Shake up at Prairie du Chien City Hall continues with familiar faces
By Correne Martin
The shake-up at Prairie du Chien City Hall continues, as a new zoning administrator was appointed during Tuesday night’s common council meeting and the creation of an administrative assistant position was approved.
Cassie Rickleff was named the new zoning administrator, filling the vacancy left by Julie Jackson, who departed the first week of January for a new position with Crawford County. City Planner Garth Frable was the interim zoning administrator. Rickleff will take the job as soon as the new administrative assistant is hired. Rickleff will receive a new salary of $20 per hour upon completion of a six-month probationary period, plus an additional $1.50 per hour for her added duties of municipal court clerk. Furthermore, Deputy City Clerk Joni Clausen will receive an increase in her salary from $17.57 to $18 per hour.
These changes are in addition to the exit of seven-year city administrator, Aaron Kramer, who will be replaced in the interim by the new city clerk, Tina Fuller, who took the position held by Barb Elvert for 42 until she retired in early January. A nationwide search for a different administrator is underway presently. Other transitions in the past two months have occurred in the public works department. The council decided Jan. 3 to restructure the department by eliminating the co-public works director positions. Larry Gates, who shared the duties with Terry Meyer, who retired Jan. 6, was appointed water department superintendent. A few weeks later, fellow longtime employees Glenn Goodrich and Dan Titlbach were named wastewater department superintendent and street department superintendent, respectively.
Regal Marine offer rejected
After closed session Tuesday night, the council rejected two offers. First was the Jan. 27 settlement proposal from Regal Marine Group. The council instead decided to proceed with arbitration. Second was an offer from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation to sell the city a 4.49-acre parcel of land south of Lockwood Street and west of U.S. Highway 18 for $244,500.
Rotary Park a new project
The pocket park located at the southeast corner of Marquette Road and Blackhawk Avenue was renamed in late 2015 as Rotary Park in honor of the Prairie du Chien Rotary Club. According to a memo, the city’s explanation for the naming was because the club had, for years, maintained a series of flower pots along Marquette Road. However, with the continuous Marquette Road Project, the club discontinued that project. So, renaming the park allowed the Rotary Club a new home for its beautification projects.
According to a memorandum of understanding, the Rotary Club is responsible for general maintenance of the park though the city will continue to provide snow removal services. Additions to the park, such as benches, a gazebo, a fountain or otherwise, would be at the organization’s expense and must be approved by the council prior to erection. A preliminary engineer’s statement of probable cost for the park is $12,870, the majority of which the club will undertake.
The council also:
•approved awarding a bid for non-slip epoxy to be applied on the locker room floor of the Wacouta Aquatic Center. The current, 30-year-old original floor is hard to clean, aesthetically unappealing and carries concerning health risks. The funds, $14,170, will come from the 2017-2018 capital borrowing.
•heard a request from Alderman Todd Crotty that the city take a more active role in the future of the former Fort Crawford Hotel on Blackhawk Avenue. He recommended a committee be created to explore future uses.
•approved the purchase of a portable volleyball system for Hoffman Hall, at the cost of $14,281, from SNA Sports, of Grand Rapids, Mich. Funds for the purchase will come from the Hoffman Hall capital campaign fund as well as a 2019 Hoffman Hall bond.
•terminated the lease between the city and the current occupant of the farmhouse rental property at La Riviere Park. According to City Attorney Lara Czajkowski Higgins, the lease was created in 1979 and added to in 2010. As part of the city’s longterm park plan, the old farmhouse will be demolished. City Building Inspector Dennis Hampton recently inspected the house and said the property clearly needs considerable repairs and upgrades. The attorney agreed demolition is a sensible action. The renter will have until July 31 to vacate the property.
•voted to purchase a street department computer and upgrade a computer at city hall.
•rescheduled the March 7 council meeting to Tuesday, March 14, because a quorum on March 7 was determined unlikely.
