Full EC Zoning Code draft to be discussed at Monday meeting
The City of Eau Claire continues towards its complete rewrite of its Zoning Code with a meeting tonight, Monday, Feb 17, of the Zoning Policy Advisory Committee (ZPAC), consisting of members of the City Council and Plan Commission. The ZPAC has been meeting since late 2023 to complete a full rewrite of the City's Zoning Code, which it has dubbed the "Century Code Update" because the City's first zoning code was created 100 years ago. The project is being led by the City's Planning Department with help from a consultant.
At today's meeting, the ZPAC will "discuss final edits of the complete Code before it is brought to the public for pre-adoption outreach and engagement. Immediately following the ZPAC meeting, the City is hosting a public open house. All members of the Eau Claire community are invited to stop in anytime between 6pm to 7:30pm to learn more about proposed changes to the City's land development regulations and to ask questions and provide feedback to the City and consultant team."
City officials say they expect the code to go to the Plan Commission for a recommendation, likely at a June meeting, then to the City Council for adoption in July.
More information:
Zoning Policy Advisory Committee
• Monday, Feb 17, 4:00-6:00 p.m. ZPAC Meeting Agenda
Public Open House, 6:00-7:30 p.m.
LE Phillips Senior Center, Lower Level, 1616 Bellinger St, Eau Claire, WI 54703
Meeting details
Century Code Update project website (code drafts and other information)

EC City Council passes Business Improvement District (BID)
resolution after extensive comment, two hours of debate
Council accepts parking study, approves The Sevens apartments
After nearly an hour of public comment on Monday and over two hours of discussion on Tuesday, the Eau Claire City Council last week passed a resolution "in support of Eau Claire Business Improvement Districts and continuing a culture of collaboration in service of downtown businesses, downtown patrons, Eau Claire tourists, and all of Eau Claire."
The City has four downtown BIDs, which are each created by a vote of property owners to self-tax for purposes of various types of initiatives and physical improvements within their districts.
Following a January 14 City Council work session related to the relationships between the City and its Business Improvement Districts, Council Members Kate Felton and Aaron Brewster drafted a resolution for consideration that they said was intended to support and clarify City policies towards BIDs.
Felton told Volume One that the resolution was drafted because she and Brewster "both have gotten comments from the community, particularly downtown businesses and BID board members, with some concerns about city policy and also generally the direction the city is taking with BIDS.” The resolution acknowledged the value the BIDs have brought to downtown revitalization and the local economy, and proposed to address the creation of operating plans and asserted the rights of BIDs to manage meetings and seek legal counsel. There was nearly an hour of public comment on the topic during Monday's Public Hearing.
Tuesday's two-hour discussion among Council members and staff during the Council's Legislative Session resulted in an amended resolution that included revisions to portions of the resolution related to budgets, board member appointments, and meeting staffing, while removing the clause related to hiring legal counsel. The final version passed the Council on a 10-1 vote.
BIDs resolutions original version (Council Members Felton, Brewster)
BIDs resolution final version (City of Eau Claire)
City staff memo (Deputy City Manager Dave Solberg, HR Dir Carrie Riepl)
Much of the Council discussion centered around the strained relationships between the BIDs and City staff. Deputy City Manager Dave Solberg provided a memo drafted with HR Director Carrie Riepl that highlighted the staff perspective on the strained relationships and hoped for "a calm, respectful, and positive approach" going forward.
During Tuesday's debate, Felton said, “For me, that report just strengthens the case that we need a cultural reset" including, "our volunteers, the people investing in our community, and for our staff,” she said, “I think we put forward a resolution as a way to start that conversation."
