EC City Council approves paid downtown street parking
Effective June 1, 2026; some specifics still pending
At its Legislative Session last Tuesday, the Eau Claire City Council voted 8-2 to start paid downtown parking beginning June 1, 2026. As amended, enforcement hours will 1-11 p.m., Monday-Saturday. Street parking will be $1/hour for the core area and 50 cents/hour for a zone farther out.
The action comes following a parking study completed in 2024 and follow up consideration of its implementation. "The revenue generated by paid on-street parking will be used within the parking fund to improve the financial operations of the fund. A full-time dedicated parking administrator has been requested as part of the 2026 operations budget, which will be presented to the City Council this fall," noted city staff on the agenda item notice. (See pages 31-34 of the Monday Agenda Packet linked below).
Some decisions remain to be made later, such as potential special rates for downtown employees, policies for parking ramps, loading and handicap spaces, etc.
At Monday's public hearing, Deputy City Manager Dave Solberg explained the process that led to his recommendation. Afterwards, only two individuals spoke about paid parking. One of them was Downtown Neighborhood Association President Deborah Marshall, who favored paid parking, emphasized the importance of creating of a parking utility and manager, and encouraged controlled access to parking ramps to stem racing and other misuse. Click here to view the video recording of the Public Hearing. The parking segment begins at 21:02.
The final vote on Tuesday came after consideration of several amendments to Solberg's original recommendation for enforcement hours of 12-10 p.m. Council Member Charlie Johnson proposed an amendment to move the start time back to 1 p.m., to increase free daytime parking hours for visitors to downtown businesses. Subsequently, Council Member Joshua Miller moved to change the end time to 11 p.m. Both moves passed on 9-1 votes, with Council Members Emily Anderson, Emily Berge, Charlie Johnson, Larry Mboga, Joshua Miller, Nate Otto, Ethan Reed, Jessica Schoen, and Clara Serrano voting yes, and Council Member Aaron Brewster voting no. Brewster proposed an amendment to add Sunday to the enforcement dates, but it lost 4-6, with Anderson, Berge, Brewster, and Serrano voting yes; and Johnson, Mboga, Miller, Otto, Reed, and Schoen voting no. Miller moved to eliminate part of the 50 cent area in the vicinity of Gibson St east of Dewey, but it failed on a 5-5 tie with Berge, Johnson, Miller, Otto, and Serrano voting yes; and Anderson, Brewster, Mboga, Reed, and Schoen voting no. (Council Member Andrew Werthmann was absent from the meeting).
The 8-2 vote on the final amended ordinance saw yes votes from Anderson, Berge, Brewster, Mboga, Miller, Reed, Schoen, and Serrano; with the no votes from Johnson and Otto. Click here to view the parking debate and vote. It begins at 1:09:00.
More information:
Eau Claire City Council
• Monday, Aug 25, Public Hearing Agenda Packet (52 pages)
• Tuesday, Aug 26, 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)
News coverage:
Paid street parking to start in downtown Eau Claire to start June 2026 (Leader-Telegram $)
Eau Claire City Council votes on paid parking downtown and bicycle ordinances (WEAU 13 News)
Eau Claire City Council votes in favor of paid downtown parking (WQOW News 18)

Area higher ed leaders talk about value and relevance
The Chamber's most recent Eggs & Issues breakfast on August 21 featured updates and a discussion from the leaders of the area's institutions of higher learning, including Chippewa Valley Technical College President Sunem Beaton-Garcia, UW-Stout Chancellor Katherine Frank, and UW-Eau Claire Interim Chancellor Mike Carney.
All three leaders talked about the current state of their schools, as well as how they complement each other in mission and service to their students and communities. All three were able to point to unique niches that set them up to be relevant in the future, key articulation agreements that serve their students, and the role they play in strengthening the region's workforce. Frank also noted the strong relationships in the overall west central Wisconsin area that include cooperative ties with UW-River Falls and Northwood Technical College.
More information:
Presentation visuals from each school (Eggs & Issues breakfast)
Local higher ed leaders speak on the state of regional post-secondary education (Leader-Telegram)
Chippewa Valley higher education leaders discuss future plans (WEAU 13 News)
Interim Chancellor Michael Carney looking to use his extensive history on campus to effectively lead UWEC (WEAU 13 News)
UW-Eau Claire once again top-ranked in the Midwest by Forbes (UWEC)
America’s Top Colleges (Forbes)
Ronald & Joyce Wanek Foundation donation transforms UW-Stout labs with advanced manufacturing equipment (UW-Stout)
Ashley Furniture Founders Donate $3.1 Million in Equipment to UW-Stout (Volume One)
Stout receives $3.1M donation of advanced manufacturing equipment (Leader-Telegram $)
From experts to educators: CVTC hosts New Faculty Academy as instructor support (CVTC)

