Eau Claire City Council to decide whether to inform or advocate on upcoming referendum

Sep. 11—EAU CLAIRE — After its regular meeting at City Hall on Tuesday evening, Eau Claire's elected officials will walk a couple of blocks away for a second meeting that can't be held on government property.

Inside the Eau Claire Chamber of Commerce building, 101 N. Farwell St., the council is set to decide whether it will only provide objective information leading up to the city's Nov. 8 referendum or advocate a stance on how residents should vote.

"Just to play it safe, in case the council wants to take a role of advocacy, then we can't have that discussion in council chambers," council President Terry Weld said.

Referendum guidelines from the Wisconsin Elections Commission state that elected officials cannot use city resources — including meetings on public property such as City Hall, parks and other government buildings — if they are advocating that constituents vote yes or no on a ballot question. To abide by those guidelines, city staff won't be at the meeting in the Chamber building, Weld said, but it is open to the public.

However, if the tact the City Council chooses to take is just sharing factual information on a referendum, it is then permitted to use public resources and settings. Should the council go that course, Weld said future meetings on the referendum could be held at City Hall with city employees there.

In addition to deciding whether to just inform or advocate, the council is also expected Tuesday to map out appearances at events leading up to the Nov. 8 vote.

The council is already looking at different venues to host public meetings on the referendum, Weld said. Delegating council members to meet with neighborhood groups and other specific constituencies about the referendum is also going to be discussed.

Tuesday will be the council's first opportunity together to discuss the referendum since deciding it would ask city voters for $1.45 million to hire more city employees. The council approved draft referendum language on July 25, followed by an Aug. 23 vote the final wording.

If approved by voters, that ongoing funding would pay for 15 new public safety employees. Of those, six would be firefighters/paramedics, six police officers, two civilian community services officers and one civilian associate to support 911 dispatchers.

The city calculated it will add about $44 to the property tax bill for the typical home in Eau Claire, which is currently valued at $194,000.

To handle the information campaign for the referendum, the city has hired public relations firm Mueller Communications.

"Our goal is to make sure that the people of Eau Claire are able to make a well-informed decision," City Manager Stephanie Hirsch wrote in an email to the Leader-Telegram.

The city has a contract to spend up to $29,993 on the firm's services between August through November. Mueller's work will include development of a fact sheet, answering frequently asked questions, preparing two mailers, assisting with outreach strategies and making materials for community meetings.

Funds for the contract come from "lag money" in the city's budget. That is unpent salary for positions when an employee retires or leaves City Hall and it takes time to hire their replacements.

Other business

During the City Council's regular 4 p.m. Tuesday meeting, these items are included on the agenda:

—Voting on a reserve liquor license for 71FORE-Bar, a new bar with sports simulators planned to be built on the east side of Wagner's Bowling Alley.

—Accepting $209,203 the state government allocated to the Eau Claire Police Department from money provided by the American Rescue Plan Act. The department will use the funds for wellness initiatives, protective equipment, evidence storage, uniforms, medical trauma supplies, de-escalation training and taser upgrades, according to materials provided with the council agenda.

—Typically, the council meets on Monday nights for host public hearings and public discussions prior to its Tuesday legislative meetings. This week's Monday meeting is canceled due to a lack of agenda items calling for that formal public input.