Hello City of Eau Claire residents, staff, and Council Members,

I'm writing to share news from the City of Eau Claire. Prior updates can be found here. Take a look at our weekly newsletter to stay on top of what we are working on. Pass it along to friends who can sign up for different City updates here, and feel free to send me feedback.

CITY UPDATES: Here’s some news from around the city.

Haunted Hall? With Halloween this week, the question arose… Is our historical City Hall building haunted? I turned to local experts to find out…

Empty City Hall: Night Custodian Dan Steffen shared this intel: “When I have worked 11PM to 7AM at City Hall, I hated working alone. Being alone when my partner was out made for a long shift.” Stories of incidents that had occurred were in the back of Dan’s mind, but while it made him a bit nervous, there were never any noises or sights, other than the creaking of an old building and the sound of its mechanical systems.

Slamming Doors: Dave Solberg shared this story: “I was working late one night as I had to wait to pick up my son from a school dance. There was a motion-activated Halloween decoration in the office and, even though no one was around, it kept getting activated and moving its head to look and cackle at me. Then, I heard the doors shut. I assumed someone else was working late, so I went to take a look, but no one was there! I opened them again and went back to work. Moments later, they slammed shut again. After the third time they slammed shut, I grabbed my computer as fast as I could and I left City Hall and sat in a McDonalds until it was time to pick up my son.” Dave did say, however, that he’s certain it was just the dark that had him rattled!

Mishaps: Retired, long-time City Planner, Pat Ivory, was known for working late into the night. When asked, he shared these stories: “I worked at City Hall for 37 years, worked countless evenings and many Saturdays and Sundays alone, but don’t have creepy stories or ghost stories to tell. We did have a water main break that flooded our office (southwest corner of the building), a ceiling collapse in the middle of the night in the Housing area (now Assessing), a car collision with the building at the south entrance, black mold that required us to vacate the offices temporarily, and a Council member who experienced a medical emergency… but no ghost stories. The Council member was OK. The paramedics from the Fire Department responded quickly to provide assistance.” The car crash and flood are pictured here (along with a younger version of Dave Solberg, who does not look happy!)

Haunted Footprints: Many know the story of the City Hall footprints (pictured here). They are on the back stairs by the entrance that’s closest to the Library. The story goes that, when the City was renovating City Hall, the contractor noticed that there were footprints in the flooring. Perhaps 70 years ago, a City Hall employee had stepped in wet concrete and made those prints, which had then been covered up by flooring for many decades. When finishing the flooring, the contractor said, "Oh, we will polish that right up," and then Dave Solberg said something like, “No, leave it as is… this will help us remember that, long before we were here, employees were making mistakes once in a while, and the City persevered nevertheless…” I must say, in my time so far here at City Hall, I have visited those footprints many times just to soak in that reminder!

A Review of Rumors: Our long-time engineering staff person who helps keep our City buildings working, Rodney Bonesteel, shared this report: “Being that I have been around City Hall for a while now, I do know of some of the uncanny things that used to happen in City Hall. Most of them, though, were not things I directly experienced so, the retelling may lack some details or be embellished slightly…You be the judge.

The South building of City Hall was built in 1903 with Andrew Carnegie grant money and was the City’s public library until 1976 when the current newer library was built. Since it’s the oldest of the current buildings in the complex, that’s the place where the most unusual activity has been experienced. The 1916 north Wing has its own set of strange circumstances, as does the 1942 Fire Station. The 1979 link building is the newest of the bunch and is just what its name implies.

Most everything I have heard about is not uncommon for an older building and may or may not have a reasonable explanation. See what you think....

• A former city employee who worked in the upper floor witnessed lights in the back hallway turning on and off on occasions when she would be working late and no one else was around. On other occasions she would mention that the items on the fireplace mantle had changed positions over night. Sometimes she would hear noises coming from the attic above her, like someone walking around….sometimes people talking.
• Former evening custodians also mentioned that they would go through an area of the south and north wings cleaning and collecting daily garbage. When done with an area, they would turn off lights to conserve energy and transition to another floor. On many occasions, especially around late October, they would return to the area later only to find all the lights on again. Sometimes they would be outside the building and witness the lights coming back on for an entire floor simultaneously!
• One particular custodian, who still works at City Hall, has on occasion found his cleaning cart relocated to a different area of the building than where he left it. (Some of those occasions may have been me moving his cart because I know he is a little bit superstitious, but I’m not taking credit for ALL occasions…)"

The 2018 renovation was a complete rehab project. There are not as many stories now, but we do get the occasional cold draft, which could require investigation... or better insulation!

