[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-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],{"_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",6173582,"mediaKeyId","5379206-78be7ee783b826de6dbb9c3f3ee0f118","parentId",5379206,"title","Council approves consent-agenda items including sidewalk contract, ordinances and appointments; Pettibone Park license deferred to closed session","audioSeconds",6554,"startMs",536000,"endMs",7090000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5379206-78be7ee783b826de6dbb9c3f3ee0f118&start=536&end=7090","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5379206-78be7ee783b826de6dbb9c3f3ee0f118/thumbnail_536000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6173582/La-Crosse/La-Crosse-County/Wisconsin/Council-approves-consent-agenda-items-including-sidewalk-contract-ordinances-and-appointments-Pettibone-Park-license-deferred-to-closed-session","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6173582-3d47d2098c6bc6384c74846dda115e3b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771189528&Signature=KHYf0aFQIxznoQkQ4jRJEjqS7aRlZWjN8OwSjpiQMH-R~mxfIuOFjbZXI6jNBhSrIYxRQhfdKckL7B4CrNOx7z7mzIch8102cUIAH70la~X0fNP3ePoM2yK9~T-9BzwlJXotVSjdL3KyIWWJfU142OnQ-W1FiylgwAOTBSs7wSUQKJeqiD0dejPagCv1uqQRu-k8bTUMCB1PxuXU3KBZAhOazyIpct1TUoQ8~S~0DKP2K6V6TvsOHl0lKBIRAiMIsPkkdYD8Y9L9IxeTmvG64pWlgzqDdfk7Ks6bw~lcI~l9testrSx0WYYv9d8b3YY~EI8ess9rt3mHuWxN~wUCFg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","WI / La Crosse City ","date","2025-06-12T00:00:00Z","article","The La Crosse Common Council passed the bulk of its consent agenda on Monday, approving routine minutes, finance reports, contracts, appointments and several ordinance changes with little debate.

Key outcomes included:
- Approval of May 8, 2025 minutes (unanimous).
- Receipt and filing of the April financial report (motion by Council Member Calo; second Padeschi) — unanimous.
- Resolution approving 2025 bills and engineering estimates — adopted unanimously.
- Contract award: 25-0570 — contract with Pembroke Companies Inc. for 2025 miscellaneous sidewalk infill, $112,470 (mover: Council Member Kalo; second: Council Member Padeschi) — passed unanimously.
- Appointments to multiple boards (ethics, heritage preservation, human rights, La Crosse Center Board, parks, Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory, etc.) — confirmed with a 12-yes, 1-abstention vote.
- Suspension of Council Rule 15 for several items — passed unanimously.
- Ordinances adopted, including amendments regarding storage of personal property (item 25-0601) and creation of Board of Building and Housing Appeals sections (25-06100) — each passed unanimously.
- Resolution creating and appropriating design funds for Green Bay Street (Ninth to Fourteenth) STP‑Urban project — approved; staff explained up to $260,000 for design and delivery costs would come from unappropriated street funds.
- Resolution appropriating additional funding for the citywide traffic signal interconnect and synchronization program — approved.

Licensing and closed-session actions:
- A request to move the Pettibone Park Resort license and a related lease item to closed session occurred; the council convened in closed session pursuant to Wisconsin Statute 19.85(1)(g) to consult with legal counsel. After returning to open session the council took action on the Pettibone-related item; a motion was made to grant the license subject to compliance and the meeting record indicates unanimous consent to proceed.

Several items were removed from the consent agenda for separate consideration, including a development agreement for Haven on Main LLC (reported separately) and one license tied to the closed-session lease.

