Revised swimming pool ordinance finally passes

PRESCOTT — The City of Prescott plans to help the Prescott Food Pantry expand after the city council accepted a Community Development Block Grant last Monday night.

The city received a grant in the amount of $944,600 that will allow for purchase of the building the Prescott Food Pantry is located in at 911 Pearl St., in what formerly was the River Heights Motel’s pool building and community space.

The food pantry plans to expand its space in the facility. On the opposite end of the building there will be room for a Senior Center, daily senior meals and a community testing and vaccination site for COVID-19. The grant funding was made available through the Wisconsin Department of Administration for projects related to COVID-19, and Prescott’s application included information on how much the Prescott Area Food Pantry has had to step up its operations since the onset of the pandemic last spring. Also, the Prescott Gathering Place, the city senior center, has had to stop meeting because of its location within Malone Intermediate School, so there has been no site for daily meals for seniors.

The city council held a public hearing on the grant application Feb. 22. Under the plan, the city would own the building and lease it to the food pantry with a sale to the organization possible in the future. The project’s COVID testing and vaccination site efforts are supported by Pierce County Public Health.

The building has been for sale, and the city and Prescott Food Pantry were given until July 1 to put together a purchase plan at a price of $349,000.

The council voted to accept the grant was unanimous in the “hybrid” meeting, with Mayor David Hovel and Alderperson Josh Gergen in person with City Administrator Jayne Brand in the city hall council chambers. Alderpersons Dar Hintz, Bailey Ruona, Maureen Otwell, Thomas Oss and Robert Daugherty participated via the Zoom platform.

“I think this is great. Congratulations!” said Otwell.

“We got a lot of help from the food pantry on this,” said Brand.

Riverfront project update

The city is also working on grant funding as part of its riverfront redevelopment project. That grant is through the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, and Brand reported that the city is still working on details with the agency.

Brand reported that as part of the grant, a proposed trail from downtown to Freedom Park would need Department of Transportation approval.

The city had proposed a six-foot wide trail. The DOT requires trail width adjacent to the state highway to be 10 feet.

“We’re working diligently on this. We have to move it farther back from the road and do a 10-foot trail,” said Brand.

The city hopes to do a large share of its riverfront redevelopment later this year, with trails, benches and lighting along the river downtown. The first aspect of the project – replacement of the courtesy dock – will happen this spring.

A pair of peregrine falcons were nesting nearby, and when they vacate the area, the project can go ahead.

“They don’t see the peregrine falcons there this week. They were on the bridge. That was one of the main things they were waiting for,” said Brand.

Swimming pool ordinance passes

A somewhat watered-down version of a swimming pool ordinance received final approval by city council on a unanimous vote.

Under the ordinance, fences are required around in-ground pools and above-ground pools less than four-feet in height. Small children’s wading pools 15 inches in height or smaller are exempt from the ordinance.

Prior versions of the revised ordinance required an annual permit and inspection for the pool. The ordinance committee removed that language on the opposition by council members.

“We’re still not where I want to be with this ordinance,” said Hintz, who heads the ordinance committee.

Daughtry thanked Ordinance Committee members, who worked on the ordinance for a year.

“I’d like to commend the Ordinance Committee. We made it tough on you. We sent it back a couple times,” he said.

Prescott resident Jamie Knox said she thinks the permit is needed for swimming pools, so fences, latches and gates can be inspected. She said she has a neighbor who has a pool with a broken latch.

Hintz said the Ordinance Committee will continue to look at the issue, and such infractions could possibly be handled through a nuisance ordinance.

Downtown parking

A couple council members brought up worsening problems with downtown parking, especially in light of the opening of Two Rivers Lodge Bar and Grill, 117 Broad St.

“I do have a concern about downtown parking,” said Hintz. “We need to have another discussion about it.”

Hovel said he has advocated for assessing businesses that don’t provide parking a $2,000 charge for every space they aren’t providing under city code.

“We should have done that,” he said.

The city is working to develop a lot east of the Holiday gas station downtown.

“We are going to get that parking in this summer,” he said. “That’s my goal.”

Brand said the city would contact Two Rivers management, because the business said it was going to shuttle customers to the site to alleviate parking problems.

Gergen’s final meeting

The meeting was the last for Josh Gergen on the council. A resolution commending him for his service to the city was the last order of business.

“Josh and I are going to go down to Philander’s if anyone wants to join us,” Hovel said as the meeting adjourned.

“No city business will be discussed,” said Brand.

Photo by John McLoone.