyz7M8KE~WByRSYqqDbF2qUNil0a6evGhenv5GTjrGltMgd9PZsG8vVlTql72kQuq4piMCmXozRi1KiCUD58lJfciQtvzqp4Xf2am1p8CsV~WzFPKq63lt-ZKtrZcOotML5vNuWzG-QwDVrtw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The River Falls City Council voted to approve a resolution supporting its 2025-26 legislative priorities, adopting two council amendments that added a bullet on Tax Increment District (TID) flexibility for housing affordability and replaced a hospital-bed advocacy item with language prioritizing mental-health crisis supports.

The amendment adding the TID-language was proposed and read into the record during the meeting and was seconded; the council then approved that amendment. A separate amendment changed the wording of the item under public safety from \"advocating for hospital beds in Western Wisconsin\" to \"improving mental health crisis supports,\" and the council approved that amendment as well. After adopting both amendments, the council approved the overall legislative priorities resolution \"as amended,\" with council members voting \"Aye\" and no opposition recorded in the meeting transcript.

Council members discussed sources for the amended language. One council member said the municipal league’s housing work informed the proposed TID flexibility language and described the change as \"a reasonable one that will work towards improving our city and creating tools that will improve our affordable housing in the city.\" The amendment's exact text, as moved, stated it would read: \"advocating for flexibility in TID law for efforts toward increasing housing affordability and availability.\" Another council member proposed the mental-health wording and asked the clerk to read it aloud before the vote.

The record shows motions were made, seconded and voted on without individual roll-call tallies captured in the transcript excerpt. The council president opened the floor to amendments before calling the final vote on the amended resolution, which passed in the meeting.

Why this matters: The additions signal the council’s interest in state-level changes to tax-increment financing rules to support affordable housing tools and elevate mental-health crisis response in regional advocacy. Both items are policy-shaping priorities the city will carry to state and regional stakeholders if staff pursues the list in advocacy work.

The council moved on to other business after adopting the priorities; no further formal direction to staff about drafting legislative language or pursuing specific state contacts was recorded in the excerpt provided.","The River Falls City Council approved its 2025-26 legislative priorities and adopted two amendments adding a housing-focused bullet about TID flexibility and changing a public-safety bullet to emphasize mental-health crisis supports.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Resident raises transparency concerns about River Falls Police Department

Resident urges council to retain Junction Falls Dam to save taxpayer money

River Falls council approves $9.13 million in bills; administrator says large amount includes tax settlements

Council approves water-tower contracts; members debate selling advertising or naming rights

River Falls council approves 2025-26 legislative priorities with housing and mental-health amendments