The Viroqua Public Record: June 4, 2026
Big playground rebuild and major investments in infrastructure projects in today's update.
Your neighborhood guide to what's happening at City Hall
The Big Takeaway
Eckhart Park playground is closing July 13 for a major rebuild. All the new play structures have been delivered and are being stored at Nelson Ag Center, and the city is gearing up for a significant community effort to tear down the old equipment and install the new. The park will be fenced off once it closes, so if your kids or grandkids have a favorite slide there, get your visits in before mid-July. Volunteers will be needed — the Lion's Club is coordinating — and GFL is pitching in by waiving tipping fees for hauling away the old structures. Nobody wanted to buy the old playground equipment when the city put out a call, so it's all getting removed.[2]
Money Watch
$23,500 to Town & Country Engineering for a sewer interceptor capacity study. The city has already done work to reduce stormwater sneaking into the sewer system (known as inflow and infiltration), but rainwater — likely from leaky basements — is still getting in. This study will pinpoint the worst trouble spots so the city can figure out where to focus next.[1]
$54,507.22 approved as Pay Request #6 for the Hanson Property (Contract A), plus another $83,295.33 for the first payment on Contract B, which covers the Railroad Storm Pond project. A small change order of $894.32 was also approved for Contract B. Altogether, that's roughly $138,700 moving out the door on these infrastructure projects in one meeting.[1]
The Park & Rec Committee is eyeing the remaining $19,241.10 in their capital improvement budget for a new zero-turn mower, but they're doing their homework first — Kale Proksch was asked to research options and bring pricing back to the next meeting.[2]
Coming Up
Public Works capital improvement priorities
Sarah Grainger walked the committee through a long list of potential projects including road reconstruction, equipment purchases, development projects, and parking lots. No decisions were made yet, and discussion will continue at the next Public Works meeting. If you have opinions about which streets need fixing first, this is the conversation to watch.[1]
Old City Hall project
The Park & Rec Committee ran out of time to discuss which design firm to hire, so they voted to send it directly to Council. Keep an eye on the next Council agenda if you're interested in the future of that building.[2]
Washington Park land
The committee voted 4-1 to explore options for cleaning up the wooded 2.7-acre parcel (plus 1.6 acres across the road) in partnership with Vernon Trails. Neighboring landowners have offered $10,000 per acre and would clean up portions themselves, but the city isn't rushing to sell. Sonya Newenhouse from the Housing Advisory Committee urged the city to hold off, noting this land was flagged as a potential future housing site during the Comprehensive Plan process. Vernon Trails sees potential for a trailhead. This one has competing visions — stay tuned.[2]
The Quick Rundown
Your drinking water is fine. The 2025 Consumer Confidence Report was reviewed and approved. This is the annual federal requirement showing what's in your tap water. Sarah Grainger walked the committee through it.[1]
Summer rec is booming. The city has 619 total registrations this year across programs, including 66 minor league and 70 major league baseball/softball signups. Summer staff starts at the end of May. They're still looking for a golf instructor if you know anyone.[2]
One More Thing
Robert Ribbons showed up to Public Works to let the committee know that the Vernon County Energy District could offer free technical assistance on venting the old landfill. It's the kind of small-town moment you love — a neighbor walking into a meeting and saying, "Hey, I know some people who can help with that."[1]
Sources
[1] Public Works Committee Minutes – May 19, 2026 — View Document
[2] Park & Rec Committee Minutes – May 5, 2026 — View Document
The Viroqua Public Record is an independent community summary of public meetings. It is not affiliated with the City of Viroqua.