Council approves urban boundaries adjustment

By Steve Van Kooten

When the Prairie du Chien Common Council convened on March 19, they accomplished more than rezoning property; the council also considered the adjustment of the city’s urban boundaries and heard an update on the city’s street department.

In attendance were alderpersons Nick Crary, Vicki Waller, Kayla Ingham, Kelssi Ziegler, Jaaren Riebe and Pam Kiesau. Mayor David Hemmer, Gilberts, City Administrator Chad Abram and Police Chief Kyle Teynor were also present. Alderman Nate Bremmer was absent from the meeting.

The adjustment to the city’s urban boundaries would reflect population density changes in the area and categorize areas as either urban or rural, including areas around U.S. Highway 18 in the southern part of the Prairie du Chien area, expanded park areas and a portion of the Highway 18 bridge over the Mississippi River. 

Francis Schelfhout, an urban and regional planner for the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (DOT), said the department had “eliminated some gray areas.” Abram said some new boundaries were “tweaked” because they were drawn on the river.

“It’s primarily for funding purposes between surface transportation program urban and rural roadway funding,” said Schelfhout.

STP funds, which total approximately $10.1 billion in 2024, according to the U.S. DOT, are part of the Surface Transportation Block Grant Program, which provides federal money for road improvement, repairs and other roadway projects. 

Urban funds are used for city areas, while rural funds are used for outlying roads, county highways and areas with less population density. Schelfhout said an area’s inclusion in an urban boundary gave the city better access to “urban dollars” from the STBG program.

“It improves our chances for getting block grants, and it’s required by law after every time they do the census,” Abram said.

Schelfhout, Abram and Riebe said that the urban boundaries, which extend through townships to the north and south of the city of Prairie du Chien, did not affect jurisdiction or encroach on townships’ authority.

The council approved the resolution to adjust Prairie du Chien’s urban boundaries and waived the first and second readings.

Street department

Street Superintendent Nick Gilberts updated the council on current and future street department projects.

He said the compost site opened earlier in March, but the brush site would remain closed until April 13.

“We had an irate citizen that [sic] thought [the brush site] should be open right away this spring or earlier than we’re going to open it. Is there any reason?” Hemmer asked.

“Staffing. Per the DNR, this last year we were required to have it staffed because too much garbage got dumped there,” said Gilberts. 

He noted the street department did not have enough staff available to open the brush site.

The city-wide clean-up will begin on April 15. The city will pick up brush, tires and other materials. On April 20, Town & Country Sanitation is expected to pick up the remaining items.

“Just a reminder to residents: your items can’t be more than a pickup load of stuff, or else they won’t pick them up,” said Gilberts. He added that larger loads would necessitate the use of a dumpster, and the clean-up service was primarily for residential properties with three or fewer family units.

The street department expects to seal-coat a portion of Dousman Street between Blackhawk Avenue and Dunn Street. During the meeting, the council approved a bid for Dousman Street’s seal coating.

“We’re not going to go any farther than that because of the new public safety building being built. We’re not sure if there’s going to be intrusions on to the road,” Gilberts said. The department plans to seal coat the rest of Dousman Street at a later time. 

Gilberts said the street department has considered removing the island medians from Blackhawk Avenue by St. Feriole Island. Accidents and vehicle damage were the primary reason. The removal of the islands would also increase parking space, according to Gilberts.

“I’m sad to hear about the islands leaving because I think it’s a pretty entryway... But also, as a pedestrian that [sic] is down there multiple times a week, I like that you only have to look at traffic going one direction to get to the island and then worry about the traffic from the other direction,” said Ziegler. 

Along with safety for people on foot, she said the islands provided some traffic control because drivers had to slow down and “actually pay attention” on that stretch of roadway.

Gilberts said plans for the islands could be adjusted. Ziegler requested the item be added to a future common council agenda.

Other projects included  pavement patchwork, improvements to Rock School and landscaping at the roundabouts on Wisconsin 35.

Other business

• Music on the River will be extended one week this summer after the parks and recreation department booked an additional band.

• Abram stated the city will meet biweekly with SEH, with updates following, for the public safety building project.

• the spring elections are on April 2.

• the next council meeting was moved to April 9.