Ending: The bulk of routine business was handled through the consent agenda, with a few items extracted for discussion or closed-session review. Council members asked staff to provide details on funding sources where appropriate (for example, design funds for the Green Bay Street project).","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","La Crosse City Common Council June 12, 2025 ","oneSentenceSummary","A cluster of routine resolutions, contracts and ordinances passed mostly unanimously. Council awarded a $112,470 sidewalk infill contract, confirmed multiple appointments, adopted several ordinances and handled licensing; one license and a lease were addressed in closed session.","taxTitle","La Crosse, La Crosse County, Wisconsin","taxId",3927,"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},6173586,"Council approves Haven on Main affordable housing development agreement with 20‑year tax covenant",856,5820000,6676000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5379206-78be7ee783b826de6dbb9c3f3ee0f118&start=5820&end=6676","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5379206-78be7ee783b826de6dbb9c3f3ee0f118/thumbnail_5820000.jpg","/articles/6173586/La-Crosse/La-Crosse-County/Wisconsin/Council-approves-Haven-on-Main-affordable-housing-development-agreement-with-20year-tax-covenant","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6173586-ce9c2a65ad8d23d85242f606cf866680/orig.mp4?Expires=1771189528&Signature=dSG~1gphZHD6q7iuUu5HgT~q0r7ipMqjM~zpAa3hWBeKNQpFeMbu~Xsnf~0MP00P8pBzayXTrj3CrlY76r7opWYdKbzAD4~Sgil5cZnxIBLn4OYM2p6OqQ9gLBuW6k5pFhmPB-4L3N7krYR6wsERDxyqummc0Qa16xTnazywPLpB5VUGcgcOLQHizTUHu1qHS9VQd-VmUldBo6uoFkhzvpQRoYu1y5ElRMdoIRh8BhXI3O0JyV3dv-1PVjyRilK4z0q670ZpuzXDYKukfaQvXbiRFi8TqG~6qqYAPa9M41ouoU~YKHQs7NZkHwk01s39QPASV4vzTYHopUal2CECWw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The La Crosse Common Council approved a development agreement with Haven on Main LLC for an affordable housing project at the corner of Main Street and Tenth Street North, including a restrictive covenant tied to tax treatment, on a vote of 11 yes, 1 no, 1 abstention.

Council Member Weston moved to adopt the development agreement; Council Member Northwood seconded. The item had been removed from the consent agenda for separate discussion. Council Member Calo, whose ward includes the site, said he supports the project but opposed public funding because the development agreement allows the nonprofit owner to seek tax-exempt status after a period, which he said could remove the property from the tax rolls in two decades.

Marta Train (recorded as Director Train), from the city planning/assessment staff, told council members that the 20‑year term in the development agreement is a standard element used as a reasonable, uniform term and that in many cases low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC) projects face longer tax‑exempt restrictions through program rules. She described the tax assessment process for LIHTC projects: assessors examine actual restricted rents when determining value, so projects with subsidized rents generally produce lower assessed values and therefore lower property‑tax revenue than comparable market‑rate buildings.

Train also said the development-agreement language typically ties the covenant to 20 years or the TID length (whichever is longer) and that the developer must show, under state rules and city practice, that \"but for\" the TIF support the project would not proceed. The planning director confirmed the project also has other subsidy layers, including Low-Income Housing Tax Credits administered through the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority, which impose their own time-bound restrictions on use and rent levels.

Council discussion focused on the trade-offs between creating subsidized housing, the length of public assistance and tax-roll impacts. Members asked staff about assessment methodology and whether any portion of a building could be deemed tax-exempt while other portions remain taxable; staff said those determinations occur at the time of a tax-exemption application and are decided under statutory criteria.

The council adopted the agreement with 11 yeses, 1 no and 1 abstention. Council members who voted against or abstained cited concerns about long-term tax revenue impacts or wanted more time to review legal specifics.

Ending: Staff will proceed under the development agreement and TIF terms; the planning and assessment offices will process any later tax-exemption requests according to state statute and local practice.

