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Volume 8, Issue 13, Aug 11, 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-4:30p, Friday 8a-12n

In this issue:
 • EC City Council: Final (?) zoning code vote, Visit Eau Claire contract
 • UWEC Foundation named EDC Paragon Award recipient
 • State and regional stories
 • National and economic stories
 • Food for thought
 • Mark your calendar

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 "+"

Eggs & Issues: Higher Education in the Chippewa Valley
  At this edition of Eggs & Issues, we'll hear from the leaders of the three major institutions of higher learning in the Chippewa Valley: CVTC President Sunem Beaton-Garcia, UW-Stout Chancellor Katherine Frank, and UW-Eau Claire Interim Chancellor Mike Carney. They'll each share with us the current status of their organization, their unique mission in serving their students and the community, and the challenges of staying relevant into the future.
• Thursday, Aug 21, 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, Aug 11
• Employers: Maximizing Your Internship Impact with Handshake - Tues, Aug 12
• Morning Momentum - Tuesday, Sep 9
• Eggs & Issues: The Economic Impact of Local Tourism - Friday, Sep 19
• Business Day in Eau Claire - Wednesday, Sep 24
• 32nd Annual Chippewa Valley Rally - Thursday, Feb 19, Madison

Eau Claire City Council: Final (?) vote on full zoning
code, Visit Eau Claire tourism contract renewal
   After two years of development, the City of Eau Claire's comprehensive zoning code update may take its final step to implementation at this week's City Council meetings. The Council will also have a discussion regarding renewal of its tourism contract with Visit Eau Claire.
   This week's action comes after four new amendments passed by the City Council on July 22 went to the Plan Commission for a recommendation before they could be finalized. Because of the nature of the zoning rewrite, state law requires every aspect of the code to be reviewed by the Plan Commission. The City Council will now take up the full code this week, with a Public Hearing on Monday evening and action at its Legislative Session on Tuesday. If the Council approves the full code as currently drafted, it would take effect in October. However, if any new amendments would be passed by the Council, the process would go back to the Plan Commission again.
   The amendments considered and recommended by the Plan Commission last Monday, August 4, included three related to the tree preservation standards: 1. Exempting lots with two or less residential units, 2. Exempting affordable housing projects that contain at least 25% affordable housing units with rents affordable for those at less than 60% County Median Income and with a 30 year deed restriction, and 3. Allowing for a simplified permit process when 10 or fewer high value trees are removed, rather than the 5 in the original language. The other amendment reduces the distance of required bicycle parking for commercial properties to 25 feet or less from the main entrance. (See pages 130-132 of the Tuesday Agenda Packet linked below for the draft minutes of the August 4 Plan Commission meeting.)
Chamber supports overall zoning goals, but concerned about impact of tree preservation regulations
   Since the City's latest significant overhaul occurred over 33 years ago, there was a consensus that it was time to review and update the code based upon current housing and economic needs, as well as incorporating best practices. A project overview presentation from February 2024 enumerated 12 primary purposes of the initiative (click here and see pages 7-8 for the complete list), including such goals as "Produce more housing supply, diversity of choices, and affordability," "Improve development process certainties," "Lessen pressure on sprawl and environmental and habitat degradation," "Produce more complete streets and neighborhoods with housing choices, commercial and jobs within walking distance," "Reduce exclusionary zoning practices," and "Educate with evidence-based literature/data on the need for zoning reforms and associated co-benefits." The City Planning Department has posted online the full draft 425-page document.
   The Chamber's Business Issues Agenda supports the process to "Update zoning codes and policies to eliminate outdated and arbitrary standards in order to encourage infill development, creation of missing middle housing types, a greater diversity of housing choices, compact growth, efficiency of public resources, and the ability to build the types of housing demanded by the marketplace. It is also important to reduce uncertainty in the development process, develop objective standards that can be adhered to without subjective approval processes, and respect property rights."
Trees take precedence over housing in tree diameter vote
   At its marathon Public Hearing and Legislative Session meetings on July 22-23, the council took votes on 11 potential amendments after hearing from the public about the code's anticipated effect on housing supply & affordability, property rights, and tree preservation. See the July 28 issue of the Business Advocate for a full report. 
   The most controversial provisions of the draft code relate to requirements for homeowners and builders to replace or pay significant fees for high value trees over 12 inches in diameter that are removed. At a proposed $400 per inch for the required 30% replacement, in some scenarios fees could run into the thousands of dollars even for just a few affected trees.
