Committee approves transfer to support River Pointe project manager contract

The Finance & Personnel Committee approved a resolution authorizing a transfer of funds to the Redevelopment Authority of La Crosse to cover part of a project manager contract for the River Pointe District.

Director Train told the committee that the redevelopment work on River Pointe dates to the 1970s and that the city hired Jason Gilman, the former planning director, to serve as project manager roughly three years ago. "Jason has provided value in the last 3 years," Director Train said, adding that Gilman is open to renewing his contract for the next three years. The proposal asks the city to transfer half of the annual contract cost to the RDA, with the RDA covering the remainder from land sale proceeds and renewing the contract annually.

Councilmember Janssen moved adoption and Councilmember Sleznickl seconded. Committee members had no substantive objections after the director's explanation; the motion passed unanimously.

Why it matters: The River Pointe District is a long‑running redevelopment effort in which the RDA and city collaborate. Funding the project manager helps maintain continuity on development tasks and property acquisitions tied to the district.

Next steps: The RDA will administer the contract and renew it annually; the council-authorized transfer provides half of the annual amount as described in the resolution.