Next Eggs & Issues: Tourism's economic impact
Be sure to join us for the next Eggs & Issues on Friday, September 19, where we'll look at the value tourism brings to the area, and consider what the future may hold. Click here for details and to register.
More tourism information:
July Area Tourism Highlights (Visit Eau Claire)
Eau Claire tourism hits record $461M IN 2024 (WQOW News 18)
Touring Wisconsin: 2024 was a third straight record-breaking year (InBusiness Madison)

EC County, cities of Altoona & Eau Claire among
fastest growing in the state
What does that mean for local governments?
Join us for Business Day in Eau Claire on September 24
Area local communities are among the state's fastest growing, as confirmed by new mid-census estimates from the State of Wisconsin. Here are the numbers for the three largest local governments in Eau Claire County, showing the current 2025 estimate and the percentage growth from the official 2020 Census:
Eau Claire County 112,246 + 6.18%
City of Eau Claire 74,039 + 6.65%
City of Altoona 9,835 +18.59%
What is it about our region that is driving such growth, and what are the challenges and opportunities that come with it?
Those will be among the issues we'll explore during the first-ever Business Day in Eau Claire, a full day event on Wednesday, September 24, to bring together professionals, elected officials, and students to collaborate on the future of our region. We'll focus on the impact of growth projections on local governments at a special session with the leaders of the three largest governments in Eau Claire County. We'll further pinpoint economic trends, business growth strategies, and workforce development priorities. It kicks off with a keynote address, "Workforce Remix: How Younger Generations Are Rewriting the Rules of Work," by Brad Gingras.
More information:
Population and Housing Unit Estimates (Wis Dept of Administration)
Eau Claire Named One of USA Today’s Top 10 Hidden Gems (Visit Eau Claire)
Eau Claire Cracks Top 50 ‘Best Places to Live’ Ranking (Volume One)
Event information:
Business Day in Eau Claire
• Wednesday, September 24, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Lismore Hotel
Click here for details and to register

UWEC Menard Center Plans Constitution Day event on Sep 17
UW-Eau Claire's Menard Center For Constitutional Studies is commemorating Constitution Day on September 17 with a free public event, "A More Perfect Union?: Constitution Day Reflections on Madison’s Vision." It features a panel discussion with Dr. Lynn Uzzell (Bethel University), Dr. David Siemers (UW–Oshkosh), and Dr. Eric Kasper (UW–Eau Claire) as they explore James Madison’s enduring influence on American constitutional design and the challenges of balancing liberty and governance in a modern democracy.
More information:
Constitution Day Event
• Wednesday, Sep 17, 5:30 p.m., Centennial Hall, Room 1614, UW-Eau Claire; Also available on Zoom. No charge to attend. Click here for details and to register

More local stories...
Data from 2023 shows debt rising in city as spending per individual barely inches up (Leader-Telegram $)
The Sonnentag Center Rises to a New Level of Sustainability (Volume One)
Chippewa County Board approves land sale for new behavioral health hospital (Leader-Telegram $)
'Tech Giant' is Considering $1.6 Billion Data Center in Dunn County (Volume One)
Eau Claire-based Realityworks' RealCare Baby is Used in 70% of U.S. School Districts (Volume One)
Venture Academy welcomes back students for new school year (WQOW News 18)
Hope Village moves forward with Indianhead Motel renovation project (WQOW News 18)
Chetek business wins national award for best ice cream in the country at World Dairy Expo (WQOW News 18)

Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling shifts the state's
rulemaking and regulatory landscape
By John N. Jacobson and Kathi M. Kilgore, Ruder Ware
In July, the Wisconsin Supreme Court issued a landmark ruling in Evers v. Marklein that reshapes how administrative rules are created and implemented in the state. The Court struck down the Joint Committee for Review of Administrative Rules’ (JCRAR) authority to indefinitely suspend or block regulations, finding those powers unconstitutional.
In response, Governor Tony Evers sent a directive on August 12 to his cabinet secretaries, instructing agencies to “proceed without delay” in finalizing rules that had already cleared hearings, board approval, and other statutory steps but were held up under JCRAR review. His letter specifically told agencies to move forward on rules that had been awaiting action, signaling a major shift toward executive-driven rulemaking. Many of these rules are now moving through final publication and could take effect as soon as October 1.
What Is JCRAR, what rules are now moving forward, and how does this matter to businesses? Click here for the answer and to continue reading...