Based on our thorough review of all of available evidence, our conclusion is that it’s unlikely that City Hall has verified ghosts… However, it does have the echoes of many, many dedicated public servants who walked these halls, listened to constituents, had fun, and made tough choices for more than 100 years, creating the most awesome and unique city we have today.

Other Halloween News: This year, we celebrated Halloween in four ways in the City.

Pumpkin Carving Contest: First, the City wellness committee hosted a pumpkin carving contest. The winner was Assistant City Attorney Jenessa Stromberger, and you can see her award-winning pumpkin here.

Trick-or-Treaters: On Halloween afternoon, we had groups like this come through City Hall, which made us really happy. Pictured here is one group with matching costumes.

Dog Costume and Trick Contest: Last Friday, we had a parade of dogs come through to show off their costumes and tricks. The best costume award went to Archie, dog to City Attorney Steve Nick. The best trick went to Murphy, Eau Claire Police Department Service Dog. Take a look at all the costumes and tricks here! https://youtu.be/INmE4xSGU8I

In order of appearance:

• Billie Hufford, Wall-E & Lora (Sandy and Danny from Grease)
• Travis Davis, Ember (Ember-Wan Kanobi)
• Kate Felton, Howie (Golden)
• Corey Lee, Indy (Wisconsin Hunter)
• Katrina Berg, Velma (Skunk)
• Steve Nick, Archie (Pinocchio)
• Kriss Cleasby, Terra Nova & Franky Joe (Dracula and Mopply Crew)
• Joseph Avery, Cheddar (Celebrity Impersonator)
• Officer Ben Frederick, Officer Murphy (Super Dog)

Not featured on video, as they were a bit shy was Peanut, appearing as "Bat Dog", with owner Kelsey Brunner. We can, however, promise you that Peanut was also wonderful! 

Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/INmE4xSGU8I

Salting and Scraping: Less fun, but still related…. the Halloween Eve winter storm meant that our street crews were out handling the mess… Our Community Services Director Lane Berg said that morning: “We are salting and scraping the main arterial streets today with 13 trucks in action.  Warm weather is forecasted for later this week, so we anticipate this melting soon.”

Alternate Side Parking: On the topic of the changing seasons, just a reminder that alternate side parking went into effect on November 1st and it will continue through May 1st. It is in effect whether there’s snow on the ground or not. An additional important reminder – Alternate Side Parking rules do not replace more restrictive parking regulations, so watch for posted parking signs.  Details can be found at EauClaireWI.gov/AlternateSideParking  

Housing Conference Take-Aways: This past Wednesday, Eau Claire’s Housing Opportunities Commission hosted their second annual housing conference. This year’s theme focused on housing development, resources for workforce and low-income housing, and zoning updates, all topics that impact affordability. A few highlights are as follows:

Housing Analytics: The day started with a presentation from Dr. Kurt Paulson, who is a Professor of Urban Planning in the Department of Planning and Landscape Architecture at the University of Wisconsin – Madison. His research focuses on housing, affordable housing finance and policy, land use, and municipal finance. Dr. Paulson shared housing analytics for both the state of Wisconsin and the Eau Claire region. Dr. Paulson participated in last year’s conference as well. We hope he can return again for next year’s conference, and if that works, he can share how trends have changed over the three years of conferences. The graph below shows that Eau Claire's home prices increased by 68.5 percent since 2019.

Housing Finance: A number of people discussed funding strategies, including:

• Representative Dave Armstrong shared information about legislation recently signed that will help provide different financing options to build housing. The programs offer loans at low or no interest, and we will all be learning more as the programs are developed in the coming months.
• Billie Hufford shared programs that the City of Eau Claire is working on to help with financing housing. Those include an Affordable Housing Fund, startup money for a land trust, and the creation of a private/public partnership to help fund housing development. She also talked about how the Housing Opportunities Commission was created and the important work they are doing.
• A panel including Susan Badtke (West Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission), Ray French (Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation) Mai Xiong (Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority), and Karen Liu-Yates (Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago) discussed the resources that are available for housing development.

Networking and brainstorming: After lunch, individual tables talked about innovative housing ideas, how to bring more housing to communities, and what the needs are. Many themes and ideas were discussed, including the need and potential for:

• More supportive housing;
• Regional work to create solutions;
• The ability to transfer existing mortgage rates if purchasing a new home which would allow homeowners to downsize if they wish;
• Greater acceptance of different housing types including smaller or tiny homes; and
• Use of modular or factory-built homes and mobile homes.

Groups also discussed the need for community engagement, including education of the community, elected officials, and commissioners, to help overcome NIMBY concerns that many communities are facing as much needed development occurs across the region.

Zoning Overhaul: The day ended with Rod Eslinger (Eau Claire County Director of Planning and Development), Taylor Greenwell (Altoona Planning Director), and our own Ned Noel (Eau Claire Planning Manager) discussing current work on updating their zoning codes and how the updates can impact housing. Ned shared that the updates will help, but the updates are only a part of the solution and will not solve all affordability concerns.

We are appreciative of all of our speakers for taking time to share important information. We are already hearing back from the over 70 conference attendees of how valuable the conference and information shared was. Thank you to our Housing Opportunities Commissioners for their work planning and helping at the conference. Thank you to City staff Billie Hufford, Danya Morman, and Angie Seichter who put in countless hours not only making the conference run smoothly, but year-round as they support the Housing Opportunities Commission and working to find housing solutions.

Council Member Jill Christopherson sent in this note of appreciation to Billie Hufford, saying that the connections and content had helped participants identify low-hanging fruit of steps we can take in the short-term and longer-term strategies as well. Jill said, “I would like to recognize Billie’s fine work in shepherding the planning for the Housing Conference and then for participating in a fine execution of the event…. Just want to acknowledge your big heart, persistent leadership and excellent production both known and behind the scenes.”

Carbon Reduction Initiatives: Here are two projects that are advancing our goal of carbon neutrality by 2050.

Renewable Energy Progress: In 2018, the City of Eau Claire adopted 2050 goals of carbon neutrality and 100 percent renewable energy for the municipality and for the community. In pursuing these goals, the City will be installing another solar project this time at Fire Station #5. Some of the City's larger energy users are not good candidates for on-site solar. For those, we are looking at another option. The City Council will consider at its next meeting a plan to offset 1.3 Megawatts of power. If approved, this would occur by having the City participate in a new Xcel Energy program that allows large customers to enter into a contract for renewable energy. The City and Xcel Energy have developed a shared work plan to help realize their clean energy goals and this one exciting project. Xcel will purchase power from a five Megawatt array nearby in Lake Hallie that should be operational in 2025. The City will pay on-bill and receive solar credits over a 25 term, with expected operational cost savings realized early in the program.

Elevate’s Energy Efficiency Navigator: A non-profit climate and equity organization called Elevate has been working in Eau Claire to renovate older homes to improve their energy efficiency and to improve their affordability. Their work so far has included a single family, duplex, and triplex, including one property owned by the Housing Authority. The homes will be for low-income renters, and two will be fully electrified with heat pumps, solar and electric water heating. The City plans to partner with Elevate in 2024 building upon their success.

Weatherization Kits: City staff recently worked with United Way on their effort to distribute energy efficiency items to the community. Various agencies across the community ordered weatherization kits to distribute. The City participated in the program, and we ordered kits to distribute to the over 500 hard-working City Staff. The City has participated in previous programs and will continue when future energy efficiency options are available. City staff welcome the items and working to promote energy efficiency in their homes.

Budget Discussions: Here are two follow ups from the recent budget discussions. As a reminder, the second and final public hearing on the budget will occur on Monday, November 13th and the Council is expected to take action on the budget on Tuesday, November 14th.

Asset Management: The City plans to implement an Asset Management System. This tool helps the City monitor all work and maintenance needs related to all of our buildings, property, and more. Assets can be trees, slides, roads, or anything else we manage. Community Services Operations Coordinator, Cory Tietz, shared more information on the proposed system at the last Council budget work session. Included below are links to other communities that are using the proposed product. Take a look to understand better how government entities improve performance while providing a more effective, accountable, and transparent organization to the community members they serve.

• Salt Lake City, UT: Salt Lake City Is Making Data-Driven Improvements With OpenGov
• Santa Barbara, CA: Santa Barbara Maxes Efficiency With OpenGov Asset Management
• Pittsburg, PA: Pittsburgh PA Maxes Resources With OpenGov Asset Management
• Arlington, TX: Arlington TX Prepares For the Future With Asset Management Software (opengov.com)

• Other Customer Stories: Customers Archive - OpenGov
• General Platform Information: https://opengov.com/products/asset-management/

Shelter Fees: Council Member Gragert asked about proposed park shelter fees during our most recent budget work session. Finance staff provided this fee history for the category of “Neighborhood Shelter/Pavilion.” Fees rose from $10 in 2017 to a proposed $20 in 2024. The City subsidizes half the cost of providing this service.

CPR Training at Library: Library and City Hall staff recently participated in CPR and AED training (pictured here). The City encourages staff to participate so that an emergency in the workplace or the community can be addressed until paramedics arrive. All participants were able to practice the skills they learned and will be certified in CPR and AED use for two years.

UWEC Route Modifications Public Hearing: The City plans to modify its transit university routes starting spring semester 2024. The modifications include increasing the number of buses during times when there is more ridership demand (and stopping them earlier at which point the University rideshare program covers the rest of the evening) which should cause the buses to be more on time. We had a public hearing at the last Transit Commission meeting to discuss changes, and a public meeting was held this past Thursday on campus to discuss the changes.

Library and Writers Guild to Host Talk with Pulitzer Finalist: The L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library shared that it is working with the Chippewa Valley Writers Guild to host a special virtual event featuring Pulitzer Prize finalist Chloé Cooper Jones on Thursday, November 9th. Readers and writers alike are invited to join Cooper Jones (Easy Beauty) and Chippewa Valley Writers Guild director B.J. Hollars (Year of Plenty) for a conversation on memoir writing, personal discovery, and writing toward unexpected revelations on the page. The event is free, and registration is required. Register for the event at www.ecpubliclibrary.info/memoir (connection information will be delivered via email). This is a virtual event, and attendees will need a computer or mobile device with an internet connection.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS: Here is a question (and answer) that came through the City Manager’s Office this week. If you have a question you’d like answered, submit it here.

Timing of Street Work Noise

Question: “A contractor used a heavy-duty excavator at 7:10 AM this morning, and it woke me up. I called the Police and the Engineering Department, but they said that the allowable operating hours are 7AM to 7PM. Can we shift the hours to later in the morning?”

Answer: Timing of construction is an ordinance issue, so something the Council could change through legislative action. On the one hand, construction work is typically short-term, and reducing the workday will impact construction, especially because we have a short season. On the other hand, noise has an impact on resident quality of life.

EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT: We have the best employees! Get to know one of them this week. (And submit your suggestion for an employee to spotlight here…)

Today we highlight Danya Morman!

A co-worker said this about Danya: “Danya has taken on many projects since starting their fellowship with the City. In addition to the amazing work they are doing with the Health Department and School District, Danya has been leading the effort on multiple Transit initiatives and has been a vital help with various Housing projects. Danya is an absolute pleasure to work with and they make the workplace more enjoyable. Thank you for being awesome, Danya!.”

Here’s some more information about Danya:

• Your position: “I am the Management Analyst Fellow and I have been here for about 9 ½ months. I started right after I graduated from UWEC in December 2022.”
• What people may not know: “I can play the flute and the saxophone!”
• Favorite activities: “In my spare time I love to knit and crotchet, play board games, and hang out with my friends!”
• Best part about working for the City: “I like getting to work on many different projects relating to all the different parts of the City. Being in the City Manager’s Office means there a million things happening all at once, and being able to work on a variety of projects keeps my job interesting!”
• Life philosophy: “Do what makes you happy!”

COUNCIL CALENDAR (Tentative – Please see: City Calendar | City of Eau Claire, Wisconsin (eauclairewi.gov) for most complete and up-to-date list of public meetings)

• November 3rd – City Council Budget Amendments Due
• Monday, November 6th, 4PM, Library River Room: Joint Plan Commission and City Council Meeting for Zoning Overhaul Discussion and Housing Study presentation
• Monday, November 13th, 7PM, Council Chambers: Council Public Hearing/Discussion Night (Public Hearing #2 on 2024 Proposed Operating Budget)
• Tuesday, November 14th: Council Meeting (City Council action on 2024 Proposed Operating Budget and levy)
• Monday, November 27th, 7PM, Council Chambers: Council Public Hearing/Discussion Night
• Tuesday, November 28th: 4PM, Council Chambers: Council Meeting
• Monday, December 11th, 7PM, Council Chambers: Council Public Hearing/Discussion Night
• Tuesday, December 12th: 4PM, Council Chambers: Council Meeting
• Monday, December 18th, 4PM, Banbury Place, Eau Claire Room: Joint Plan Commission and City Council Meeting for Zoning Overhaul Discussion