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Record of Proceedings

Board of Public Works Meeting Summary - March 30, 2026

Common Council & Committees — Monday, March 30, 2026
BodyLa Crosse, Wisconsin
SessionCommon Council & Committees
DateMonday, March 30, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 18:44

Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

Should I just can I just start or we're good?

0:02

All right.

0:02

So we're gonna call this meeting to order at 1005 A.M.

0:07

on March 30th, 2026.

0:11

Uh Director Train is excused with their absence.

0:16

All other uh park board of public works park board.

0:21

Well, uh other board of public works members are present.

0:26

Um so I will now move to the approval of the minutes from March 23rd, 2026.

0:34

Motion made by Council President Dickinson, second by Director Gallagher.

0:40

Any corrections or changes?

0:44

All right, seeing none, please vote.

0:55

All right.

0:56

Moving on to the construction contract, final payments.

1:02

Director Gallagher.

1:03

There are none today, Mayor.

1:04

Thanks awesome.

1:07

Moving on to bidder's proof of responsibility, agenda item 251172.

1:14

We have two today.

1:15

Uh August Winter and Sons Inc.

1:17

from Appleton, Wisconsin for 134,292 and $660.

1:25

Sorry, $292,660.

1:28

Uh Wappashaw Construction Company Inc.

1:30

from Winona, Minnesota for $21,575,132.

1:37

Those are the only two.

1:38

All right.

1:40

Motion approved by Director Gallagher, second by Council President Dickinson.

1:44

Any discussion.

1:46

See and none, please vote.

2:02

All right, moving to our next agenda item 260204.

2:07

Resolution dedicated city property lot 42 of what's this?

2:14

Oh, sex hours addition is just the uh the subdivision.

2:17

Okay.

2:18

Six hours addition to the public for right-of-way purposes and approving requests from Badger Corgate and Company to vacate a portion of thereof.

2:30

Is there a staff that's gonna speak to this orders this year?

2:33

Okay.

2:34

Director Gallagher.

2:35

Sure, I guess in anticipation of any questions.

2:37

Uh this is prepared by the city surveyor.

2:39

It will be at the city plan commission tonight, and then moving on to the council.

2:43

This is kind of a housekeeping item that needs to clear up an issue of a parcel that was to be dedicated decades ago for the public right-of-way at the north end of 13th Street by Hyde Avenue.

2:55

That's necessary to complete the transaction of vacating part of the right-of-way for uh badger corrugating along the west side of 13th.

3:04

So this kind of has to happen first again, just a house cleaning item.

3:08

Okay.

3:09

Any questions for staff from Board of Public Work members?

3:14

Seeing none, the motion to approve by Director Gallagher, second by Council President Dickinson.

3:19

Seeing no other discussion, please vote.

3:24

The motion passes unanimously.

3:27

Next agenda item 260238 resolution allocated an unused sanitary sewer funds for the final payment on the wastewater treatment plant upgrades.

3:38

Is there someone from staff speaking to this?

3:40

Jarrett.

3:48

Good morning, board.

3:50

Um, the reason the purpose for this uh resolution is after five years, we're nearly completed with uh wastewater treatment plant upgrade.

3:59

As we get close to the end of this project, it was uh $65 million upgrade at the wastewater plant, and we're over budget uh by about 120,000 on a $65 million project.

4:12

So we need to increase the value of the contract so we can close out this project.

4:19

The the resolution to move funds over to cover for this will be covered by the clean water fund in the end to be reimbursed.

4:30

Okay.

4:31

Any questions for Councilmember Goggin?

4:36

So it it says that this is the funds to cover uh change order 12 final change.

4:41

Is this this is it now of this is done, deal?

4:44

No more money going to this project.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Water And Wastewater Management█████████████████████████████████████████████74%
Procedural████████13%
Engineering And Infrastructure████████13%
Summary of Proceedings

Board of Public Works Meeting - March 30, 2026

The Board of Public Works met on Monday, March 30, 2026, at 10:00 AM (called to order at 10:05 AM) in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 400 La Crosse Street, La Crosse, Wisconsin. Members present: Erin Goggin, Matt Gallager, Mayor Shaundel Washington-Spivey, and Tamra Dickinson. Andrea Trane was excused. The board unanimously approved several items, including construction contracts, easement acquisitions, a noise exemption, and wastewater treatment plant upgrades.

