[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-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],{"_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",6526651,"mediaKeyId","3771637-a13d335b710e53dc9e31bedea99fe3b0","parentId",3771637,"title","Eau Claire Council holds public discussion on 2026–2030 Capital Improvement Plan; $255 million proposed","audioSeconds",673,"startMs",287000,"endMs",960000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3771637-a13d335b710e53dc9e31bedea99fe3b0&start=287&end=960","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3771637-a13d335b710e53dc9e31bedea99fe3b0/thumbnail_287000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6526651/Eau-Claire-City/Eau-Claire-County/Wisconsin/Eau-Claire-Council-holds-public-discussion-on-20262030-Capital-Improvement-Plan-255-million-proposed","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6526651-096e9aaace11e3943c8202ce7a91a5d8/orig.mp4?Expires=1775202527&Signature=HoYk26a3ESVVK-GXnGvkwYoprPvnZ98y8fP5v7-W41umlrkTK8cqTOM4II8h-tlHHUkpuskxf9iiB0Xu3vZeSpP9H~FjYlBhYEc-Y-mCfq4iTgtl3rWngzyyqgqRpS42arMX9lAHyVy2g-12SnJWNNE7S~HHezVi0U5GoiaSHcmkJZPnK0Bf-77jtcfCWWFaLqqcrPAVKdE5j2QIi0~c6SJv5wX1j9o2ZPnfDlCO6-sJXNeU8RdRn6Rusom7jkV8Yt0kMUZ9Il2Qk6uC6Saq~Gjpwzigpl1xFTpYD1pzD2sqN5320koaAZ5l8Trfcq5WTeSFra7aJGsrv6f2T2uyNA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Eau Claire, WI","date","2025-06-09T17:57:00Z","article","Eau Claire City Council President Preston Bergey opened a public discussion June 9 on the proposed 2026–2030 Capital Improvement Plan, which staff presented as a roughly $255,000,000 package of capital projects and investments spanning transportation, water, sewer, storm, parks and municipal facilities.

Director Winters told the council the CIP is a multi‑year plan driven by department priorities and aligned to council strategic goals. \"Proposed spending by year, we have $255,000,000 in projects and investments over the proposed CIP,\" Winters said, and added that an average annual investment without large one‑time projects is about $42,000,000.

The plan as presented focuses largely on maintenance and replacement rather than net expansion. Highlight projects mentioned in the presentation include a potential demolition ($2 million–$3 million) and replacement (estimated around $14 million) of the downtown parking ramp; repairs and mechanical replacement at the Hobbs Ice Center; repairs and slide/retaining‑wall work at Fairfax Pool; an $8,000,000 flexible‑housing initiative using land the city already owns; continued water‑utility investments including a Chippewa River crossing for redundancy; standard playground and sport‑court replacements; investment in the Owen Park bandshell; and tax increment district projects such as a Water Street retaining wall and a TID‑funded multimodal overpass in the southern part of the city.

Winters described the plan's funding mix: enterprise funds (water, sewer, storm) cover roughly 28 percent of the total; a mix of federal and state grants, local fees and an about $22,000,000 loan for a large sewer project were also cited. Winters said roughly 53 percent of planned funding in the proposal would be financed with promissory notes (borrowing). He noted the city can issue debt up to five percent of equalized value under state statute and cited a city equalized value figure used in staff calculations. Winters also noted a beginning balance of carryover funds from prior years and about 2 percent of the CIP coming from one‑time savings.

Council Member Mbowa asked about a referenced settlement related to utility litigation and whether that money would affect the CIP. Winters said the city has begun receiving settlement proceeds and that staff — including the accounting manager and auditors and, where applicable, the Public Service Commission — are reviewing a multi‑hundred‑page settlement document to determine how proceeds should be applied. Winters said the settlement review is not complete and that any such funds are not reflected in the CIP as presented.