The lone vote against the final resolution came from Brewster, who said the final version did not go far enough: "Our downtown area has had a very intentional kind of magic (for lack of a better term) for the past couple decades and our original resolution was an attempt to preserve that magic and fix some of the conflicts that have arisen over the past few years and let the BIDs get back to their primary function and continue making magic for our downtown and broader community," he said, "the amended resolution does fix a couple smaller issues, but overall leaves many unaddressed."
Chamber provides public comments
During the Monday public comment period, Chamber Vice President Governmental Affairs Scott Rogers spoke about the need for community partners to work for the greater good.
"A further attribute of Eau Claire and the Chippewa Valley has been our reputation as a place where collaboration is a community value… where cooperation, good will, and an emphasis on the greater good have characterized the community’s response to challenges and opportunities," he said. "We applaud the intention of the authors of the resolution to recognize the value of the BIDs and to seek to clarify and set a policy framework for a better relationship. Whatever the the outcome of the specific provisions of the resolution, as representatives of the broader business community we hope this process can lead to a stronger, more positive relationship that will be valuable for everyone."
Chamber statement on Bids resolution (Scott Rogers, Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce)
Watch - BIDs resolution meeting videos:
View Monday Public Comment (52 mins; starts at 1:53)
View Tuesday Council Discussion/Action (2 hrs, 4 mins; starts at 1:14)
News coverage:
Passing a Resolution, Starting a Conversation: E.C. City Council on Feb 11 Passes BID-Related Resolution (Volume One)
Heated Exchange Marks E.C. City Council Feb 10 Discussion on Business Improvement Districts (Volume One)
Business improvement districts bring back-and-forth legal and public concerns (WQOW News 18)
Eau Claire City Council votes on the Business Improvement District (WEAU 13 News)
Downtown parking study accepted
At its previous meetings on Jan 27-28, the Council heard from its parking consultant with preliminary recommendations for its downtown parking study. Jon Forster, Parking and Mobility Planner with consulting firm Fishbeck of Grand Rapids, Mich., described a need for a full reset of the City's approach to downtown parking after reviewing capacity, usage, and expectations for future changes to current structures. The Council conducted a work session with Forster to ask more questions and discuss future direction. The public had an additional opportunity this past Monday night to make comments, and the Council voted on Tuesday to formally accept the study. Accepting the study does not necessarily mean the City will adopt the recommendations, but instead is expected to begin a process to determine what will move forward. See pages 40-116 of the Monday Agenda Packet linked below for the report and recommendations.
Paragon Apartments at The Sevens
The Council on Tuesday approved a zoning change and development agreement for the apartment complex that's part of "The Sevens" development on the City's southeast side south of I-94 at 5400 Old Town Hall Rd.
Paragon Apartments is a 305-unit apartment community being developed at the intersection of Old Town Hall Road and Bourbon St. It will be developed by Keyhole Capital, owned by Jim and Jennifer Rooney. According the meeting documents, the project will include five 61-unit buildings, seven 16-stall detached garages, a resort-style clubhouse with an outdoor pool and hot tub, and
a maintenance building. As part of its development agreement with the City of Eau Claire, 20% of units will be offered at 80% of County Median Income and 5% of units at 60% of County Median Income. (See pages 166-214 and pages 294-314 of the Tuesday Agenda Packet linked below.)
Tuesday's Consent Agenda also included the final plat for the Orchard Hills subdivision (see pages 51-72 of the Tuesday Agenda Packet).
More information:
Eau Claire City Council
• Monday, Feb 10, Public Hearing Agenda Packet (127 pages)
• Tuesday, Feb 11, Legislative Session Agenda Packet (322 pages)
  Link to videos of city meetings (City of Eau Claire)
  City Council Online Comment Form (City of Eau Claire)
  Contact information: City Council members (City of Eau Claire)
  City of Eau Claire News Updates (including weekly City Manager's Update)
More information and city news...
Parking Study Executive Summary (Jon Forster, Fishbeck)
Parking Study Findings and Recommendations (Jon Forster, Fishbeck)
Eau Claire City Council approves final plat for phase one of Orchard Hills Development (WQOW News 18)
Downtown churches and businesses express concern over potential loss of parking lot (Leader-Telegram $)

