Welcome to the Eau Claire Chamber Blog

​PASSIONATE ABOUT WELLNESS AND PERSONALIZED CARE
We’re dedicated to bringing you the highest quality of health care and a personalized approach to managing your wellness. Our patient-centered style of care empowers you with the resources to become a strong advocate for your own health and make decisions with your health care provider.
 
FIND US IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD
We offer a broad range of primary and specialty health care services with locations in Altoona, Arcadia, Augusta, Chippewa Falls, Cornell, Eau Claire, Ladysmith, Menomonie, Mondovi and Rice Lake. For a complete list of medical specialties and providers, visit prevea.com. We are also a proud partner of HSHS Sacred Heart Hospital in Eau Claire and HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital in Chippewa Falls.
 
THE RIGHT CARE AT THE RIGHT TIME
It’s easy to access our services when you need them. Need to schedule an appointment for a routine exam or with a specialist? Call (888) 277-3832 or schedule your appointment with select providers at prevea.com. Maybe you are looking for a new doctor. No problem. We’ll guide you through the process.   
 

As a better way to serve you, visit prevea.com/urgentcare to check out our estimated wait times or “save your spot” by making an online reservation.

​Prevea Care After Hours
If you have an injury, illness or medical question after our health center is closed, use Prevea Care After Hours. It’s a 24-hour phone service staffed by our experienced medical professionals who will answer your medical questions after our health centers are closed. Call (888) 277-3832

HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital announced Kimberly Ball, a registered nurse in the hospital’s Emergency department, has received the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses ®. This marked the first time the DAISY Award has been given at HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital. Ball, who has served at the hospital for 23 years, was nominated by a fellow colleague.

Suzanne Linton, a nurse practitioner, recently joined the Urology Department at Mayo Clinic Health System in Eau Claire. She has 13 years of experience providing urological care to patients. Linton earned her master’s degree in nursing at Marian College in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.  Linton is a board-certified adult nurse practitioner by the American Nurses Credentialing Center and is an advanced practice nurse prescriber. She also is a member of the Wisconsin Nurses Association.

Forrest Delikowski, a physician assistant, recently joined Urgent Care at Mayo Clinic Health System in Eau Claire.  Delikowski completed a master’s degree in physician assistant studies at the University of Florida in Gainesville.  He is certified by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants and is a member of the American Academy of Physician Assistants.       

Security Financial Bank recently donated $2,000 each to the Bloomer, Durand, Eau Claire and River Falls school districts to assist in the payment of negative school lunch account balances as part of their No Negative Balances campaign raising awareness of the issue for the communities they serve. In addition, tellers in each location collected funds from customers for the cause. Bloomer raised an additional $267.35, Durand $56, Eau Claire $15 and River Falls $74.83. For those interested in contributing to the cause, please contact a Security Financial Bank office in your community.  
 
Charter Bank announced Chad Plath as Branch Manager of the Eau Claire office. Plath is responsible for the administration and daily operations, including sales, service, facilities management, and purchasing.  Plath comes to Charter Bank with close to 20 years’ experience in the financial services. He started his career in the Twin Cities at Wells Fargo and Novation Credit Union. For the last eight years, he’s been at Royal Credit Union as the Branch Manager of the two Menomonie offices.
Plath received his associated degree in Sales and Management from St. Cloud Technical College.
 
Royal Credit Union (Royal) has named Nicole Frederick Branch Manager of the Bay Street and Woodward Avenue offices in Chippewa Falls, WI. She is responsible for the overall operations in the branch and team member engagement. This includes ensuring that the branch meets financial, operational, and growth goals. In addition, Frederick will work with her teams to provide an exceptional experience for Royal Members and the Chippewa Falls community. Frederick joined Royal in October of 2015 and most recently served as a Member Account Representative. Prior to joining Royal she was a General Manager at Culvers. Frederick has an Associate’s Degree in Business Management from Chippewa Valley Technical College.
 
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Lovejoy Realty announced a name change for its brokerage that better reflects its growing regional presence in Minnesota and Western Wisconsin. The brokerage now operates as Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices North Properties with aspirations to serve all of Minnesota and fortify its presence in Wisconsin.  North Properties is a full-service real estate company also offering relocation and title services in Minnesota and Wisconsin. The brokerage operates 12 offices with more than 130 agents. 
 

