UWEC celebrates Science Building construction
milestone with beam signing
UW-Eau Claire celebrated a milestone in the construction of its new Science and Health Sciences Building this past Friday with a beam-signing event as the final steel beam was placed on the structure.
"This is an opportunity to thank the construction workers and the project stakeholders for their hard work to get to this point and to thank our UWEC neighbors for their patience during this construction process," said Dr. Doug Dunham, UWEC's Interim Director for Strategic Partnerships and Program Development.
Eau Claire Chamber CEO Dave Minor was one of six speakers at the event, along with UW Board of Regents President Amy Bogost, Mayo Clinic Health Systems Regional VP Dr. Richard Helmers, UWEC Student Body President Kaitlyn Hevrin, Wisconsin Dept. of Administration Secretary Kathy Blumenfeld, and UWEC Interim Chancellor Michael Carney.
The Science and Health Sciences Building has was one of the top policy priorities of the Eau Claire Chamber in recent legislative sessions. It is scheduled to be completed in 2027.
More information:
Science building topping-out ceremony marks phase-one construction complete (UWEC)
Progress on new UWEC Science and Health Sciences building continues with final beam placed (WEAU 13 News)
The Princeton Review names UW-Eau Claire to its 2026 list of best colleges (UWEC)

EC City Council this week: No public hearing, light agenda
Work sessions: 2026 Budget, Housing Stability Plan
The Eau Claire City Council meets this week, but with its typical Monday Public Hearing Session on Monday evening canceled for lack of agenda items requiring hearings or public discussion.
After a relatively light Business Agenda on Tuesday afternoon (see the Tuesday Agenda Packet linked below), the Council will hold two Work Sessions. One will discuss ideas related to the City's 2026 operating budget, and the other related to the City's role in the Housing Our Neighbors Planning Cooperative, which is working on a community plan to provide housing in combination with comprehensive and compassionate support to people experiencing homelessness in Eau Claire County. The work session was scheduled to "discuss current and potential City activities related to housing and discuss how the City may undertake a planning process for our areas of work that interweaves with this larger, regional effort."
More information:
Eau Claire City Council
• Monday, Sep 8, Public Hearing (Canceled)
• Tuesday, Sep 9, 4 p.m., Legislative Session Agenda Packet (132 pages)
Click here to send an email to all City Council members
Click here for individual contact information for each City Council member
Link to videos of city meetings (City of Eau Claire)
City News Updates -incl. City Manager's Weekly Update (City of Eau Claire)

Also meeting this week...
Full public meetings calendar
Eau Claire Board of Education
• Monday, Sep 8, 7 p.m. Meeting information
City of Eau Claire Housing Opportunities Commission
• Wednesday, Sep 10, 5:15 p.m. Meeting information
Altoona City Council
• Thursday, Sep 11, 6 p.m. Meeting information

Food for thought...
Your City's Wealth Isn't Where You Think (Charles Marohn, Strong Towns)

Visit Eau Claire releases 2024 Annual Report
Visit Eau Claire, the local area's Destination Marketing Organization, has released its Annual Report for 2024, a year that saw a record $286 million in direct visitor spending in Eau Claire County, $461 million in total economic impact, and record room tax revenue for local municipalities.
Highlights included Eau Claire being named a “Hidden Gem” by USA Today and featured in Go Escape Midwest. Key events like OneFest, Scheels Dock Dogs, and the OpenAir Classic Car Rally brought visitors and residents together to celebrate the best of summer in the Chippewa Valley. The report "highlights the stories, strategies, and successes that powered our region's tourism industry: from the grand opening of the Sonnentag Center and the expansion of the Eau Claire Sculpture Tour, to impactful marketing campaigns, national media coverage, and community event support."
More information:
Visit Eau Claire Annual Report (Visit Eau Claire)
August Digest (Visit Eau Claire)

Next Eggs & Issues: Tourism's economic impact
Be sure to join us for a focus on the economic value of tourism at the next Eggs & Issues on Friday, September 19, where we'll look at the key factors the drive success and consider what the future may hold. Click here for details and to register.

More local stories...
Eau Claire City Manager gives updates about parking ordinance and trail speed limit (WEAU 13 News)
City of Eau Claire looks to improve park usability in 2026 with new projects (WQOW News 18)
City works to increase public transit usage with limited free rides during month of September (Leader-Telegram $)
Bus operations to start soon from new Transfer Center in Eau Claire (WEAU 13 News)
PFAS removal vessels expected to start arriving at new facility within weeks (Leader-Telegram $)
New position at Juvenile Detention Center may save county money while serving teens locally (Leader-Telegram $)
7 Brew Coffee held ribbon cutting, donated money to local non-profit (WEAU 13 News)
7 Brew gives back to local nonprofit at new store opening (WQOW News 18)
Veterans say Klein Hall gave them a new life. Now it’s set to close. (Wisconsin Watch)
Wisconsin veterans’ homes in desperate need of workers (The Center Square)
Hope Village moves forward with Indianhead Motel renovation project (WQOW News 18)
Evers visits Altoona Elementary on first day of school; district aims for growth in 2025-26 (Leader-Telegram $)
Augusta, Durand-Arkansaw, Elk Mound amongst school districts receiving DWD tech ed grants (Leader-Telegram $)
Augusta, Durand and Elk Mound among school districts receiving DWD grants for equipment (WQOW News 18)
Revamped CF committee examines Flock camera system (Leader-Telegram $)
Chuck Hull rejoins CF Council, fills Fourth District vacancy (Leader-Telegram $)
Stout's graphic communications program to grow labs, industry engagement with national grants (Leader-Telegram $)

