The referendum regarding the proposed community-activity center will be held June 23 and District Administrator Drew Johnson gave a presentation on that subject at the Prairie du Chien School Board meeting Monday night.

The proposed building could house a kitchen-lunchroom, a large gymnasium-type area with a composite floor, a wooden-floor area for gymnastics, an auditorium-performing arts center and possible upgrades of high school facilities for art, technical education, agriculture and the greenhouse. The composite floor would allow for all types of possible community uses such as art shows, business meetings and conventions, said Johnson.

"The uses would only be limited by imagination," he said.

Johnson said that federal stimulus money, along with state aid could allow for the construction of a $7 million building at a cost of $3 million. He said that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding would be in the form of zero interest Qualified School Construction Bonds, and that the school district would only pay the principal on these bonds.

The bond proceeds may be used to finance new construction, rehabilitation, repair of public school facilities and the acquisition of land.

The resulting $3 million project would cost the school district $200,000 per year for the next 15 years. Johnson said that under the current conditions, this payment would not result in an increase of the tax rate for school purposes and would not affect the revenue limit.

"I am very confident that we can do this without affecting the tax rate much at all," said Johnson.

"This facility could be used by upcoming kids for generations into the future," said School Board President Brian Edwards. "If we don’t use this funding for this project, the money will be spent somewhere else (some other school district). I can’t see why anyone wouldn’t support it if it doesn’t raise the tax rate."

The presentation by Johnson showed that the proposed building would be located on school property connected to the west side of the high school.

Johnson said that such a project would create 50-100 jobs instantly. He also said that such a center could attract events and people and that those people would be spending their money in Prairie du Chien and the surrounding area.

DOT reconsidering plans for Marquette Road

An increase in projected expenses has the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (DOT) re-examining plans for improvements to Marquette Road, which had been tentatively scheduled for 2012.

Joe Olson, director of the Southwest region of DOT, appeared before Prairie du Chien Common Council June 16 to apprise them of the current status of the project.

Olson said estimated project costs have increased significantly, from $8 million to $14 million, especially in the segment between Washington and Webster streets. Such a change in cost, he said, now triggers a change management process, in which the department is required to reevaluate the plans.

Putting an extra $6 million into the Marquette Road project, he said, might mean a delay in safety projects elsewhere in the state. The department needs to be sure there are no other, less expensive alternatives before proceeding with the original plan.

Both current traffic counts and traffic projections for 2030 have decreased, he said, and the department has hired a consultant to evaluate the plan in light of the new traffic data. They will look carefully at possible alternatives to the current plan, including one-lane roundabouts, turn lanes, traffic signals and other options.

Olson said one objective is to lower the cost of real estate acquisitions. This led to a question by council member Kathleen Hein, who asked if this meant they would make up the costs by narrowing road widths and turn lanes. Olson replied such an option would be implemented only if it was considered safe. He said the DOT will also take into account the railroad crossings and a plan that can accommodate oversize loads.

Following an analysis, he said, a matrix will be developed showing the design options. The matrix should be completed by the end of July. At that point they will examine all the options, taking into consideration both costs and safety. "If we find the original plan is the best one," he said, "we will proceed. If other options surface, we will bring the information to the city." Olson added that he would be willing to hold a public information meeting if the council desires, and said he would like to address the council again at their second meeting in August.

Council member Frank Pintz asked if the reevaluation of the plan had anything to do with the possibility that the DOT might be sued for lack of safe pedestrian crossings on the roundabouts, Olson replied that the review is automatically required because of the cost increase.

In other business:

•Council approved a memo delineating the city government chain of command. The memo indicated that there had been several problems which occurred because the chain was not followed. The memo states that "The chain of command is from the Council and the Mayor to the City Administrator, who then is responsible for carrying out the authorized actions of the Common Council."

The memo also indicates that disciplinary procedures can be invoked against any department head or employee who violates or ignores the directive. The memo also makes clear that the actions and expenditures boards and commissions are subject to Council approval, and such bodies are not authorized to set policy, make direct expenditures or direct the activities of city employees unless authorized by the council.

•Council tabled adoption of a five year capital plan for the city so that council members would have more time to examine the proposals.

Council briefly discussed the pros and cons of a resort or tourism tax on items purchased in the city. Although residents would also be subject to this tax, it would spread out the tax burden so residents would not bear all of the costs. The capital plan includes a proposal to fund a study of the potential of such a tax.

•Although it had been placed on the agenda, Mayor Karl Steiner asked that a discussion of the duties of the city administrator be tabled and moved to the Personnel Committee. Council members voted down the request to table.

Steiner said he put the item on the agenda because of issues he has had with powers and authority. He said he gets calls making requests and then is told he has to go to the city manager. He said he wanted it tabled until he had a chance to talk to the administrator.

