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Volume 8, Issue 20, Sep 29, 2025
 Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce, Eau Claire, Wis.
Published the first business day of each week
Business Advocate Past Issues
Public Meetings Calendar
Chamber Events Calendar
The Chamber's Advocacy Principles
The Chamber's Business Issues Agenda
"Talking Po!nt" Podcast
How to become a Chamber investor
Contact: Scott Rogers, VP Governmental Affairs
rogers@eauclairechamber.org
Chamber Business Hours: Mon-Thu 7:30a-5p, Friday 7:30a-1:30p

In this issue:
 • EC City Council enacts final new zoning code provisions effective Oct 1
 • Visit Eau Claire highlights economic impact
 • Downtown Eau Claire bus transfer center opens Monday
 • You can still vote Mon & Tues for Silver Spring, Veritas Steel in
     WMC statewide "Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin"
 • Wisconsin Governor: More candidates including Tiffany, Hughes
 • Ebben running for 7th District Congress, Benjamin drops out of 3rd
 • Winegar, Seckora promoted to new Chamber roles
 • Food for thought

Note on article links: A subscription is required for those marked with "$"
Publications known to have article limits or other access restrictions for non-subscribers are marked with "+"

Local Candidate Training Workshop
   If you've ever considered running for a local elected office, want to assist with a campaign, or just wondered what's involved, make plans now to attend this workshop. You'll learn which offices will be on the ballot in the Spring 2026 election and the basic details of filing and running for office. You'll also have a chance to hear what it's really like to run and to serve from a panel of current and former local office holders.
   This event is presented by the Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce Business Advocacy Initiative, the Chippewa Valley Home Builders Association, REALTORS® Association of Northwestern Wisconsin, and Young Professionals of the Chippewa Valley.
   To be on the ballot for the April 2026, election, candidates must circulate petitions this December, with a filing deadline in early January and a possible Primary Election in February. This workshop is a timely opportunity to consider what's involved in order to make an informed decision. 
   The instructor for the workshop will be Melissa Kono, UW-Extension, co-author of “How to Run for Local elected Office in Wisconsin.” The closing panel will include former Eau Claire County Board Member Melissa Janssen, former Eau School School Board Member Phil Lyons, Altoona Mayor Brendan Pratt, Eau Claire City Council Members Ethan Reed and Jessica Schoen, and Eau Claire County Clerk Sue McDonald. There is no charge to participate, but advance registration is required.
More information: 
• Tuesday, October 7, 8:30-11:30 a.m., Chippewa Valley Home Builders Assn
   Click here for details and to register  
   ‘Local Candidate Training Workshop’ to take place in Eau Claire (WEAU 13 News)

Eggs & Issues: State Budget and Legislative Update
  After completion of the state budget this past summer, the legislature continues its session until early next spring. At this Eggs & Issues breakfast, we'll get updates on how Chippewa Valley priorities fared in the final state budget (click to see: 2025 Chippewa Valley Rally Issues), look at pending legislation and its potential importance to our area's economy, and discuss how you can help advance key initiatives important to business. The discussion will be led by John Jacobson, Director of Public Affairs, Ruder Ware, and Scott Rogers, the Chamber's Senior Director of Governmental Affairs. We'll also get legislative perspectives from Republican State Senator Romaine Quinn (R-Birchwood), a member of the Joint Finance Committee, and Democratic Representative Jodi Emerson (D-Eau Claire), a member of the Assembly Minority Leadership.
More information:
• Friday, Oct 17, 7:00-8:30 a.m., CVTC Business Education Center
  Click here for details and to register  

Also for your calendar...
• Business After Hours - Monday, Oct 6
• Chamber & CVTC Business Community Breakfast - Wednesday, Oct 29
• 2025 "Bravo to Business" Awards - Wednesday, Nov 5
• Eggs & Issues: Our Energy Future - Friday, Nov 21
• Eggs & Issues: Holiday Legislative Breakfast - Friday, Dec 19
• 32nd Annual Chippewa Valley Rally - Thursday, Feb 19, Madison

EC City Council passes final zoning code provisions
Park impact fees, tree preservations fees set
   Finishing a two-year process dubbed the "Century Code Update," the Eau Claire City Council last Tuesday passed the final legislative pieces to put the new code into effect on October 1. 
   Last Tuesday's action included updates to put other parts of the city's code in harmony with the new zoning code, which was enacted on August 12, clean up provisions related to DNR requirements, the list of tree species applicable to the new tree preservations provisions, and the setting of park impact fees for new housing and tree preservations fees when new housing developments cannot preserve certain high-value trees.
   Because of the importance of increasing housing supply and improving affordability, the Chippewa Valley Home Builders Association (CVHBA), the Realtors Association of Northwestern Wisconsin (RANWW), and the Chamber spoke at Monday's Public Hearing, encouraging the Council to ensure that fees are kept as low as possible to protect housing affordability for homeowners and renters.
   In action at Tuesday's Legislative Session, the Council passed, 7-0, a motion by Council Member Jessica Schoen, seconded by Council Member Larry Mboga, that set those fees in line with those recommendations. (Voting yes were Council Members Aaron Brewster, Larry Mboga, Joshua Miller, Nate Otto, Ethan Reed, Jessica Schoen, and Clara Serrano. Absent from the meeting were Council Members Emily Anderson, Emily Berge, Charlie Johnson, and Andrew Werthmann.)
The zoning code's two-year creation process
   During the development of the code, affordability advocates, business interests, and the local housing industry engaged throughout the process to emphasize the importance of the initiatives goals related to producing more supply, diversity of housing choices, and affordability. As the effort neared completion, the same groups expressed concerns that some provision related to aesthetics and perceived dangers to the city's tree canopy would have the opposite effect. At the City Council's August 11-12 meetings, which included several hours of public comment and legislative debate, some of the concerning provisions were changed or eliminated, but others, especially tree preservation, remained. (See the August 11 and August 18 issues of the Business Advocate for more details.)
   Given the final status of the code, Christina Thurn, Executive Officer for CVHBA, expressed appreciation for last Tuesday's vote:
   "We continue to express concerns regarding the impact on housing affordability in the new Eau Claire Zoning Code Ordinance," said Thurn. "But we do appreciate the Eau Claire City Council setting the Park Impact Fees at the lowest recommended fee based upon the Assessment and the Tree Preservation Fee-in-Lieu at a price point much lower than initially recommended. Both of these fees will add costs on to home ownership and renters in the City of Eau Claire, so keeping these fees as low as possible was important to future housing development."
   In a letter to Council members on September 19, the Chamber similarly encouraged the fees be kept low:
   "Affordability is significantly affected by the real costs of construction and the costs of complying with regulations. The reality is that any fees charged for the development of housing will ultimately be paid by the buyers and renters who will occupy these homes. Therefore, keeping affordability at the forefront of decisions is essential," noted the Chamber letter.
More information:
Eau Claire City Council
 • Monday, Sep 22, Public Hearing Agenda Packet (81 pages)
 • Tuesday, Sep 23, Legislative Session Agenda Packet (156 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)
Eau Claire Century Code Update website (City of Eau Claire)
CVHBA fees letter (Chippewa Valley Home Builders Assn)
Chamber letter on fees and zoning (Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce)
Eau Claire City Council holds first meeting after Charlie Kirk’s death (WEAU 13 News)