LISTEN: La Crosse Mayor Reynolds on development plans, housing, state funding, homeless in Houska

La Crosse Mayor Mitch Reynolds in the WIZM studio Monday for La Crosse Talk PM discussing how how the state could change funding cities, the homeless situation in Houska Park, and some development news both near Pettibone Park, as well as the River Point District — the old Mobil Oil site.

La Crosse Talk PM airs weekdays at 5:06 p.m. Listen on the WIZM app, online here, or on 92.3 FM / 1410 AM / 106.7 FM (north of Onalaska). Find all the podcasts here or subscribe to La Crosse Talk PM wherever you get your podcasts.

In terms of the state funding cities, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers’ plan is to change the model. We get Reynolds’ opinion on that plan, which is to use 20% of the state’s 5% sales tax, instead of the way it’s done now.

Also discussed Houska Park, with the deadline for unsheltered people staying there to remove there things by March 15, so the cleanup of that area can began — though Reynolds eluded to that cleanup already happening to a degree.

The city council meets Thursday and two big things on that agenda include the first development in the River Point District, which Reynolds believes is over 35 years in the making. There is also an agenda item for the council on land across from Pettibone that could be housing or could be RV parking.

But, began the show, for some reason, on the hot topic of shoveling sidewalks, as there have been 188 citations in the city for that not being done. Since Reynolds took over as mayor, the city has changed how it fines and charges residents when sidewalks don’t get shoveled to a more equitable system.