Council member Mary Wayne said that putting the item on the agenda and then tabling it seemed disrespectful to the city administrator and left doubts in the minds of the public.

Several council members said the issue of chain of command was not a personal issue, but a clarification of city codes and policies.

•A request for part time help in the assessor’s office was referred to the Finance Committee to see if funds are available for hiring.

•Council approved a resolution to allow owners of property which is adjacent to the airport and cannot be developed to sell it to the city with funds provided by the Bureau of Aeronautics. This would be a voluntary transaction.

•Council also authorized early payment of the TIF District 6 loan obligation. The fund balance could sustain repayment, and the city would save additional interest charges. The total is approximately $400,000.

County Energy Independence Team appointed

Crawford County Board Chairman Ron Leys appointed an Energy Independence Team at the regular County Board meeting Tuesday morning.

The team will consist of the Public Property and Licenses Committee, along with board members John Karnopp, Phillip Mueller and Duane Rogers. Community Development Agent Laura Brown will also be a member of the team.

The team will work in support of a resolution passed in April by the County Board supporting the 25-25 Initiative created by Governor James Doyle. Under the 25-25 Initiative, the county will work towards the goal of generating 25 percent of its electricity and transportation fuels from renewable resources by 2025. The county will also work towards the goals of capturing 10 percent of the emerging bio industry and renewable energy market by 2030 and becoming a national leader in ground-breaking energy research.

The County Board also heard a presentation by the Executive Director of Couleecap Grace Jones, who explained that Couleecap will be receiving $5.8 million in federal stimulus money in order to help fund its various programs throughout its four-county region of Vernon, Monroe, La Crosse and Crawford counties.

Four million dollars will go towards the weatherization program, said Jones, who also noted that the state of Wisconsin will be sending additional funds to help with the Food Pantry program.

Jones also said that a new program has been created called the Coulee Community Land Trust, which is designed to create permanent affordable housing.

In other business, the board approved of a resolution opposing a bill to lower the interest rate on delinquent property taxes.

Crawford County Treasurer Martin Sprosty told the board that if the bill should pass, the interest rate on delinquent property taxes would be reduced from 12 percent per year to 6 percent from July of 2009 to December of 2010. The interest rate would then go back up to 12 percent.

Sprosty said that if the bill should pass, Crawford County would lose an estimated $87,000. He also said that he felt that the bill would cause more people not to pay their property taxes.

Sprosty noted that the State Association of Treasurers is in opposition to the bill.

The Mississippi Valley Archeological Center of La Crosse is conducting an archeological dig along South Main Street as part of the continuing archeological survey for the proposed Highway 18 Bypass project.

Archeological digs are a requirement of the project and Terry Meyer, the Prairie du Chien Co-Public Works Manager, said that the Archeological Center will be conducting other digs along the Highway 18 Bypass project corridor.

The Archeological Center will identify and catalogue anything significant that it may find. The Archeological Center reports any findings to the State Historical Society.

Meyer said that construction is expected to begin on the Highway 18 Bypass project in 2010.

"Given the scope of the project, I would think that they would try to begin as early as possible in the spring," Meyer said.

In conjunction with the Year of the Lower Wisconsin State Riverway, the Riverway Board has partnered with Cultural Landscape Legacies, Inc., to sponsor a special presentation at the 34th Annual Prairie Villa Rendezvous in Prairie du Chien on Saturday, June 20. Dan McFeters, a specialist in living history and longtime educator, will discuss the fur trade era beginning in Wisconsin and expanding to the West. McFeters adopts the persona of "Daniel McPherson – Mountain Man" dressing in periodic costume from the 1830’s to impart the essence of a fur trader’s life. The presentation will begin at 1 p.m. near the Jaycee’s Food Stand on St. Feriole Island. The show is designed for people of all ages but will be especially fun for children.

McFeters of Port Washington operates the Clay Creek Living History Center, which offers programs ranging from the colonial era to Lewis & Clark to the fur traders to the Oregon Trail. The Clay Creek mantra is "If you tell them, they will forget. If you show them, they will remember. If you let them do it, they will understand." McFeters is a member of the Wisconsin Humanities Council Speakers Bureau. He has been involved in education for more than 30 years.

Several "Year of the Riverway" events will be held throughout the coming months as communities from Prairie du Sac to Prairie du Chien celebrate the 20 year milestone for the project, which is designed to protect and preserve the scenic beauty and natural character of the final 92 miles of the Wisconsin River. These events are listed on the Riverway Board website at www.lwr.state.wi.us. Information on Cultural Landscape Legacies can be found at www.clli.org.

For further information on the June 20 event at Prairie du Chien or any other Year of the Riverway events, contact Mark E. Cupp, LWSRB Executive Director, at (608) 739-3188 or 1-800-221-3792