New officer sworn in at PdC council meeting

By Steve Van Kooten

The Prairie du Chien Common Council tackled a hefty agenda during their August 6 meeting. Multiple ordinances, resolutions and recommendations were given to the council for action, along with a report from the Prairie du Chien Area Chamber of Commerce CEO Robert Moses.

In attendance were alderpersons Andy Ringgold, Kayla Ingham, Mark Bowar, Bob Granzow, Vicki Waller, Nick Crary and Jaaren Riebe. Mayor David Hemmer, City Administrator Chad Abram, City Planner Nate Gilberts and Street Superintendent Nick Gilberts were also in attendance.

Mayor Hemmer confirmed that the common council had another vacancy because Pam Kiesau stepped down from her position as one of the city’s two at-large alderpersons. He added that there were several people interested in filling the vacancy. Kiesau, who took a position with the council in the fall of 2023, was reelected in April 2024.

Before the council made any decisions, the police department swore in a new officer. Riley Scott took his oath in front of the council, the police chief, his parents and his fiancé.

“He is our first hire that [sic] has paid to go through the academy,” said Kyle Teynor, chief of the Prairie du Chien Police Department.

Teynor told the council that the department offered Scott a job more than a year ago and commended him for finishing his training at Southwest Technical College in Fennimore.

“One thing I want to mention about his time at Southwest Tech is his class vote on three awards that they give to their classmates. Of three awards, Riley received two of them: Back Up Officer and the Leadership Awards,” said Teynor.

Tourism report

After Scott was sworn in, Robert Moses delivered the 2023 tourism report based on statewide data from the Wisconsin Department of Tourism.

“Wisconsin had a breaking record with $25 billion in economic impact in 2023,” Moses told the council.

Wisconsin had approximately 113 million visitors during the year, which contributed to $1.6 billion in state and local taxes and $1.4 billion in federal taxes.

Money spent at businesses within Crawford County increased $2 million from the previous year. Other metrics, including tourism dollars, visitor spending and labor income, increased this past year.

“Employment was the only thing that was down for Crawford County,” said Moses. “I think we all understand what is happening in our workforce, and the challenges we have there.”

The Prairie du Chien Area Tourism Council, a 14-member standing council for the Prairie du Chien Area Chamber of Commerce, provides recommendations to promote the local area as a tourism destination using room tax revenue, develop and implement tourism marketing strategies and design marketing initiatives for the area.

Room tax, or occupancy tax, is money collected by motels and hotels for short-term lodging. In Wisconsin, room tax varies depending on the area, but it cannot typically exceed eight percent of the room’s cost, according to the Wisconsin Department of Revenue.

Moses said the tourism council utilizes the money to advertise in 32 publications, eight radio market and eight “large” television markets. Recently, they have focused on Wisconsin markets near Green Bay, Milwaukee, Madison and Eau Claire. They have also looked at markets in eastern and central Iowa.

“We are seeing more and more travelers come from Des Moines area, so we’ve expanded our marketing, both digital and print, in that area,” said Moses.

Besides marketing expenditure, the council sets aside between $35,000 and $40,000 per year for a tourism development grant program, a reimbursement program that assists organizations with promotion and marketing expenses for local events.

Moses reported that 17 organizations have come to the tourism council to utilize the program, and the council has awarded approximately $430,000 throughout the TDG’s lifetime.

Moses also reported that the council brought in $362,000 to the area in 2023, an increase of $11,000 over the previous year.

Resolutions

The council approved three resolutions and an ordinance during the meeting. The council’s first resolution adopted the Crawford County Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan for 2022-26.

“We’re trying to get this over the finish line by getting signatures from all the municipalities,” said Jack Zabrowski, senior planner with the Mississippi River Planning Commission.

The resolutions stated that the city of Prairie du Chien worked with the county and other municipalities to prepare the mitigation plan, and Abram said the municipality had to adopt the plan in order to be considered for future mitigation project grant funding.

The council considered two resolutions for Mill Coulee Creek’s stream improvement and restoration project.

“This is part of the water quality trading project we’re working on,” said Abram. “The Department of Natural Resources has requested more information.”

The restoration work will create water quality credits for the city, which will offset phosphorous and other chemicals the city’s water treatment plant introduces into the environment. The council approved the project earlier this year.

The first resolution assigned the mayor to sign and file applications for the project, while a second resolution allowed the council to declare an official intent to reimburse the city for costs incurred on the project.

The city intends to start paying for the project costs through its wastewater treatment plant accounts because funding for the project may not be readily available until after the project has begun, according to Abram.

Reimbursement will be done through money accrued from the issuance of tax-exempt bonds and promissory notes, according to the resolution’s text. Funding for the project is not expected to exceed $2 million.

The council tabled an ordinance for parking on South Michigan Street near Cecil Smith Park. The mayor and Abram said there were still “things to work on,” and a possible solution would hopefully be brought to the council later in the year.

Haydn Street

The council approved an authorization to request bids for the improvement and extension projects on Haydn Street.

The project includes the construction of approximately 600 feet of roadway, curb and gutter, asphalt paving and storm sewer construction from Dousman Street to the driveway at the Eco Cottages. The project also includes 250 feet of sanitary sewer and water main utility extensions from Ohio Street to Haydn Street.

“We’re requesting authorization to bid,” said Abram. “We’ll advertise on August 7 and advertise again on August 14. We’ll have bid openings on August 21.”

Abram said he will call a special council meeting on Thursday, August 22 at 5 p.m. to review and approve the bids for the project.

A public information meeting about the project is scheduled for August 29 at city hall.

Construction on the project is expected to start in September and be completed by early November of this year.

Haydn Street will see a number of changes this year. The county has begun to do utility updates near the courthouse in preparation for the replacement jail construction, also slated to start this fall. Part of Beaumont Road was blocked off this week for that project.

Other business

• Abram said the Public Safety Center renderings “should be completed shortly.” A public information meeting is still pending because the renderings are not fully done.

• A public information meeting for the Prairie Cottages is expected to be held on either August 21 or 22, but a specific day has not been announced by Couleecap.

• A UTV fundraiser will be held at the Firemen’s Association Shelter on St. Feriole Island on September 14 from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Proceeds will go toward the Eagles Club’s new building in Prairie du Chien.