Meeting this week...
Full public meetings schedule

Altoona Board of Education
• Monday, Feb 17, 6:30 p.m. Meeting information

Eau Claire Board of Education
• Monday, Feb 17, 7 p.m. (closed session 6 p.m.) Meeting information

City of Eau Claire Redevelopment Authority
• Wednesday, Feb 19, 7:30 a.m. Meeting information

Eau Claire County Board of Supervisors
• Wednesday, Feb 19, 7 p.m. Meeting information

More local stories...

CVTC K-12 Director Kristel Tavare honored with EC Chamber award (CVTC)

Eau Claire Neighborhood Summit to be held February 22 (Leader-Telegram $)

County’s finance committee tours courthouse as it considers remodel (Leader-Telegram $)
County debt reduced by $38.4 million, some concerned about consequences (Leader-Telegram $)

Altoona Police Chief named president of Wisconsin Chiefs of Police Association (WQOW News 18)

UWEC set to host two AI majors as AI technology usage grows (Leader-Telegram $)

Scholz gives 'state of the county' address at his final Chippewa County Board meeting (Leader-Telegram $)

McDonell schools purchase property near former HSHS St. Joseph's hospital (Leader-Telegram $)

Vote Tuesday: State Supt Primary Election
Polls open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
With the April 1 Spring Election approaching, local voters will have one statewide race on the Feb 18 Primary Election Ballot. Incumbent Superintendent of Public Instruction Jill Underly is being challenged by two candidates, Jeff Wright and Brittany Kinser. The Tuesday, February 18, Primary is being held to narrow the field to two candidates for the April 1 election.
At the April election, in addition to the State Superintendent, key races will include a 10 year term on the State Supreme Court, and the five at-large seats on the Eau Claire City Council.
More information:
MyVoteWI (What's on your ballot, find your polling place)
Spring Election 2025 (Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce)
Three candidates are running in the nonpartisan election for Wisconsin’s Superintendent of Public Instruction (Ballotpedia)
AP Decision Notes: What to expect in Wisconsin’s spring primary (AP)
Area legislators line up their support for state school superintendent candidates (Leader-Telegram $)
Wisconsin’s top education official facing challengers on both flanks (AP)Brittany Kinser, Dr. Jill Underly and Jeff Wright face off in the 2025 primary for Wisconsin state superintendent (PBS Wisconsin)
Wisconsin state superintendent voter guide for spring 2025 primary: What 3 candidates say about ICE, school police, referendums and more (Journal-Sentinel +)

Evers to deliver budget address on Tuesday
Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers is set to deliver his biennial budget address on Tuesday evening at 7:00 p.m. from the State Capitol. With his full budget released, it will start a process of working with the State Legislature to pass and sign the 2025-27 State Budget, set to go into effect on July 1.
More information:
Click here to watch (Wisconsin Eye)
Wisconsin surplus projected at nearly $4.3B as Evers prepares next state budget (WPR)
Wisconsin governor floats plan to close 19th-century prison and overhaul corrections system (AP)
Evers pushes to close a prison, reduce population behind bars (The Cap Times)
Evers proposes $145M plan to address PFAS in his next budget for Wisconsin (WPR)
Evers visits Eau Claire, talks support of Head Start (Leader-Telegram $)

Virtual Event: Report Card for Wisconsin's Infrastructure - Rail
Presented by the League of Women Voters and ASCE-WI (American Society of Civil Engineers) Speakers include Joanna Bush, PE, author of the ASCE Report Card on Rail; Lisa Stern, WisDOT Chief of Railroads and Harbors, and Scott Rogers, Eau Claire Chamber
• Thursday, Feb 20, 12:00-1:30 p.m. via Zoom
Click here for full details and to register
2024 Report Card: Wisconsin's Infrastructure (American Society of Civil
Engineers - WI)

More state and regional stories...

Wisconsin Legislature website (Wisconsin Legislature)
31st Annual Chippewa Valley Rally (Mar 5, Chippewa Valley Chamber Alliance)

Top Wisconsin lobbiers in 2024: construction, hospitals, WMC, farms (The Badger Project)

In La Crosse, mayoral hopefuls outline plans for the city (WPR)
LSE Airport officials work on building contingency fund to bring airlines to La Crosse, and keep them here (WIZM)

Next MPS superintendent feels ‘urgency’ to address operations audit recommendations and facility issues (BizTimes)
Milwaukee's streetcar manager was forced to resign last fall. It's one of many issues facing The Hop (Journal-Sentinel +)

National and economic stories...

Making sense of the dramatic changes in Washington: Join us for Eggs & Issues on Friday, February 21. Click here for details.

Consumer prices rise 0.5% in January, higher than expected as annual rate rises to 3% (CNBC)

Trump readies matching tariffs on trade partners, possibly setting up a major economic showdown (AP)
Businesses Scramble for Tariff Exemptions (The Dispatch)
From tariffs to DOGE, what companies are saying about the impact of MAGA policies (CNBC)

Justice Department Moves to Drop Eric Adams Case After Wave of Resignations (Wall Street Journal +)

Interior Department fires 2,300 employees after OPM directive (The Hill)
Murkowski: Trump’s mass firings ‘do more harm than good’ (The Hill)
Van Orden visits Eau Claire, discusses federal aid, staffing cuts (Leader-Telegram $)
Congressman Derrick Van Orden visits Feed My People Food Bank (WEAU 13 News)

Netanyahu vows to ‘finish the job’ against Iran with support from Trump (CNN World)
Trump’s foreign aid freeze stops anti-fentanyl work in Mexico (Reuters)

Donald Shoup, renowned parking guru and UCLA professor, dies at 86 (Los Angeles Times +)

Food for thought...

Four Reasons to Adopt a Current-Policy Baseline for Tax Legislation (Neil Bradley and Watson McLeish US Chamber of Commerce)

Read My Lips: Tariffs Are Taxes (Kevin Williamson, The Dispatch)
Trump’s recent moves will put upward pressure on housing prices.

There’s More Than One Way To Save a Street Tree (Emma Durand-Wood, Strong Towns) What gets overlooked is that a city is a system, too, and within it, every decision has the potential to create unexpected and unforeseen consequences. A healthy city grows and changes; it can’t stay the same.

COVID-19 Resources:
Eau Claire County COVID-19 Information Hub (Eau Claire City-County Health Department)

Mark your calendar:
• Eggs & Issues: Washington Insights from the US Chamber - Fri, Feb 21
• 31st Annual Chippewa Valley Rally - Wednesday, Mar 5, 2025

Public Meetings Calendar
Click the link above for the our regularly updated schedule of public meetings.

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