RIVER FALLS — River Falls’ plan regarding sustainability and conservation became clearer as the city council heard a presentation on a new division during the Oct. 22 meeting.
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RIVER FALLS — River Falls’ plan regarding sustainability and conservation became clearer as the city council heard a presentation on a new division during the Oct. 22 meeting.
Community Development Director Amy Peterson presented on the Conservation and Parks Division that is proposed to come to the city in 2025.
The division includes a conservation and parks manager, a recreation coordinator, a sustainability coordinator and a natural resources coordinator.
“This division will take the lead on the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board and the Tree Board,” Peterson said.
The presentation featured five priorities of the division which are parks, recreation, sustainability, forestry and natural resources. The city expects to bring in the manager in January or February when recreation will shift to the division, add a sustainability coordinator in March and a natural resources coordinator in 2026. Peterson said waiting until 2026 for a natural resources coordinator will allow the division to settle before tackling another priority.
“This isn’t three new positions… one is new of the three,” Peterson said.
Peterson said the division will help rejuvenate the sustainable energy project POWERful Choices! and the city green team.
“This is not a status quo proposal,” City Administrator Scot Simpson said. “We’re putting resources in place proactive to where we think the needs are going to lead us.”
Alderperson Sean Downing took interest in the natural resources coordinator position.
“From my understanding, natural resources coordinator, they’ll be working heavily with land conservation, which is very important,” Downing said. “And that’s something that we’ll be seeing more of.”
Two people spoke on sustainability during the public comment period, a topic that has been heavily discussed by the public at council meetings in recent months.
“I saw some environmental focus, which is very important, but also there’s social and economic,” community member Tova Flygare said. “We have so many opportunities with our education programs and volunteering and businesses that could grow with the right sustainability position.”
Flygare wants to see criteria for the sustainability coordinator position including an ability to navigate documents and projects, a strong background and academic history in sustainability.
Downtown Improvements
The council also heard a presentation on a special assessment of $44,500 to fund improvements in the downtown district. Each of the businesses in the district pay an assessed portion of the total amount.
The request came from the Business Improvement District Board and council unanimously approved the motion.
“Most of downtown River Falls is thriving and doing well, but it is challenged and we have been trying to help them as much as we can,” BID Board Chair Joleen Larson said. “We have guarded optimism for 2025.”
Larson said the downtown will eventually have redevelopment and the board has put aside money annually to commit to things that fit with the redevelopment.
Other business
