RIVER FALLS – At its April 20 organizational meeting, the River Falls City Council directed city staff to look into the options and consequences of appointing Pierce County Health Department as the city’s sole health officer, including over the areas of the city that fall in St. Croix County boundaries.

District Alderperson Benjamin Plunkett pulled the appointment of the city’s health officer from a list of appointments to be approved, which would have named St. Croix and Pierce County health departments as dual health officers. He questioned whether having two counties appointed was problematic, especially after the “real stress test of having multiple health officers” this past year.

City Administrator Scot Simpson said a single entity or individual as health officer is legal and allowable, but the line is not clear through the complex bureaucratic maze when it comes to dealing with two counties in one city.

He explained that state law allows a city to request a county that has selected the county administrator form of government (which St. Croix County has, Pierce has not) to delegate the health officer authority to the other county, when the city sits in two counties as River Falls does.

“The St. Croix County administrator can delegate the health officer authority in a city that crosses two counties to the other county,” Simpson said. “So, I made the request of (former) administrator Pat Thompson and he denied that request, but that would’ve made the Pierce County health officer the health officer for the entire city of River Falls, including the portion that is in St. Croix County.”

The primary purpose of a city’s health officer is to remove someone from their home if it’s declared uninhabitable, Simpson said. He added that a designated health officer doesn’t have to be a county health department. At one time, River Falls had a medical doctor designated as its health officer.

“The issue we ran into with regards to COVID-19 is the city doesn’t have its own health department and because of that, both Pierce County and St. Croix County health departments retained some jurisdiction over the parts of the city that are in their respective counties regardless of who’s designated as the health officer,” said city attorney Christopher Gierhart.

Simpson said he doesn’t think the current system is broken, but it’s not ideal. Alderperson Scott Morrissette agreed the frustration of dealing with two health officers is tough.

“Playing to two masters and what do we do when the two masters don’t agree?” Morrissette asked.

The council directed city staff to look into the consequences and possibility of appointing a single county as its city health officer. For the time being, the appointment stands and both counties remain the city’s health officer.

A historical day

Mayor Dan Toland read a statement prepared by Simpson about the guilty verdicts in the Derek Chauvin trial in Minneapolis. Simpson defined the day as a “big moment in our region and our country.” He described local government as being on the front lines of many issues seen as causes or symptoms of the country’s biggest challenges, such as housing security, substance abuse, economic security, justice, social and racial justice inequities.

“As part of the city, we have a role to both embrace the fact that many people in our society don’t feel the same confidence and security that we do in our police department but also accept that a department is different and our community can be different also.

“We know the names and faces of our police officers and their families. I urge you all to know that you can both be disgusted by the outcome of police intervention and also support and embrace our local police officers, who I believe are very vital to the success of our varied community.

“It’s also important to recognize that members of our own community right here in River Falls may be experiencing the community differently than we are, and we need to work toward a day where all members of our community can have the same confidence in and resulting security that many of us feel when interacting with city employees and services, including police services.”

Simpson’s comments ended by urging everyone to find a way forward.

“We are not perfect, but we have a lot to be proud of here in River Falls. Thank you everyone for being a part of the work that we will do together,” Toland read.

Other business

•The council elected Morrissette council president.

•The council elected Diane Odeen as comptroller; she appointed Todd Bjerstedt deputy comptroller.

•Toland appointed Odeen parliamentarian.

•The council elected Odeen as council representative on Plan Commission.

•The mayor appointed Nick Carow to the Historic Preservation Commission, Alyssa Mueller to Library Board, Sean Downing to Parks & Recreation Advisory Board, Plunkett to Design Review Committee, Morrissette to Utility Advisory Board, Bjerstedt to Housing Authority, and himself to River Falls Creates Public Art.

•The mayor appointed (with council confirmation) Weld Riley, S.C., as city attorney.

•Financial institutions designated as public depositories for the city include First National Bank of River Falls, Hometown Bank – Fond du Lac, River Falls State Bank, Security Financial Bank – River Falls, State of Wisconsin Pooled Investment Fund, US Bank NA, Wells Fargo and Bremer Bank.

•Oaths of office were taken prior to the meeting: Downing (District 1), Carow (District 2), Mueller (District 3), Odeen (Alderperson – at Large).

•The board voted 6-1 (Plunkett voted no) to convene into closed session regarding site redevelopment on South Main Street. No action was taken.