Going into Tuesday February 9, the River Falls Common Council was due to hold a 5:00 p.m. virtual meeting “regarding legislative priorities for 2021.” Viewers were directed to the City’s YouTube channel, with no further details available at press time.

Also due to occur at 3:25 p.m. Tuesday prior to the workshop but after press time was the regular Common Council meeting. With the second reading of the first two ordinances of the year due to occur before the City legislature (one regarding shoreland ordinance amendments and the other regarding “breweries, brewpubs, wineries, and distilleries,” a closed session was also in store, pursuant to State statute 19.85(1)(e). Calling City Hall to cut through the legalese of the state statute’s stipulations, the closed session so scheduled per City Hall was due to consider “a piece of land near the city compost site” and “site redevelopment,” with possible pending litigation in the works. Further details were not available from City Hall when reached Monday, also the first day of absentee balloting in the State primary. While the land plats immediately surrounding the compost site are registered to the City per data-piercecounty-wi.hub.arcgis.com, several on 1010th Street are divided into separate home lots while city street rights-of-way lead up to and abut the compost site from the other side.

Somewhat less murky was a memorandum from Mayor Dan Toland to the River Falls City Council, recommending the Reappointment of Mike Pepin to the BID (Business Incremental District) Board through December 2023, along with the Reappointment of Lisa Moody to the City’s Plan Commission through May 2024 and a new appointment to the Plan Commission of Chris Holtkamp through May 2024 as well. All three recommendations of the Mayor came upon said individuals contacting with written correspondence expressing interest in continuing to serve or else be appointed, in which case we leave you with the letter of the new appointee to the City’s Plan Commission; Chris Holtkamp. “Good afternoon, I’m fairly new to River Falls, moving here in summer of 2018 to teach urban planning at UWRF. I live (in River Falls).

Brandy Howe asked if I might be interested in serving on Planning Commission or related City board, and I suppose it’s not a bad thing to serve the community in that way. She suggested I reach out to y’all to let you know that I’d be interested if a position comes up and I would be a good fit.

A little bit about me. I have 20 years experience as an urban planner, working primarily in Texas, in small and rural communities. My job was primarily working with communities developing comprehensive plans, downtown revitalization plans, economic development strategies, and the like. I earned a PhD in 2018 in Geography and was lucky enough to land a job at UWRF. Since moving here I was involved in the Kinni Corridor Plan task force that worked on the development of, and transition to, the Kinni Corridor Collaborative organization. I’m not super familiar with Wisconsin specific development laws and regulation, but I’m learning quickly as I do address these in class.

Anyway, just wanted to introduce myself and let you know I’d be willing to volunteer if needed.

Take care, Chris Holtcamp, PhD, AICP” Perhaps with more citizen volunteers and pending Council approval of the three appointees after press time Tuesday, the City of River Falls can continue to thrive now and into the future, for years to come.