Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Capital Budget topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board reviews 2027–31 capital equipment requests, with focus on fleet replacement and radio upgrades
Summary
At an informational work session Feb. 23, the La Crosse Board of Public Works heard department requests for 2027 equipment spending, discussed fleet standardization to replace multiple single-purpose vehicles, and was warned of multiyear vendor lead times for specialized trucks and radio hardware.
The La Crosse Board of Public Works held an informational work session on Feb. 23 to review capital equipment requests for 2027 through 2031, focusing on vehicle replacements, information-technology upgrades and public-safety radios.
Finance staff told the board it approves only the capital equipment portion of the capital improvement plan and must file a recommended budget with the Finance and Personnel Committee by April 1. Finance said roughly 68% of equipment funding this year is expected to come from general obligation debt, with enterprise funds, one general-fund operating request and a local grant making up the balance.
“About 90% of it is dump trucks,” Ryan Rasmussen said of the street department’s equipment requests, describing plans to buy multiuse trucks with hook-lift or “stow and go” systems that can replace several single-purpose vehicles. Rasmussen said those changes should make the fleet more reliable, reduce the number of vehicles in service and simplify training because controls and hydraulics will be standardized across new units.
Rasmussen warned of industry lead times: depending on configuration, trucks typically take a year to two years from order to delivery. He said airport-specific 4-wheel-drive trucks often take longer to manufacture.
Finance provided an initial borrowing picture: approximately $4,900,000 in new debt issuance for equipment and roughly $7,200,000 for projects, for about $12,200,000 in new borrowing under current requests. Board members discussed efforts to reduce overall borrowing from last year’s roughly $15,000,000 toward a target closer to $13,000,000.
IT staff described a $50,000 request for computer replacements next year and a $100,000 estimate for networking/backbone storage upgrades; they also said the vendor will stop supporting existing public-safety radio controller hardware by 2028, making a controller replacement necessary before then. The board heard that handheld Motorola radios used by non–public-safety departments will also need replacement in coming years.
Parks and the La Crosse Center presented requests including a replacement lift truck for Parks and a $250,000 audiovisual package for the La Crosse Center intended to allow more in-house AV work and reduce contracting costs. The fire department outlined a $40,000 request for specialty-team gear, including replacement protective suits, rapid deployment crafts and gas-monitoring meters.
Board leaders emphasized this was an informational session, not a budget vote. Staff will continue department-level discussions and return with refined estimates and recommendations before any formal actions.
