Council could override mayor’s veto on $49 million La Crosse Center plan tonight, as well as look at parking issues

The $49 million La Crosse Center renovation and a plan to boot cars for parking violations are two big items on an agenda tonight.

La Crosse’s city council, at its meeting tonight, could decide whether Mayor Kabat’s veto of the La Crosse Center design and budget will stand.

Officials with the Center expect the project to go ahead no matter what the council does, but a decision on the veto will affect the final design and construction schedule.

Kabat has objected to the latest concept for enlarging the civic center, which would extend the building into the south end of Riverside Park.

Regardless of the council’s decision, the La Crosse Center Board will be quick to react.

The board has scheduled a Friday morning meeting aimed at responding to the council’s decisions.

Items listed on the board’s agenda are public education efforts about the need to modernize the civic center, which opened in 1980, and plans for more public input sessions.

City residents have criticized the idea of building a center addition into Riverside Park.

As for the plan to boot parking violators, it’s another decision the council could vote on. Boots would go on cars of those who have too many overdue parking tickets with the city.

Meanwhile, city leaders are looking at ways to keep the existing downtown parking ramps in good shape.

Parking utility coordinator Jim Flottmeyer told the city public works board Monday that the oldest existing ramp could be inspected soon.

The Main Street ramp opened in the 1980s. A three-story mural is currently being painted on one corner of the ramp.