   Some pro-housing progress was made with the three approved amendments that provide exemptions and simplified compliance in some cases, especially for homeowners. The Council also passed two housing affordability amendments recommended earlier by the Plan Commission related to garage frontage standards and multi-family projects. However, the most disappointing Council vote on July 22 was on an amendment proposed by Council Members Jessica Schoen and Charlie Johnson to modestly increase the diameter of high-value trees subject to regulation from 12 inches to 14 inches, which lost 4-7. This is the provision most anticipated to impact the building of new housing in the area and has the most potential to drive projects to other jurisdictions with less onerous rules.
    In that vote and in the public comment and debate over this provision, a perceived but unsubstantiated danger of a significant and imminent degradation of the city's tree canopy seems to have taken precedence over the clear urgency to address housing affordability and supply in the community. That sentiment appears to have been driven by a very loud, aggressive, and well-organized group of "biodiversity" advocates who have dominated the public comment periods at zoning-related meetings. 
Visit Eau Claire contract renewal
   The Council's agenda on Monday also includes a discussion of renewal of its contract with Visit Eau Claire (VEC), the area's tourism marketing organization. The current contract runs through the end of this year. Following the regular public hearings on Monday, Visit Eau Claire will make a presentation to the Council about the economic impact of tourism in the area, VEC's role in promoting and marketing tourist visits to the community, and specific provisions it recommends be included in the next contract. Among those recommendations is development of a Destination Master Plan to guide future major tourism-related investments. Following the open public hearing Monday, the Council is expected to go into closed session to discuss negotiations with VEC. 
   The most significant source of funding for tourism promotion are the room taxes collected by local hotels. State law requires at least 70% of those funds to go directly to promotion, while municipalities can use the remaining 30% as they see fit. It's expected that room taxes collected in the City of Eau Claire in 2025 will total about $2.9 million. VEC also contracts with other area municipalities including Altoona, Osseo, the Town of Union, and the Town of Wheaton. 
   In 2024, tourism in Eau Claire County is estimated to have had a record $461 million economic impact, with room tax revenues having grown 44% since 2019.
Chamber supports renewal of VEC contract
   In a letter to members of the City Council this past Friday, the Chamber encouraged renewal of the contract with Visit Eau Claire.
   "Looking at the big picture for our community, we strongly believe this would be in the best interests of the local economy, the area hospitality industry, talent recruitment efforts, Chippewa Valley community partners, and the city itself," wrote Scott Rogers, the Chamber's Vice President Governmental Affairs.
   The letter cites VEC's strong track record, partnership with other communities and tourism agencies, and the direct ROI the city receives from increasing room tax revenues. It also points out that "Strong tourism promotion provides employers in our region with an effective avenue for recruiting talent to help address our workforce shortages. There are many stories of residents who came as tourists and were motivated to move to the community. VEC has been an important part of driving state and national earned media focusing on the positive attributes of visiting our community."
Paid downtown parking ordinance coming August 25-26
   Tuesday's agenda also includes the first reading of the ordinance to be considered to establish paid downtown parking beginning in June 2026, between noon and 10 p.m. Monday-Saturday. A first reading is effectively a notice that the ordinance will be taken up at the next Council meetings on August 25-26. (See pages 123-127 of the Tuesday Agenda Packet linked below.)
More information:
Eau Claire City Council
 • Monday, Aug 11, 6 p.m. Public Hearing Agenda Packet (52 pages)
 • Tuesday, Aug 12, 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)
Zoning Update information:
Century Code Update full website (City of Eau Claire)
Full zoning code documents (City of Eau Claire)
Eau Claire Chamber July 17 letter to the City Council (Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce)
Full recap of July 22 amendments and votes taken (Provided by Chippewa Valley Home Builders Association)
Tally of the votes taken by City Council Members on July 22 (Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce)
City of Eau Claire’s Proposed Tree Ordinance, Explained (Volume One)
Tree Ordinance Amendments Will Be Sent Back to E.C. City Council (Volume One)
Plan commission approved City Council Century Code amendments (WEAU 13 News)
Zoning code amendments to protect affordable housing approved by Plan Commission (Leader-Telegram $)
Our View: Revision on tree preservation is a good step (Leader-Telegram editorial $)
Visit Eau Claire information
July Tourism Highlights (Visit Eau Claire)
About Visit Eau Claire (Visit Eau Claire)
Eau Claire tourism hits record $461M IN 2024 (WQOW News 18)
Chamber letter re: Visit Eau Claire contract (Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce)