Hello City of Eau Claire employees, residents, and Council Members –

Here are some updates from around Eau Claire. Note that prior updates can be found here, and you can use these linked forms to send feedback to the City Manager’s Office or City Council.

City Manager Stephanie Hirsch

TWO CHALLENGES: Here's how we are doing on the two challenges from last week...

Transit Promo Challenge: We asked for your promotion ideas for Transit, and we received a submission from a rider. It is a picture of this passenger's favorite route (Route 1) and her favorite driver (Jerry). This ECT rider took the bus to do some shopping last Saturday and was inspired. We encourage all of you to Try Transit as well! And, submit your ideas for a transition advertisement here: https://www.cognitoforms.com/CityOfEauClaire/StudentRideFreeChallenge

Shoveled Sidewalk Challenge: We asked for your nomination for shoveling champions, and our community delivered! The first three are listed below, and we will share more in future newsletters. These examples show how people of all ages help make their neighborhoods better. Nominate your favorite shoveling champion or stretch of sidewalk here:  here: https://www.cognitoforms.com/CityOfEauClaire/SnowShovelingChampionChallenge

4th and 5th and Fountain (pictured below): A neighbor shared this shout-out: “Jason has taken care our block's snow amazingly this winter!! I am often working crazy hours to battle the snow and work, and I come home to a clean sidewalk and open driveway. His neighbors and I are sooooo grateful for his work!” Jason, thank you so much for making your neighborhood better, safer, and happier!

Senior Shoveling Hero: We got a note from Barbara, who shared that she is nearly 85 years old, and she gets out there and shovels her sidewalk and sometimes the whole block! She said, “I am the person who shovels this area and my lovely house, which I take pride in owning. My house is on a corner, so it has two streets to shovel, and I put de-icer on icy spots. Plus, I always shovel the corner curbs that have snow piled high from City plows, so pedestrians can cross at corner walkways.”

Barbara shared that she wants to be sure that people coming and going to the nearby hospital and elementary school can walk safely and comfortably, without having to go through slush. Barbara said that she grew up in Buffalo, New York (which gets even more snow!), and she treasured the neighborhood mindset of everybody shoveling. She said she learned growing up to take care of her property and neighborhood.

You are amazing and inspiring, Barbara! Thank you. Barbara is pictured below on the paths that she cut through the plow ridges.

Upper West Side Little Free Library Shoveling Hero: A west-side resident wrote… “I would like to nominate my daughter Evelyn (pictured below) as neighborhood shoveling champion. She hops in the vehicle with me, and we shovel out the Little Free Libraries that the Upper Westside Neighborhood Association has installed throughout the neighborhood. This is in addition to shoveling out any fire hydrants we see that are not ‘adopted’ yet. We believe it's important to keep small, meaningful parts of the community, like the libraries, open for our neighbors.”

Evelyn, THANK YOU! You are awesome.

CITY UPDATES

Election Updates: The last day to file paperwork required to get on the April ballot for Council President has passed. Two candidates were certified, and we held a drawing for their order on the ballot. Jeremy Gragert and Scott Rogers will appear on the ballot on April 7th. There is no need for a spring primary for any of the offices on City ballots, so our next election will be in April. More information can be found here: City Council Candidate Information | City of Eau Claire, Wisconsin

24-Hour Sewer Main Break Repair: This week, our Utilities crews and their partners responded to a significant sinkhole. Utilities Manager Ben Spanel shared how the Division and a team of others responded to the situation, assessed what was needed, and implemented a repair within a 24-hour period:

“Earlier on Monday morning, the Utility Division was made aware of a sinkhole at the 3600 block of Mall Drive (State Hwy 93), just to the south of Brian Street. Upon inspection, it was found that a 48-inch concrete sanitary sewer main had collapsed. 

The Utility Division immediately began work with the City Engineering Department and Eau Claire County to set up a lane deviation on Highway 93. Diggers Hotline was contacted to locate underground utilities. Our contractor, Haas and Sons, came on site to assist with assessing the damaged pipe and develop a plan for repair. 

After careful assessment of the sanitary collapse, it was decided to start repair work at 1AM on Tuesday morning, as this is a time when there is minimal traffic on Highway 93. Additionally, the timing was important in terms of the water flow. The repair was done between midnight and 3AM because this is the lowest flow time. To further minimize the flow at the repair location, lift stations were turned off, and sewer vac trucks were used to pump the sewage from the lift stations and haul it to another location that would not impact the repair. Another sewer vac truck was setup at the repair, removed any remaining flow from the excavation, and hauled it offsite to a location downstream of the repair. 

It was a highly coordinated effort, with actions happening at different sites within the sewer collection system to make the repair as efficient as possible. By very early on Tuesday morning, the sanitary sewer repair was complete. Haas began the repair at approximately midnight and completed it at 3:30AM, meaning Highway 93 was fully open to traffic by morning. 

This was a tremendous collaborative effort between a number of different groups: the City Utility Division, the City Engineering Department, Eau Claire County, the City of Altoona, and Haas and Sons. Our Utility Supervisor, Jahn Eberhardt, did an outstanding job coordinating the work that led to the successful and timely repair of the emergency.”

Pictured below are the sink hole and the work while underway.

Our Workload: Our residents expect a lot from the City, and we appreciate that they have high standards for us and our community. We take pride in our work. Since the ongoing snow has put a lot of work on our staff, and also caused some frustration among residents, I wanted to provide a few examples of how our small and skilled workforce takes on the large volume of workload to achieve positive results.

Snow Removal: There has been snow on the ground for 50+ days this winter (since November 27th), totaling about 29 inches, so we have been undertaking continuous snow removal operations. For context, there are 29 full-time, front-line Street Division staff who are salting, sanding, plowing, scraping, and hauling snow from 361.3 linear miles of streets. That’s about 1.6 million square feet of road per person, and (based on my very back-of-the-envelope calculation with an estimate of 10 pounds per cubic foot of snow), that means that each plow driver has cleared about 19,000 tons of snow. That’s equivalent to the weight of 500 fully-loaded semis, or the weight of an LNG tanker ship, as illustrated in this AI-generated picture below.

Those plowing crews use 27 trucks, six loaders, and one grader to do this work, which are maintained by a small group of mechanics. In our fleet crew, we have five full-time mechanics, one supervisor, and two parts people who maintain over 300 pieces of motorized equipment and over 100 additional trailers and equipment attachments. This means that each mechanic maintains about 80 pieces of equipment. Most impressive is the amount of knowledge each of these individuals has, being able to work on and order parts for such a diverse fleet of equipment. Pictured below is an AI-generated illustration, plus a City truck on one of our hoists. 

The Parks Division also helps out. We have 17.5 full-time Parks staff, with an additional 5.5 staff caring for our cemeteries and urban forest. Those crews help assist streets with snow removal, while also removing snow from our 57 miles of paved trails, plus parking lots at about 47 of our 56 parks throughout the City. They also clear snow at other City facilities such as Hobbs Ice Arena, Cemeteries, the brush site, and outdoor skating rinks. Some of these parks require additional snow clearing along sidewalks, as well as other pedestrian-accessible areas like restroom facilities.

Meanwhile, our Neighborhood Services Division responds to resident concerns about sidewalks that are not compliant or safe in neighborhoods. Two inspectors carry out this work. If about 10 percent of households don’t shovel, that works out to 1,150 households for each inspector to evaluate. To enforce sidewalk regulations, those staff notify the property, follow-up, and then eventually work with a contractor to clear the snow and bill the property owner.

Property Assessments: While some of our staff tackle snow, others have different – but equally challenging and important – work assignments. Our four Assessors crisscross the city, completing paperwork and calculations for 26,200 parcels. That’s 6,500 parcels per assessor. (We could do the same math for IT staff, payroll staff, HR, Housing Authority, and more!)

Pictured below is a map of parcels in one small neighborhood, as well as one of City Hall's First Aid kits, which is conveniently located next to the Assessing Division, in case of headaches or blisters from lots of walking. 

Responding to Calls for Help: And keeping all of us safe are first responders. In the Police Department, we have 53 officers and supervisors who are out in the field responding to calls. That group covered about 51,000 demands for service in 2024, with some calls requiring multiple responders.

Within the Fire Department, personnel responded to 11,605 calls for service in 2025. Those incidents generated 40,032 individual personnel responses, since each call requires multiple responders to safely perform lifesaving and hazard control tasks.

As an example of how many calls our Fire personnel take, we have 36 staff who serve at the level of firefighter (including engineers and paramedics), and they participated in 23,365 responses last year. That works out to 649 responses per person. Many of these calls are within the 400+ square mile ambulance service area, so some are lengthy calls.

There are 76 Fire Department staff who respond to most of the calls, from probationary firefighters to captains. Even our Chiefs and Deputy Chiefs respond to calls. During a service awards ceremony this past week, most of the highest-level command staff for the Fire Department were present at the ceremony. A call came in for someone critically ill (without pulse and not breathing), and the ceremony was paused until it was determined that we had sufficient coverage at this call.

As Deputy Chief Bob Haller said, "Everyone is busy, and it is getting busier the more the City of Eau Claire grows.”

Small but Effective: We handle this heavy workload successfully due to the excellence and work ethic of our employees. Each of our employees and each of our divisions are at the top of their game, getting more done than they should, and doing it well. We continue to maintain high service levels, such as:

• Our residents' fire insurance ratings are among the best in the nation, indicating the level at which our Fire Department protects people and property.

• 95 percent of residents say they feel safe in Eau Claire, according to our most recent resident survey. 

• 90 percent of residents say there’s a good or excellent quality of life here, according to our most recent resident survey.

As we consider these data points, I encourage all of us to extend appreciation and, if needed, patience, to our front-line staff. When you read about traumatic incidences in the news, keep in mind that a small group of people – just over 100 police officers and firefighter/paramedics – have provided the response at these incidents, and they are handling the impact of the experience. When you hear sirens in the City or when you hear the scrape of a plow at 3AM, when you get your cat license renewal bill in the mail or when you get a letter from the Assessors, remember these are the work of small teams of dedicated employees. Please join me in wishing them godspeed, success in their work and response, and continued safety for those out in the field as they face many different risks.

CITY COUNCIL UPDATES

A few topics garnered some lengthier discussion at this week’s Council Meeting.

Excess Land Agreement for Graham Riverside Parking Deck: The Council considered declaring the Graham Riverside Parking deck excess property so that the City could enter into a development agreement to plan for future development of residential property on the site. The Council postponed the agenda item in hopes of achieving a higher density level on this riverfront property.

Left Turn on Riverview: As part of discussion of planned work next summer on Marquette on the northside, staff and Council members discussed the long-challenged intersection at Riverview Drive and the North Crossing. The Marquette project will put more pressure on the intersection as an alternative to traveling on Marquette.

In general regarding the intersection, some residents support continuing to allow for left-hand turns or straight travel through the intersection. Others say that they would like to have those options permanently disabled.

As one person wrote: “It is incredibly dangerous for us to turn left onto the North Crossing! And, I hope the decision is not to limit this to only weekdays during rush hours, as it is especially dangerous on weekends in the summer for the cars hauling boats home from the river. I know there is a re-route option that directs cars to take Marquette and Starr to an alternate entrance onto 312, I almost always take that route. However, GPS always directs drivers on my side of 312 to turn left from Riverview to go East on the North Crossing. In addition to the four lanes of traffic, the turn lanes for Riverview are an additional hazard for each driver attempting to turn left onto 312. These lanes unfortunately add even more danger and confusion when attempting to turn left. In spite of the inconvenience, I would be incredibly grateful to only be able to turn right onto the North Crossing from either side of Riverview. As a parent, I am always worried that my children won’t take the ‘long’ way around and will instead risk it and take a chance by turning left.”

The intersection is managed by the Department of Transportation, and they have (to date, at least) said that larger fixes, such as an addition of lights traffic signals or a roundabout are not possible, unless traffic signal warrants are met or there’s evidence of serious preventable crash patterns at the location. An interim improvement that’s been planned is the addition of a digital sign that indicates no turns/no straight traffic at peak driving times (Monday through Friday, 7-9AM, 2-6PM). It has been installed, but not yet activated. A mockup of how the signs will work is pictured below.

The Council and staff discussed whether or not to go ahead with the digital sign strategy even during the Marquette construction or wait until it’s complete. It was decided that the Engineering Department should continue to monitor the situation, and the discussion focused on how they’d prefer to implement the signage right away in the spring to addresses the safety issue at hand. This will allow staff time for observations prior to construction occurring. Residents can contact Engineering with more questions (engineering@eauclairewi.gov), and they may also wish to contact the Department of Transportation to express concerns and wishes (Chad.Hines@dot.wi.gov).

Housing Work Session: For anyone interested in hearing updates on housing-related initiatives, I’d encourage you to listen to this segment of the Council’s meeting. The work session on the housing updates begins at one hour and 16 minutes into the meeting, so go to 1:16:00. Watch it here: City Council Legislative Session 01 13 2026 You can see the slides here: Housing Work Session Slides. The topics covered were: 

• Day Resource Center Launch

• Housing Our Neighbors Collaborative plan development

• Housing Authority projects

• Housing Supply and Housing Opportunities Commission projects

• Maintenance of the downtown

• Sojourners Overnight Shelter

• Transit Services

WAYS TO SERVE

Employment Openings: Take a look at our open positions here: Job Openings | Sorted by Posting Date descending | JOB OPENINGS (governmentjobs.com)

Telecommunicator (911 Dispatcher): Put your customer service skills to use while serving your community. Help us provide an essential service for Eau Claire County residents and visitors. Join our team as a full-time Telecommunicator (911 Dispatcher). Deadline to apply: Sunday, January 18th at 11:59PM.

Neighborhood Services Specialist I: Are you passionate about keeping the community clean, safe, and well-organized? As a Neighborhood Services Specialist I, you’ll play a key role in enforcing parking regulations, ensuring compliance with municipal ordinances related to trash collection, zoning, parking, and more. This position offers a mix of fieldwork and administrative tasks, including inspections, investigations, and community engagement. Deadline to apply: Monday, January 19th at 11:59PM.

Seasonal Laborers (Limited Term Employment): Don't want to spend your summer stuck in an office? Join us in the outdoors! Our Community Services & Engineering Departments are hiring Seasonal Laborers for the 2026 Summer Season. Deadline to apply: Open until filled.

NEW: City Assessor (Finance): Put your assessment expertise and leadership skills to work in a meaningful way. If you're passionate about driving change and delivering results, we want to hear from you. We're a welcoming, fast-growing Wisconsin city, nationally recognized as one of the best places to live in the country. The City Assessor directs trained personnel in assessment and appraisal related activities to ensure Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice and statutory compliance. Deadline to apply: Open until filled, with first review of applications January 26th. 

NEW: Public Health Specialist:  The Eau Claire City-County Health Department has an opportunity for a full-time Public Health Specialist focused on social determinants of health and population health data. This position will be responsible for the analysis of population health data to identify areas of need, and spearheading internal and external initiatives related to the social determinants of health that impact population health outcomes. Priority topics from the most recent CHA include access to childcare, affordable housing, and access to healthcare. Candidates should have a bachelor’s degree in public health, health education, or related field. Wage range starts at $33.81. Deadline to apply: January 26th.

Boards, Commissions, and Committees: We have several openings on the volunteer Boards, Commissions, and Committees that are listed below. Learn more about these roles and apply here:  Boards, Commissions & Committees | City of Eau Claire, Wisconsin

Zoning Board of Appeals: The work of the board is to hear and decide appeals where it is alleged there is error in any order, requirement, decision or determination made by the Zoning Administrator. An understanding of zoning and land use is helpful, but not required.

Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee: This Commission provides advice to City Council that reflects community values on bicycle and pedestrian practices relative to the City. Advises the City Council on bicycle and pedestrian policies and practices, ensuring they reflect community values and priorities.( this is more clear I think, although your description has the exact words from the City website)

Housing Opportunities Commission: This Commission advises on and reviews policies to ensure affordable housing in Eau Claire, facilitates access to housing programs and funding, promotes public-private partnerships to expand diverse and affordable housing options. We are currently seeking residents with experience in housing real estate, building/development, accessible design, property management, or home financing.

CLOSURES/DETOURS, OPENINGS, DEADLINES, ALERTS, & REMINDERS:

Help Keep our Hydrants Clear: Here’s another update from our Fire Prevention Division…

“Did you know that a fire can fully engulf a single room in just three to five minutes? And an entire house in five to 10? That’s why a fast fire department response is important and why clear and accessible hydrants matter.

The City of Eau Claire has more than 3,500 fire hydrants and with 28+ inches of snow already this winter, many are hard to see or access.

There is no specific City ordinance requiring hydrants to be cleared in the City of Eau Claire. However, we do strongly encourage residents and property owners to consider ‘Adopt a Hydrant.’ Firefighters must work quickly to establish water supply and delays can turn a small manageable fire into a major loss. Clearing snow and ice at least three feet around the hydrant helps ensure firefighters can access water immediately during an emergency.

In firefighting, time is of the essence. A few minutes spent on prevention can make a difference in protecting lives, homes, and businesses.

As always, don’t forget to check your smoke alarms regularly to ensure they are working properly. Reach out to us if you need help with your smoke alarms. Thank you for helping us keep our community safe!”

MLK Day - What's Open and Closed: The following are plans for Monday, January 19th.

Library: The Library will be OPEN on Monday! There are even some special activities, like a Teen Movie and Family Mini Golf.

City Offices: City of Eau Claire administrative offices will be closed for an annual training. The Health Department will also be closed.

Transit: Transit will run the typical schedule on Monday. Our ticket window will be closed for admin staff in-service training.

Hobbs: Hobbs will be open for open skating and reservations as normal, but the Recreation office will be closed. (IT staff are taking advantage of this day work on fiber optic improvements at Hobbs. Hobbs has a fiber optic junction box that serves other things in the neighborhood.)

A Few More Reminders:

• Sand Available: Remember, City of Eau Claire residents can get free sand for slippery sidewalks at Central Maintenance Facility, 911 Forest Street. Available anytime. You'll need to bring your own container and shovel, five-gallon limit. This is sand only -- no salt is added.

• Merry Mulch Open: Recycle your Christmas tree at the City of Eau Claire Brush Site during Merry Mulch. Open daily through January 31st at 3PM. Located at 5710 Jeffers Road, Eau Claire, WI 54703

• Kids/Teens Ride Transit for Free in 2026: Children (and adults who are still in high school) will take Transit for free starting in 2026! Stay tuned for more details.

• Keep our Sidewalks Safe: Reminder, shovel sidewalks per local law to keep our residents safe. Please contact Neighborhood Services at 715-839-4961 or submit an online request Service Request Form - Sidewalk - Snow Covered | City of Eau Claire, Wisconsin

• Viruses Circulating: Virus levels in Eau Claire are high! Please follow State of Wisconsin guidance for returning to work with direct patient care. Additional information from the CDC can be found here: https://www.cdc.gov/respiratory-viruses/prevention/precautions-when-sick.html

• Shelters and Rinks: Please visit these sites for up-to-date information:

• Rinks: https://www.eauclairewi.gov/recreation/outdoorskating-rinks
• Ski Trails: https://www.eauclairewi.gov/recreation/trails/ski-trails

• Non-Emergency PD Number: To reach the Police Department on their non-emergency number, please call 715-839-4972. More information is here: Report A Crime | City of Eau Claire, Wisconsin

• Communicable Disease Updates: Stay on top of the virus outlook by signing up for the Health Department’s monthly communicable disease email newsletter by clicking here.

• Odd/Even Parking Restrictions: The City is enforcing winter odd/even parking restrictions. Alternate Side Parking rules are in effect even if there is no snow. If you're new to Eau Claire or just need a refresher, visit EauClaireWI.gov/AlternateSideParking for what you need to know. Alternate Side Parking rules do not replace more restrictive parking regulations, including any street posted with No Parking sign.

WAYS TO GET IN TOUCH: We encourage you to use these different ways to follow City news and reach out to us.

• Follow our social media accounts. Those accounts include: Police, K9 Murphy, Fire, Transit, Parks/Recreation, Fairfax Pool, Hobbs Ice Arena, Economic Development, and the General City account. Some of the accounts allow constituents to send direct messages, which staff will respond to.

• Use web forms. Submit a question or comment via our web forms: Service Request | City of Eau Claire, Wisconsin We will reply, and I will continue to share the FAQs we hear in the weekly newsletter.

• Contact City Council. Council Members welcome contacts, and you can reach them here: City Council

• Sign up for City notices. The City sends out notices on many different topics, and you can elect to receive any of them here: Sign Up for eNotifications | City of Eau Claire, Wisconsin

• Attend Council Meetings. Individuals can stream or attend City Council meetings, and each Monday evening session has a period of public comment. Meetings can be found here: Meetings | City of Eau Claire, Wisconsin

• Attend (or apply to be part of) a Board, Commission, or Committee: Individuals can also attend the meetings of our different volunteer committees. Those also have a public comment period. Residents can learn more here: Boards, Commissions & Committees | City of Eau Claire, Wisconsin

• Invite us to a meeting. We are also always happy to send staff and Council Members to other meetings residents or stakeholders would like to hold. We can attend book clubs, lectures, classes, church assemblies, etc. We will come to you -- just let us know where and when.

• Join (or form) a Neighborhood Association. Neighborhood Associations are the building blocks of community ties and community change. Visit this site to learn more about how to join or create a Neighborhood Association: Neighborhood Associations | City of Eau Claire, Wisconsin

• Try the ECPD app. Download the app to find the Report a Crime form, track career opportunities, and get instant alerts: https://www.joinecpd.org/ecpdapp

• Volunteer. Get involved in the nuts and bolts of City Operations by volunteering to staff the winter parade, to help maintain a park, or more. Learn more here: Volunteer Opportunities | City of Eau Claire, Wisconsin

• Contact the ADA Coordinator. Have a question about accessibility? Contact the ADA Coordinator here: ADACoordinator@EauClaireWI.gov, or learn more here: ADA - Americans with Disabilities Act Information

• Contact Us. Find more ways to reach us via this page: Contact Us - Service Directory | City of Eau Claire, Wisconsin

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)

• Wednesday, January 21st, Transit Commission Meeting with Invitation to City Council, 4:30PM, Council Chambers

• Monday, January 26th, Council Public Hearing, 6PM, Council Chambers

• Tuesday, January 27th, Council Legislative Session, 4PM, Council Chambers

• Monday, February 9th, Council Public Hearing, 6PM, Council Chambers

• Tuesday, February 10th, Council Legislative Session, 4PM, Council Chambers

• Monday, February 23rd, Council Public Hearing, 6PM, Council Chambers

• Tuesday, February 24th, Council Legislative Session, 4PM, Council Chambers

• Monday, March 9th, Council Public Hearing, 6PM, Council Chambers

• Tuesday, March 10th, Council Legislative Session, 4PM, Council Chambers

• Monday, March 23rd, Council Public Hearing, 6PM, Council Chambers

• Tuesday, March 24th, Council Legislative Session, 4PM, Council Chambers