On RDA funding, Director White (RDA staff present at the meeting) said the RDA has requested $1,000,000 in the CIP for land acquisition and that the RDA can focus such funds on affordable housing if council directs that priority once the RDA's new focus map and any new TIF area work returns to council for approval.

Neighborhood comment at the public hearing included a request from Andrew Niesa, president of the Northside Hill Neighborhood Association, asking council to study pedestrian access and a connector between Upper and Lower Mount Simon Park as part of park improvements tied to a previous Jane Hahnadel estate donation. Niesa said residents had voted to use that donation for playground replacement and a pavilion but that a separate, budgeted investigation into pedestrian safety and a connector would make the park safer and more usable.

Staff outlined the schedule: a work session on the CIP process and related issues is set for June 13, amendments to be published for public review should be filed by June 13, and council will consider adoption of the CIP at its June 24 meeting. Winters told council that amendments submitted by the June 13 deadline will be published for public review prior to the June 24 vote.

Why this matters: the CIP sets multiyear priorities for the city's physical assets and determines which capital projects the city will fund, borrow for, or defer; it also guides grant applications and capital budgeting that can affect rates for utility customers and debt levels for taxpayers.

Remaining items and next steps: staff will continue technical review of settlement proceeds and of proposed amendments; the council will take formal action on adoption on June 24. Details on individual project schedules, design work, grant awards and borrowing authorizations will be addressed in subsequent staff reports and, where required, separate ordinance or contract items.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City of Eau Claire, WI - City Council Meeting - Monday - Jun 09, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Eau Claire City Council President Preston Bergey opened a June 9 public discussion of the proposed 2026–2030 Capital Improvement Plan, which staff said would total about $255,000,000 and includes proposed work on the downtown parking ramp, water‑system redundancy, parks repairs and an $8,000,000 flexible‑housing initiative using city‑owned land.","taxTitle","Eau Claire City, Eau Claire County, Wisconsin","taxId",4140,"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},6526643,"County and city form Housing Our Neighbors Planning Collaborative to draft homelessness response plan",685,2533000,3218000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3771637-a13d335b710e53dc9e31bedea99fe3b0&start=2533&end=3218","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3771637-a13d335b710e53dc9e31bedea99fe3b0/thumbnail_2533000.jpg","/articles/6526643/Eau-Claire-City/Eau-Claire-County/Wisconsin/County-and-city-form-Housing-Our-Neighbors-Planning-Collaborative-to-draft-homelessness-response-plan","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6526643-8d7dba17b8f73ee56ebb09e677985260/orig.mp4?Expires=1775202527&Signature=fHoWFzMVj2qpJUbRLfGid1XkmIKS3NPVTRXWFp0eFOn-l6LypQUuAudSI~5msIjrZ2atTkofahWjYh74r4IhgbQy0rpJA7U8GKVbcQIbZQQvm9ri2x5FCvgh7cn4iHMJmNEYpH0aTYBHGta3fl4i7JntEr3yuVupqJ8RhHYZ1qYZIpKRexzZG0XTusqSiT9glvGHQntzcLuZbOgkSpls-8xwBlLGM9JSAp3JCNa~R5iR1vlHOJbxakOt4sP9NWvjYWOi6BI6y6fy5WUyverVPnufx1PkGbSjBmLFoCJKQu7SZ6Y82Jp~n57SctWTzcklUO~x2TLo16llZkt0YiJNkw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","County and city human‑services staff and community partners presented a new cross‑sector Housing Our Neighbors Planning Collaborative during a June 9 council work session and described initial data, outreach and next steps toward a community homelessness response plan.

Angie Weidemann, Eau Claire County human services director, and Angie Stokes, assistant director, said the collaborative has been meeting for about nine months. The group’s stated goals are to create a shared understanding of current conditions, build a foundation for collaboration and produce a community plan that reduces homelessness by making it rare, brief and non‑recurring.