​Ruta Kirstein, a nurse practitioner, recently joined Mayo Clinic Health System in the Oncology Department in Eau Claire and Menomonie.  Kirstein completed a master’s degree in adult nurse practitioner studies at the State University of New York Institute of Technology in Utica. She previously practiced at the Lipson Cancer Institute in Rochester, New York.  She is a member of the Advanced Practitioner Society of Hematology and Oncology, Oncology Nursing Society and Sigma Theta Tau Honor Society of Nursing.
 
Hope Gospel Mission has recently hired Brett Geboy as Community Relations Director. He is responsible for directing community engagement efforts, enhancing community partnerships and helping in strategic development as Hope Gospel Mission moves forward in helping see lives rescued, rebuilt and renewed. Geboy comes to Hope Gospel Mission with experience in sales, marketing and public relations most recently with North Central Insulation as well as the Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce.
 
Charter Bank announced the hiring of Daniel Pohnl as the Assistant Vice President of Business Lending. Pohnl will be responsible for establishing and maintaining business relationships with customers and manage a portfolio to ensure customers receive the service they deserve.  Pohnl joins the Charter Bank team with many years in the commercial loans and real estate business. Prior to Charter Bank, Pohnl was a commercial lender for Merchants Bank in Eau Claire, and also worked at Wells Fargo and Northeast Bank in the Minneapolis market.
 
River Valley Architects, Inc. (RVA) is excited to announce that they have moved from Chippewa Falls, WI to 3300 Birch Street, Suite 1A in St. Andrew’s Office Park in Eau Claire, WI. The move stems from RVA’s unprecedented growth over recent years and will enable RVA to add additional staff, continue to meet the growing needs of their clients and strengthen relationships with their valued partners. River Valley Architects, Inc. is a full-service architectural design firm that is built upon a commitment to keeping up with the current trends in their industry, continuing education and learning from each of their experiences along the way. 

​The midterm elections are over, and you have chosen your statewide officials. But another election is looming, this one  touching more local issues—your home, your parks, your job, and, perhaps above all, your children’s education. The Eau Claire and Altoona City Councils, as well as the Eau Claire and Altoona School Boards, have seats that will be up at the April 2 election. This means you have a chance to influence the direction of those bodies, and, by extension, the direction of the policies that matter most.

You can do more than just vote. In fact, you can run for office yourself, or you can convince a friend to undertake that challenge instead.

Given the wide range of points of view and experience among citizens in the community, it's valuable to everyone to have those with business experience participate in the process because of their practical knowledge of the economic environment and the impact of government regulations, taxes and other governmental policies. When working with educational policies, employers know which skills are necessary for practical success in the workplace, and can evaluate which programs will cultivate those skills most effectively in our students. 

In whatever way you wish to participate, we at the Chamber urge you to get involved, and we have provided information to do so below.

Six positions on the Eau Claire City Council will be up for grabs this spring. The Council has eleven members overall, five at-large representatives, five elected from districts, and the City Council President. The current holders of the district seats were elected at the 2018 election for three years and are not on the ballot next spring.

Perhaps most prominent, the remainder of the City Council President's term will be open. Andrew Werthmann, who represents District 5, currently serves as the Acting President, a position for which he was chosen by the Council after former Council President Kerry Kincaid, whose term was scheduled to run to 2020, resigned last spring. One year remains in the presidential term, and Werthmann has announced that he will run for it. To run, one must submit a minimum of 200 and maximum of 400 signatures to the City Clerk's office by January 2. Forms for those signatures are available there as well. Contact information for the office is provided below.
 
If the presidency doesn't suit you, five at large seats will be open as well. At-large representatives serve for three years, and are accountable to the whole city, not just a district. Their work is vital to solving important issues facing the community. These seats also give their occupants a unique opportunity to develop a deep knowledge of a diverse set of issues.  To run for an at-large seat, one must submit 100-200 signatures to the City Clerk's office by January 2. 

The at-large representatives whose seats will be up for election in the Spring include Kate Beaton, Catherine Emmanuelle, David Strobel, Terry Weld and Michael Xiong. If an incumbent decides not to seek re-election, he or she must submit a non-candidacy form, which is due before the end of December. 
 
To run for an of these positions, an Eau Claire resident must pick up a signature form from the City Clerk's office. It's currently located at the temporary City Hall at 2020 Prairie Lane. A packet is available for potential candidates which includes all required information and forms.  If you have questions, call (715) 839-4912. The office is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, except December 24 and 25, and January 1.

Altoona City Council
On the Altoona City Council, three of its district seats—Districts 4, 5 and 6—will be open, each term lasting two years. Altoona's City Council has six members overall,  with the elections for each district alternating each year.  Altoona also has a Mayor, who is elected to a two-year term in even numbered years.
 