Consent Calendar

  • Bidder's Proof of Responsibility (25-1172): Approved bids from August Winter and Sons Inc. ($292,660) and Wappashaw Construction Company Inc. ($21,575,132). Motion carried 4-0 (yes: Goggin, Gallager, Washington-Spivey, Dickinson; excused: Trane).
  • Resolution dedicating City property (26-0204): Dedicated Lot 42 of Sexauer's Addition to public right-of-way and approved partial vacation for Badger Corrugating Company. Staff described it as a housekeeping item to clear a decades-old dedication issue on 13th Street. Motion carried 4-0.
  • Resolution allocating unused Sanitary Sewer funds (26-0238): Allocated funds for the final payment on the $65 million Wastewater Treatment Plant upgrades, which were $120,000 over budget. The overage will be reimbursed by the Clean Water Fund. The plant now generates its own electricity from methane, dries biosolids for Class A fertilizer, and meets new phosphorus limits. Motion carried 4-0.
  • Approval of payment list for Easement Acquisitions for Highway 16 (26-0247): Approved $54,500 from the Clean Water Fund for four permanent water main easements and one temporary easement, all acquired for installation of a 24-inch water main. Motion carried 4-0.
  • Construction Contract Change Orders (26-0319): Approved Change Orders #12 and #14 for La Crosse Public Library interior renovations. Staff indicated these may be the final change orders. Motion carried 4-0.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Public Hearing - Construction Noise Exemption (26-0249): No members of the public appeared to speak. The hearing was held for Gerke Excavating's request for a limited exemption to work outside the city's 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. noise restrictions on Highway 16.

Discussion Items

  • Highway 16 Water Main Noise Exemption (26-0249): The applicant, Scott from Gerke Excavating, explained that night work would be limited to staging materials and lane closures to avoid traffic disruption. No water main installation would occur at night. The board approved the exemption unanimously (4-0), with no public opposition.
  • WWTP Loading Rerate (26-0296): Jared, staff, presented a contract with Donohue Services to re-rate the plant's BOD (biological oxygen demand) loading capacity from the current 29,000 lbs/day to approximately 40,000 lbs/day. This is needed because the plant exceeded its previous limit, triggering a poor DNR score. The re-rate will be funded from the operating budget and will not change customer fees. The motion passed unanimously (4-0).

Key Outcomes

  • All seven agenda items were approved with unanimous 4-0 votes (all present members voting yes; Trane excused).
  • The board authorized final close-out of the WWTP upgrade project, including a $120,000 overage reimbursement from the Clean Water Fund.
  • The board approved four permanent and one temporary easement for the Highway 16 water main project.
  • Gerke Excavating received a limited noise exemption for night work along Highway 16.
  • Donohue Services was contracted to perform a loading re-rate study for the wastewater plant.
  • Two change orders for the library renovation were approved, likely marking completion of that project.
  • Meeting adjourned at 10:18 AM.

Meeting Transcript

Should I just can I just start or we're good? All right. So we're gonna call this meeting to order at 1005 A.M. on March 30th, 2026. Uh Director Train is excused with their absence. All other uh park board of public works park board. Well, uh other board of public works members are present. Um so I will now move to the approval of the minutes from March 23rd, 2026. Motion made by Council President Dickinson, second by Director Gallagher. Any corrections or changes? All right, seeing none, please vote. All right. Moving on to the construction contract, final payments. Director Gallagher. There are none today, Mayor. Thanks awesome. Moving on to bidder's proof of responsibility, agenda item 251172. We have two today. Uh August Winter and Sons Inc. from Appleton, Wisconsin for 134,292 and $660. Sorry, $292,660. Uh Wappashaw Construction Company Inc. from Winona, Minnesota for $21,575,132. Those are the only two. All right. Motion approved by Director Gallagher, second by Council President Dickinson. Any discussion. See and none, please vote. All right, moving to our next agenda item 260204. Resolution dedicated city property lot 42 of what's this? Oh, sex hours addition is just the uh the subdivision. Okay. Six hours addition to the public for right-of-way purposes and approving requests from Badger Corgate and Company to vacate a portion of thereof. Is there a staff that's gonna speak to this orders this year? Okay. Director Gallagher. Sure, I guess in anticipation of any questions. Uh this is prepared by the city surveyor. It will be at the city plan commission tonight, and then moving on to the council. This is kind of a housekeeping item that needs to clear up an issue of a parcel that was to be dedicated decades ago for the public right-of-way at the north end of 13th Street by Hyde Avenue. That's necessary to complete the transaction of vacating part of the right-of-way for uh badger corrugating along the west side of 13th. So this kind of has to happen first again, just a house cleaning item. Okay. Any questions for staff from Board of Public Work members? Seeing none, the motion to approve by Director Gallagher, second by Council President Dickinson. Seeing no other discussion, please vote. The motion passes unanimously. Next agenda item 260238 resolution allocated an unused sanitary sewer funds for the final payment on the wastewater treatment plant upgrades. Is there someone from staff speaking to this? Jarrett.

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