La Crosse · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in La Crosse public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
CDBG housing rehabilitation program partnership
The city is handing its long-running home repair program — around since 1981, with over 1,300 homes renovated — to a nonprofit partner to run with $250,000 a year in federal CDBG funds. Low-income homeowners get health and safety repairs like roofs, furnaces, and accessibility ramps.
2025 federal grant performance (CAPER) and public service subrecipients
Karuna Inc. dissolved and can't use its share of the HOME-ARP supportive services award, leaving the city to figure out how to redirect funds that serve the chronically homeless. Staff will bring options back next month.
Redevelopment of former community policing center at 713 St. James St.
The city is preparing to seek redevelopment proposals for its vacant former community policing center, modeled on the recent library RFP. Commissioners flagged that the site could be rezoned for housing, and the mayor emphasized the city shouldn't let owned buildings sit vacant.
Driftless Apartments development agreement compliance
The first completed project at River Point District passed its annual compliance review, with an amended agreement setting a $9.6 million tax base guarantee by tax year 2027 and clarifying how payments in lieu of taxes count toward the developer's obligations.
Homelessness prevention funding
St. Clare Health Mission received $30,183.05 in leftover public service funds for its TNT program, which the director said is the main prevention arm keeping people from becoming homeless — housing 10-14 people in a typical month.
Third and Fourth Street corridor redesign
WisDOT is planning major changes to Highway 16 through La Crosse — a lower speed limit, narrower lanes, new paths, and intersection reworkings. The choices made now will shape safety for walkers and bikers for decades, with construction not starting until 2031.
Fire Station #1 window replacement
Fire Station #3 is in the middle of a remodel, and its four garage doors are being replaced with heavier-duty versions. The new springs are rated for 50,000 uses versus the 10,000-cycle springs currently at their max — important since fire rigs go in and out constantly. The doors will be red to match Stations #2 and #4.
Downtown historic district sign standards
Commissioners flagged that the new Bodega sign is very large but the district's standards set no size limits — leaving the commission unable to require a smaller sign. Revisiting the standards may be a future project.
River Point District development momentum
Staff reported that five or six projects — including Cowboy Jack's, 18 War Eagle condos, the Unwind 42 townhomes, and a roughly $80 million senior housing development — could break ground next spring. Developers who finished this year leased up their buildings in about a month and praised the city's process.
TID 11 amendment and Public Market predevelopment
The Authority is spending $45,000 of a $600,000 city contribution to update the 2018 public market studies and gauge whether the project — and public interest — still justifies moving forward.
Northside Floodplain Redevelopment
Final Letter of Map Revision work will get Lot 10 out of the floodplain, splitting up to $15,000 in Authority costs with War Eagle LSE — a step that clears the way for development there.
Ott House local landmark designation, 1512 Winnebago Street
One of La Crosse's 10 oldest surviving homes could become a local historic landmark. The owner-nominators spent hours in archives tracing the house's history, including its move from downtown around 1911-12. A public hearing and final decision come October 22.
Municipal Harbor campground and sauna concepts
The west harbor property could get a city-run campground with eight seasonal sites and a group site, plus a wood-fired sauna and cold plunge business in the off-season. Details and pricing still need to come back for approval.
Loggers lease extension at Copeland Park
The city locked in the Loggers and Steam at Copeland Park through 2043 with flat $25,000 annual rent instead of per-game revenue. The Loggers now handle stadium scheduling, saving parks staff time.
Bicentennial Trail Phase 3 reroute
The steep Bicentennial Trail climb in Lower Hixon Forest would be rerouted to under 10% grade, making it safer and easier to maintain. Construction could start in early 2027 after public input.
2027-2031 Capital Improvement Budget
Parks staff walked through projects across the city: Copeland Park shelter rebuild, eight new pickleball courts at Trane, Memorial Pool wall repair, the Veterans Freedom Trail, and the $3.5 million River Point marina plus $10.9 million park plan — funded by a mix of TID money and borrowing.
Losey Boulevard safety improvements
The board approved payments for property the city needs along Losey Boulevard, which keeps the road project moving forward.
Bike parking design standards
A proposal to ban worst-offender bike racks (schoolyard-style, wheelbenders) and require secure, usable short-term parking, plus indoor long-term bike storage in larger multifamily buildings. It would ride along with the city's zoning code update, though members want more evidence from cities La Crosse's size before committing.