Here are the names of the incumbents from those district seats up in 2019: 

• District 4: Matt Biren
• District 5: Tim Sexton
• District 6: David Rowe

Click here for a map showing the Altoona voting wards and council districts
Incumbents are required to submit a non-candidacy form if they do not wish to run again. 

​To run for one of these positions, an Altoona resident must pick up a signature form from the City Clerk's office and submit 20-40 signatures to that office by January 2. The address for the office is 1303 Lynn Ave and the phone numberis  (715) 839-6092.

A position on the school board gives you a direct avenue toward effecting policies for our community's educational system. 

The terms run for three years, and three positions will be open in the spring. The incumbents are Chris Hambuch-Boyle, Aaron Harder and Eric Torres.  Overall, the School Board has seven members. 

To run, you must turn in 100-200 signatures to the Administrative Building (500 Main Street) by January 2. If you have questions about the process, you can reach the office at (715) 852-3000.
​

Two positions will be up for election to determine who sits on the board for the next three years. The incumbents are Bradley Poquette and David Rowe. Overall, there are five members of the Altoona School Board.

Running in this election requires 20-100 signatures, all of which you must submit to the School District Clerk's office by January 2. The address of that office is 1903 Bartlett Avenue, and its phone number is (715) 839-6032.

Questions or connections needed?
If you have questions about the process or simply want to touch base about considering a candidacy, contact Scott Rogers, the Chamber's Governmental Affairs & Workforce Director, at: rogers@eauclairechamber.org or 715-858-0616.

Posted by Nate Kane, Legislative Intern
kane@eauclairechamber.org

The 10 members of the Eau Claire City Council took nearly five hours to complete their legislative session on November 27, with a variety of measures stirring debate, including a few modifications to its $149.7 million budget for 2019. 

Budget and Tax Levy
The City's budgeted spending represents a $10.6 million increase over 2018 at $149.7 million. The portion coming from property taxes is $43.5 million, an increase of $300,000, primarily coming from increased values of new construction. The tax levy itself will be $8.03 per thousand, down from $9.26 last year. 

Budget amendments passed by the Council included the following:

• $25,000 to hire an outside consultant to plan for the establishment of a Participatory Budgeting program, described as "a democratic process in which community members decide how to spend part of a public budget." To offset this increase, the Police Department budget for parking enforcement is reduced by $25,000. Proposed by Andrew Werthmann and Catherine Emmanuelle.
• $35,700 to provide additional funding for a Smart Housing Program, in cooperation with local landlords, aimed at helping people with an eviction or a criminal conviction on their records get education and be certified as responsible tenants. To offset this increase, funding for the extended defibrillator warranty in the Fire Department budget is reduced by $27,700 and funding for the ice edger at Hobbs Ice Center in the “Non-Departmental” budget is reduced by $8,000. Proposed by Andrew Werthmann.
• Adding $179,800 to the Library budget to add two positions to improve safety in the building, boost literacy outreach and help serve the city’s low-income population. To offset this increase, the Finance Department budget for courier services is reduced by $4,500 and the General Fund budget for Contractual Services is reduced by $175,300. Proposed by Emily Anderson and Catherine Emmanuelle.  Passed in a 6-4 vote. Voting Yes were Emily Anderson, Kate Beaton, Emily Berge, Catherine Emmanuelle, Andrew Werthmann, and Michael Xiong. Voting No were Jill Christopherson, Jeremy Gragert, Dave Strobel and Terry Weld.
• Using about $5,000 to fund hospitality improvement opportunities in the Council Chambers in the remodeled City Hall when it opens next summer.  Proposed by Catherine Emmanuelle.

Other items passed by the Council included:

Carbon Fee Resolution
Calls upon Congress to recognize the scientific evidence of climate change and urges Congress to act by adopting a revenue-neutral fee on certain fossil fuels. Passed 9-1 with Dave Strobel voting no. 

Family Members at Public Meetings
Authorizing members of City Council and other City of Eau Claire public bodies to bring non-disruptive children, family members or others to be seated with the member during public meetings.  Passed 7-3 with Yes votes from Emily Anderson, Kate Beaton, Emily Berge, Jill Christopherson, Jeremy Gragert and Andrew Werthman; No votes from Dave Strobel, Terry Weld and Michael Xiong.

