The River Falls City Council approved a resolution to terminate Tax Increment District #5 which includes the Whitetail Ridge Corporate Park.

“It’s not often that you get to terminate a tax increment district, so we thought that in seeking your approval to do so, we would also take the opportunity to do a little bit of a celebration and a victory lap,” Finance Director Josh Solinger said.

The 311-acre district was created in 1994, building a current value of over $31 million. At its creation, the district was valued at $467,400.

Over time, the district has brought the city $19 million in revenue, with $14.8 million used for project costs and debt service and another $2.2 million entering the general fund.

A one-year extension for the district was approved by council last year for the purpose of affordable housing expansion. An estimated $484,000 will go to the housing reserve fund from the district in 2026.

“Part of the reason why the termination is before you today is because it’s just at that point in time where it’s statutory life,” Solinger said.

Jan. 1, 2026, will mark the conclusion of the district. Revenue will be collected for the final time in 2026 based on the 2025 year.

Special Events Workshop

Council discussed the major special events in River Falls at a workshop prior to the meeting, deciding to look into a unified application process.

“There is an importance of having special events,” City Administrator Scot Simpson said. “It’s part of the identity, it helps bring the community together.”

Simpson also cited stimulation of the local economy and experiences for residents and visitors.

The city has goals in place to keep these events running, grow them and reduce excess costs.

Simpson proposed a list of policies for council to consider that formalize the special event planning process with the city. They also proposed event classifications, which attribute policies based on the length and scope of the event.

River Falls estimates its cost between public works and the police department to hold its large chamber special events (River Falls Days, Bacon Bash and River Dazzle) was about $66,000 last year. Simpson said the council could look into a policy that would help recover those costs through something like a room tax. In 2024, the city collected $56,760 on room tax, falling a bit short of the event staffing expenses.

“No matter how we slice this, I don’t think the events are costing us as a city more than a quarter of a million dollars,” Simpson said. “You all have to tell us… how much effort do you want to put into it either as a council or a staff.”

“To be in a community where events are growing, and revenue from events are growing and community impact from events are growing, I think that having some sort of standardized application process would be valuable,” Alderperson Michael Page said.

He said this would show the community they are open to events and enable groups to start them. Topics discussed for the application that were mentioned included open containers and street closures.

Alderperson Diane Odeen asked that the events considered community events, regional events and major events are seen by the council and neighborhood block parties and below are not directed to the council. As it was a workshop, the council and city staff will continue working together to find a process they feel works best.

Other business

• Adopted the Pierce County Multi-Hazards Mitigation Plan.
• Approved a large batch of alcohol licenses for businesses and organizations in the city.