Presenters summarized local data the collaborative used to assess need: a 2024 community health assessment flagged lack of affordable housing as a top issue; an ALICE report was cited showing roughly 36 percent of county households cannot afford basic expenses; coordinated‑entry lists and shelter data were presented as evidence of rising need (presenters cited a coordinated‑entry list count in the range of 256 individuals and school‑district reports of hundreds of students experiencing homelessness); and law‑enforcement and jails data were reviewed to understand recurring contacts with the justice system.

A series of cost estimates cited in the presentation underscored the financial burden of homelessness on local systems. The presenters summarized local research showing an average cost per unhoused person across several service and legal categories in the mid‑four figures to low five figures, and noted a Sojourner shelter nightly rate cited in the discussion.

The collaborative has looked to other Midwest models. Presenters described Milwaukee County’s low‑barrier, housing‑first work and La Crosse’s joint city–county approach as instructive: Milwaukee reported notable reductions in overall and unsheltered homelessness after adopting a housing‑first strategy and using an outreach team and a named local coordinator to work directly with landlords and service providers. Presenters said the collaborative visited Milwaukee, Green Bay and La Crosse to learn models for outreach teams, master leasing, flexible funding (for security deposits and unit turn readiness) and the value of a designated backbone staff person to coordinate across agencies.

Key planning themes identified by the collaborative included: preventing people from becoming unhoused (early interventions and eviction prevention), increasing affordable and supportive housing, strengthening coordinated outreach and flexible case management, sustainable local funding for subsidies and services (not only federal grants), involving people with lived experience in planning, and centralizing communication and resource maps for service providers and the public.

Presenters said the collaborative has begun mapping local resources and will publish a public‑facing plan. They proposed a timeline to draft a community plan by the end of summer and to pursue fundraising and partnerships to support implementation; presenters estimated meaningful housing placements could occur within an 18‑month window if funding and landlord partnerships are secured, while noting that building new housing will require more time.

Speakers stressed the importance of engaging landlords, but said staff have not yet brought a concrete landlord incentive package to the table; examples from other communities include double security deposits, master leasing and quick funding for unit readiness. Presenters also said they are including people with lived experience in planning from the outset and are coordinating with existing groups such as the Dairyland Housing Coalition.

Council members and community partners voiced support and asked for specific next steps, including funding strategies and staff roles. Presenters said they will draft the plan for public feedback, identify backbone staffing and fundraising needs, and return to council and county boards with specific funding proposals.

Why this matters: presenters said homelessness is increasing locally and that coordinated planning, flexible funding and a point person to manage landlord relations and outreach are central to models that have shown results elsewhere. The collaborative’s plan will guide local investments, case management and outreach priorities.

What’s next: staff aim to produce a draft community plan for public review by the end of summer, to pursue local and philanthropic funding for subsidies and landlord incentives, and to identify a backbone staff position to coordinate the work across city, county and community partners.","Eau Claire County and city staff and community partners described the creation of a cross‑sector planning collaborative to build a community plan to prevent and reduce homelessness; presenters set a target to draft a public plan by the end of summer and described strategies learned from Milwaukee, La Crosse and Green Bay.",{"_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},6526648,"Residents seek gate for noisy Galloway ramp; downtown businesses urge caution on paid‑parking rollout",322,1745000,2067000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3771637-a13d335b710e53dc9e31bedea99fe3b0&start=1745&end=2067","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3771637-a13d335b710e53dc9e31bedea99fe3b0/thumbnail_1745000.jpg","/articles/6526648/Eau-Claire-City/Eau-Claire-County/Wisconsin/Residents-seek-gate-for-noisy-Galloway-ramp-downtown-businesses-urge-caution-on-paidparking-rollout","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6526648-1742c72011f08249a63e4b445fb62685/orig.mp4?Expires=1775202527&Signature=TlrNMY4K0o0RON6xwPg-u9P1qFf-KqQ4ZMguONSzdy0slJpWbvigK1axEfUppdWyXhklH0kMRLFSxj1FSDOKVFyHUhfPD7xS1XzlBbFWCtGkGojwFs5HSHwfYGeAg7P4R4L3CZagBkAv0zGGBf4B~hi0lXoaaCwvfPtAx8P3Reo89K1j5P0Xu71Yu7uOTunQMowxK-7wHiOK8JS8HVhPfz7bQezQ0SgUsJKTs1VzeLd-6kuziEXtxKiMzix5bmIF~wOyw9jfOhcD0CA7kobsfgQuYKmMYW3j9Q~zM8Cpycs74O2beb05m-6PXtJE~~S2KBnOaSxCp1BeE34uwiAcVQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Residents and downtown business leaders used the June 9 meeting to press the city on two related issues: ongoing noise and safety concerns at the Galloway Street parking ramp and an anticipated downtown paid‑parking program that business groups say lacks essential operational details.