Keeping of Poultry
Residents will be permitted to keep up to five hens for personal use only. Sets minimum health, sanitation and safety standards for coops and poultry. Prohibits commercial sale of poultry and eggs. Provides that all property owners within 100 feet of the applicant’s property will be provided notice of the applicant’s intent to keep poultry. Owners of abutting property may object to the issuance of a license; City Council would then determine whether or
not to grant the license. Passed 8-2 vote with Strobel and Weld voting No.

Penalties for Possession of Marijuana
Citing the recent advisory referendum where a majority of Eau Claire County residents favored marijuana legalization, Andrew Werthmann proposed to reduce the range of penalties for possession of marijuana from $100-$500 to $1. Additionally, the amendments would create a new class of forfeitures applicable only to possession of marijuana at $1 plus all applicable court costs which with mandatory state costs totals an issued citation of $138.76. The current local forfeiture amount is $300, which totals with costs a $515.50 citation. 

During debate, Council Member Terry Weld proposed changing the fine to $125, still a reduction from current levels but enough, he argued, to make the total $295 with court costs an incentive for offenders to opt for a $250 diversion program. After a significant amount of discussion, the amendment failed on a 5-5 vote, with Yes votes for the higher fine from Emily Berge, Jill Christopherson, Dave Strobel, Terry Weld and Michael Xiong. No vote for a lower fine were Emily Anderson, Kate Beaton, Catherine Emmanuelle, Jeremy Gragert, and Andrew Werthmann. 

Without the amendment, final passage of the measure as proposed was 8-2, with only Strobel and Weld voting No.

Correction: The November 26 Business Advocate incorrectly listed the total city budget as $76.6 million, which was only the amount of the General Fund Budget.  The total City budget will all entities is $146.7 million.

More information: 
Monday Agenda Packet (7 p.m. Public Hearing)
Tuesday Agenda Packet (4 p.m. Legislative session; packet includes budget information and amendments)
​Video recording of City Council meetings (Valley Media Works)
New library jobs get into budget (Leader-Telegram)
​Speakers offer differing views at budget hearing (Leader-Telegram)
​City council approves budget, keeping hens, $1 pot fine (WEAU TV 13 News)
Eau Claire City Council passes chicken-keeping ordinance, lower pot fines, dais changes, and city budget (WQOW News 18)
​UPDATE: Eau Claire City Council Votes to Allow Urban Chickens (Volume One)

Posted by Scott Rogers, Governmental Affairs & Workforce Director
rogers@eauclairechamber.org

​Rhom Construction LLC has been serving Northwestern Wisconsin with superior commercial construction services since 2004.  Our company values of dedication, integrity and honesty play a significant role and are the roots of success for Rhom Construction.  We are locally owned and managed by Nicholas Mohr.

​Some recently completed and current projects are: Celebration of Life Center, Prevea-Rice Lake & Ladysmith, CCF Bank, EC Super Wash, Fairfax Pool, Toppers, Cardinal Glass, McDonalds-Spooner, Black River, Merrill & Turtle Lake, Church of Notre Dame, Chippewa Falls Fire Station, Northside Pet Hospital, and many area schools

​The past few years, we have been very fortunate to grow our business within the Chippewa Valley.  Our completed projects range from public works to private entities including government, education, retail and businesses. Watch for our trucks and trailers around the Chippewa Valley​!

Mission Statement: ​“Rhom Construction LLC provides commercial construction services that focus on dedication, integrity and honesty.  Our professionals utilize their strong work ethic, powerful communication skills and trade knowledge to create a professional environment & satisfaction to all customers”
​

Check us out on Facebook, LinkedIn and www.rhomconstruction.com

​Wisconsin Lift Truck, a member of Wolter Group LLC, opened a new Service Center in West Salem, WI. The new Service Center offers local La Crosse area businesses a wide variety of material handling products and solutions, including forklifts, aerial lifts, pallet racking, a robust parts department, a full rental fleet and much more. The facility will offer around-the-clock service to local industry. There is also a team of experienced technicians dedicated to reconditioning and repairing rail car movers. Our new high-tech service bays allow companies who own railcar movers to have their machines serviced or rebuilt locally, rather than needing to send them out of state.

Congratulations to Cabin Coffee Co. on the grand opening of their new store at 2922 Meadowlark Lane in River Prairie!

Congratulations to the Children's Museum of Eau Claire on the latest addition to their location at 220 S. Barstow St.  A huge crowd, including lots of excited kids, turned out for the ribbon cutting of the Bitty City Fire Station.  Also on hand was Dave Pekol, representing the Eau Claire Firefighters Community Charity, who made a generous donation to the Museum.