","The Common Council approved a development agreement and tax increment financing for a low-income housing project at Main Street and Tenth Street North after discussion about tax-exempt status and assessment impacts; the vote was 11-1-1.",{"_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},6173592,"Council rejects La Crosse Public Library furniture bids; director plans to rebid",214,594000,808000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5379206-78be7ee783b826de6dbb9c3f3ee0f118&start=594&end=808","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5379206-78be7ee783b826de6dbb9c3f3ee0f118/thumbnail_594000.jpg","/articles/6173592/La-Crosse/La-Crosse-County/Wisconsin/Council-rejects-La-Crosse-Public-Library-furniture-bids-director-plans-to-rebid","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6173592-a810fe481bc7f64e1090a4e823b1de5a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771189528&Signature=Fu80AtaPbSu~yuCr0KegcW7GN9kqN06hL5xW67ZvhJnqC4XlL26OftUJcB5Ab6ZXN4wL01MzbzHjknPfN1exXgJvjayCAUbFrDGdHnkOpkg9t5mwef6OySlOtMTYFlIv1mZ5ez9PnXrayplC-G6fpQ91GyBW7UlesRrmTkdkuMJoEO4m-SwrfdMZa-SjwBf-M0~LHEoaQTaAZ5kJ2XJzk29NIgjGYauZYLQQ9XWMvx0vzYzoEd1jm8WFsrWCZRSuyMd-6EyzYDDylxp62QLeLqt5wRsSsNRlm-tuJ1H0-JrhrBD9fOuhyhK0Eh3NK~ZLcsFoT9v-FG1TW3Qj7i55Vw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The La Crosse Common Council unanimously rejected four furniture bid packages for the La Crosse Public Library during Monday’s meeting after staff said the solicitations produced single bidders or no responses.

Director Wasek of the La Crosse Public Library told the council that five furnishing packages were advertised as part of the library remodel funded by an FFP grant; four packages produced exactly one bid each and one received no bids. \"We put out for bid 5 furnishing packages related to the remodel that we'll be doing as part of our FFP grant and of those 4 received a single bid each and 1 received 0 bids. And so we made the call to go ahead and rebid those, put them back out next month,\" Director Wasek said.

Council members moved and passed separate motions to reject each package so staff can rebid. The motions, each carried unanimously, were recorded as:
- 25-0560: La Crosse Public Library furniture contract 1, general furnishings — motion to reject (mover: Council Member Wood; second: Council Member Weston).
- 25-0562: La Crosse Public Library furniture contract 3, systems furnishing project — motion to reject (mover: Council Member Stein; second: Council Member Northwood).
- 25-0563: La Crosse Public Library furniture contract 04, custom furnishing projects — motion to reject (mover: Council Member Weston; second: Council Member Bedford).
- 25-0564: La Crosse Public Library furniture contract 5, book stacks project — motion to reject (mover: Council Member Mendel; second: Council Member Weston).

Director Wasek told the council staff plans to rebid next month and that the furnishings are not required until later in the remodel schedule, giving time to seek more competitive bids.

Ending: Council formalized the rejections so the library can reissue the packages; staff said they expect an improved bidding slate on rebid and will return when awards are ready for council action.

","After single or no bids on several furnishing packages for a library remodel tied to a federal FFP grant, the council unanimously rejected four bid packages and directed staff to rebid.",{"_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},6173597,"La Crosse council approves stormwater utility rate increase to shore up permit compliance and capital needs",4038,862000,4900000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5379206-78be7ee783b826de6dbb9c3f3ee0f118&start=862&end=4900","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5379206-78be7ee783b826de6dbb9c3f3ee0f118/thumbnail_862000.jpg","/articles/6173597/La-Crosse/La-Crosse-County/Wisconsin/La-Crosse-council-approves-stormwater-utility-rate-increase-to-shore-up-permit-compliance-and-capital-needs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6173597-8857594c4d21053cb02805a9999ddd41/orig.mp4?Expires=1771189529&Signature=Y8ctpGCk1GIUaR1WGdxl8V~ej2sLDXhzpJ0UUQIGR7l0ZcuS8EmBl2ZL1fs83fOaEvLRlsnr2CckP4B6rs2K6gYZeuHozUb5C2up046ziv5ociIje6RxEWxEmOv8msHfiNdnZT22WM0kuFFf7bKuCQn-ZeLVe40erg4ydyy4y4Nmm2EwUaQG3iXNvhP81KMKilyxlNs4FvrXyOj17rDwSrz9Ea31C5k4-hO2bs5-DAQoSizS4l~nYGNTORuHXT9sbLMrx0MMIeY-hUs8ykUrlX5tn8F7g3JG4QA8Xx-Dudt2WW2ZX9FvGmd2JbpaqA6QndkpRg3boTN-jbFFaWYGyg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The La Crosse Common Council on Monday approved a multi-stage increase to the city’s stormwater utility rates to replenish depleted reserves, fully fund operations and help meet state and federal stormwater permit requirements.

