La Crosse mayor defends fence-and-closure policy after public hearing as residents call for transparency and reopening

Mayor Shawndell Washington Spivey and Parks Director Jay Odegaard defended the temporary closures and chain‑link fencing at Burns Park, Cameron Park, Copeland Park shelter and parts of Black River Beach at a Nov. 20 Board of Park Commissioners meeting, saying repeated safety incidents forced a tough choice between increased policing or temporary closure.

The mayor said the decision followed direct visits to the parks and consultations with police and outreach teams and that safety incidents — "needles, fights, open drug use, theft" and repeated shelter break‑ins — made reopening premature. "And until that happens, I just don't deem it to be safe to do that," Shawndell Washington Spivey said, describing the closures as part of a coordinated effort with Pathways Home, police and other partners.

Why it matters: the closures affect downtown green space, school recess access and neighborhood perception of La Crosse. Community members told the board the fences have harmed tourism and civic life and have made outreach to people experiencing homelessness harder.

Residents who spoke at the public hearing criticized the process and urged quicker reopening. Andrew Sherman, a La Crosse resident, said he "feels like there has been a general lack of transparency surrounding the decision‑making process to close the parks," and asked the city to publish timelines and plans. Joella Streibel, a parent and public‑health worker, called the fences "an unsightly blight on our community, a symbol of cruelty," and said fencing displaces people and makes it harder for outreach workers to maintain contact.

Director Odegaard told commissioners the closures were not taken lightly and that the decision to close Burns and Cameron grew from a pattern of escalating incidents and prior history with unsanctioned encampments. "The closure was decided upon between myself, Chief Kudron, and the mayor," he said, and stressed the department's intent to reopen parks only when additional safeguards and partner buy‑in are in place.

On Copeland Park, Odegaard said shelter facilities were broken into multiple times prior to winterization; staff installed fencing to secure the shelter and plan to slide the fence open temporarily for a scheduled north‑side lacrosse event, with porta‑potties provided. He said shelters and outdoor showers will remain winterized and that reopening of those facilities typically occurs in early to mid‑April, weather permitting.

Lieutenant Kearns, speaking for police, said some activities have been displaced to other areas but that concentrations of incidents in the closed parks — including fights tied to sustained alcohol and drug use in a single location — have decreased. "We have seen issues displaced. I think that there are fewer issues total," Kearns said, describing his assessment from daily call screening.

Several speakers urged that the public be able to review and vet the near‑final implementation plan before full rollout. The mayor said community members have been and can be invited to review the plan and invited residents to contact her office to work with staff. County board member Kelly Leibold welcomed the interagency collaboration and urged continued county‑city partnership through Pathways Home.

What the board did: commissioners opened a public hearing, heard multiple public comments and did not take a formal vote on reopening at the meeting. Staff said they have developed a near‑final plan on paper and will continue working with partner organizations to finalize implementation steps.

Next steps: staff and the mayor said they will continue refining the plan with Pathways Home, police, county partners and community reviewers; no date for reopening was set, though staff cited an early‑to‑mid‑April window for restoring winterized shelter facilities once the plan and conditions allow it.