Supreme Court Justice Rebecca Bradley
won't seek reelection
Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Rebecca Bradley announced last week that she won't seek reelection to her 10-year term in next April's election.
Considered part of the conservative wing of the court, she released this statement: “For years I have warned that under the control of judicial activists, the court will make itself more powerful than the legislature, more powerful than the governor,” Bradley said in a statement to WisPolitics. “That warning went unheeded, and Wisconsin has seen only the beginning of what is an alarming shift from thoughtful, principled judicial service toward bitter partisanship, personal attacks, and political gamesmanship that have no place in court. The conservative movement needs to take stock of its failures, identify the problem, and fix it.”
More information:
Justice Rebecca Bradley will not seek reelection, setting up wide open Wisconsin Supreme Court race (WPR)
Conservative Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Rebecca Bradley won't run for re-election (NBC News)
What happens now that Supreme Court Justice Rebecca Bradley is not running for re-election? (Journal-Sentinel +)

More state and regional stories...
Rep. Jodi Emerson, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley tour Altoona’s Solis Circle (Leader-Telegram $)
Local and state leaders discuss affordable housing issues in Chippewa Valley (WQOW News 18)
After disappointing spring, Wisconsin GOP reconsiders fundraising, messaging strategy (WPR)
Gov. Evers visits grant recipients in Augusta, Boyd, Cornell amid federal funding cut concerns (Leader-Telegram $)
Video: Wisconsin Employers Applaud New Policy to Lessen Medical Expenses (WMC)
Westby Cooperative Creamery announces $14 million expansion (WEAU 13 News)

Momentum builds for federal 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.
US House Republican Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) said recently, “We want to see permitting reform this fall,” and that it must be a bipartisan effort. Furthermore, the Problem Solvers Caucus, which counts nearly 50 House Republicans and Democrats as members, announced that permitting reform is one of its three key priorities.
Why it matters: Too many projects are hampered by delays in getting permits. Businesses are ready to innovate, invest, and build, but they need a permitting system that does not hinder those efforts.
More information:
America’s permitting process is broken. The US Chamber is ready to help fix it. (US Chamber of Commerce)
Problem Solvers Caucus Co-Chairs Request Meeting with President Trump on Key Bipartisan Priorities including permitting reform (Problem Solvers Caucus)
Governors Call for Energy Permitting Reform (National Governors Association)
Scalise: House GOP will pursue permitting reform this fall (Politico)

More federal and economic stories...
Appeals court strikes down many Trump tariffs, but delays enforcement until October (CNN Business)
Most of Trump's sweeping global tariffs not legal, appellate court says (Axios)
Trump tariffs that are voided by — and ones that are safe from — Friday’s appeals court ruling (CNBC)
U.S. economy expanded 3.3% in Q2, with growth even stronger than initially thought (CNBC)
U.S. Economy Grew Faster in Second Quarter, New Estimate Shows (Wall Street Journal +)
Core inflation rose to 2.9% in July, highest since February (CNBC)

Vance touts Big Beautiful Bill's manufacturing impact during La Crosse visit (WKBT News 8000)
Local leaders react to Thursday’s Vice Presidential visit, continued clash over One Big Beautiful Bill (WXOW)
JD Vance promotes Trump’s signature tax law in visit to key Wisconsin congressional district (WPR)
Vice President JD Vance Promotes 'One Big Beautiful Bill' at Mid-City Steel in La Crosse (Journal-Sentinel +)
Pocan-Van Orden feud escalates as others call for an end to bitter political attacks (WPR)
Evers claims state must pay for Medicaid, SNAP work requirements (The Center Square)
Trump’s Fed firing: What to know and why it matters (CNBC)
Inside the Trump Administration’s Vaccine Politics (Wall Street Journal +)
USDOT Unveils Initiatives for America’s Busiest Trains Stations (Rail Passengers Association)

Food for thought...

More People Globally Living Better Lives (Benedict Vigers, Gallup) Worldwide, people in more countries are living better lives and expressing more hope for the future than they have in years. In 2024, a median of 33% of adults across 142 countries rated their lives well enough to be classified as “thriving,” continuing a trend of steady improvements in life evaluation going back more than a decade.

When Religious Freedom Stops at the U.S. Border (Liliana Reza, World Relief) When we speak about religious freedom in the United States, we often view it as a settled promise, a core value we celebrate and protect. We pray for the persecuted church around the world. Yet, far too often, we close the door on those same individuals when they arrive at our borders. They come seeking safety and freedom to worship. Instead they face arrest, detention in prison-like facilities and ongoing threats of deportations.

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