The council adopted the rate package on a 9-4 vote after hearing a presentation from Tina Erickson, Finance and Compliance Manager for La Crosse Utilities, and a rate study prepared by Trilogy Consulting. Council Member Trost moved to adopt the recommendation; Council Member Mindell seconded.

Council members and staff said the utility’s existing rates—set years ago—do not cover the ongoing operation, maintenance and capital needs required by the municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4) permit enforced by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Erickson told the council the utility’s unrestricted cash had fallen to under $300,000 at the end of 2024 and that, at current rates, the utility is not financially sustainable.

Erickson said the Trilogy recommendation would be implemented in two phases: a quarterly charge per equivalent runoff unit (ERU) of $29.66 beginning July 1, 2025, and a quarterly charge of $36.18 beginning Jan. 1, 2026, with inflationary adjustments thereafter. She estimated the average residential customer would see about a $5.40-per-month increase in 2025 and an additional $2.17 in 2026. \"The storm water utility is a vital asset to our community and it's a fulfillment of the ordinance enacted by the common council,\" Erickson said, adding that the utility's work supports regulatory compliance and flood mitigation.

Council members pressed staff on the history of the utility, earlier policy choices and alternatives. Erickson traced key changes to 2018, when an ordinance amendment removed the city's prior 50% share of capital costs, and to 2022, when a sunset clause was removed. Asked about enforcement risk for failing to meet MS4 obligations, Council Member Weston cited fines and legal referrals, saying permit violations can lead to fines (noted in discussion as up to $10,000 per day) and potential state or federal enforcement actions.

Several amendment and process motions were offered and defeated before the main motion passed. Council Member Padeschi moved a slower, five-year phase-in (25% July 1; 10% Jan. 1, 2026; then 5% annually through 2029); Council Member Calo seconded the amendment; it failed 4-9. Council Member Janssen moved to refer the item for 30 days; Council Member Pudetzky seconded; the referral failed on a 5-8 vote. Council members who opposed the immediate schedule argued the increase could be a hardship for residents and businesses; supporters stressed long-term financial stability and compliance obligations.

Erickson and Trilogy staff told the council the plan is intended to allow the utility to cash-fund capital projects (avoiding debt and interest expense) and to restore a target level of reserves over time. Staff also noted options for customers to reduce charges through stormwater credits by installing on-site best-management practices or removing impervious surface.

The council adopted the motion to implement the rate increases; the final roll-call tally was 9 yes, 4 no, 0 abstain. Council discussion and staff answers placed a number of clarifying details on the record, including the proposed ERU charges, the projected residential bill impacts, the prior adopted quarterly rate of $13.48 and the consultant’s recommendation to revisit rates with a full study in 2029.

Council members and staff noted practical tradeoffs if the city delayed or slowed the increase: projects would likely be delayed, the city could need to borrow (increasing long-term costs), and the utility could risk failing to meet MS4 deadlines from the DNR. Erickson said some compliance items identified during a November 2024 audit are due by March 2026 and that those deadlines were part of the urgency communicated to the council.

Looking ahead, Erickson said the utility will provide credit-policy information on the city website and that the staff recommends inflationary adjustments for three years after 2026 and a full rate study in 2029 to reassess sustainability.

Ending: The council’s decision takes effect in two phases that will be prorated on customer bills; most customers will not see the full impact until April 2026, staff said. Council members who opposed the schedule said they will continue to press staff for further public education and to identify mitigation for low‑income residents.

","After a multi-hour discussion, the Common Council approved a two-step rate increase for the stormwater utility to address declining reserves, meet MS4 permit requirements enforced by the Wisconsin DNR and fund ongoing operations and capital work.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council approves consent-agenda items including sidewalk contract, ordinances and appointments; Pettibone Park license deferred to closed session

Council approves Haven on Main affordable housing development agreement with 20‑year tax covenant

Council rejects La Crosse Public Library furniture bids; director plans to rebid

La Crosse council approves stormwater utility rate increase to shore up permit compliance and capital needs