Week Without Driving participation
La Crosse will join the national Week Without Driving October 1-8, asking elected officials to experience getting around without a car. WisDOT estimates 40% or more of city residents are non-drivers.
Regional Safety Action Plan
Committee members want pedestrians to get a head start at crossings, but the city's five-section signal heads make that impossible without confusing left-turning drivers. Andrew Sherman said intersections are where he's come closest to being hit.
King Street Greenway funding
The council told WisDOT it prefers a new 'hybrid' alternative: bike lanes on Third and Fourth Streets from Vine to La Crosse Street using existing extra lane space, keeping on-street parking south of Vine and losing only about 6-7 stalls near the old Tribune site. A roundabout is planned regardless of this choice.
2027 City Operating Budget
The board had to pick between two budget scenarios for 2027 city spending. Ten residents spoke at the public hearing before the board settled on scenario #2, which now moves forward as the recommended budget.
Main Street closure for US Bank crane work
A large crane operation will close Main Street between 2nd and 3rd Streets for roughly one day next week to remove cell equipment from the US Bank Building. The contractor handles traffic control, business notifications, and 24-hour no-parking signage.
$65 Million Wastewater Plant Upgrade and Phosphorus Compliance
La Crosse's new state discharge permit took effect October 1 with stricter limits, including PFAS monitoring mentioned 105 times in the permit. The plant's biosolids tested at 0.0843 parts per billion against a 20 ppb limit — well under, unlike some neighboring communities.
Green steel trial at the wastewater plant
The plant is only the second city in the country trialing 'green steel' — steel mill slag — to replace ferric chloride for phosphorus removal. Sixty days in, the plant is running better than ever with a third less chemical, and staff built the feeder in-house for $2,150 instead of a $100,000 system.
Leaf collection and road salt practices
Leaf collection starts in about two weeks — residents should pile leaves on the boulevard, not in the street, where they clog storm drains and add nutrients to waterways. Staff also previewed winter salt reduction using brine and sand.
PFAS contamination at French Island wells
La Crosse's new state discharge permit took effect October 1 with stricter limits, including PFAS monitoring mentioned 105 times in the permit. The plant's biosolids tested at 0.0843 parts per billion against a 20 ppb limit — well under, unlike some neighboring communities.
Illicit railroad storm sewer connection closed
The railroad piped an unpermitted connection into the city storm sewer at Charles and St. James Streets using substandard materials. Staff closed it off; the railroad must go through the engineering department if it wants to reconnect.
Water Utility Fleet and Equipment Needs
The water utility kept three trucks it was going to sell because flushing and valve-turning work left crews short on vehicles — cheaper than renting at $2,000 per truck for six months.
2027 Sewer Rate CPI Adjustment
Sewer bills are going up 4%, likely starting December 1 or January 1. The board also ordered a full rate study, with results back in 2027, to figure out longer-term sewer pricing.
Council Expense Accounts and Reimbursement Policy
A proposal to convert the $300 monthly council expense stipend into receipt-based reimbursement failed 9-3-1. Supporters of the stipend argued it keeps council service possible for working parents and people without flexible jobs; others said council should model employee policies and find budget cuts.
Army Corps Flood Risk Management Study Agreement
The city is officially partnering with the Army Corps on a $3 million, three-year study of the North Side levee system — the first at this scale since 1975. It's the gateway to federal funding for actual flood protection projects later.
Non-Compliant Utility Service Separations
State PSC rules require every unit in a multi-unit building to have its own shutoff, and shared sewer lines between duplexes must be separated — hitting property owners with $6,000-$10,000 bills, sometimes decades after the fact. Council members are frustrated; staff are testing a right-of-way assessment pilot and pricey remote-shutoff meters ($700 vs $150) as relief options.
Council Vote on Rezoning and Appointments
The La Crosse Common Council voted to rezone the North Side Library property and change some city department leadership. If you’re on the North Side or use city services, this could shift what happens at that site and how departments are run.
Copeland Park shelter and bathroom project progress
Good news at Copeland Park: the downsized open-air shelter is finished and the old bathroom building is demolished. Crews are waiting on Bright Speed to relocate a fiber line before digging the new bathroom foundations.