Politics
La Crosse city council members Kiel, Dickinson on homeless “bans,” $27.5 million CIP budget, new airport director, sidewalks
Mac Kiel and Tamra Dickinson in the WIZM studio Monday — along with Lilly and Finn — for La Crosse Talk PM to discuss decisions over new camping bans that would affect the homeless, the new airport director, the $27.5 million Capital Improvement Projects budget and the fight over no new sidewalks.
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.
Kiel and Dickson are La Crosse city council members. Dickinson is also on the Board of Public Works, which had a packed council chamber over, basically, banning homeless from camping. We discussed (28:00) the ordinance to ban camping mostly along the River March that was voted down and how the city is navigating both the long- and short-term homeless crisis.
Before that, however, we talked about the city hiring a new airport director (7:20). Jeffery Trip will take over for departed Ian Turner on June 17. Dickinson also chairs the Aviation Board
After that (17:25) we hit on the Capital Improvement Project budget for a minute, and the upcoming public meetings dealing with it.
We also talked about (21:00) how some neighborhoods in La Crosse have no sidewalks and do not want new sidewalks, while the city’s bicycle and pedestrian plan essentially is putting sidewalks on every street.
walden
June 4, 2024 at 1:28 pm
Wow, the shallow end of the pool still isn’t shallow enough for those two.
Good job by Solem carrying on a conversation mostly with himself.
The discussion was all about the homeless; apparently downtown businesses and citizen safety downtown are not on the radar. It’s as if the council works for the homeless and the homeless industrial complex, and not the taxpayers.
LG
June 4, 2024 at 8:36 pm
Walden
When I was involved in the battle against City Council to prevent them from turning the former Maple Grove Motel into a homeless shelter, McKenzie Mindel would cry during the meeting because she cared more about the homeless than the neighborhood residents, taxpayers, and businesses that were against turning the southern entrance Of lacrosse into a homeless camp. The rest of city Council and the public had to wait for the waterworks to stop so the being could continue. It was embarrassing And inappropriate conduct for a city council member In my humble opinion. And she still on the council.
Walden
June 6, 2024 at 7:08 pm
They are beyond parody.
LG
June 4, 2024 at 8:40 pm
Walden
When I was involved in the battle against City Council to prevent them from turning the former Maple Grove Motel into a homeless encampment, McKenzie Mindel would cry during the meeting because she cared more about the homeless than the neighborhood residents, taxpayers, and businesses that were against turning the southern entrance of lacrosse into a homeless camp. The rest of city Council and the public had to wait for the waterworks to stop so the meeting could continue. It was embarrassing and inappropriate conduct for a city council member in my humble opinion. And she is still on the council.