Council commends Bremmer, approves slate of ordinances
Mayor Dave Hemmer (left) presented a plaque of commendation to Nate Bremmer (right). Bremmer served on the Prairie du Chien Common Council from 2012-2024. (Steve Van Kooten/Courier Press)
By Steve Van Kooten
After an extended break due to the April elections, the Prairie du Chien Common Council convened on April 9 to consider several ordinances and commend District One Alderman Nate Bremmer for his years of service on the council.
In attendance were alderpersons Bremmer, Kayla Ingham, Kelssi Ziegler, Vicki Waller, Pam Kiesau, Jaaren Riebe and Nick Crary. Also present were Mayor David Hemmer, City Administrator Chad Abram, City Planner Nathan Gilberts, Street Superintendent Nick Gilberts, Police Chief Kyle Teynor and City Attorney Amanda Tisdale.
Commendation
Hemmer read a proclamation to commend Bremmer for more than a decade of service on the common council.
“Nate has provided his constituents with fair and respected representation on the common council of Prairie du Chien,” said Hemmer.
The mayor cited Bremmer’s service on several committees, most recently personnel, finance and the plan commission.
Bremmer said, “I’ve truly enjoyed the last several years on the council, and I’d be lying if I said I’m not going to miss it, but I am going to miss it. But it’s time to take a step back and focus on future career opportunities.”
Bremmer has served on the council since 2012. Andy Ringgold will succeed Bremmer on April 16.
Trafficking grant
The council accepted a $27,552 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice to maintain and add license plate reader (LPR) cameras at strategic access points to the city.
“We currently have cameras on the bridge to and from Iowa, as well as at the airport,” said Teynor. This grant helps us maintain those cameras, as well as a couple other locations.” He said new camera placements would be determined in conjunction with the Crawford County Sheriff’s Department.
“The focus of this grant is drug trafficking. Trying to get anyone trafficking or selling drugs in and from our city,” said Teynor.
Law enforcement agencies can share information from the LPR camera system with other jurisdictions, including the state of Wisconsin.
The grant will also fund the purchase of evidence bags for the police department.
The council authorized the mayor to sign off on the grant.
Ordinances
The council considered two ordinances related to the sale and possession of cannabis products.
The first ordinance repealed and recreated the section of Prairie du Chien’s municipal code that prohibited the possession of marijuana, synthetic cannabinoids and drug paraphernalia. The definitions of synthetic cannabinoids included “all controlled substances defined in Wisconsin’s state statutes.”
The second ordinance added a section to address the regulation of hemp-derived cannabinoids, including delta-8 THC, delta-10 THC and hexahydrocannabinol (HHC), among others. The ordinance restricted legal possession of those products to individuals 21 years of age or older, except as allowed by Wisconsin law. The list of regulated substances did not include Cannibidiol (CBD) products.
“So, is this just for what’s currently illegal in the state of Wisconsin?” Riebe asked.
“There’s two ordinances,” Tisdale said. “My advice was to have one for delta-8 products and another for marijuana. The second one, the hemp-derived cannabinoids, are legal to sell to anyone over 21. THC, delta-9, pot is [sic] not legal regardless of age.”
Tisdale said the city did not have a code section that dealt with the purchase of hemp-derived products, and the city’s current municipal code on marijuana was insufficient.
The council approved both ordinances and waived the first and second readings.
Other Business
• approved a street closure permit for Steve Jones on May 17. Abram said the closure would affect approximately one block north of the North Main Street and Blackhawk Avenue intersection. Riebe abstained from the vote.
• Abram said changes were proposed for the space needs study for the Public Safety Center because the square feet needed had increased by almost 12,000 square feet. He expected technical drilling for the site investigation and pre-planning would start the week of April 15 and last for “two to three days.”
• approved an ordinance to rezone Crawford County’s plot from low-density R-1 to a planned community development. The council approved the change in March, after a public hearing.
• a special meeting will be held to designate committee assignments and elect a new president for the council on April 16 at 6:45 p.m., followed by a regular council meeting.