La Crosse Chamber selects new CEO
The La Crosse Area Chamber of Commerce has selected Sam Scinta (pronounced Shinta) as its new CEO, where he will begin his duties on Monday, September 15.
According to a Chamber news release, "His diverse experience includes legal work, running a small business, managing nonprofits, and teaching in Political Science and Servant Leadership at UW-La Crosse and Viterbo University. He has also been very active within the community, serving on several regional and statewide boards. Scinta has worked with LeaderEthics and the DB Reinhart Institute for Ethics in Leadership at Viterbo. He created and leads a popular community civics education program, Rebuilding American Civics."
“Sam's extensive background in business, nonprofit management, and community leadership made him the clear choice for this position," said Joe Moua, Board Chair and Market President and Senior Vice President of Commercial Lending for Alerus. "His proven track record of civic engagement and his understanding of the challenges facing local businesses will be invaluable as we work to advance the Chamber's mission and support our members.”
Scinta says the opportunity to lead the Chamber is the culmination of his work in the community and in civics. “A Chamber of Commerce is instrumental to the health of any community, and should be at the forefront of civic leadership,” he said. “The La Crosse area is a special place, one where my family chose to live more than 15 years ago, and I am excited to play a role in helping to shape the future of this region.”
More information:
New CEO named for La Crosse Area Chamber of Commerce (WKBT News 8000)
La Crosse Area Chamber of Commerce names new CEO (WEAU 13 News)

More state and regional stories...
Report: Wisconsin municipal spending increased 7.1% due to inflation (The Center Square)
Data from 2023 shows debt rising in city as spending per individual barely inches up (Leader-Telegram $)
Report details wins for some WI workers, but points to ‘economic storm’ on the horizon (WisBusiness.com)
Full report: The State of Working Wisconsin (High Road Strategy Center, UW-Madison)
Madison VA hospital's 'severe' staffing shortages worsen (The Cap Times)

‘The atmosphere has changed’: Wisconsin refugees face uncertainty after resettlement (WPR)
Report: Wisconsin raw per-pupil spending doubled since 2000 (The Center Square)
Wisconsin Democrats again call for repeal of Walker-era labor laws (WPR)
Wisconsin state parks making more money but need $1B in work, leader says (The Cap Times)

Food for thought...
What Montana Can Teach Us About Housing Reform (Emily Hamilton, Governing) Two years ago, lawmakers in the Big Sky State passed one of the most comprehensive state-level housing reform packages in the country. This year, they doubled down on their success.
A win for Wisconsin families: Childcare in the 2025-2027 biennial state budget (Angela Rachidi, Badger Institute) Wisconsin’s 2025-2027 biennial budget includes several provisions aimed at improving the affordability of childcare in the Badger state.

Over 500 organizations sign letter on permitting reform
Federal permitting reform is gaining bipartisan traction, with an increasing recognition that fixing the federal permitting process would let Americans build the highways, infrastructure, energy, housing, and other critical projects needed to strengthen local economies.
Last week, the US Chamber of Commerce forwarded a sign-on letter to Congress with over 500 signers from across the country, urging action to address the federal permitting process. Signatories included eight local Chambers in Wisconsin, including Eau Claire, and the state chamber, WMC.
"We write to urge you to take meaningful and bipartisan action to pass comprehensive permitting reform. The time has come to modernize our nation’s permitting systems so that our communities can build the infrastructure necessary to grow our economy, create good-paying jobs, and meet the challenges of today and tomorrow," said the letter.
The coalition of organizations behind the letter is united around four key principles for reform:
‌ 1. Predictability: Clear timelines and scope for project reviews.
2. Efficiency: Improved interagency coordination to optimize resources.
3. Transparency: Accessible visibility into project milestones and schedules.
4. Stakeholder Input: Consistent opportunities for input from all relevant parties.
Wisconsin signees included: Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce, Envision Greater Fond du Lac, Greater Beloit Chamber of Commerce, Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce, Monona East Side Business Alliance, Mosinee Area Chamber of Commerce, Portage County Business Council, River Falls Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Bureau, and Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce.
More information:
Letter to Congress on Comprehensive Permitting Reform (US Chamber of Commerce)
America’s permitting process is broken. The US Chamber is ready to help fix it. (US Chamber of Commerce)

More federal and economic stories...
U.S. economy adds only 22,000 jobs as labor market stalls (Axios)
Wisconsin Congressman blasts Evers' 'big, beautiful bill' cost assessment (The Center Square)
Senator Baldwin, Representative Wied introduce ‘Go Pack Go Act’ legislation (WEAU 13 News)
Epic partners with Trump administration on new health tech initiative (The Cap Times)
Trump plans a hefty tax on imported drugs, risking higher prices and shortages (AP)
Google will not be forced to sell off Chrome or Android, judge rules in landmark antitrust ruling (CNN Business)
Two decades in the making: Passenger rail returns to the Gulf Coast (Smart Growth America)

Food for thought...

The Battle for the Fed Begins (Grayson Logue, The Dispatch) What Trump’s attempt to fire Fed Governor Lisa Cook means for the future of the central bank.

Thanks for reading this issue of Business Advocate. If you have comments or questions, contact Scott Rogers, Vice President Governmental Affairs, at 715-858-0616 or rogers@eauclairechamber.org