La Crosse Board of Park Commissioners Meeting - February 19, 2026

The La Crosse Board of Park Commissioners met on Thursday, February 19, 2026, in Council Chambers at City Hall, beginning at 5:30 PM and adjourning at 6:36 PM. Eight commissioners were present; Commissioner Sandy Cleary was excused. Every item requiring a vote passed unanimously, 8-0. The minutes and transcript show a 5:30 PM start; the supplied event timestamp is 2026-02-19 11:30:00+00:00.

Notices and Discussions

• Ryan Fitzgerald, a Parks and Recreation Department intern and recreation management major with about nine weeks remaining, introduced himself and said he hoped to learn from the board and work on a major project benefiting the city and parks department.
• Director Audegard announced a free R&B Live event at the La Crosse Center on Saturday, February 28, honoring Black History Month, with education and a music group from Milwaukee.

Consent Calendar and Routine Approvals

• Meeting minutes were approved unanimously, on a motion by Kirsch seconded by Littlejohn.
• 26-0172 - Myrick Park fundraising (June 5-6, 2026): Approved unanimously. Central Conservation Inc. (DBA The Nature Place / Wisconsin Conservation Corps) will fundraise during the state track tournament across the street from Myrick Park. Staff stated the revenue split is 50-50, the city's share goes to the Myrick Park improvement account, volunteers will monitor parking, and parking fees will match UWL's $10 per vehicle rate, with $20 for oversized vehicles and buses. Commissioner Kirsch asked that future agenda items clearly identify the fundraising activity as parking.
• 26-0175 - Maple Leaf Run/Walk (September 26, 2026): Approved unanimously. Staff described it as an annual event with no changes.
• 26-0176 - 30 for Freedom (April 25, 2026): Approved unanimously. Minutes list the event date as April 25; the transcript initially read April 35th, and staff acknowledged the typo and said they would verify the date in the submitted special event permit.
• 26-0174 - WDNR Recreational Trails Program grant resolution: Approved unanimously. The resolution supports the Parks, Recreation, and Forestry Department's application for $100,000 in RTP funding for Veterans Freedom Trail construction, supplementing donations already received. The DNR grant is an 80-20 grant; the required 20% match has already been surpassed. The application deadline is March 1, and the city was denied for this grant in the prior year but was invited to reapply.
• 26-0177 - Veterans Freedom Park Fishing Pier grant: Approved unanimously. The board accepted the Wisconsin DNR SFR-Fishing Pier grant totaling $42,600.

Forest Hills 2025 Season Update

• Keith Stolan, general manager of Forest Hills and a Kemper Sports employee (the course has been managed by Kemper Sports since 2009, with a contract through 2028), gave an informational update. No action was taken.
• The course hosted about 35,200 rounds in 2025, compared with 35,800 in 2024, with most of March 2025 lost to weather.
• The new pavilion opened in May. Outing revenue grew about 30% in 2025, and another 30% increase is anticipated in 2026.
• Season pass membership grew by 94 new members to more than 250, compared with barely 100 about ten years ago; there are more than 400 Players Club members.
• Junior golf programs served more than 150 children, including free clinics, a free middle school program, and free rounds supported by the Russheiser Foundation.
• The range sold more than 10,000 buckets and saw over 650,000 range balls hit.
• About $300,000 was committed to irrigation improvements and more than $600,000 in capital improvements overall, including new equipment and golf carts. GPS cart tracking and a text-based notification system are planned for 2026.
• Stolan described the 1943 maintenance building as a major future project and noted the discovery of an unexpected 20-inch water line.
• Survey scores reached 73.9, the highest in 12 years, above Kemper Sports' 70 target and the national average of about 60.
• Council member Weston said her husband told her to give Keith everything he wants, her seven-year-old requested a mini golf addition, and she thanked Stolan for the facility's contribution to the city.

Discussion: 2027-2031 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP)

• Staff introduced the CIP as a multi-committee process focused primarily on maintenance needs, with new items including an Erickson Pool slide replacement, Myrick Park Center HVAC replacement, and a roof replacement.
• Commissioner Olson asked about the Green Island tennis facility's $70,000 in 2027 for court resurfacing. Staff corrected the funding source: it will be paid from the Green Island improvement account funded by user fees, not general obligation bonds, and the document would be corrected.
• Staff reported that soil boring and methane testing at the former dump site made the municipal harbor campground proposal too expensive, particularly water-line work, though the project remains listed in case conditions change.
• North Side Pool will not open in 2026; the closure produced $100,000 in operating savings. The $1 million capital request has been moved to 2028. Commissioner Olson expressed concern about letting the pool sit for two years before repairs. Staff explained year-round maintenance of idle pools, that the capital request covers major infrastructure, that participation is below other pools, and that potential school district partnership options, including community feedback by May and possible Fund 80 or referendum decisions, are being explored. Staff stated the department faced cuts of roughly $450,000 from its $4.5 million operating budget in 2026 and expects a similar reduction in 2027, and committed to keeping the board informed.
• Commissioner Wilson asked about two marsh hydrological improvement items. Staff said the $100,000 annual placeholder has been in place for seven years, supports the Smith Group plan and smaller projects, and remains a reminder of ongoing marsh needs; the larger West Cell project received a $3.3 million NESP grant.
• Commissioner Trost questioned why another $400,000 was being spent on Memorial Pool. Staff said a significant portion of the wall is failing after the five-year warranty and that the borrowing is needed to keep the five-year-old, $4 million pool operating.
• Staff noted that borrowing for capital improvements and equipment had historically totaled about $7.5 million but had ballooned to more than $20 million in recent years, with an unofficial goal of returning to $13-15 million. The $3 million Copeland Park renovation was cited as a factor.
• Commissioner Weston asked whether 47 parks was too many and whether consolidation should be considered. Staff said no one wants to minimize the park system, described public-private partnerships and user-fee-funded operations (e.g., waterways, hatchery, boat landings), and said the system also includes marinas, a campground, five boat landings, a golf course, an ice arena, blufflands, marshlands, trails, and the region's largest senior programming.
• The board approved the 2027-2031 CIP unanimously, with corrections to mislabeled funding sources.

Key Outcomes

• All voting items were approved unanimously on an 8-0 vote, with Commissioner Cleary excused.
• Approved minutes, all permit and grant requests, and the 2027-2031 Capital Improvement Plan.
• Took no action on the Forest Hills 2025 season update; it was informational.
• Staff will correct the April 35th typo for the 30 for Freedom event, update the Green Island tennis facility funding source label, and provide future agenda items with clearer fundraiser descriptions.
• The meeting adjourned at 6:36 PM.