Deb Marshall, who identified herself as chair of the Downtown Neighborhood Association and a resident at 315 Riverfront Terrace, told council that efforts to reduce ramp noise — closing a level and adding speed bumps — had not solved the problem and that noise from motorcycles, trucks and loud music had returned. Marshall urged the city to include capital funding for a controlled gate system that would restrict access to people parking there for legitimate downtown trips. \"The only real solution is going to be [a] controlled gate entrance that people are going in and parking for the reason that they're there,\" she said, and invited council members to observe the ramp during an evening.

Business groups warned council that a paid‑parking rollout without the operational backbone would harm small businesses and customers. Erin Klaus, executive director of Downtown Eau Claire Incorporated, said the city's downtown parking study recommended paid parking for turnover in high‑demand areas but also stressed that the city needs a dedicated staff person or department to oversee implementation, enforcement and communications. Klaus listed unanswered questions that, she said, remained for businesses and customers: which payment app or kiosks would be used, whether kiosks would accept cash, who will manage enforcement, and where revenue will go.

\"If we only act on pieces of the recommendation that would generate revenue, while ignoring the essential structural elements like staffing, infrastructure, and communication, then we're setting ourselves up for failure,\" Klaus said.

Dave Strobel, a South Barstow property owner and member of the South Barstow Business Improvement District executive committee, urged the council to “embrace all of the parking study” including enforcement and to keep parking revenue transparent and spent downtown for maintenance, enforcement and awareness. He asked staff to provide clearer answers about enforcement schedules and how ramp revenue will be tracked and used.

Staff previously told council that the CIP presentation includes consideration of the downtown ramp (demolition estimated at $2 million–$3 million and replacement estimated around $14 million) and that a work session on parking is scheduled for the coming week. Director Winters said a parking work session will occur tomorrow night and again noted a June 13 deadline for amendment language to be published ahead of the June 24 CIP adoption vote.

Why this matters: unresolved operational questions about paid parking — enforcement, staffing, revenue allocation and customer experience — affect small businesses' downtown foot traffic and customer service. Separately, unresolved noise and safety issues at the ramp affect livability for adjacent residents and may require capital investment.

What’s next: staff scheduled a dedicated parking work session; council members and business leaders said they want formal responses on staffing, enforcement hours, kiosk/app details and revenue tracking before implementation. Residents asked council to consider capital funding for physical controls at the ramp to address nighttime noise and safety.

","At the June 9 meeting residents said noise from the Galloway Street parking ramp has returned despite earlier mitigations and asked council to fund a controlled gate in the capital budget; downtown business organizations warned staff and council not to implement paid parking without dedicated staffing, enforcement plans and clear revenue use.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Eau Claire Council holds public discussion on 2026–2030 Capital Improvement Plan; $255 million proposed

County and city form Housing Our Neighbors Planning Collaborative to draft homelessness response plan

Residents seek gate for noisy Galloway ramp; downtown businesses urge caution on paid‑parking rollout